Removable Handle Snow Shovel for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional snow shovels are large and cumbersome, making them difficult to store and transport, and lack adaptable configurations for different snow removal techniques.
Innovation Solution
A shovel design featuring a removable and reattachable handle, with fasteners and connectors that allow the handle to be detached for storage and reattached for use, and an angled blade for efficient snow pushing or lifting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the shovel has a large handle and blade for effective snow removal, then the snow removal capability is improved, but the storage and transport difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shovel is divided into separable components: a blade assembly and a handle. The handle can be detached from the blade through a connector mechanism, allowing the user to store or transport only the compact blade assembly when the handle is not needed. This segmentation directly resolves the contradiction by enabling the shovel to function as a large tool during use but store as a compact item.
2Productivity
If the shovel has a fixed large configuration for lifting snow, then the lifting capability is improved, but the adaptability for different snow removal techniques deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shovel configuration is made dynamic through the removable handle design. Users can attach the handle when snow lifting is required, and remove it when windrowing or pushing snow is preferred. This dynamic reconfigurability allows the same blade assembly to adapt to different snow removal techniques based on the task at hand, resolving the contradiction between specialized capability and versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a shovel including a blade, at least one fastener, a connector, and a handle. The blade has a first major surface and an opposing second major surface, and each of the fastener(s) and the connector are attached to the second major surface. The handle is removably attached to the connector. In use, such as for use as a snow shovel, the handle is attached to the connector. Advantageously, when the shovel is not in use, the handle may be removed from the connector and attached to and held by the fastener(s), which decreases the overall dimensions of the shovel for ease of storage and/or transport.