Abstract:
A garden and lawn weed extractor tool enables removal of the weed with minimal invasiveness to the soil or turf. The weed extractor tool utilizes a foot-operated depression feature to insert the tool blade into the soil, at an angle to horizontal near the weed root. The user then uses the tool as a lever to pivot the blade relative to the weed root, which loosens the soil around the root and, hence, loosens the weed from the ground so that the weed is removable without carrying with it a large clump of soil. A spring-assisted soil retainer device and self-cleaning mechanism wipes or scrapes the tool blade as the tool is removed from the ground, and, in doing so, retains most of the soil in place at or near its original location. The tool, therefore, tends to prevent disruption to the garden and turf area, leaves each weed-removal site neat and miminally-disturbed, and keeps the tool blade clean for smooth and quick insertion at the next weed-site.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to a garden and lawn weed remover tool that enables more complete removal of the weed with minimal invasion into the soil or turf. More specifically, the invention relates to a triangular, “V” or “L” shaped pointed blade that pierces the earth adjacent to the root of a weed, where the blade is driven when a user pushed on attached foot operated cross member. Once inserted into the ground, the shaft of the remover tool is used as an angled lever to provide mechanical advantage to the blade to leverage the weed root and loosen it for easy removal. As the blade is removed, a spring-loaded clearing mechanism removes earth and debris from the blade, leaving the earth to its original position. 
     2. Related Art 
     Weed removal tools, such as garden trowels, forked-handheld digging devices and footstep removal mechanisms, have long been used to remove weeds from lawns and gardens. Numerous varieties of these tools are found in literature and in the marketplace. Sobol (U.S. Pat. No. 1,931,773) describes a handheld digging fork used to remove dandelions, where the user is positioned close to a dandelion to insert a handheld fork-tipped bar into the ground adjacent to the dandelion root to loosen the soil and enable removal of the weed. Alternatively, Green (U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,340) teaches a weed extraction device that uses a step operation while standing, similar to using a shovel, to insert a coring device that is then twisted to cut a cone shaped plug around the weed for removal. 
     A weed removal tool is described by Tam (U.S. Pub. No.: US 2001/0045239 A1) that includes a telescoping handle attached to a combination footstep and fulcrum arm to enable insertion of a blade in the ground. The blade has a notched fork-style end. When the handle is moved backward, the footstep arm moves back against the top of the ground and acts as a fulcrum to enable leverage on the blade by moving the handle backward. The leveraging action enables the forked tip of the blade to grasp the weed root and scoop the weed forward up out of the ground. In each of these examples, should dirt adhere to the blade, the user must scrape the blade against another object or with another, separate tool, and return the removed soil to its original location. 
     Until now, of the many examples of weed removal tools that exist today, none have the properties for noninvasive complete removal of the weed, while being easy to use and self-cleaning. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a weed extractor device includes a blade shaped and angled so that, when pushed into the ground by use of a foot platform, the blade surrounds the root of a weed on at least on two sides and angles inward toward the root for a minimum of disturbance to the ground. The invented device further comprises a dual-function blade cleaning and soil-retaining mechanism, and preferably has an angled handle for improved comfort and leverage by the user. The main body of the tool is a shank length that may have a cross section similar to a “V” or “L” or “U” that preferably transitions smoothly into the “V” or “L” or “U” shaped blade, wherein such blade shapes fall within the general category of a “curved” shape that defines a space for receiving the weed and its root and a small amount of dirt around the root. The blade “curve” is preferably a curve from side edge to side edge. While the blade is preferably attached to the main body of the tool at an angle that assists in insertion of the blade into the soil at an angle, the blade is most preferably straight along its spine, that is, without a blade curve in the longitudinal direction as such a longitudinal curve could interfere with smooth, low-resistance insertion into the ground. 
     According to the current invention, the weed extractor tool is used to remove a wide variety of weed and its root, with minimal disturbance to the surrounding soil and turf. The blade cleaning mechanism reduces the buildup of soil and turf on the blade that will otherwise create a larger hole and holds loose soil in place during removal of the tool from the ground, resulting in less disturbance of the soil. 
     According to the current invention, the point of the weed extractor is placed near the center of the weed, and the foot-operated cross member is depressed to insert the blade point into the earth adjacent to the weeds&#39; root. The blade cleaning mechanism abuts the earth top surface, where its spring-loaded backing is compressed as the blade enters the ground. The handle is pulled back a short distance to leverage the blade and induce the soil and weed to rise upward a finite distance into a mound. The entire or substantially the entire weed may be lifted out of the loosened dirt mound. Then, the tool may be entirely lifted out of the loosened mound. As the tool is removed from the mound, the blade cleaning mechanism scrapes the blade clean, driven by the compressed spring, thus inducing the soil to remain in place with minimal disturbance to the weeded area. 
