Dust pan ice scraper

Abstract

A refuse pan has an elongated edge sufficiently hard and strong to operate as an ice scraper. A kit that includes the pan and a brush is sized and dimensioned as an automobile valet kit, and is marketed as such. The ice scraper portion of the pan can be made of plastic or any other suitable material.

1 . An improved refuse pan having a body that defines a wall of a cavity for holding refuse, and an opening for brushing refuse into the cavity, the improvement comprising an elongated edge sufficiently hard and strong to operate as an ice scraper.  
   
   
       2 . The pan of  claim 1  wherein the edge is at least 4 cm long.  
   
   
       3 . The pan of  claim 1  wherein the edge is at least 8 cm long.  
   
   
       4 . The pan of  claim 1  wherein the edge is substantially linear along at least 4 cm of its length.  
   
   
       5 . The pan of  claim 1  wherein the edge comprises a plastic.  
   
   
       6 . The pan of  claim 1  wherein the body and the edge comprise different chemical compositions.  
   
   
       7 . The pan of  claim 1  wherein the edge is continuous with the body at a corner.  
   
   
       8 . The pan of  claim 1  wherein the edge is disposed on a back side of the body, opposite the opening of the cavity.  
   
   
       9 . The pan of  claim 1  wherein the edge is disposed as a ramp near an opening of the cavity so that the edge can be used to brush refuse into the cavity.  
   
   
       10 . The pan of  claim 1  wherein the edge is at least 8 cm long, is substantially linear along at least 4 cm of its length, is disposed on the body other than at the opening of the cavity, and comprises a plastic.  
   
   
       11 . A valet kit comprising the refuse pan of  claim 1  and a brush having a plurality of bristles sized and dimensioned to be stored substantially within the cavity.  
   
   
       12 . The valet kit of  claim 11 , wherein the brush has a handle that extends outside the cavity when the bristles are stored within the cavity.  
   
   
       13 . The valet kit of  claim 11 , including an advertisement identifying the kit for automotive use.  
   
   
       14 . A method of marketing a brush, comprising: 
 advertising the brush for automotive use;    combining the brush with the refuse pan according to  claim 1;  and    further advertising that the refuse pan can be used as an ice scraper.