Patent Publication Number: US-11641997-B2

Title: Vacuum-assisted popcorn ceiling scraper

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This continuation patent application claims priority to U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 16/018,871, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 26, 2018, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/537,055, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Jul. 26, 2017, both of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference thereto. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     A “popcorn ceiling” or “cottage cheese ceiling” is a spray-on ceiling treatment that has been commonly used in residential construction since the 1950s. Popcorn ceilings are favored to hide imperfections and for their acoustical characteristics, and they are a quick way to finish ceilings. However, such ceilings trap dust and dirt and are difficult to clean due to their uneven surfaces and are difficult to repair. Moreover, popcorn finishes applied before the 1980s often contain asbestos. 
     Many owners desire to remove old popcorn ceilings in their homes or businesses. The most common method is to scrape away the popcorn ceiling treatment. Sometimes a popcorn ceiling will be sprayed with water or other preparation liquid to loosen the treatment, but this can cause absorption problems that lead to expansion and cracks in the ceiling and can be messy. Alternatively, the popcorn ceiling can be scraped by hand using a utility or drywall knife. Hand scraping, however, is time-consuming and often results in gouges in the ceiling and other damage that must be subsequently repaired, which requires more time and increases expense. Moreover, if there is asbestos or lead in older treated ceilings, the person scraping the ceiling may be exposed to toxic dust or particulates for an extended period of time. 
     Scraping devices have been introduced to remove popcorn ceilings using long handles and vacuums. However, known devices do not break-up the popcorn treatment into sufficiently manageable pieces. Also, conventional devices have a single blade that shaves away relatively large sections of the popcorn treatment, which break apart and fall to the floor before a catch or vacuum bag can receive the removed popcorn material. Moreover, the blades of known devices tend to gouge the ceiling and are not constructed to reach into corners and along edges, which therefore require subsequent, extensive hand-scraping. 
     What is needed in the remodeling and renovation industry is a system for removing popcorn treatments more efficiently without requiring excessive hand-scraping and clean-up and without damage to the underlying ceiling. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure is directed in general to devices for scraping popcorn treatment from ceilings, including edges and corners. 
     The present disclosure includes a ceiling scraper that may have a scraping head with multiple blades extending therefrom. At least one of the blades may be oriented horizontally or in the same plane as the scraping head. At least one other blade may be vertically arranged, or orthogonal, to the horizontal blade. The exemplary scraper may include a funnel attached to the scraping head with a disposal aperture therethrough, and a handle for pressing the scraping head against a ceiling to remove a surface treatment therefrom, the surface treatment being scraped by the horizontal blade and directed therefrom into the orthogonal blade. 
     Other embodiments include the foregoing and other elements and steps described herein, and their equivalents, in various combinations. 
     Additional objects and advantages of the present subject matter are set forth in, or will be apparent to, those of ordinary skill in the art from the description herein. Also, it should be further appreciated that modifications and variations to the specifically illustrated, referenced, and discussed features, processes, and elements hereof may be practiced in various embodiments and uses of the disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter. Variations may include, but are not limited to, substitution of equivalent means, features, or steps for those illustrated, referenced, or discussed, and the functional, operational, or positional reversal of various parts, features, steps, or the like. Those of ordinary skill in the art will better appreciate the features and aspects of the various embodiments, and others, upon review of the remainder of the specification. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A full and enabling disclosure of the present subject matter, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an embodiment in an intended use environment according to an aspect of the disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a top perspective view of the embodiment as in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a top plan, partially broken, view of the embodiment as in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4 A  is a rear elevational view of the embodiment as in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4 B  is a rear, perspective view of the embodiment as in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  5 A  is a right side, elevational view of the embodiment as in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  5 B  is a left side, elevational view of the embodiment as in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  6    is an exploded, perspective view of the embodiment as in  FIG.  2   ; and 
         FIG.  7    is a perspective view of the embodiment as in  FIG.  1   , particularly showing an edging adjustment according to another aspect of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Detailed reference will now be made to the drawings in which examples embodying the present subject matter are shown. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features of the drawings. The drawings and detailed description provide a full and written description of the present subject matter, and of the manner and process of making and using various exemplary embodiments, so as to enable one skilled in the pertinent art to make and use them, as well as the best mode of carrying out the exemplary embodiments. 
     Although detailed embodiments are disclosed as required, it is to be understood that the embodiments are merely exemplary. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the various embodiments of the present disclosure. The present subject matter thus includes any modifications and variations of the following examples as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. In the event that there is a plurality of definitions for a term herein, those in this section prevail unless stated otherwise. 
     Wherever the phrase “for example,” “such as,” “including,” and the like are used herein, the phrase “and without limitation” is understood to follow unless explicitly stated otherwise. Similarly, “an example,” “exemplary” and the like are understood to be non-limiting. 
     The term “substantially” allows for deviations from the descriptor that do not negatively impact the intended purpose. Descriptive terms are understood to be modified by the term “substantially” even if the word “substantially” is not explicitly recited. 