     Thus, the tool may be seen as a weed loosening, rather than a digging, device, because a minimum of dirt is disturbed, and even less is lifted up out of its original place in the ground. The invented tool works on the theory that it is better to loosen the root from the dirt and lift the root from the ground, than to dig up a large plug of dirt with the weed in it. This reduces the disturbance to the ground and surrounding plants, and results in a pulled weed that does not have a large clod of dirt on the root. Consequently, the user does not have to refill large holes, does not have to shake the weed or hit it against another object to try to dislodge the dirt before disposing of the weed. Thus, all the way around, this is a lower-impact a lower-effort weed removal system than prior art approaches. 
    
    
     The invention and objects and features will be more readily apparent from the following description and dependent claims when taken with the drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an improved non-invasive weed extractor tool in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a back view of the non-invasive weed extractor tool of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail back view of the non-invasive weed extractor tool blade. 
     FIG. 4 shows a cross section view of the blade profile of the blade of FIG. 3 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail side view of the blade of FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail side view of the tip of the blade of FIGS. 3-5. 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail side view of the blade and blade cleaning mechanism portion of the weed extractor tool of FIGS. 1-6. 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail front view of the blade and blade cleaning mechanism portion of the weed extractor tool of FIGS. 1-7. 
     FIG. 9 is a detail view of one embodiment of the blade cleaning mechanism shaft support. 
     FIG. 10 is a detail view of one embodiment of the blade cleaning mechanism scraper and soil retainer. 
     FIG. 11A illustrates the embodiment of FIGS. 1-10 inserted into the ground and being pulled to pivot the blade forward generally beside and under the root. 
     FIG. 11B illustrates the embodiment of FIGS. 1-11A being pulled up out of the ground, retaining the soil substantially in place after weed removal. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an improved non-invasive weed extractor tool  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, with the blade cleaning mechanism and soil retainer  16  in its neutral position. The weed extractor tool  10  includes a handle  11  attached at an angle  12  to shank  13 , wherein shank  13  supports the “foot operated” cross member  14  (also called “foot platform” or “step”), a blade  17  set at an insertion angle  15 , and the blade cleaning mechanism and soil retainer  16 . 
     Also shown to best advantage in FIG. 1 is the position of cross member  14 , which the user pushes with his foot to force the tool blade  17  into the ground. The cross member  14  preferably comprises a top platform surface  14 ′ against which the foot pushes, which is perpendicular to the axis of the blade. This way, the force exerted on the platform surface  14 ′ directs the blade directly and efficiently into the soil with the point of the blade directed downward and inward at the plant root, without a significant tendency for the blade to twist or turn or rotate when entering the soil. Combined with other preferred features of the tool  10 , this contributes to accurate placement and insertion of the tool while minimizing disruption of the soil. The preferred cross member  14  is long enough to extend to the right and left of the shank for either right or left foot use. 
     FIG. 2 shows the weed extractor tool  10  of FIG. 1 in a back view where handle  11  is co-planar with shaft  13  and generally perpendicular to cross member  14 . The plate  116  of the blade cleaning mechanism and soil retainer  16  is shown to extend normal to the blade  17 . 
