Patent Publication Number: US-6334254-B1

Title: Wide blade scraper

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/094,739 filed on Jul. 31, 1998, entitled WIDE BLADE SCRAPER and Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/098,895 filed on Sep. 2, 1998, entitled WIDE BLADE SCRAPER. The content of these Provisional Patent Applications is hereby incorporated by reference thereto. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to scrapers such as those used for removing paint, adhesive labels or the like from surfaces such as glass or the like, and more specifically, to a wide blade type of scraper having cam driven relatively movable parts. 
     2. Description of the Relevant Art 
     Various attempts have been made to develop scraper arrangements which facilitate a quick and easy exposure of a blade for scraping purposes. One example of such an arrangement is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,138 issued on Sep. 11, 1990 in the name of Henke et al. 
     However, while this arrangement has proven relatively effective, it has suffered from the drawbacks that it has not been adapted for use with a relatively wide scraping blade (e.g. blades having a width of 4″), and has a relatively complex, structure revealing configuration which tends to lack aesthetic qualities. Additionally, the operation of the trigger arrangement which controls the blade exposure is, due to its inherent nature, notchy in feel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is proposed, in accordance with the present invention, to provide a wide blade scraper that features a slidable housing arrangement wherein a cover is slidably mounted on a base and arranged to be driven between first and second operating positions by a manually operable member mounted on one of the base and the cover. 
     It is further proposed, in accordance with the present invention, to provide a wide blade scraper that features the use a rotatable cam bearing member which is supported on one of the two basic housing members (viz., the base and the cover) and which engages a cam follower feature on the other of the base and the cover, in a manner which produces reciprocal displacement between the two housing members. 
     It is additionally proposed to provide a wide blade scraper wherein the cam induced relative movement between the base and the cover, enables a blade to set in place and subsequently clamped in position. 
     In brief, in order to ergonomically induce relative sliding between a base and a cover member, wherein the base is slidably mounted on the base and wherein the two members go to make a wide blade scraper body, a cam wheel is mounted on the base and arranged to operatively engage a cam following feature which is formed on the cover. Rotation of the cam wheel, which projects out of the sides of a waisted section of the handle portion, with the thumb or the like, induces the cover to slide along the length of the base. As the relative movement proceeds, a wide blade which is mounted at the leading edge of the scraper is released from a clamped state and can be removed, changed or just reversed so that that a dull edge is exposed for safety. 
     More specifically a first aspect of the present invention resides in a scraper comprising: a lower body having a handle portion; an upper cover slidably supported on the body; a rotatable member operatively supported on one of the body and cover and which is arranged to interconnect the body and the cover in a manner wherein rotation of the rotatable member causes sliding displacement to occur between the body and the cover. 
     The above arrangement also is provided with an end cap which is disposed on the end of the handle portion and adapted to enclose an end portion of the cover. The reason for this provision is that the handle portion and the cover are arranged to define a space therebetween in which at least one blade which is mountable at the front of the scraper, can be stored, the cap being slidably mounted on the handle portion so as to be selectively removable from the hand portion in a manner which exposes the hollow portion and permits the removal or insertion of a blade thereinto. 
     In the above arrangement, the rotatable member is mounted on the body and is formed with a cam surface which operatively engages a cam follower structure formed on the inner surface of the cover. Alternatively, the rotatable member is mounted on the cover and is formed with a cam surface which operatively engages a cam follower structure formed on the inner surface of the body. 
     A second aspect of the invention resides in a cam operated tool comprising: first and second halves which are slidably mounted on one another; a cam follower structure formed on the first half; and a cam wheel having a cam surface rotatably mounted on the second half, the cam wheel having a portion which extends beyond the first and second halves so as to be manually manipulable and rotatable so as to enable selective rotation of the cam wheel in a manner which drives the first and second halves to slide relative to one another. 
     In accordance with this tool, male engagement features are formed on one of the first and second halves which engage in female engagement slots formed in the other of the first and second halves. The male features are arranged to slide along the female engagement slots in a manner which permits the one half to slide with respect to the other. Further, this tool is such that a handle which is defined by first and second end portions of the first and second halves, the first and second end portions cooperating to define a hollow handle portion which is capable of storing at least one tool element. 
     This tool further comprises a head portion which is connected with the handle portion and which is defined by first and second leading portions of the first and second halves; and a blade mounting portion defined by the first and second leading portions of the first and second halves, the first and second leading portions cooperating to define a blade mounting site. The head portion is wider than the handle portion and so dimensioned as to extend out on either side of the handle portion in a manner which forms an essentially T-shape, the first and second leading portions being adapted to support a blade between leading edges of the first and second leading portions. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The various features and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly appreciated from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment taken with the appended drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an upper side of the wide blade scraper according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a lower side of the embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a base member of the embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a lower plan view of the base portion; 
     FIG. 5 is side view of the base member; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the base member taken along section line VI—VI of FIG. 4; FIGS. 7-10 are sections taken along various points of the handle portion of the base member; 
     FIG. 11 is an end view of the handle showing the hollow which permits blades to be stored therein and the end portion of the base member which receives an end cap; 
     FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a cover member which is adapted to be reciprocatively disposed on the base; 
     FIG. 13 is a side elevation of the cover; 
     FIGS. 14 and 15 are sectional view respectively taken along section lines XIV—XIV and XV—XV of FIG. 13; 
     FIG. 16 is a top view of a cam wheel which is mounted on the base and which is used to induce relative displacement between the base and the cover; 
     FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along section line XVII—XVII of FIG. 16; and 
     FIGS. 18-22 are views showing details of an end cap which disposed at a rear end of the handle and which is used to close of the interior of the scraper. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows, in perspective view, an embodiment of a wide blade scraper  100  according to the present invention. In this arrangement, a base  101  and a cover  102  are adapted in a manner which permits the cover  102  to be displaced relative to the base  101  in the direction indicated by the double-ended arrow A. A wide blade  103  which is disposed at the leading edge of the essentially T-bar shaped head portion of the scraper  100  is arranged to be exposed when the cover  102  is retracted in the manner illustrated in FIG.  1  and to be covered when the cover  102  is moved to its fully forward position. 
