Improvements in surface scrapers

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a surface scraper 1 which is comprised of a single piece moulded scraper for hand held use of scraping surfaces made of flexible recyclable material. The scraper h

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to devices which are used to scrape and clean the surfaces of, but not exclusively; cooking surfaces and ware including pans and car windscreens and windows, when they are iced or covered with snow. Background The use of scrapers for the cleaning of household items such as cooking pans is common and they tend to include products which have a scouring abrasive surface commonly on the opposing side of a fine washing sponge. These often come in the form of a small non-scratch sponge scourer which is used to clean surfaces and cookware such as frying or boiling pans. The slightly abrasive side of the sponge is used to contact with any remaining cooking debris on the pan surface, usually with warm water and a washing up liquid to help release any burnt-on food or oil debris etc. These types of scourers are the most common and are used widely throughout the world, usually being sold in multiples per pack as retail. Unfortunately, a common problem with these is their tendency to become quickly clogged up with said debris from the pans which renders them useless, as the abrasive material becomes ineffective. The sponges can be rinsed under water to help remove this clogging but this is often only a short lived and limited solution. Other issues relating to these types of scourer sponge is their poor environmental contribution, owing to their mass production of the sponge and scouring material which is mainly plastics in the budget scourers, which has very little green advantage to the environment. Some are made of Cellulose, which is natural but as a physical item can still take many years to break down. A further issue is the extremely large amount of these types of disposable scourers which are thrown away each week, it is estimated at millions each day worldwide, for example if each household in the UK throws away just a single sponge scourer a day, that is an estimated 52 million per day. Scouring pads are also common, these can be issued with physical handles onto which the abrasive part of the pad is provided, having the same clogging and disposable issues as the previously said sponges. Other common options for cleaning household cookware are stainless steel cleaners which come in the form of a ball or a flattened ball shape with the stainless steel offering a more firm and effective cleaning effect for rubbing away much heavily ingrained burnt food or other pan debris. These stainless steel ball scourers also quickly become used and are then disposed of, often mistakenly into general waste to fail to be recycled. Scraping of ice and I or snow from a vehicles windscreen and I or other windows is also an issue which generally requires a scraper, these do tend to last quite some time and are often made of a non-scratching plastic, which may usually be recycled. The problems to be solved are to create a type of scraper which is able to last for longer periods than the aforementioned scourers without clogging and offering an even more effective scraping and cleaning of said cookware pans. This scraper also needs to be recyclable when it is worn and preferably biodegradable. The shape and form of the scraper would also need to offer a multiple use, to enable a scraper to be able to be used on cooking surface and cookware but also any other surfaces such as vehicle windscreens and or other side and rear windows, when they are iced and I or snowed upon. The prior art therefore shows that there is a need for a more effective scraper which has a design advantage to enable it to be used on various surfaces, to include any surfaces which require the removal of stuck on surface debris or snow and ice. The present invention aims to provide an improved scraper which uses a unique scraping method by way of a flexing but strong scraping rim, supported in its action by a layering of the body of the scraper and its composition. This scraper is to be more effective at cleaning surfaces and includes cookware pans and vehicle windscreens and windows, for snow I ice and bird droppings or other surfaces, to include; ceramic hobs, table tops, chopping boards, glass surfaces, metal surfaces, ceramic tiles and so on. Summary of the invention According to the present invention there is provided a surface scraper which may be comprised as a single moulded flexible recyclable material, having a dense portion forming the main body and where the scraper is held by the hand. Further to this the body of the scraper may then form a hollowed area with an opening below the dense portion surrounded by a flexible wall which incorporates a strengthening layer which further culminates in a flexing but strong scraping rim with contact rim, around the inner circumference of the opening. The scraper may be cylindrical or an oblong in shape and of a suitable size for hand held use, as depicted