Vertically Attachable Dustpan

The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/731,192 filed Apr. 8, 2024 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/731,976 filed Jun. 26, 2024 which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

The present invention relates generally to the field of cleaning tools of existing art and more specifically relates to a dustpan that attaches vertically, with blade edge parallel to a handle of a broom.

Dustpans are essential cleaning tools designed to collect dust, dirt, and debris swept into them with a broom. They come in various shapes and sizes, typically featuring a flat, scooped front blade edge that rests flush against the floor to easily gather small particles.

Some dustpans are designed to attach directly to brooms, providing a convenient, all-in-one solution for quick cleanups. Currently, clips or brackets are provided on the dustpan or the broom to mount the dustpan with the front blade edge oriented horizontally (positioned parallel to the floor and perpendicular to the broom handle).

However, this current design creates a cumbersome bulk that can interfere with the broom's natural sweeping motion. This horizontal alignment often causes the dustpan to wobble or shift when the broom is in use, reducing the overall effectiveness and ease of sweeping. Further, the added weight and imbalance can make maneuvering the broom more challenging, especially when trying to reach tight corners or under furniture. Additionally, the width of the dustpan often extends past the broom head, further contributing to its obstructiveness. Accordingly, a suitable solution is desired.

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known dustpan art, the present disclosure provides a novel vertically attachable dustpan. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a dustpan that can attach to a handle of a broom vertically, such that a leading blade edge of the dustpan is positioned parallel to the handle of the broom. As such, the dustpan does not obstruct use of the broom and does not continuously fall from the handle of the broom.

A dustpan for attachment to a broom is disclosed herein. According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the dustpan may include a base panel including a front blade edge, a pair of side walls disposed at opposite sides of the base panel and extending upwardly therefrom, a rear wall disposed at a rear of the base panel (opposite the front blade edge) and extending upwardly therefrom, and a fastener. The fastener may be attached about the rear wall and configured to facilitate attachment of the dustpan to an elongated handle of the broom; the fastener oriented such that the attachment of the dustpan to the broom positions the front blade edge of the base panel parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongated handle.

According to another embodiment, a dustpan and broom is also disclosed herein. The dustpan and broom may include a broom including an elongated handle defining a longitudinal axis; and a broom head disposed at an end of the elongated handle and including a plurality of bristles and defining a broom head width.

The dustpan may, as above, include a base panel including a front blade edge, a pair of side walls disposed at opposite sides of the base panel and extending upwardly therefrom, and a rear wall disposed at a rear of the base panel and extending upwardly therefrom. The rear wall is opposite the front blade edge and a dustpan depth is defined between the rear wall and the front blade edge. The dustpan depth is lesser than the broom head width of the broom head.

A fastener may be attached about the rear wall and configured to facilitate attachment of the dustpan to the elongated handle of the broom. The fastener is oriented such that the attachment of the dustpan to the broom positions the front blade edge of the base panel parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated handle. When the dustpan is attached to the broom, the broom head width extends further than the dustpan depth.

According to another embodiment, a method of attaching a dustpan to a broom. According to one or more embodiments, the method may comprise the steps of: providing the dustpan including a base panel having a front blade edge, a pair of side walls, a rear wall, and a fastener, wherein the fastener and the pair of side walls define a receiving space at a rear of the dustpan; orienting the dustpan such that the front blade edge of the base panel is parallel to a longitudinal axis of an elongated handle of the broom; and inserting the elongated handle of the broom into the receiving space, thereby attaching the dustpan to the broom in a position whereby the front blade edge is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated handle.

For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.

As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a vertically attachable dustpan. Generally, the vertically attachable dustpan provides an improvement over prior art dustpans by providing a dustpan that can fasten with its leading blade edge oriented vertically and parallel relative to a handle of a broom. As such, the vertically attachable dustpan does not obstruct use of the broom and prevents the dustpan from falling off of the broom during use of the broom.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in, various views of a dustpan, a broom, and a methodof attaching the dustpanto the broom, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The dustpanmay be configured to attach to any existing broom or can be designed for use with a specific broom.

