Patent ID: 7343637

Claim:
A snow tool comprising: a telescopic handle comprising first and second members connected in a sliding relationship and providing retracted and extended states of the handle; a pair of arms, each having bristles provided along the length thereof, an end of each arm being pivotally attached to the first member; means for moving said arms between a closed position where said arms extend along said handle and an open position where said arms extend transversally to said handle; first locking means for locking the first and second members with respect to each other in the retracted state; second locking means for locking the first and second members with respect to each other in the extended state; a compression spring for urging the first and second members into the extended state; third locking means for locking said arms in the open position; and fourth locking means for locking said arms in the closed position; wherein: said first locking means comprise: a first pair of recesses provided on both sides of a portion of the first member, distal from a rear portion of the first member; a U-shaped element mounted on the second member and having legs capable of cooperating with said pair of recesses, said U-shaped element having a first locked position wherein said legs engage in the first pair of recesses for locking the handle in the retracted state, said U-shaped element having an unlocked position wherein said legs extend out of said recesses for allowing movement of the first member with respect to the second member; and a resilient means operatively connected to said U-shaped element for urging said legs towards the side portions of the first member and thereby locking said U-shaped element in said first locked position when said legs are aligned with said first pair of recesses, a depression of said U-shaped element by a user unlocks said U-shaped element; the means for moving said arms comprise: a collar slidably mounted along said first member of the handle for a longitudinal motion relative to said first member; a pair of struts, each having first and second extremities, the first extremities being pivotally mounted on the arms respectively, the second extremities being pivotally mounted on the collar; and at least one torsion element cooperating with the arms for urging the arms in the open position; and said fourth locking means comprise a first attaching element provided on the U-shaped element and a second attaching element provided on the collar and capable of cooperating in a lockable relationship with the first attaching element for locking said arms in the closed position, a depression of said U-shaped element by the user unlocks said attaching elements.