in the accompanying Figures, therefore, the cylinder may be of a height that allows it to pass within the grasp of the hand comfortably and allowing for the scraping rims contact rim to have clearance of the finger tips and full contact with the surface being scraped, when in use. The cylinder may have a flat, level horizontal top surface which is pressed into the palm of the hand when in use to create a stable holding of the scraper. The flexible nature of the material from which the scraper is made provides a gripping nature, wherein the hand and fingers can slightly squeeze the scraper body for improved grip in use and added comfort simultaneously. The upper top surface of the scraper may also be rounded, as shown, to provide an alternative gripping action, wherein the rounded top surface fits into the curve of the hand, which may also provide a level of grip improvement and comfort. The dense area of the scraper which the hand mainly covers in use, as said, may be a more solid moulded piece which then forms a hollow area opening extending to the scraping rim. This hollow may be formed by way of the dense area only extending downward partially from the top and the remainder of the scraper to the scraping rim being the flexible wall around the inner circumference of the remaining cylinder culminating in said contact rim. The flexible walls of the scraper, which surround the hollow area opening may be formed using at least one strengthening layer and a scraping rim. The strengthening layer may be a band of the moulded body which is located at the point where the dense portion ends, this band being a thickening to the thinner scraping rim. This thickening band to the scraping rim adds strength to the thinner rim by way of adding at least 1 mm of thickness to at least 2 / 3 (two thirds) of the scraping rim while remaining flexible. The scraping rim, as said, is thinner than the strengthening layer, which is part of it as a single moulded piece and is therefore able to flex to scrape and clean a surface with the strengthening layer ensuring that the rim does not flex too much or indeed become damaged due to over flexing. The thinner scraping rim flexes on contact with the surface, be it a work surface, a cooking pan, such as a frying pan or if used on another surface such as a vehicle windscreen to remove ice and I or snow. The flexing of the scraping rim and the increased pressure which the hand is able to apply due to its whole palm contact with the top of the scraper, providing increased grip, as described. The low hand height of the hand on the scraper, due to the low height of the scraper, also helps to maintain a solid scraping action on pushing and pulling the scraper and therefore said scraping rim. The scraping rim and its contact rim may be circular as shown in Figure 1 and 4 or an oblong, preferably with rounded corners to its plan profile, as shown in Figure 10 and 11. The oblong example therefore has an oblong scraping rim and contact rim, as shown. During the scraping process using all shapes of scraper some of the debris removed may gather within the hollow area within the scraper, this can be removed by tapping the scraper over a bin or other collecting method, such as kitchen roll or similar. This scraper therefore more effective at cleaning both cookware pans and vehicle windscreens and windows or other surfaces, to include ceramic hobs, other surfaces such as table tops, chopping boards, metal or glass surfaces and so on. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the Patent Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved surface scraper which has all the advantages of the prior art scrapers and none of the disadvantages. It is another object of the present invention to provide a new surface scraper which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved surface scraper which is of durable and reliable construction. An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved surface scraper which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labour, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a product available to the buying public. Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved surface scraper which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. Brief description of figures Figure 1 shows a dimensional view of the surface scraper laid on its side. Figure 2 shows a dimensional view of surface scraper laid on its side with the dense portion shown. Figure 3 shows a dimensional view of the surface scraper being used to scrape a surface. Figure 4 shows a dimensional view of the surface scraper with the dense portion, the strengthening layer and the scraping rim shown. Figure 5 shows a side view of the scraper being used in a frying pan. Figure 6 shows a dimensional view of the surface scraper with a rounded top. Figure 7 shows a dimensional view of a shorter surface scraper with a rounded top. Figure 8 shows an end view of the surface scraper. Figure 9 shows a side view of the movement action of the surface scraper in use. Figure 10 shows a dimensional view of the oblong surface