Abstract:
A scraping tool employing a sharp-edged blade comprising a top, bottom, door, carrier, blade, storage box and an ergonomic base grip. The top, bottom and base grip combine to form the scraper tool body. The blade is attached to the carrier which is contained within the body and slides back and forth allowing the blade to be exposed. The storage box is contained within the body and can be used to store spare and used scraper blades.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to scraping tools of the type that employ replaceable sharp-edged blades such as razors, utility and wallpaper blades and more particularly those utilizing a storage area and are ergonomically designed. 
   1. Background 
   A wide variety of prior art tool heads and blade clamps exist in the field of this invention. Some examples of prior art include, generally, clamps having two jaws, or lips, that are attached to each other by one or more screws, thus necessitating a screwdriver or some other suitable implement to assemble or replace a blade. Such clamps may retain the blade solely by the friction resulting from the clamping force, or, as in some models, by one or more interlocking detents in one of the clamping surfaces that engage a mating hole or holes in the blade. These types of clamps are usually found on wallpaper shaving tools. 
   The design of these types of tools makes the removal and replacement of blades inconvenient. In order to replace a worn blade, a user must have another tool such as a screwdriver or Allen wrench to loosen the attachment screw(s). Once the screw(s) are loosened, the blade is released and there is an increased probability that the blade will fall from the clamp onto the floor or ground. The user must then pick it up for safe disposal. The screw(s) can also be inadvertently loosened so much that they fall out of the clamp onto the floor or ground, increasing the probability of their becoming lost. This results in wasted time finding the lost or a new screw or, if not found, the user might unsafely or inefficiently operate the scraper with less screws than designed. Also most scrapers are made of metal with the sliding or loading of a metal blade into a metal holder can be difficult. The metal on metal does not often slide easily thus requiring a user to push the blade against a solid object like a table or wall putting tension and wear on the blade and creating a very unsafe situation for the user, this can even cause the blade to break. There are some devices that have a side loading of the blades but they require mulitple steps and locking procedures. There is a need of an easy one touch loading of a blade. 
   Further, some users tend to hold the tool up in the air with one hand while tightening or loosening the screws with the other. It&#39;s possible even to cradle the clamp in either hand so as to employ the thumb and forefinger as guides for the edges of the blade, maintaining its position and alignment while the clamp is loose. Users could more easily lose their grip on the screwdriver of the scraping tool when handling it in this manner, resulting in bodily injury. 
   There are many other types of prior art clamps for utility, razor, window scraper and other styles of blades employed in scraping tools, all having deficiencies of one type or another, as noted in the ensuing descriptions. Many do not have a place where you can store extra blades for easy accessibility. There needs to be an area that is reaccessible. 
   Most prior art scraping tools are made of metal which can be slippery when wet oand unconferable to hold of long periods. The metal also presents problems when there are changes in the weather such as cool and heat. When it is cool the metal is cold to the hand and can become brittle. When it is hot, the metal can burn the hand. 
   The absence of a storage place for extra blades on most scrapers, and the location/lack of inaccessability of the storage areas on those that do have them presents a problem. If a blade breaks or gets dull in the middle of a project it can take time to go and get a blade and replace. Spare blades have to be stored carefully as they can be a safety hazard and they also need to be easily accessible. For those few scrapers the have storage areas, many of those you need to have an extra tool like a screw driver to open the scraper up to get to the extra blades. Other storage areas are designed to handle either packed or single blades, both not both. Some have a swivel opening, turning a single connecting point in the handle making it more difficult to hold the scraper while changing the blade. Many of these require you to remove the blades from their packaging. 
   These prior scraping tools were not ergonomically designed so that using them can cause strain on the user and may even cause repetitive motion damages. The lack of an ergonomic design makes it harder for a person to use the scraping tool. 
