Patent ID: 7571945

Claim:
A collapsible shovel comprising: a blade member which includes a front end, a rear end, and two sides, wherein the rear end includes a recess which extends through the blade member, wherein the blade member and recess include a blade curvature between the front end and the rear end defining a partially enclosed scoop; an elongated shaft member which includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to a handle, and wherein the second end is slidably engaged to the blade member by extending through the recess so as to facilitate two independent operational states including an extended state and a collapsed state, wherein the elongated shaft member is coupled to the blade member in both the extended and collapsed states, wherein the elongated shaft member further includes at least two locking mechanisms, wherein the at least two locking mechanisms releasably couple the elongated shaft member to the blade member at a position corresponding to the extended and collapsed states respectively, and wherein the elongated shaft member includes a shaft curvature between the first end and second end wherein the elongated shaft member extends through the recess at substantially the same angle with respect to the blade member in both the extended and collapsed state, and wherein the blade curvature corresponds to the shaft curvature such that the elongated shaft member is substantially disposed within the partially enclosed scoop of the blade member in the collapsed state; wherein the collapsed state includes the second end of the elongated shaft member disposed substantially over the front end of the blade member within the partially enclosed scoop; and wherein the recess includes a cross-sectionally shaped cavity with substantially the same shape as the cross-sectional shape of the elongated shaft member.