Referring first to, there are shown various views of the dustpanand broom, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular,illustrates the dustpanattached to the broomand the broombeing used to sweep a floor, as normal; andillustrates the dustpandetached from the broomand being used to sweep debris from the floor into the dustpan. As shown in, the dustpanis attached to the broomin a vertical orientation, in that a front blade edge(i.e., the leading edge) of the dustpanis oriented parallel relative to an elongated handleof the broom(and generally perpendicular to the floor). This allows for a wider dustpanwhilst preventing the dustpanfrom being obtrusive to use of the broomwhen sweeping.

The dustpancan be made of any suitable material that is easily cleanable, offers durability and an appropriate flexibility to enable sufficient contact with the floor to receive the debris therefrom. For example, the dustpancan be made from (but is not limited to) plastic, hard rubber, or the like.

As above, the dustpanmay be configured to attach to any existing broomor can be designed for specific brooms. As shown in, it is contemplated that the broomincludes the elongated handleand a broom headattached to an end of the elongated handle, which includes a plurality of bristlesfor sweeping the floor.

Referring now to, there are shown various views of the dustpan, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. These figures demonstrate a front perspective view of the dustpan(), a front view of the dustpan(), a top view of the dustpan() and a bottom view of the dustpan(). As shown in these figures, the dustpanmay include a base panelincluding a front blade edge, a pair of side walls,and a rear wall, all defining a debris panfor receiving debris. The front blade edgeof the base paneldefines a front of the dustpan(leading edge) and is generally flat in profile so as to be flush, or at least substantially so, against the floor during use of the dustpan. As shown in, the base panelmay include a top surface() opposite a bottom surface().

As above, the vertical orientation of the dustpanwhen attached prevents obstruction of the use of the broom. As such, the front blade edgeof the dustpanis able to be of a greater length than many prior art dustpans. In particular, the front blade edgeof the dustpanof the present invention can include a length() of 12 inches, as measured from one of the pair of side walls to the other (toor vice versa). It should however be appreciated that the front blade edgeis not limited to this size.

In some embodiments, as demonstrated best inand, the front blade edgemay be greater in lengththan the rear wallof the dustpan. This may be achieved via outward tapering of the base panel. Further, as shown inin particular, the base panelof the dustpanmay include an elongated ridgebehind the front blade edge, configured to prevent debris that has been swept into the debris pan from falling back out from the front blade edge.

The dustpanincludes the pair of side walls,disposed at opposite sides of the base paneland extending upwardly therefrom, and a rear walldisposed at a rear of the base paneland extending upwardly therefrom. Further, a fastenermay be attached about the rear walland configured to facilitate attachment of the dustpanto the elongated handleof the broom. As shown here, the fastenermay be oriented such that the attachment of the dustpanto the broompositions the front blade edgeof the base panelparallel to a longitudinal axisof the elongated handle(as demonstrated in).

As demonstrated in, the base panel, the pair of side walls,and the rear wallmay be unitary in construction, made from one piece. However, the base panel, the pair of side walls,and the rear wallare not limited to being one piece. As such, the pair of side walls,may be attached to the rear wallat a rear of each of the side walls,. As shown particularly in, the pair of side walls,may each include a rounded portion,beginning toward the rear (forward of a cradle portion,of the pair of side walls,, which will be discussed in further detail below). The rounded portion,may taper downwardly into the front blade edgeof the base panel.

Further, a handlemay be attached to the rear wallof the dustpanand extending rearwardly therefrom. The handlemay enable use of the dustpanand also aid in the attaching and detaching of the dustpanfrom the broom. In some embodiments, as shown here, the handlemay include a grip portionextending upwardly from a rear thereof, further aiding in grip of the handleand facilitating use of the dustpan. As shown here, in some embodiments, the fastenermay be attached to a front of the handle.