   2. Description of Prior Art 
   There have been various types of scrapers designed over the years. In using a scraper that utilizes a razor blade, it is important that the bare blade be covered when the scraper is not in use in order to prevent the bare blade from injuring someone and to protect the blade edge. Therefore, some prior scrapers place a blade in a retractable holder so that when the blade is not in use, the holder with the blade is retracted within a casing so as to hide the blade. Other scrapers have used protective covers which are pivotally moved to a position to hide the exposed blade edge. Still other scrapers have covers which are moved over the blade and are locked in place by tightening a set screw or some other device. Examples of these scrapers are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,336,284, 2,580,182 and 3,667,122. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,936 issued Mar. 18, 1986, titled “Blade Retaining Tool Head” attempts to remedy the hazard and inconvenience of the prior art screw-type clamp. This is done by employing interlocking, pivoting clamp-halves that are actuated by a threaded handle which engages mating threads in each clamp-half. A filled-in thread in one of the clamp-halves augments a camming action that forces the two halves together to grip an inserted blade when the handle is fully tightened. This eliminates the need for screws and a screwdriver or other tools to perform this function. 
   The U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,936 patent, however, provides no means for retaining the blade while the clamp is being actuated, perpetuating the potential hazard caused by a user&#39;s tendency to guide the edges of the blade into alignment with the clamp with one hand while tightening or loosening the threaded handle with the other. 
   Additionally, the amount of clamping force imposed on the blade, and thus the magnitude of the retaining friction force, depends on the degree of tightening-torque applied to the handle by the user and, of course, the amount of wear on the resilient cylinder. Whether by inexperience, insufficient strength or lack of intuitive insight, the user may fail to apply enough torque to the handle to sufficiently clamp the blade for all aspects of its intended use. Also, when loosening the clamp to change blades, the user may, for the same reasons, inadvertently disassemble the handle from the clamp-halves; an inconvenience, at the least. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,226 issued Oct. 15, 1991, titled “Tool For Carrying a Scraping or Stripping Blade” specifies a two-piece device incorporating a pivot able, lever-actuated blade clamp. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,226 patent requires no auxiliary tool, such as a screwdriver, to install or remove a blade. 
   But as in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,936 patent, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,226 patent provides no means for containing or restraining the blade during the period between the time it is placed in the clamp and the time that the lever is latched shut. Hence, the potential inconvenience of a loose blade slipping, or falling from the clamp before it&#39;s closed tightly on the blade persists. The tool bearing the U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,226 number includes two detents in the lower, fixed clamp jaw that engage corresponding holes in the blade, offering a limited amount of blade restraint at times when the lever is unlatched. However, this effect is far from positive blade retention. Another class of clamps for scraping applications are those that incorporate retractable slides upon or within which the blade is placed or inserted. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,138 issued Sep. 11, 1990 titled “Utility Blade Scraper” incorporates a thumb button actuated trigger and slide, lockable in three positions: (1) fully retracted; (2) working position (partial extension) and (3) blade changing position (full extension). 
   The blade is loaded in the latter position by placing it on the extended slides; a central hole in the blade engaging the slide&#39;s mating detent. Additionally, two “lugs” on the slide engage slots in the back edge of the blade. Upon first placing the blade on the slide it will tend to stay in place as long as the handle is held horizontally, but otherwise may become dislodged and fall, resulting in lost or damaged blades and wasted time and inconvenience. Also, the blade may require some guidance by the user as it is retracted through the blade slot opening. The back edge of the blade may tend to hang-up on the upper edge of the slot, or, in some instances, so may the blade positioning detent. Once retracted into the confines of the slot, the blade is contained by the upper and lower internal surfaces of the slot. 
   Finally, there&#39;s the common razor blade scraper with a myriad of forms and styles. The types most relevant to the field of this invention are the retractable varieties as exemplified by Harry Warner et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,291,514 issued Jul. 28, 1942, Donald Gringer U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,517 issued Dec. 17, 1985 and Leon Lavallee, et al Pat. No. D346,319 issued Apr. 26, 1994. 
   There are numerous scraping tools on the market, many of which are the subject matter of patents. Such patents include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,334,254, 6,286,215, 6,253,454, 6,101,721, 5,996,231, 5,924,203, 5,713,232, 5,528,832, 5,493,781, 5,433,004, 5,319,853, 5,235,751, 5,181,320, 5,095,573, 5,009,099, 4,979,300, 4,558,517, 4,238,883, 4,182,033, D396,910, D389,966, D386,846, D383,577, D358,011, D346,319, D338,822, D362,093, D282,881 and D274,953. Yet these patents do not solve the need for a scraping tool that allows the blade to be replaced easily while having a storage compartment for blades while being ergonomically designed. 