     In this embodiment, the mechanism which induces the relative displacement between the base  101  and the cover  102 , is a cam wheel  104  which is rotatably supported on the base  101 . Details of this cam wheel  104  are shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. As will be appreciated from FIG. 17, the wheel  104  is formed with a shaft  106  which is provided with a barb-like retention flange  108  at its lower edge. This shaft  106  is adapted to be disposed in an opening  110  which, as shown in FIGS. 2-3 is formed through the base  101  at a location proximate the T-bar head portion. The length of the shaft  106  is selected to be just sufficient to allow the retention flange  108  to project out of the lower end of the opening  110  and allow it to engage the lower outboard surface of the base  101 . This arrangement, of course, prevents the cam wheel  104  from separating from the base  101  while allowing the wheel  104  to be rotatable with respect to the base  101 . 
     The periphery  112  of the wheel  104  is crenellated to facilitate the rotation thereof using the thumb and/or forefinger of the hand which is holding the scraper  100  and is arranged to, in combination with a waisted portion  114  of the handle, partially project out on either side of the assembled scraper  100  in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, 
     The cover  102  is formed with a cam follower feature  116  which, as best seen in FIG. 12 has an essentially “D” shape wall structure. This cam follower feature  116  is arranged to enclose the upper portion of the cam wheel  104  on which a cam surface  118  is formed. In this instance the cam surface  118  has an arcuate configuration and is, in this instance, also such as to have a “D” shaped configuration. Rotation of the cam wheel  104  brings the cam surface  118  in engagement with the flat face portion of the cam follower structure  116  and is such as to force the cover  102  to move relative to the base  101  under such conditions. 
     In order to ensure that the cover  102  is retained on and slides smoothly over the top portion of the base  101 , the cover  102  is formed with two sets of engagement flanges  120 ,  122  which are, as best seen in FIGS. 14 and 15, provided with outwardly extending barb-like engagement lips  120 A,  122 A. The length of the forward set of engagement flanges  120  are longer than those  122  at the rear. 
     These engagement flanges  120 ,  122  are formed on either side of the rib-rail arrangements  124  which extend along the length of the handle portion of the cover  102 . The forward ends of the rib-rails merge with the outer wall of the cam follower feature  116 . 
     The base  101  is formed with a recess structure  126  in the manner depicted on FIG. 7 into which the barbed engagement flanges  120  are engageable and, as best seen in FIGS. 9 and 11, further formed inwardly curved lip portions  128  along the top of the handle portion which are arranged to engage the sides of the cover  102  and to define an undercut space into which the barbed engagement flanges  122  can engage and secure the cover  102  onto the base  101 . 
     This arrangement allows the cover  102  to be snap fitted into place in the opening which is formed along the top of the base  101  and to assume the condition illustrated in FIG.  1 . The lengths of the channel-like spaces in which the forward and aft connection flanges  120 ,  122  are received, can be limited in order to, in addition to the cam wheel/cam follower arrangement, limit the amount of displacement that the cover  102  can undergo with respect to the base  101 , if so desired. 
     The forward T-bar-shaped portion  101 T/B of the base  101  is formed with two blade supporting features  130 . The leading end of the cover  102  is formed with a pair of recess  132  into which the supporting features  130  can project after passing through openings formed in the blade, and thus lock the blade in position. The size of the recesses  132  is of course, larger than the support features  130  so as to permit the necessary relative movement between the cover  102  and the base  101 . 
     The handle portion of the base is, once the cover  102  is pressed into place on the base  101 , such as to be hollow and dimensioned so that spare blades can be stored therein. In order to facilitate access to and closure of this space, an end cap  134  of the nature illustrated in FIGS. 18-21B is used. This cap  134  is adapted to be slid into place in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1, using a guide slot arrangement  135  such as that shown in FIG.  3 . The cap  134  is mounted on the base and is provided with an overhead extension portion  136  adapted to provide a space into which a tab-like member  138  at the end of the cover  102  can slide back and forth in as the cover  102  is moved with respect to the base  101  without the hollow interior being physically placed in direct communication with the ambient exterior. A suitable amount of interference between a portion of the cap and the end of the base  101  is provided to keep the cap in place during use of the scraper. 
     It will be understood that while the present invention has been described with reference to only one specific embodiment, given this disclosure and an understanding of the concept on which the invention is based, various variants and modification will be well within the purview of the person skilled in the art of designing tools such as scrapers and the like, and as such the scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims. 
     Merely by way of example, while the cam wheel is illustrated as being arranged horizontally within the scraper handle, it is possible that the wheel be arranged vertically or at an angle. This use of various cam surfaces to produce various degrees of displacement between the two parts of the tool is also within the real of possibility. The application of the cam wheel and cam follower within other suitable types of hand tools is not discounted.