Manual Snow Pusher

Abstract

A snow pusher has a blade sloping upward between a front lower and a rear upper edges interconnected by opposite side edges. A handle is carried upwardly and reardwardly from the blade for manual gripping by an operator. A support sled disposed at least partially beneath the blade extends rearwardly away from the front lower edge of the blade, and spans between opposite sides of the sled respectively disposed adjacent the opposite side edges of the blade. An underside of the sled, at a position adjacent each side thereof, slopes upward from a flat portion of the underside to the respective side of the sled. The sled provides significant area over which the weight of snow on the blade is distributed to minimize sinking of the pusher into snow over which it is slid during use, while the curved sides prevent the sled from digging into the snow during turns.

1 . A manual snow pusher comprising:
 a blade sloping upward between a front lower edge and a rear upper edge, and having opposite side edges interconnecting the front lower and rear upper edges;   a handle support structure connected to the blade and extending upwardly and reardwardly therefrom;   a handle carried on the handle support structure at a distance upward and rearward from the blade for manual gripping by an operator; and   a single support sled disposed at least partially beneath the blade, the support blade extending rearwardly away from the front lower edge of the blade to a rear end of the sled and spanning between opposite sides of the sled respectively disposed adjacent the opposite side edges of the blade.   
     
     
         2 . The snow pusher according to  claim 1  further comprising a blade support structure connected to the support sled at a distance spaced rearward from the front lower edge of the blade and connected to at least one of the handle support structure and the blade to brace the blade in position above the support sled. 
     
     
         3 . The snow pusher according to  claim 2  wherein the blade support structure is separately connected to each of the handle support structure and the blade. 
     
     
         4 . The snow pusher according to  claim 2  wherein the blade support structure extends upwardly past the handle support structure to brace the blade proximate the rear upper edge thereof at a position over the handle support structure. 
     
     
         5 . The snow pusher according to  claim 4  wherein the blade support structure comprises braces connected to the support sled adjacent the opposite sides thereof, connected to the blade adjacent the opposite side edges thereof, and connected to opposite side support rails of the handle support structure where said braces extend upwardly therepast from the support sled to the blade. 
     
     
         6 . The snow pusher according to  claim 1  wherein a rear portion of the blade deviates from a slope of a front portion of the blade to slope more steeply toward the rear upper edge of the blade. 
     
     
         7 . The snow pusher according to  claim 6  wherein the blade curves from the front portion to the rear portion. 
     
     
         8 . The snow pusher according to  claim 1  wherein an underside of the support sled, at a position adjacent each side thereof, slopes upward from a flat portion of said underside to the side of the support sled. 
     
     
         9 . The snow pusher according to  claim 8  wherein the underside of the support sled, adjacent each side thereof, curves upward from the flat portion to the side of the support sled. 
     
     
         10 . The snow pusher according to  claim 8  wherein the support sled, adjacent each side thereof, comprises a curved bevel sloping upward from the flat portion of the underside of the support sled. 
     
     
         11 . The snow pusher according to  claim 1  wherein the support sled comprises a plate having a flat downward facing surface spanning from adjacent one of the opposite sides of the support sled to adjacent the other of the opposite sides of the support sled. 
     
     
         12 . The snow pusher according to  claim 1  wherein a width of the support sled between the sides thereof, at a location beneath the blade, is at least forty percent of a width of the blade between the side edges thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The snow pusher according to  claim 1  wherein a width of the support sled between the sides thereof, at a location beneath the blade, is at least fifty percent of a width of the blade between the side edges thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The snow pusher according to  claim 1  wherein a width of the support sled between the sides thereof, at a location beneath the blade, is at least equal to a width of the blade between the side edges thereof. 
     
     
         15 . A manual snow pusher comprising:
 a blade sloping upward between a front lower edge and a rear upper edge, and having opposite side edges interconnecting the front lower and rear upper edges;   a handle support structure connected to the blade and extending upwardly and reardwardly therefrom;   a handle carried on the handle support structure at a distance upward and rearward from the blade for manual gripping by an operator; and   a support sled structure disposed at least partially beneath the blade, the support blade extending rearwardly away from the front lower edge of the blade between opposite sides of the support sled structure, and an underside of the support sled structure, at a position adjacent each side thereof, sloping upward from a flat portion of said underside to the side of the support sled structure.   
     
     
         16 . The snow pusher according to  claim 15  wherein the underside of the support sled structure, adjacent each side thereof, curves upward from the flat portion to the side of the support sled structure. 
     
     
         17 . The snow pusher according to  claim 15  wherein the support sled structure, adjacent each side thereof, comprises a curved bevel sloping upward from the flat portion of the underside of the support sled structure. 
     
     
         18 . The snow pusher according to  claim 15  wherein the support sled structure comprises a plate having a flat downward facing surface spanning from adjacent one of the opposite sides of the support sled structure to adjacent the other of the opposite sides of the support sled structure. 
     
     
         19 . A manual snow pusher comprising:
 a blade sloping upward between a front lower edge and a rear upper edge, and having opposite side edges interconnecting the front lower and rear upper edges;   a handle support structure connected to the blade and extending upwardly and reardwardly therefrom;   a handle carried on the handle support structure at a distance upward and rearward from the blade for manual gripping by an operator; and   a single support sled disposed at least partially beneath the blade, the support blade extending rearwardly away from the front lower edge of the blade to a rear end of the sled and spanning between opposite sides of the sled;   wherein each side of the sled, in a direction extending across the blade, lies closer to a respective one of the opposite side edges of the blade than the other side of the sled; and   wherein a sled width measured between the opposite sides of the support sled, at a location beneath the blade, is at least forty percent of a blade width measured between the opposite sides edges of the blade.   
     
     
         20 . The snow pusher according to  claim 19  wherein an underside of the sled presents one or more flat surface areas located beneath the blade and collectively spanning at least forty percent of the blade width measured between the opposite sides edges of the blade.