   For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a scraping tool with easy one touch loading and replacing the blade, easy to access storage compartment, made of a two components plastic and ergonomic design. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a retractable blade scraper which utilizes a scraping blade for removing paint, glue, caulking, adhesives, tape, stickers or other materials from surfaces, particularly, hard, smooth surfaces, such as glass and tile. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a scraping tool that does not exhibit the disadvantages, inconveniences or potential pitfalls from use of the prior art devices previously described. It is another object of the present invention to provide a scraping tool that requires no auxiliary tool or other implement to assemble, remove or replace a blade. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a scraping tool that has a storage area to store blades that are easy to access and re-access without using any auxiliary tools. An additional object of the present invention is to provide a scraping tool that is ergonomically designed that allows for maximum control and gripablity with a comfort fit into the hand. One that matches the primary hand positions used to hold and use the scraper. 
   An additional object of the present invention is to provide a scraping tool the is comprised of two-component plastic materials, such as a hard and soft plastic, like thermo-plastic and elastomer. 
   An additional object of the present invention is to provide a safety feature of a ribbed indention and safety wall on the top for a better hold and safety. In order to achieve the above objectives, as well as others that will become apparent hereinafter to those skilled in the art, a scraping tool in accordance with the present invention comprises five major components excluding the blade. These major components are the bottom, the top with a storage box, the carrier, the door and the ergonomic base grip. 
   The door is attached to the bottom and opens out for accessing the storage box, with the storage box being used to hold extra blades. The carrier is used to hold the blade and has the ability to slide in and out of the scraper body with a tab extending out of the scraper body on the top. The scraper body is formed of the bottom, top and base grip with the storage box being contained within the scraper body. 
   These, together with other objects of this invention, along with various features of novelty which characterize this invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of this invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     Without restricting the full scope of this invention, the preferred form of this invention is illustrated in the following drawings: 
       FIG. 1  shows the main components of the device; 
       FIG. 2  shows a back perspective view of the device showing its ergonomic; 
       FIG. 3  shows a front perspective view of the device showing its ergonomic design; 
       FIG. 4  shows a top view of the device; 
       FIG. 5  shows a bottom view of the device; 
       FIG. 6  shows a side view of the device; 
       FIG. 7  shows the carrier and the carrier tab of the device; 
       FIG. 8  shows a view of the bottom with the door open to reveal the storage box; 
       FIG. 9  shows the carriage detents; 
       FIG. 10  shows a side view of the device with the door open; 
       FIG. 11  show the blade; and 
       FIG. 12  shows the blade loading process. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The following description of a retractable blade scraper is demonstrative in nature and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention or its application of uses. 
   Referring to the drawings, specifically  FIGS. 1 through 12 , there is illustrated an embodiment of a retractable ergonomic blade scraper with storage area  1  (hereinafter “device”) adapted for use with a blade  70 . The present invention comprises six major components excluding the blade. These major components are the bottom  10 , the top  20  with a storage box  50 , the carrier  30 , the door  40 , and the ergonomic base grip  60 . 
   As shown in FIG.  10  and the other Figs, the door  40  is attached to the bottom  10  and opens out for accessing the storage box  50 , with the storage box  50  being used to hold extra blades  70  and being part of the top  20 . The carrier  30  is used to hold the blade  70  and has the ability to slide in and out of the scraper body  80  with a tab  200  extending out of the scraper body on the top  20 . The scraper body  80  is formed of the bottom  10 , top  20  and base grip  60  with the storage box  50  being contained within the scraper body  80 . 
   The device  1 , in the preferred embodiment, is made of a combination of a hard and soft plastic, like thermoplastic and elastomer respectively with the base grip  50  being made of the soft plastic and the rest of the device  1  being made of the hard plastic. 
