Abstract:
The present invention relates to a dust pan with a handle generally centrally located within the footprint of the dust pan. The handle extends toward the center of gravity of the dust pan to better distribute the weight of the payload during transportation between loading and unloading locations. The dust pan may also incorporate side handles on the upper surface of opposing side walls to provide for enhanced two-handed carrying of heavy loads.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/120,439, filed Feb. 25, 2015 titled CENTER-HANDLED LARGE DEBRIS DUST PAN, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a dust pan, and, more particularly, to a dust pan having a main handle extending into the footprint of the dust pan, and side handles for ease of lifting heavy loads. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional dust pans generally allow the user to collect debris by holding the dust pan in one hand and operating a broom or the like with the other hand. Such dust pans are generally wide enough to accommodate a long or short handled broom and deep enough to accommodate the typical amount of debris that could be moved by a standard width broom. Further, as will be recognized, most such dust pans include a handle which extends from the back of the dust pan. 
     However, although conventional dust pans are large enough to handle typical light household cleaning duties, they are too small to accommodate heavier loads from wider brooms such as a shop broom or push broom that would typically be used on a job site. In addition to being too narrow to accommodate a load provided directly by a wider broom, the typical dust pan is relatively shallow and may be difficult to pick up when heavily loaded. These characteristics, combined with a need to dispose of larger, heavier loads, require the user to use a smaller broom and to make multiple trips to the waste bin in order to complete a cleaning job. Alternatively, the user may try to overfill such a conventional dust pan, and simply deal with an unwieldy load. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a debris dust pan that includes a bottom surface with a rear wall and a front opening. The debris dust pan also includes two side walls which may be lipped, one on either side of the front opening and extending from proximate the front opening to the rear wall. The debris dust pan also preferably includes a center handle located within the footprint of the bottom surface, which extends generally toward the center of gravity of the debris dust pan. Side handles may also be formed along upper edges of the opposed side walls, and anti-skid elements may be positioned on the lower side of the bottom surface. Reinforcing ribs may be located along the front lower lip edge for increased rigidity. 
     The center handle&#39;s position closer to the center of gravity of the debris dust pan within the footprint of the bottom surface allows for better balance as compared to prior art dust pans with handles extending out from the back of the rear wall. Additionally, the side handles make it easier to carry large loads of debris. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a debris dust pan according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the debris dust pan of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the debris dust pan of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the debris dust pan of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof is shown by way of example in the drawing and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiment disclosed, but to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings particularly by reference numbers wherein like numerals refer to like parts,  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the various views of the upper and horizontal surfaces of a debris dust pan  10  having an interior bottom surface  20  with a generally rectangular footprint (as is best seen in  FIG. 2 ). As will be understood, the actual shape of the interior bottom surface  20  may be any desired shape, but a generally rectangular shape is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The dust pan  10  also includes side walls  30  on either side of the bottom surface  20 . As shown, each side wall  30  includes an upper lip  35  for stability. Each upper lip  35  may include a front portion  35 A and a rear portion  35 B. Each rear portion  35 B of each upper lip  35  preferably includes a side handle  40 . As shown, rear portion  35 B may be wider than front portion  35  A to accommodate a side handle  40  formed therein. As is also shown, side handle  40  may be formed as a depression  45  in the rear portion  35 B of upper lip  35 . However, other structures and techniques for forming handles as are known in the art may instead be used. 
     A rear wall  50  extends generally between the side walls  30 , and the side walls extend generally perpendicularly from the rear wall  50  to a front opening  60 . Front opening  60  allows for debris to be swept onto the bottom surface  20 , where it is contained thereon by the side walls  30  and rear wall  50 . Bottom surface  20  may further include a sloped front portion  65  which extends to the front opening  60 , to assist the user in moving debris onto the bottom surface  20 . As structured, the dust pan  10  has a center of gravity which is approximated by point  70 . Of course, it will be understood that the center of gravity may change depending on the specific structure and weighting of the dust pan  10 . Further, the exact center of gravity may change when the dust pan  10  is loaded with debris. However, point  70  is used simply as an example, and as a point of reference. 
     A center handle  80  is preferably located extending from the rear wall  50  into the footprint of the interior bottom surface  20 . Preferably, the center handle  80  extends toward and/or to the center of gravity  70  of the dust pan  10 . Thus, the center handle  80  preferably extends generally perpendicularly to the rear wall  50  of the dust pan  10 , and generally parallel with the side handles  40 . As shown, the center handle  80  is formed from an extension  85  of rear wall  50 . The extension  85  extends generally perpendicularly from rear wall  50 . An opening  90  is provided in the extension  85  to form the center handle  80  thereabove, and to provide clearance for placement of the operator&#39;s hand. Alternatively, center handle  80  may be fixedly attached to rear wall  50  in a cantilever fashion thereby requiring no additional opening  90  or extension  85  other than center handle  80 . Other structures for forming center handle  80  are also envisioned, as would be known in the art. 
     By positioning the center handle  80  within the footprint of the bottom surface  20  of the dust pan, extending to and/or towards the center of gravity  70 , the dust pan  10  is more balanced when lifted by the center handle  80  even when loaded. Additionally, for very heavy loads, the two side handles  40  which may also be positioned generally on either side of the center of gravity  70  allow for a balanced, two-handed lifting of the dust pan  10 . 
     As noted above, as shown the dust pan  10  includes side walls  30  which each have an upper lip  35 . Each such upper lip  35  may be curved outwardly from its respective side wall  30  to form the upper lip  35 . Alternatively, upper lips  35  may take the shape of a 90 degree angle as it meets the top of side wall  30 , or a “T” shape at the top of side wall  30 , or any other suitable structure as would be understood in the art. Alternatively, upper lip  35  may include no front portion  35 A, instead having only the rear portion  35 B to provide for a location for side handles  40 . Alternatively, if side handles  40  are formed by a structure other than a depression  45  in upper lip  35 , upper lip  35  may be removed altogether. For a non-limiting example, side handles  40  may be formed simply by creating a void or hole in the side walls  30 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate the exterior and bottom of the dust pan  10 . As shown in  FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 , the side walls  30  may slope downward as it approaches the front opening  60 . Alternatively, side walls  30  may remain generally rectangular when viewed from the side, providing no sloped forward portion.  FIG. 4  further demonstrates the exterior underside surface  90  of the dust pan  10 . As can be seen, reinforcing ribs  95  may also be positioned along the front lower edge  100  of front opening  60 .  FIG. 4  further demonstrates anti-skid elements  110  which may be fixedly attached to the underside surface  90  of dust pan  10 . Such anti-skid elements may be made of rubber or any other suitable material, and may be affixed to the dust pan  10  using adhesive or other comparable fastening method known in the art. 
     Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel large debris dust pan. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.