This invention relates to a dust collecting apparatus generally known as a dustpan, and more particularly to a dustpan that retains its contents while in a self-supporting upright storage position.
1. Background of the Invention
The use of dustpans to pick up dirt and debris is well known. Many prior art designs exist. These may be one piece or multiple piece constructions, employ metallic or molded materials, and show numerous ornamental variations. The most popular and generally accepted design in widespread use consists of a shallow pan with an open lip at one end, and an elongated handle or grip attached to the opposite end. This handle extends outward from the pan in a direction more or less perpendicular to the lip, thus providing a handy and convenient means for manipulating the dustpan. This design, however, cannot be stored upright without spilling most or all of its contents, and is thus impractical and messy to store unless another receptacle is immediately at hand to receive the dustpan""s contents. Therefore, a dustpan design that could be stored upright without spilling or emptying its contents, but is nevertheless similar to generally accepted designs, would be a useful and novel invention.
2. Description of Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,774 discloses a dust collecting apparatus that is standable or self-supporting in a storage position. However, this dustpan cannot hold dust or debris in its storage position because the open lip is downward, and thus, any contents will spill out. In addition, the user may not recognize the flat shallow flap that is intended for use as a handle or grip.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,183 discloses a wastebasket with a lip along one top edge and one or two handle slots in the opposite wall. Though this device holds dirt and debris in its upright storage position, it does not have the elongated handle or grip that readily identifies it to the user as a dustpan.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 351,699 discloses a trash collection container with an extended lip. As in the previous example, this device does not have the elongated handle or grip that readily identifies it to the user as a dustpan. In addition, it appears to have a separate removable top more characteristic of a trash container than a dustpan.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 383,002 discloses a combined brush, dustpan, and waste can wherein the waste can has a flat lip characteristic of a dustpan, and will hold dust and debris in an upright storage position. However, the waste can component again does not have the recognizable elongated handle or grip of most dustpans, nor does the dustpan component. Instead the user must hold onto a flared top edge opposite the lip that is parallel rather than perpendicular to the lip. In addition, dust and debris can spill out of the dustpan component of this device because it does not have a flat and stable base. It must be stored in a nested position within its corresponding wastebasket to hold dust and debris without spilling.
Illustrated in PRIOR ART FIG. 1A is the DustBuCan, a molded product made in Brazil by Plasutil and distributed in the U.S. by Kaminstein Imports. It is describe on its product label as a combination dustpan, bucket, and trashcan. Though it can hold dust and debris in its upright storage position, it again does not have the elongated grip or handle that readily identifies it as a dustpan. Instead it has a handle hole in the top edge opposite the lip that is parallel to the lip.
Illustrated in PRIOR ART FIG. 1B is a dustpan manufactured by Rubbermaid Inc. of Wooster, Ohio. Though it has a receptacle to hold dust and debris, the end of its handle extends so far beyond the end of its receptacle that it is not self supporting in an upright storage position. Instead it tips over towards its lip, spilling most of its contents.
The principle object of my invention is to provide a novel, useful, simple, and recognizable dustpan that stores a generous amount of contents in an upright storage position, thus overcoming the above enumerated deficiencies in known prior art.
My invention employs the use of a dustpan shape of the type having a lip at one end and an elongated handle or grip extending outward from the opposite end in a direction more or less perpendicular to the lip. The handle extends away from the perimeter edge of the receptacle in a direction perpendicular to the lip and is unsupported at its far end. However, instead of the shallow pan generally characteristic of prior art of this type, my invention shows an enlarged and elongated dust receptacle extending under the handle or grip to a distance at least as far as the end of the aforementioned handle. This receptacle is tapered for ease of removal from a molding die, and has a more or less flat end wall at nearly a right angle to its bottom wall, such that it stabilizes and holds the dustpan in its upright storage position with the lip upward and the handle downward. A preferred embodiment shows the handle end and the far corners of the receptacle end wall forming a stable tripod base for its upright storage position. Alternatively, the receptacle end wall may extend well beyond the handle, as long as it is flat enough and correctly angled to provide a stable base for upright storage.
It is a further object of my invention to provide a dustpan that is attractive, inexpensive, stackable, washable, sturdy, and easily injection moldable in a shape without restrictions requiring mechanical side actions in the molding die. Dies without side actions are less expensive to fabricate and maintain, and more readily permit the resulting molded shapes to be nested economically for inventory, shipping and display.
Another object of my invention is to provide a novel means of molding a shallow curved lip without requiring a curved parting line in that portion of the molding die. The advantage of a shallow curved lip is that it allows the user to maintain pressure against the floor without having the lip distort upward and allow dirt to be swept underneath. The advantage of die parting lines that are not curved is that they are less expensive to fabricate and maintain.