Snow blanket
The inventive device object of the present application is a Snow Blanket or Snow Pad which will melts away this unwanted snow off cars and from around cars as well as from stairs and walkways around homes and businesses.
The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/760,108 filed on Jan. 25 2013 to Vikie Lamb, from Bronx, N.Y. (U.S.A.) directed to a SNOW BLANKET, that is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present application describes a Snow Blanket or Snow Pad which generally relates to snow melting devices, and more specifically to a snow blanket or pad which will melt away this unwanted snow off cars and from around cars as well as from stairs and walkways around homes and businesses.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Snow melting blankets are well known in the art. Various Patents and Published Patent applications are in fact directed to snow blankets and melting devices. While developing the invention of the instant application independently the Inventor researched extensively the public record as well as the current market and the most relevant examples found in the search are mentioned in the Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) attached from anything on today's market.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention is a device designed to melt away this unwanted snow off cars and from around cars as well as from stairs and walkways. It is then the principal object of the present invention is to provide an easy way for most men and women of all ages and physical capabilities to effectively and safely clear away the snow when it accumulates where it is not wanted.
It is a secondary objective of the present invention to provide a device that is easy to transport and becomes an important safety item to have in the vehicle when traveling in areas where one might be caught in a sudden snow storm. It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide a device that does not rust or deteriorate when exposed to snowy water, and low temperatures. It is a final objective of the present invention to provide for a device that is relatively inexpensive to build, but that can eventually be sold at a premium.
These and other objective achieved by the device of the present invention will be apparent by the drawings, by their detailed description, and by the specification here from appended.
The invention is a device designed to melt away all unwanted snow off cars and from around cars as well as from stairs and walkways around homes and businesses. As it can be inferred from the drawings essential components of the “Snow Blanket” include: A heat resistant polyurethane coated nylon surface covering (1), an electrical heating element (2), Six handles attached with cords to the covering (3), a Power handle further containing a power switch (4), a USB port (7), and a rechargeable battery, and four creases in the blanket for ease of folding. (5)
The Snow Blanket or Snow Pad is a large flat blanket or pad (1) with a powerful heating coil (2). The pad is made of a very durable yet flexible waterproof material. It is also lightweight so it can be easily moved and placed where it is needed most. It is divided into five segments (5) and can be folded accordion-style for easy transport. There are several handles (3) on the sides as well as the ends so it can be pulled as well as carried. One of the handles (4) on the end is designed with the on/off switch as well as a USB slot (7) for accessing a power source.
A rechargeable power supply is contained within this handle. The blanket or pad can be laid on the car, steps or walkway, turned on and left for a bit while the snow is heated and melts away. It can also be placed around the wheels of a car to melt away snow drifts which might be impeding the car's forward movement.
For the purpose of the present application Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and communications protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices. USB was designed to standardize the connection of computer peripherals, such as keyboards, pointing devices, digital cameras, printers, portable media players, disk drives and network adapters to personal computers, both to communicate and to supply electric power.
In one of its preferred embodiments the Snow Blanket or Snow Pad of the present application is an heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces of the present application comprises: two layers of waterproof outer covering joined alongside, having a plurality of, preferably seven, handles, made of rubber or plastic, where one of said handles is electrically connected to a coiled heating element contained in between said two layers of waterproof outer covering, and to a USB port to provide electricity to said coiled heating element.
The heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces described herein may further comprise a portable battery pack (6) to be electrically connected to said USB port or other alternative power supply such as a power (7) cable having two ends: a first end (8) and a second end (9); where said first being a male electrical plug (10)or a 12 volt cigarette lighter plug (11) and said second end (9) being USB port.
The material for the outer covering is made of polyurethane coated nylonfabric or other sturdy fabric having low heat resistance. In a separate preferred embodiment of the present invention said coiled heating element is actually sewn in between said two layers of waterproof outer covering to describe a zig zag pattern. Material for said blanket or pad covering include but are not limited to various kinds of heat resistant and waterproof polyurethane coated nylon.
For the purpose of the present application a zigzag is a pattern is made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular. From the point of view of symmetry, a regular zigzag can be generated from a simple motif like a line segment by repeated application of a glide reflection.
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces comprising: two layers of waterproof outer covering joined alongside, having a plurality of handles where one of said handles is electrically connected to a coiled heating element contained in between said two layers of waterproof outer covering, and to a USB port to provide electricity to said coiled heating element.
2. The heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces of claim 1 further comprising a portable battery pack electrically connected to said USB port.
3. The heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces of claim 1 further comprising a power cable having two ends: a first end and a second end; where said first end is a male electrical plug and said second hand is a USB port.
4. The heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces of claim 3 where said first end is a 12 volt cigarette lighter plug.
5. The heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces of claim 1 where said outer covering is made of polyurethane coated nylon fabric.
6. The heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces of claim 1 where said outer covering has low heat resistance.
7. The heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces of claim 1 where said plurality of handles is six handles.
8. The heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces of claim 7 where handles are made of plastic.
9. The heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces of claim 7 where handles are made of rubber.
10. The heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces of claim 1 where said coiled heating element is actually sewn in between said two layers of waterproof outer covering to describe a zig zag pattern.
11. The heating device for melting snow and ice off a variety of surfaces of claim 1 where said two layers of waterproof outer covering joined alongside can be folded into five segments accordion-style.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 24, 2013
Date of Patent: Feb 23, 2016
Inventor: Vickie Lamb (Bronx, NY)
Primary Examiner: Joseph M Pelham
Application Number: 14/062,664
International Classification: H05B 3/06 (20060101); H05B 3/36 (20060101); H05B 3/34 (20060101);