     FIGS. 3-5 illustrate to best advantage the preferred blade  17  of the tool  10 . Blade  17  extends from shank  13  generally coaxilly, but at a slight angle forward (right in FIG. 1) from the shank  13 . Thus, both the handle  11  and the blade  17  are preferably slightly angled forward from the shank. The handle is about 15-25 degrees forward from the shank, or whatever is comfortable for a user to hold and pull back on. Having the handle  11  at an angle or curving relative to the preferably straight shank makes it more comfortable for the user to hold and use the tool  10 , for example, because the user&#39;s hand can remain at a comfortable distance in front of the user both when inserting the tool into the ground and when pulling back on the handle to remove the weed. The blade  17  is preferably positioned about 5-20 degrees forward from the shank, and more preferably about 5-10 degrees forward from the shank. This angle of the blade relative to the shank longitudinal axis, is the “insertion angle  15 ,” and, practically, is measured by the angle of the back surface  31  to the axis of the shank  13 . This preferred angle tends to move the blade down and in against the weed root, when the tool is pushed into the ground. The three main portions, handle  11 , shank  13 , and blade  17  are all preferably coplanar (the plane of the paper in FIG.  1 ). 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail back view of the blade  17 . When the tool blade  17  is inserted into the ground, flat surface  31  abuts against the rear wall of the small hole cut by the blade, and a top portion  131  of surface  31  serves as a pivot point when the tool handle is pulled back by the user, so that the blade  17  pivots forward and upward the root. The preferred blade shape and pivotal tool action, therefore, tend to make a cone-shaped cut in the dirt, tapering inward toward the root, which minimizes the size of the hole made by insertion and movement of the blade  17 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 3-6, cutting edge  32  extends all along the blade side surface of  17 . The bottom end of the blade  17  is shaped as described in detail below, featuring a sharp rear angled surface  51  to help with smooth insertion into the ground with a minimum of foot pressure against the cross member  14 . The bottom end of the blade  17  also has a rounded tip  33  for improved safety, so that the blade is designed to compromise between thinness (for excellent insertion into the ground) and a rounded tip (to prevent the tool from having a dangerous spear-like sharpness). 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a transverse cross section of the blade  17 , which shows the flat surface  31  on the backside. The cutting edge  32  is shown perpendicular to the flat surface  31 , but surface  32  may be differently-angled relative to the flat surface  31  to make the blade side edges even sharper for even cleaner forward cutting of the earth. 
     In use, the blade slides smoothly into the ground when the user pushes on the cross member  14 , due to the thinness of the blade and the bottom end of the blade (aided by sharp rear angle  51 ), and the sharpness of the cutting edges  32 . The cross member  14  is preferably rigidly and non-movably connected to the shank or other portion of the tool so that it is adapted to transmit the force of the foot to the tool and to the blade, and so that it is not positioned where it will interfere with the blade sliding fully into the ground. During insertion of the blade into the ground, the blade “inner” or “front” surface  41  moves down and forward generally along the weed root, so that, by the time the blade is fully inserted into the ground, the inner surface  41  curves part way around the weed root plus a small amount of soil, in effect, receiving the weed root plus that small amount of soil in the blade&#39;s front interior space  141  defined and partly surrounded by the inner surface  41 . After insertion, the user pulls back on the blade to pivot the blade, and the cutting edges  32  cut forward through the dirt, and the blade inner surface  41  (or “front surface”), herein depicted as a V-shaped surface, moves a small plug of soil forward and upward. In doing so, the soil in the plug is loosened, and the weed root is loosened from the soil of the plug. The weed may then be lifted up out of the plug by the user, the tool may be removed up and away from the plug, and the user may step on the plug to tamp it back into place in the ground. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 are side views of the blade, illustrating the relation between the flat surface  31  and cutting edge  32  is illustrated. The flat surface  31  on the back of the blade  17  ends with a sharp angle  51  that tapers to the rounded tip  33  at the terminating end of the cutting edge  32 . 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of the lower portion of the tool, which illustrates to best advantage the vertex of the insertion angle  15  near the cross member  14 , and the blade tapering down toward the bottom to slant the cutting edges  32  close to the rear flat surface  31 . Thus, the flat surface  31  terminates in sharp angle  51  generally at the blade tip  33 . Preferably, the blade  17  has only a single tip, that is, the blade is not a “forked” blade or a multi-pointed blade, but rather narrows to the single tip that is efficient at entering the ground and traveling toward the root. In FIG. 7, the blade cleaning mechanism and soil retainer  16  is in the neutral position, as it is prior to insertion into the ground, and one may see in FIG. 7 the retainer plate  116  perpendicular to the paper. 
     FIG. 8 shows an enlarged front view of the lower portion of the tool, showing to best advantage the blade cleaning mechanism and soil retainer  16 . As the blade  17  is inserted in the soil, the soil retainer plate  116 , attached to the support shaft  81 , buttresses against the top surface of the soil and moves the support shaft  81  upward. Affixed to the support shaft  81  is a spring retainer  82 , which abuts the compression spring  83 , where the compression spring  83  is affixed to the shank  13  using spring retainer clips  84 . FIG. 8 shows a front view of the blade  17  inner surface  41  in which the blade cleaning mechanism and soil retainer  16  slides during operation. As the blade  17  is inserted in the soil the blade cleaning mechanism and soil retainer  16  remains on the soil surface to retain the soil near its original location to minimize the tools impact on the soil or turf as the weed is removed. When the tool  10  is removed from the ground, the spring  83  biases the soil retainer plate  116  to slide toward the tip of the blade, and, in doing so, it tends to scrape soil off of the blade inner surface  41  and/or hold the soil within the space defined by the inner surface  41  generally in place in the ground, preventing that soil from being removed from the ground by the tool. This way, the preferred soil retainer system  16  serves both to clean the blade and to retain the soil in the most desirable location, that is, in the ground generally at its original location. 