     The term “about” when used in connection with a numerical value refers to the actual given value, and to the approximation to such given value that would reasonably be inferred by one of ordinary skill in the art, including approximations due to the experimental and/or measurement conditions for such given value. 
     The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and “involving,” (and similarly, “comprises”, “includes,” “has,” and “involves”) and the like are used interchangeably and have the same meaning. Specifically, each of the terms is defined consistent with the common United States patent law definition of “comprising” and is therefore interpreted to be an open term meaning “at least the following” and is also interpreted not to exclude additional features, limitations, aspects, et cetera. Thus, for example, “a device having components “a, b, and c” means that the device includes at least components a, b and c. Similarly, the phrase: “a method involving steps a, b, and c” means that the method includes at least steps a, b, and c. 
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; i.e., in the sense of “including, but not limited to”. 
     Any discussion of prior art in the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field. 
     The various embodiments of the disclosure and/or equivalents falling within the scope of present disclosure overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or provide a useful alternative. 
     Turning now to  FIG.  1   , a popcorn ceiling scraping system according to an aspect of the disclosure is designated in general by the number  10 . The system  10  broadly includes a blade or cutting head  12 , a scoop or funnel  14 , and a handle or grip  16 . The exemplary blade  12  may include a first leading or cutting edge  18  and be made from plastic such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), metal, or other durable but preferably light weight material. The scoop  14  and the handle  16  may be formed from injection-molded plastic to accommodate various shapes as detailed below. As shown, the blade  12  is connected to the scoop  14  to scrape a popcorn treatment  3  from a ceiling  1  surrounded by walls  5 . Also, a vacuum hose  9  can be connected to the system  10  to assist in removing the treatment  3  from the ceiling  1 , which in this example is being scraped in a direction marked by the large arrow, similar to mowing a lawn. Here, popcorn treatment  3 , some partially removed, surrounds a cleared area of the ceiling  1  that has been scraped and vacuumed by the system  10 . The handle  16 , in this example, can be held by an operator to press the blade  12  along the ceiling  1  at an angle θ of approximately thirty degrees (30°) relative to the ceiling  1 . Additionally, or alternatively, a rod or pole  13  can be connected to the handle  16  to achieve the optimum angle θ without requiring the operator to stand on a ladder to reach the ceiling  1 . 
     Turning to  FIG.  2   , the blade  12 , the scoop  14 , and the handle  16  of the system  10  are most clearly shown. The blade  12  may include the cutting edge  18  briefly introduced above, an upper or top surface  20 , a bottom or interior surface  22 , a second or trailing edge  24 , a left, angled or beveled edge  26 , and a right, angled or beveled edge  28 . The leading edge  18  may be formed unitarily with the blade  12  and may define a sharpened edge, or the edge  18  may be a separate metal strip attached to the blade  12 . As will be explained in greater detail below, the angled edges  26 ,  28  permit the blade  12  to better reach into corners and along edges of ceilings  1  and walls  5  (see  FIG.  1   ). In this example, one or more angled side scoops or guide vanes  30  assist in directing larger, shaved swaths of popcorn treatment toward and into a series of substantially vertically disposed blades  32  as well as into a mouth or entryway  46  of the scoop  14 . These features are also discussed in more detail below. 
     As further shown in  FIG.  2   , a plurality of holes or apertures may be formed in and through the surface  20 . More particularly, one or more left apertures or screw holes  34 , middle apertures or screw holes  36 , and right apertures or screw holes  38  are provided to accommodate adjustment and retaining fasteners or devices  40  such as screws. In this example, the fasteners  40  are brass and are secured into the middle holes  36 , which may be labeled “center,” that serve to center the blade  12  for most ceiling work. When edging is required, the fasteners  40  may be removed and reinserted in the left screw holes  34  or in the right screw holes  38  (which may be labeled “edge”) to laterally adjust the blade  12  either to the left or to the right. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms left and right are merely used in this example to differentiate different sides and are not intended to limit the embodiments to the examples shown. Moreover, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that ratchet mechanisms, a sliding bar, or other adjustment arrangements other than screws  40  may be used to reposition the blade  12  relative to the scoop  14 . 
     With reference to both  FIGS.  1  and  2   , the mouth  46  is shown extending beyond the edge  18  by a distance  62 . This exemplary arrangement permits the scoop  14  to better catch stray pieces of the popcorn treatment  3  as it falls away from the ceiling  1 . Additionally, as briefly introduced above, the chamfered edges  26 ,  28  cooperate with flared sidewalls  44  of the scoop  14  to better catch the popcorn treatment  3  near edges of ceilings  1  and walls  5 . More specifically, the edges  26 ,  28  and the sidewalls  44  enable the system  10  to reach into tight or restricted areas of ceilings  1  and walls  5  such as edges and corners thereby obviating the need to hand-scrape those confined areas. 
