Snow and Ice Shovel

Abstract

A snow and ice shovel comprises a handle shaft with a slot disposed longitudinally along a side therein. An inner shaft telescopically fits within the handle shaft and has an ice chipper disposed on the end. A adjustment mechanism comprises two adjustment pins connected by a detent spring biasing the pins against a plurality of adjustment holes disposed in handle shaft. In use the user raise the ice chipper for use in shoveling snow and then lowers the ice chipper to break up ice. A handle is disposed on a top end of the handle shaft to aid the user in controlling the shovel. An adjustment hook is used to help the user apply the necessary force to move the chipper up and down. In one embodiment, the shovel blade is reinforced with ribs running vertically therein.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority and herein incorporates by reference U.S. provisional patent application 61/054,049, filed May 16, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Anyone who lives where it snows understands the chore of shoveling. It is a winter task that most people don't look forward too, but it is a job that must be done. When snow first falls, it is not usually too difficult to shovel, but it becomes very hard when it melts a little during the day and then refreezes at night. Additionally, the melted snow can freeze into a layer of ice under the snow making snow removal with a shovel a very difficult task.

Many shovels are damaged when used to chip away at ice. It is generally necessary to have a separate ice chipping tool to clear away the ice and then use a snow shovel to remove the snow.

Snow shovels are designed to move snow that is fairly light. If the shovel is heavy, the shoveling task becomes more difficult as the user repeatedly lifts the shovel with the additional weight of the snow. Snow shovel design has improved by decreasing the weight of the shovel but this has the unwanted effect of making the shovel less useful in removing anything other than snow.

There is a need for a snow shovel that is lightweight to improve the snow removal affect while allowing a user to remove ice without damaging the shovel or having to have a separate ice removal device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A snow and ice shovel comprises a handle shaft with a slot disposed longitudinally along a side therein. An inner shaft telescopically fits within the handle shaft and has an ice chipper disposed on the end. A adjustment mechanism comprises two adjustment pins connected by a detent spring biasing the pins against a plurality of adjustment holes disposed in handle shaft. In use the user raise the ice chipper for use in shoveling snow and then lowers the ice chipper to break up ice. A handle is disposed on a top end of the handle shaft to aid the user in controlling the shovel. An adjustment hook is used to help the user apply the necessary force to move the chipper up and down. In one embodiment, the shovel blade is reinforced with ribs running vertically therein.

Other features and advantages of the instant invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a snow and ice shovel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a snow and ice shovel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view with ice chipper extended according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a portion shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is side view of a snow and ice shovel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the drawings in which reference numerals refer to like elements, and which are intended to show by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, an ice and snow shovel 100 is shown having a handle shaft 120 connected to a handle 110. The handle shaft 120 is made of metal such as steel or aluminum and is hollow allowing an inner adjustment shaft 155 to telescopically slide therein. Of course, it will appreciated by one skilled in the art that handle shaft 120 and/or inner adjustment shaft 155 may be made of any suitable material such as carbon fiber, plastic or other suitable material.

A shovel blade 130 is used to scoop the snow. A plurality of ribs 160 are used to stiffen snow blade 130. Of course other stiffening design structures may be used as is known in the art and would be suitable in reducing the weight while maintaining the strength necessary to shovel the snow. An ice chipper 140 is extendable by raising and lowering inner adjustment shaft 155. In use, ice chipper 140 is raised when shoveling snow and lowered when ice is encountered. Ice chipper 140 is used to break up the ice shoveled away using shovel blade 130.

Ice chipper 140 is raised and lowered by means of an adjustment hook 145 which slides in an adjustment slot 150 formed in handle shaft 120. Two adjustment pins 170 are connected by a steel spring 175 which bias adjustment pins 170 against a plurality of adjustment pin holes 165. In use, adjustment pins 170 are pressed inward to move inner adjustment shaft 155 up and down thereby allowing a user to raise and lower ice chipper 140.

Handle 110 may be made from plastic to save weight or may be wood or metal as is known in the art. Ice chipper 140 is made of metal, but may be made of another material such as plastic with a reinforced chipping edge (not shown).

Although the instant invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A snow and ice shovel comprising:

an outer shovel shaft;

an inner ice chipper shaft disposed within said outer shovel shaft;

a shovel portion disposed on a lower end of said outer shovel shaft; and

an ice chipper disposed on a lower end of said inner ice chipper shaft.

2. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 1 further comprising a handle portion disposed on an upper portion of said outer shovel shaft.

3. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 1 further comprising:

an adjustment slot longitudinally disposed along a lower portion of said outer shovel shaft; and

an adjustment hook disposed on said inner ice chipper shaft wherein said adjustment hook is moveably constrained to move within said adjustment slot.

4. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least two adjustment holes disposed within said outer shovel shaft; and

at least one adjustment pin moveably disposed within said inner ice chipper shaft wherein said at least one adjustment pin selectively fits within said at least two adjustment holes to secure said ice chipper at a selected position.

5. A snow and ice shovel comprises;

a handle shaft having a substantially hollow portion;

an inner shaft telescopically fitting within said substantially hollow portion;

a shovel blade disposed on a bottom end of said handle shaft whereby snow is engaged therein;

an ice chipper disposed on a bottom portion of said inner shaft; and

an adjustment means for selectively moving said ice chipper to a selected position.

6. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 further comprising a handle portion disposed on an upper portion of said handle shaft.

7. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 wherein said adjustment means comprises:

an adjustment hook slidably engaged with an adjustment slot;

said adjustment slot being disposed along a lower portion of said handle shaft;

at least one adjustment pin moveably disposed within a plurality of adjustment holes; and

said plurality of adjustment holes are disposed within said lower portion of said handle shaft wherein when said at least one adjustment pins is depressed said ice chipper is moveable to a new selected position corresponding to another selected adjustment hole and secured by said adjustment pin moveably engaging said another selected adjustment hole.

8. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 further comprising a plurality of stiffening ribs disposed on said shovel blade.

9. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 wherein said handle shaft is metal.

10. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 wherein said handle shaft is plastic.

11. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 wherein said inner shaft is metal.

12. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 wherein said inner shaft is plastic.

13. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 wherein said handle shaft is a synthetic material.

14. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 wherein said inner shaft is a synthetic material.

15. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 wherein said shovel blade is plastic.

16. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 wherein said shovel blade is metal.

17. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 wherein said ice chipper is metal.

18. The snow and ice shovel according to claim 5 wherein said ice chipper is a synthetic material.