As shown inand with reference now also to(illustrating a side view of the fastenerand a side wall), the pair of side walls,and the fastenermay together provide a receiving spacefor receiving, or ‘cradling’ the elongated handleof the broom, providing a three point connector for attaching the dustpanthereto. In particular, each of the pair of side walls,may include the cradle portion,disposed towards a rear thereof and including a curvature complimentary to the curvature of the elongated handleof the broom. For example, as shown in, the cradle portion,of each of the pair of side walls,includes a generally concave depression extending downwardly into each of the pair of side walls,and able to surround a bottom portion of the elongated handleof the broom. The cradle portions,of each of the pair of side walls,are aligned.

Further, as shown in, the fastenermay include a forwardly extending armincluding a central seat portionhaving a curvature complimentary to the curvature of the elongated handleof the broom. For example, the central seat portionmay be an upwardly extending concave portion able to surround a top portion of the elongated handleof the broom. The central seat portionis in line with each of the cradle portions,of the pair of side walls,, defining the receiving spaceand enabling the securement of the elongated handleof the broombetween the pair of side walls,and the fastener. Further, as shown best in, the forwardly extending armmay include an upwardly extending lip, facilitating insertion of the elongated handleinto the central seat portion. In particular, the upwardly extending lipcan flex as the elongated handleis pushed into the fastenerand return back to its position once the elongated handleis within the receiving spacebetween the fastenerand the pair of side walls,, thereby securing the elongated handlewithin the receiving space.

A distance between a top of the fastenerand a bottom of each of the cradle portions,(i.e., a height of the receiving space) may be slightly lesser than a diameter of the elongated handleof the broom. As such, the dustpanis secured to the elongated handleof the broomas a result of the fastenerbeing compressed to accommodate the diameter of the elongated handle.

It should be appreciated that the fastenershown and discussed here is provided as an example of one of many contemplated embodiments and is not limited to the configuration shown in these figures or described here. It is contemplated that there is no limit to the type of fasteneror fastening means used to attach the dustpanto the broom.

Referring now to, which demonstrate the dustpanbeing attached to the broom. As above and as shown here, the front blade edgeof the dustpanis positioned parallel (vertical) relative to the elongated handleof the broom, allowing for a wider dustpanand preventing the dustpanfrom being obstructive to use of the broomwhen sweeping. As such, the fasteneris orientated on the dustpanto enable this. For example, as shown here, a length of the forwardly extending armmay be oriented perpendicular to the front blade edgeof the dustpan, and thus perpendicular to the longitudinal axisof the elongated handlewhen the dustpanis attached to the elongated handle.

As has been discussed above and as shown here, the broomincludes a broom headdisposed at an end of the elongated handleincluding a plurality of bristlesand defining a broom head width. Further, a dustpan depthis defined between the rear wallof the dustpanand the front blade edgeof the base panel. As demonstrated here in, the dustpan depthis lesser than the broom head widthof the broom head, and when the dustpanis attached to the broom, the broom head widthextends further than the dustpan depth. As such, the dustpanis not obstructive to use of the broom.

Referring now toshowing a flow diagram illustrating a methodof attaching a dustpan to a broom, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, the methodmay include one or more components or features of the dustpanand broomas described above. As illustrated, the methodmay include the steps of: step one, providing the dustpan including a base panel having a front blade edge, a pair of side walls, a rear wall disposed opposite the front blade edge, and a fastener attached about the rear wall of the base panel, wherein the fastener and the pair of side walls define a receiving space at a rear of the dustpan; step two, orienting the dustpan such that the front blade edge of the base panel is parallel to a longitudinal axis of an elongated handle of the broom; and step three, inserting the elongated handle of the broom into the receiving space, thereby attaching the dustpan to the broom in a position whereby the front blade edge is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated handle.

A further step may include step, providing the broom, the broom including a broom head disposed at an end of the elongated handle and including a plurality of bristles, the broom head including a broom head width.

It should be noted that certain steps are optional and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps of methodare illustrated using dotted lines inso as to distinguish them from the other steps of method. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods are taught herein.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, 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.