   The Scraper Body 
   The scraper body  80  is formed of the bottom  10 , top  20  and base grip  60  with the storage box  50  being contained within the scraper body  80 . The top  20  and the bottom  10  fit together to form the scraper body  80  with the body cavity  90  within. After the top  20  and the bottom  10  are placed together the base grip  60  covers the back of the scraper body  80  on the grip end  100  that is opposite of the blade end  82 . The door  40  is attached to the bottom  10  through a hinging means  12 . The bottom  10  has a door opening  42  that is the same dimension, although slightly smaller than the door  40 . Both the top  20  and bottom  10  are curved towards each other for an ergonomic design and they slope toward the blade side  82  of the scraper body  80 . In the preferred embodiment, the body  80  has a length of 4{fraction (3/32)}″ from end to end with the blade  70  extended and has a width of 1{fraction (1/16)}″ at its widest point. The body  80  has a pear shape from a top and bottom view. This shape is designed to make it more ergonomic. The body  80  has an oval opening  84  opposite the blade end  82 . This oval opening  84  allows the device  1  to be connected to ties or hung up on hooks or nails. 
   The Bottom 
   The Bottom  10  is curved in shape. It has a bottom carriage ledge  16  on which the carriage  30  slides. It has a door opening  42 . On one side of the door opening  42  are two hinge slots  14 . These hinge slots  14  are on opposite sides of the door opening  42  and are what the door hinging means  12  set into allowing the door  40  to swing open and close. The bottom  10  has a set of door closing tabs  44 . These closing tabs  44  extend perpendicular from the door opening  42  towards the inner side of the bottom  10 . In the preferred embodiment, there are two closing tabs  44  on opposite sides of the door opening  42 . These closing tabs  44  and  46  are used by the door secure hooks  46  that are located on the door  40  to secure the door  40  closed. The oval opening  84  extends through the bottom  10 . 
   The Door 
   The door  40  has a curved shape that matches that of the bottom  10 . The door has a hinging means  12  which in the preferred embodiment would be a cylinder bar  48  that is perpendicular to the door  40 , on the interior side of the door  40  and extend slightly beyond the edge of the door  40 . The cylinder bar  48  would fit into the hinge slots  14 . The top  20  would have a ridge that would cover the hinge slots  14  securing the door  40 . The door  40  would have door secure hooks  46  that secure the door  40  closed by hooking on the closing tabs using tension. The door will have a lip that is used to assist in the opening of the door  40  from a closed position. 
   The Top 
   The Top  20  is curved shape. It has a tab opening  22  from which the tab  200  of the carriage  30  extends. The top  20  fits against the bottom  10  to form the body cavity  90 . The oval opening extends through the top  20 . The top  20  has the detent-receiving notches  210  and  220  for the positioning of the carriage  30  for the blade storage and scraping/loading positions. These detent-receiving notches are on the body cavity  90  side. It has a top carriage ledge  18  on which the carriage  30  slides. The storage box  50  is a rectangular box-like structure that is the body cavity  90 . In the preferred embodiment, the storage box  50  is part of the top  20 , but in the alternative the storage box  50  can be part of the bottom  10  or its own component. The storage box  50  can be used to store unused and used blades  70  with the preferred size being such that matches the blades  70 . The door  40  opens to allow the user access to the storage box  50 . 
   The top  20  has a ribbed area  24  and a safety wall  26 . The ribbed area  24  is an indented area with ribs rising from the surface of the indented area. These ribs and indention help the user&#39;s grip on the device  1  and acts as a thumb hold. The ribbed area  24  is positioned on the top of the top  20  opposite the cavity side and it right after the hole for the thumb button  200  towards the blade end  82 . At the end of the ribbed area  24  as you head towards the blade end  82  is the safety wall  26 . The safety wall  26  a raised up area from the surface of the top  20 . It is used to prevent the user&#39;s thumb from slipping towards the blade. 
   The Base Grip 
   The base grip  60  is designed to assist the user in holding and using the device  1  and increase the device&#39;s  1  ergonomic design. The base grip  60  is in a half circle shape with extended sides and covers the back side  84  opposite the blade slide  82  of the scraper body  90 . The base grip  60  is made of a strong, durable, friction resistance material such as a soft plastic like elastomer. The base grip  60  in the preferred embodiment will have ridges that will assist in the gripping of the device  1 . 
