Patent ID: 7559591

Claim:
A snow shovel, comprising: a) a blade portion for contacting a ground surface for use in collecting a volume of snow, the blade portion arranged with a first end and a second end, with the first end structured having a ground contacting edge; b) a handle portion structured having a first end and a second end; c) an elongated flexible member fixedly coupleable to each of the blade portion at the second end and the handle portion at the first end, such that the handle portion, the elongated flexible member, and the blade portion are substantially linearly aligned, and arranged for the blade portion to flex downwardly, with respect to the handle portion, when a volume of collected snow is lifted upon an upper snow collecting surface of the blade portion for subsequent tossing; d) a flex control mechanism included for, at minimum, limiting the range of flexing motion possible as the blade portion flexes downwardly with respect to the handle portion, the flex control mechanism including: i) a rigid elongated member having a first end and a second end, with the second end of the rigid elongated member fixedly coupled to the first end of the handle portion and extending therefrom, such that the first end of the rigid elongated member is located proximate to and spaced from one of the second end of the blade portion and the first end of the flexible member; and ii) movable coupling means for movably coupling the first end of the rigid elongated member to a portion of the snow shovel at the second end of the blade portion, such that the blade portion is biased and maintained in a first normal position, with the blade assuming a second flexed position by flexing downwardly for a pre-established flex distance, with respect to the handle portion, when a volume of collected snow is lifted upon the upper snow collecting surface of the blade; e) with the flexing downwardly and an assuming of the second position causing an increasing in potential energy stored in the flexible member and available for aiding in a subsequent tossing of the volume of snow.