       FIG.  2    also shows that the scoop  14  may include a vacuum hose connection or attachment nozzle  48  arranged near the handle  16 . The vacuum connection  48  has a conduit or hole  50  through which shredded popcorn treatment  3  falls from the mouth  46  of the scoop  14 . Although a vacuum is not required, a connected suction force will assist in attracting scraped and loosened popcorn treatment  3  from the ceiling  1  as shown in  FIG.  1    and will more quickly remove the popcorn treatment  3  from the scoop  14 . 
     Turning now to  FIG.  3   , this top-down view of the system  10  (viewed through a partially broken ceiling  1  for discussion purposes) most clearly shows features of the blade  12 , the scoop  14 , and the handle  16 . Here, an opening or receptacle  52  for the rod or pole  13  introduced in  FIG.  1    is partially shown in the handle  16 . Additionally, the blade  18 , the trailing edge  24 , and the angled sides  26 ,  28  of the blade  12  are shown relative to the scoop  14  and to a juncture or edge  15  of the ceiling  1  and the wall  5 . The distance  62  between a front edge of the mouth  46  and the cutting edge  18 , and the flared sidewalls  44  of the scoop  14  are also most clearly shown in  FIG.  3   . 
     Still further,  FIG.  3    shows the holes  34 ,  36 ,  38  and the movable fasteners  40 . Again, in this example, the fasteners  40  are inserted into the middle holes  36  to center the blade  12  relative to the scoop  14 . As described by example operation below, if close-in ceiling edging is required, the fasteners  40  can removed and inserted into either of the other holes  34 ,  38 . The alternative left or right positions permit the vanes  30  (see  FIG.  2   ) to extend into corners or edges for better removal of popcorn treatment. 
       FIGS.  4 A and  4 B  again show the system  10  and its blade  12 , the scoop  14 , and the handle  16  with the receptacle  52  for the pole  13  (see  FIG.  1   ). In this example, the receptacle  52  is threaded, but it may be a ball joint receptacle or the like to permit the pole  13  to be adjusted during operation. Also shown in  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B  are the vertical blades  32 , which assist in breaking up sections of popcorn material  3  to facilitate vacuuming and removal. The blades  32  may be tapered from near the blade  12  to a point and also tapered from wide to narrow in a direction of the trailing edge  24  of the scoop  14  (see  FIG.  1   ) in order to break apart larger pieces of removed popcorn material  3 . In this example, there are eight (8) vertically disposed, substantially equally spaced blades  32 , but there may be fewer or additional blades  32 , and they can be spaced closer together nearer the middle of the blade  12  and farther apart in a direction of the outer parts of the blade  12 . 
       FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  shows the system  10  and its blade  12 , the scoop  14 , and the handle  16  from each side. Similar to  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B , the receptacle  52  can be arranged in the handle  16  to receive the pole  13  (see also  FIG.  1   ), although the disclosure is not limited to that exemplary arrangement. Also, the vanes  30  are most clearly shown above the scoop  14  in  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B . 
       FIG.  6    again shows the exemplary components of the system  10  including the blade  12 , the scoop  14 , and the handle  16 .  FIG.  6    is similar to  FIG.  2    except that the components are spaced apart for clarity. More particularly, the fasteners  40  introduced above are separated from respective inserts  42  that in turn are molded or anchored into a stabilizing or load-bearing rib  54 . The inserts  42 , like the fasteners  40 , may be brass or other durable, rust-free material. In operation, the blade  12  has some flexibility as its leading edge  18  scrapes along a popcorn ceiling. This flexibility accommodates uneven popcorn ceiling surfaces. The rib  54  ensures that the blade  18  maintains relatively even pressure in its center area against the ceiling as the outer edges  26 ,  28  float to some degree to prevent gouging; i.e., the blade  18  contours to the ceiling  1 . Thus, the rib  54  ensures that the system  10  can be used effectively by most anyone regardless of different techniques, skill levels, and applied pressures. 
     With reference to  FIG.  7   , the blade  12  of the system  10  has been adjusted to the left relative to the scoop  14  as indicated by gap or distances  58 ,  60 . The handle  16 , shown near the vacuum attachment  48  with opening  50 , or rod  13  can be used to press the blade  12  at approximately twenty degrees (20°) to about forty degrees (40°), more particularly, at approximately thirty degrees (30°) against the ceiling  1  to break up the popcorn treatment  3  (see  FIG.  1   ). For clarity, a vacuum hose is not shown in  FIG.  7   , but one may be connected between a shop vacuum (not shown) and the attachment  48  to suction away the removed pieces of popcorn treatment  3  after being scraped by the edge  18 , broken up by the blades  32 , and deposited into the mouth  46  of the scoop  14 . Because the blade  18  can be moved toward the wall  5  as indicated by adjustments  58 ,  60  and because the vane  30  angles toward the mouth  46 , the system  10  can clean the popcorn ceiling  1  up to the juncture  15  between the ceiling  1  and the wall  5 . 
     While the present subject matter has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing may readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is by way of example rather than by way of limitation, and the subject disclosure does not preclude inclusion of such modifications, variations and/or additions to the present subject matter as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.