   Blade Movement 
   The carriage  30  and the scraper body  80  cooperate as follows: The carriage  30  is slid ably received in the scraper body  80  and normally retained for longitudinal reciprocation therein between a forward most scraping/blade-changing position and a rearward most blade-storage position. In one embodiment, the carriage  30  is selectively lockable in at least its blade-storage and scraping/loading positions. The longitudinal reciprocation of the carriage  30  between its blade-scraping and blade-storage positions, and the locking thereof into at least the storage and scraping positions, is facilitated by a thumb button  200  that is accessible from the exterior of the top  20  and connected to the remainder of the carriage  30  by a resilient lever  205  as shown, for example, in FIG.  7 . Extending from the resilient lever  205  is a slide-locking detent  215  which is movable into and out of the detent-receiving notches  210  and  220  in the scraper body  80  between a locking position and a sliding position. In the version shown in  FIG. 9 , the detent-receiving notches  210  and  220  correspond to the blade storage and scraping positions respectively. The resilient lever  205  is biased so as to maintain the slide-locking detent  89  in one of the detent-receiving notches  210  and  220  (i.e., in the locking position). The thumb button  200  is depressible, and the resilient lever  205  flexible, in a longitudinal direction toward the bottom of the body  80  into the sliding position in which the slide-locking detent  215  is disengaged from the detent-receiving notches  210  and  220  so that the carriage  30  can be longitudinally reciprocated forward and backward within the body  80 . 
   The Blades 
   In the preferred embodiment, the type of blade  70  used is a standard rectangular single edged razor blade, but the device  1  can be modified to use a trapezoidal utility blade or any other type of standard and non-standard blade and still be within the scope of the current invention. However, these dimensions are offered by way of example, blade shapes and dimensions should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed. 
   The Carriage 
   One embodiment of a scraper  1  is adapted for use with a substantially flat, rectangular razor blade  70  having two opposed flat surfaces, a forward scraping edge  72 , a rear edge  73 , which is opposite and parallel to the forward scraping edge  72 , rear ridge  74 , center opening  76  at the center, and indenting side edges  78 . The configurations illustrated are common industry examples. 
   The blade  70  is irremovably mountable on a blade seat  32  of the carriage  30 . As illustrated best in  FIG. 9 , the blade seat  32  has a blade platform  34 , a blade indent  36  and a rear wall  38  for receiving and supporting one of the flat surfaces of the blade  70  and the rear edge  73  of the blade  70 , respectively. The blade platform  34  is preferably provided with at least one blade-retaining tab  35  designed to project through and engage at least one indenting side edge  78  to prevent the blade  70  from sliding relative to the blade platform  34 . Also assisting in this restraining function is blade clip  39  which, in this case, project forward from the rear wall  38  angled down toward the blade with a rounded end pressing down in the center opening  76 . In the preferred embodiment, there is an opening  33  in the blade seat  32  underneath the blade clip  39 . The carriage  30  has two blade positioners  37  which extend out of the rear wall  38  to hold the blade  70  in place. 
   Extending upwardly from the blade seat  52  is a substantially rigid resilient lever  205 . The thumb button  200  is connected to the resilient lever  205  opposite the blade platform  34 . The blade clip  39  holds the blade  70  into place. 
   Blade Loading 
   As shown in  FIG. 12 , the device has a slide loading of the blades  70 . The blade  70  is placed next to the device  1 . The blade is slide into the carriage  30 . The blade&#39;s  70  ridge placed in the blade seat  32  against the rear wall  38  in the blade indent  36 . The blade is slide until the blade indenting side edge  78  engages with the blade-retaining tab  35 . 
   Although many features, functions, and advantages of the present invention have been described in this specification, together with details of the structure of specific embodiments thereof, the description as a whole is illustrative only, and substitutions may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, dimension and arrangement of elements within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad, general meaning of the terms in which the claims are expressed. 
   Alternative Embodiment The device, in an alternative embodiment, is made of a combination of a hard and soft plastic like above, such as thermo-plastic and elastomer respectively with not only the base grip  50  being made of the soft plastic, having the soft plastic or rubber cover the ribs in the ribbed area  24 , the sides of the top  20  and bottom  10 , and the thumb button  200  or any combination of such with the rest of the device  1  being made of the hard plastic. 
   Advantages The previously described version of the present invention has many advantages, including many elements missing in all prior art. It provides a scraper with easy to replace blade, easy to access storage compartment, two component plastic and ergonomic functional construction. 
   Although many features, functions, and advantages of the present invention have been described in this specification, together with details of the structure of specific embodiments thereof, the description as a whole is illustrative only, and substitutions may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, dimension and arrangement of elements within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad, general meaning of the terms in which the claims are expressed. Therefore, the point and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.