Patent Publication Number: US-5156427-A

Title: Pet excrement snap scoop

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention relates generally to animal excrement collecting devices and more specifically it relates to a scoop device for removing animal droppings, which provides a mechanism for retaining the droppings therein. 
     There are available various conventional animal excrement collecting devices which do not provide the novel improvements of the invention herein disclosed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a scoop device for removing animal droppings that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices. 
     Another object is to provide a scoop device for removing animal droppings that includes a shovel portion to pick up the animal droppings and a cover portion to retain the animal droppings within the shovel portion to prevent the accidental departure of the animal droppings therefrom. 
     An additional object is to provide a scoop device for removing animal droppings that includes a mechanism built into the device for reciprocating the cover portion back and forth to better scrape up the animal droppings into the shovel portion. 
     A further object is to provide a scoop device for removing animal droppings that is simple and easy to use. 
     A still further object is to provide a scoop device for removing animal droppings that is economical in cost to manufacture. 
     Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
     To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the instant invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shovel portion thereof. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cover portion thereof. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modification. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view taken along line 5--5 in FIG. 4, showing the slide track therein to move the cover portion back and forth. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken along line 6--6 in FIG. 4, showing the pivotable blade on the cover portion and the bevel edge on the shovel portion in greater detail. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the Figures illustrate a scoop device 10 for removing animal droppings which consists of a shovel member 12 to pick up the animal droppings, a cover member 14 to close over the shovel member 12 and a mechanism 16 for pivoting the cover member 14 to the shovel member 12. When the cover member 14 is placed in an open position, the shovel member 12 can pick up the animal droppings. When the cover member 14 is placed in a closed position, it will prevent the animal droppings from accidentally departing the shovel member 12. 
     The shovel member 12 includes a trowel 18 having a bottom wall 20 with a beveled front edge 22, a pair of side walls 24 and a back wall 26 to form a chamber 28 to receive the animal droppings therein. A short handle 30 extends rearwardly from the top of the back wall 26 of the trowel 18, so that the short handle 30 can be gripped by a hand of a person using the scoop device 10. 
     The cover member 14 includes an L-shaped closure plate 32 sized to fit over the top and front of the trowel 18. A thumb lever 34 extends upwardly from the back of the L-shaped closure plate 32 proximate the short handle 30 of the shovel member 12 to be manually depressed by a thumb on the hand of the person gripping the short handle 30. 
     The pivoting mechanism 16, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, includes a first set of spaced apart ears 36 extending upwardly from the short handle 30 at the rear wall 26 of the trowel 18. A second set of spaced apart ears 38 extend downwardly from the thumb lever 34 of the L-shaped closure plate 32. An axle pin 40 extends through the first ears 36 and the second ears 38. A biasing spring 42 is on the axle pin 40 to normally bias the L-shaped closure plate 32 closed over the trowel 18. 
     The pivoting mechanism 16, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, include a set of spaced apart ears 38 extending downwardly from the thumb lever 34 of the L-shaped closure plate 32. The short handle 30 has a pair of spaced apart longitudinal slots 44 therein. An axle pin 40 extends through the ears 38 and the slots 44. A biasing spring 42 is on the axle pin 40 to normally biases the L-shaped closure plate 32 closed over the trowel 18. 
     A compression spring 46 extends between the back 48 of the short handle 30 and the center of the axle pin 40., so that the L-shaped closure plate 32 can reciprocate back and forth with respect to the trowel 18. A pivot pin 50, as best seen in FIG. 6, is on the front edge of the L-shaped closure plate 32, while a blade 52 is carried on the pivot pin 50. A biasing spring 54 is on the pivot pin 50 to normally keep the blade 52 facing towards the beveled front edge 22 of the bottom wall 20 of the trowel 18. When the L-shaped closure plate 32 is reciprocated back and forth, the blade 52 will help push the animal droppings into the trowel 18. 
     While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.