scraper laid on its side. Figure 11 shows a dimensional view from above the surface scraper. Figure 12 shows a side view of the oblong surface scraper being used in a frying pan. Figure 13 shows a side view of the oblong surface scraper being used on a vehicle windscreen or window. Figure 14 shows a side view of the oblong surface scraper with a rounded top being used on a vehicle windscreen or window. Detailed description of figures A typical embodiment of the coupling device is shown in Figure 1. It comprises the surface scraper 1, which may be comprised as a single moulded flexible recyclable material, having a dense portion 7 forming the main body and where the scraper is held by the hand, the main body further being the top 2 and the outer surface 4. Further to this the body of the scraper may then form a hollowed area opening 11 below the dense portion 7, with a strengthening layer 6 with a thickness 8 which further culminates in a flexing but strong scraping rim 5 with its contact rim 3 around the inner circumference of the opening. The dense portion 7A is shown within the surface scraper 1A in Figure 2. In use, the surface scraper 1B is rubbed with moderate force and downward pressure against the surface 9 with the hand gripping the outer surface 4, rubbing the scraping rim 5B with its contact rim 3B over the surface 9, aided by the strengthening layer 6B, as shown in Figure 3. The surface scraper is shown in Figure 4 wherein the dense portion 7C forms the main body and where the scraper is held by the hand, the main body further being the top 2C and the outer surface 4C, this further extends downward with body wall 10 forming said strengthening layer 6C with a thickness 8C which further culminates in a flexing but strong scraping rim 5C with its contact rim 3C surrounding the inner circumference of said hollowed area opening 11C below the dense portion 7C. In use when cleaning a frying pan 12, for example, the surface scraper 1D is rubbed against the surface 9D backwards and forwards or in a circular motion, with the hand gripping the outer surface, rubbing the scraping rim 5D with its contact rim 3D over the surface 9D, aided by the strengthening layer 6D, removing the cooking debris 13, as shown in Figure 5. The scraping rim is thinner than the strengthening layer, which is part of it as a single moulded piece and is therefore able to flex to scrape and clean a surface with the strengthening layer ensuring that the rim does not flex too much or indeed become damaged due to over flexing. The thinner scraping rim flexes on contact with the surface, be it a surface or cooking pan, such as a frying pan or if used on another surface such as a vehicle windscreen to remove ice and I or snow. The flexing of the scraping rim and the increased pressure which the hand is able to apply due to its whole palm contact with the top of the scraper, providing increased grip, as described. The low hand height of the hand on the scraper due to the low height of the scraper, also helps to maintain a solid scraping action on pushing and pulling the scraper and therefore said scraping rim. The surface scraper 1E may also have a rounded top 2E, as previously described and as shown in Figure 6. The surface scraper 1F with the rounded top may also be presented as a shorter version, as shown in Figure 7. An end view of the surface scraper 1G is shown in Figure 8 and has the outer surface 4G with the dense portion 7G centrally located, having the thickness 8G of the strengthening layer and the contact rim 3G of the scraping rim. The surface scraper 1H with the rounded top is shown in scraping movement in Figure 9, with the debris 13H being removed from the pan surface 9H thereto. The scraper may be cylindrical or an oblong in shape and of a suitable size for hand held use, as depicted in the accompanying Figures, an oblong example is shown in Figure 10 laying on its side, having the dense portion 7I forming the main body and where the scraper is held by the hand, the main body further being the top 2I and the outer surface 4I, this further extends downward with said strengthening layer 6I with a thickness 8I which further culminates in a flexing but strong scraping rim 5I with its contact rim 3I surrounding said hollowed area opening 111 below the dense portion 71. This is further shown upright in Figure 11 showing from this angle the same features of the dense portion 7J forming the main body the main body further being the top 2J and the outer surface 4J, this further extends downward with said strengthening layer 6J with a thickness 8J which further culminates in a flexing but strong scraping rim 5J with its contact rim 3J. The oblong surface scraper 1K is shown cleaning the pan surface 9K in Figure 12. The surface scraper may be of a height that allows it to pass within the grasp of the hand comfortably and allowing for the scraping rim to have clearance of the finger tips and full contact with the surface being scraped, when in use. The scraper may have the flat, level horizontal top surface which is pressed into the palm of the hand when in use to create a