     FIG. 9 illustrates a front view of a spring retainer clip  84 , where the support shaft  81  is channeled through the support shaft port  91 . The preferred shaft  81  extends axially along a portion of the shank  13  in a lower area of the shank that contains the clips  84 , retainer  82 , and spring  83 , and is adapted to extend axially along a substantial portion of the blade  17  for the cleaning and soil retaining functions. While the Figures illustrate the shaft  81  and plate  116  extending as far as about ⅔ of the way down the blade in the neutral (non-compressed spring) position, the tool  10  may be designed to allow the shaft and plate to extend to different locations in the neutral position, for example, to locations in the range of ½-⅞ of the way down the blade. While the shaft and plate may be designed to travel all the way to the tip of the blade, this is not normally necessary to accomplish good blade cleaning. To assist in the travel of the shaft  81  and plate  116 , the shaft is preferably slightly curved from its portion near the spring  83  to its portion near the plate  116 , to allow it to travel smoothly from the shank area to the blade area and to travel smoothly down the blade with the plate urged against the inner surface  41 , but not binding or stuck on the inner surface  41 . 
     FIG. 10 shows a front view of the blade cleaning mechanism scraper and soil retainer plate  116 . Shown are the soil retainer tabs  102  and the blade cleaning mechanism scraper  101 , where the soil retainer tabs  102  press against the soil surface and the blade cleaning mechanism scraper portion  101  has a edge profile that matches the inner surface  41  for effective cleaning. Preferably, the plate  116  has a generally flat lower surface  116 ′ of dimensions that properly press on and retain the loosened soil, for example, about 2-3 inches long by about 1-2.5 inches wide at the scraper portion area. Thus, the plate lower surface  116 ′ preferably has a surface area in the range of about 2-5 square inches, and preferably in the range of about 3 square inches, providing enough surface area to push on and retain the loosened dirt in the ground, whether or not is has tended to stick to the blade. 
     FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate the preferred embodiment of the tool  10  in use during some of the preferred steps of weed removal. In FIG. 11A, the user has pushed down in the cross member  14  to insert the blade  17  down and toward the weed root R. The user is beginning to pull back on the tool handle  11  so that the blade loosens and lifts a small amount of soil S (which may be described as generally a small conical volume of soil that has about the same diameter as or preferably slightly larger than the diameter of the blade curved surface. With the pivoting action of the tool, the weed root is loosened from the soil enough for the user to lift up the weed. In FIG. 11B, the user has removed the weed and is about to begin removing the tool from the ground. In FIGS. 11A and B, the cleaning and retaining plate  116  is shown in its retracted or “upper” position, wherein it has been pushed upward due to the tool being pushed into the ground, and wherein it is pressing on the ground near the weed and thereby assisting in retaining the soil generally in place. This way, the conventional large pile or plug of dirt that is removed by conventional shovels or weed removers is not created. When the tool is removed, the cleaning and retaining system  16 , and particularly the plate  116 , moves down from its position in FIGS. 11A and B to “scrape” the blade and to continue to push on the soil, until the tool is lifted so high that the plate is at its lowermost position on the blade and there is no more force against the soil. This to retain it generally in its original location. As a preferred final step, the user may press on the loosened soil with his/her foot to press it back down into proper position in the ground and into the space vacated by the weed, thus, leaving a neat but weed-free spot where a weed had been growing. 
     The invented weed extractor tool  10  can be used to remove weeds from many different types of soil, such as clay-like soil, wet sticky soil, dry sandy soil, or what is known as “loose soil.” An important feature of the tool  10  that contributes to this versatility is the blade or point scraping system that stops buildup of soil on the blade and its point. Such a buildup, if not removed, tends to enlarge the hole created in the soil, and, hence, the disruption of the soil. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. For example, the inner surface  41  can be an “L” or a “U” shape and still support a cutting edge  32 . Additionally, the compression spring  83  can be an extension spring or elastic material or of a compressible material that rebounds to a neutral position. Alternatively, the foot operated cross member  14  can be any platform feature and the soil retainer tabs  102  can be made of a crossbar configuration. Cutting edge  32  can be smooth, toothed or serrated. Various other modifications and applications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the inventions defined by the independent claims. 
     Although this invention has been described above with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these disclosed particulars, but extends instead to all equivalents within the scope of the following claims.