stable holding of the scraper. The flexible nature of the material from which the scraper is made provides a gripping nature, wherein the hand and fingers can slightly squeeze the scraper body for improved grip in use and added comfort simultaneously. A vehicle windscreen or window 14 can have ice or snow 13L scraped from its surface using the contact rim 3L of the surface scraper 1L, as shown in Figure 13. The surface scraper 1M in the oblong form may also have a rounded top 2M, as shown in Figure 14. During the scraping process using all shapes of scraper some of the debris removed may gather within the hollow area within the scraper, this can be removed by tapping the scraper with the remaining hand. The upper top surface of the scraper being rounded, as shown and as aforementioned may provide an alternative gripping action, wherein the rounded top surface fits into the curve of the hand, which may also provide a level of grip improvement and comfort. The scraping rim is thinner than the strengthening layer, which is part of it as a single moulded piece and is therefore able to flex to scrape and clean a surface with the strengthening layer ensuring that the rim does not flex too much or indeed become damaged due to over flexing. The thinner scraping rim flexes on contact with the surface, be it a cooking pan, such as a frying pan or if used on another surface such as a vehicle windscreen to remove ice and / or snow.

Claims

1) A surface scraper comprising; a single piece moulded scraper for hand held use of scraping surfaces, made of flexible recyclable material, having a dense portion forming the main body which may then form a hollowed area with an opening below the dense portion, surrounded by a flexible wall which extends further down and incorporates a strengthening layer and which further culminates in a flexing but strong scraping rim with contact rim, around the inner circumference of the opening.2) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 1 wherein the scraper may be cylindrical or an oblong in shape and of a suitable size for hand held use.3) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 2 wherein in use, the scraper may be of a height that allows it to pass within the grasp of the hand comfortably and allows for the scraping rims contact rim to have clearance of the finger tips and full contact with the surface being scraped.4) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 3 wherein the scraper may have a flat level horizontal flexible top surface which is pressed into the palm of the hand when in use to create a stable holding of the scraper.5) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said flexible nature of the material from which the scraper may be made provides a gripping nature, wherein the hand and fingers can slightly squeeze the scraper body for improved grip in use and added comfort simultaneously.6) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 5 wherein the upper top surface of the scraper may be rounded to provide an alternative gripping action wherein the rounded top surface fits into the curve of the hand, which may also provide a further level of grip improvement and comfort simultaneously.7) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hollow opening may be formed by way of the dense area only extending downward partially from the top and the remainder of the scraper to the strengthening layer, scraping rim and its contact rim, being formed within a flexible wall around the inner circumference of said opening.8) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 7 wherein said strengthening layer may be a circumference band of the moulded body which is located at the point where the dense portion ends.9) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 8 wherein said band is thicker than said scraping rim and adds strength to this thinner rim by way of adding at least 1mm of thickness to at least 2 / 3 (two thirds) of the scraping rim while remaining flexible.10) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 9 wherein the strengthening layer ensures that the scraping rim does not flex too much or become damaged due to over flexing.11) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 10 wherein in use, the thinner scraping rim with its contact rim flexes on contact with the surface.12) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 11 wherein a low hand height of the hand on the scraper, due to the low height of the scraper maintains a solid scraping action on pushing and pulling the scraper and therefore said scraping rim and contact rim.13) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 12 wherein the scraper whether circular or oblong may have rounded corners.14) A surface scraper as claimed in claim 13 wherein the scraper therefore is effective at cleaning surfaces, cookware pans, vehicle windscreens and windows of ice, snow or bird droppings and other surfaces, to include but not limited to, ceramic hobs, table tops, kitchen surfaces, chopping boards, glass surfaces, metal surfaces.

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