Salt Dispersing Assembly

Abstract

A salt dispersing assembly for spreading salt on a frozen walkway includes a hopper and a chute integrated into the hopper to distribute a granular material onto a walkway. A diffuser is removably attachable to the chute thereby facilitating the granular material to pass through the diffuser. A handle is attached to the hopper thereby facilitating the handle to be gripped and a grip is pivotally attached to the hopper thereby facilitating the grip to be gripped. A blower is integrated into the hopper and the blower urges air toward the chute when the blower is turned on for urging the granular material outwardly through the chute. In this way the blower distributes the granular material onto the walkway.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A salt dispersing assembly for distributing salt on a frozen walkway for thawing the frozen walkway, said assembly comprising:
 a hopper having a chute integrated into said hopper thereby facilitating a granular material placed in said hopper to be released through said chute wherein said hopper is configured to distribute the granular material onto a walkway;   a lid being hingedly coupled to said hopper for opening and closing said hopper;   a diffuser being removably attachable to said chute thereby facilitating the granular material to pass through said diffuser;   a funnel being hingedly coupled to said front end of said diffuser, said funnel being positionable in a deployed position having said funnel extending away from said diffuser thereby facilitating the granular material to pass outwardly through said funnel, said funnel being positionable in a stored position having said funnel being displaced from said diffuser;   a handle being attached to said hopper thereby facilitating said handle to be gripped;   a grip being pivotally attached to said hopper thereby facilitating said grip to be gripped; and   a blower being integrated into said hopper, said blower being in fluid communication with an interior of said hopper, said blower being directed toward said chute, said blower urging air toward said chute when said blower is turned on for urging the granular material outwardly through said chute wherein said blower is configured to distribute the granular material onto the walkway.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said hopper has a bottom wall and an outer wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said outer wall having a front side, a back side and a distal edge with respect to said bottom wall defining an opening into said hopper thereby facilitating the granular material to pass through said opening for filling said hopper, said front side sloping rearwardly toward said back side between said bottom wall and said distal edge;   said chute is integrated into said front side, said chute being aligned with said bottom wall, said chute extending along a full width of said front side, said chute having a distal end with respect to said front side, said distal end being open for releasing the granular material, said chute having an upper wall and a lower wall, said lower wall lying on a plane being coplanar with said bottom wall of said hopper;   said hopper has a dividing wall extending between said bottom wall and said distal edge of said outer wall, said dividing wall being positioned closer to said back side of said outer wall than said front side of said outer wall, said dividing wall defining an electronics space between said dividing wall and said back side, said dividing wall defining a storage space between said dividing wall and said front side of said outer wall such that said storage space receives the granular material, said dividing wall sloping rearwardly such that said dividing wall lies on a plane being coplanar with said front side of said outer wall thereby facilitating said storage space to angle toward said chute thereby facilitating the granular material to be directed toward said chute;   said dividing wall has an air vent extending through said dividing wall, said air vent being aligned with said bottom wall of said hopper; and   said hopper having a lip extending rearwardly from said back side, said lip being aligned with said distal edge of said outer wall, said lip having a rear edge.   
     
     
         3 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein said lid has a back edge and a bottom surface, said back edge being hingedly coupled to said rear edge of said lip on said hopper, said lid having a ridge extending downwardly from said bottom surface, said ridge extending around a full perimeter of said lid, said bottom surface resting on said distal edge of said outer wall of said hopper having said ridge abutting an inside surface of said outer wall when said lid is closed thereby inhibiting the granular material from escaping through said opening defined by said distal edge of said outer wall of said hopper. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein said diffuser has a rear end, a front end and an outside wall extending between said rear end and said front end, each of said rear end and said front end being open, said outside wall having a recess extending around said outside wall, said recess being aligned with said rear end such that said rear end has a height and a width being less than a height and a width of said front end, said distal end of said chute insertably receiving said rear end of said diffuser such that said distal end of said chute abuts a threshold of said recess, said diffuser having a plurality of vanes being positioned in said front end of said diffuser, said vanes being spaced apart from each other and being distributed across said front end. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein said chute has a recess being integrated into said lower wall of said chute, said recess in said chute accommodating said rear end of said diffuser when said rear end is inserted into said distal end of said chute. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein said funnel has a back end and an exterior wall, said back end being hingedly coupled to said front end of said diffuser at a connection point being aligned with said exterior wall, said back end being aligned with said front end of said diffuser when said funnel is in said deployed position, said exterior wall resting on said outside wall of said diffuser when said funnel is in said stored position, said exterior wall tapering inwardly between said back end and said front end. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 said handle has a first end and a second end, said handle being curved between said first end and said second end, each of said first end and said second end being attached to said back side of said outer wall; and   said assembly includes a trigger being movably coupled to said handle thereby facilitating said trigger to be manipulated into an engaging position, said trigger being biased into a disengaging position.   
     
     
         8 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein said grip has an upper end and a front surface, said upper end being pivotally coupled to said bottom wall of said hopper at a connection point being aligned with said front surface, said front surface having a plurality of depressions being spaced apart from each other and being distributed along a full length of said grip to enhance gripping said grip, said grip being positionable in a deployed position having said grip extending downwardly from said bottom wall, said grip being positionable in a stored position having said grip lying against said bottom wall. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein said blower is positioned in said electronics space, said blower having an intake and an exhaust, exhaust being aligned with said air vent, said blower urging air inwardly through said intake and outwardly through said exhaust and outwardly through said air vent when said blower is turned on. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a power supply being positioned in said electronics space in said hopper, said power supply comprising at least one battery;
 a conductor extending through an interior of said handle, said conductor being electrically coupled between said power supply and said blower, said trigger being in electrical communication with said conductor, trigger completing a circuit between said power supply and said blower when said trigger is urged into said engaging position thereby turning said blower on, said trigger breaking said circuit between said power supply and said blower when said trigger is urged into said disengaging position thereby turning said blower off; and 
 a charge port being integrated into said back side of said outer wall of hopper thereby facilitating said charge port to insertably receive a charge cord, said charge port being electrically coupled to said power supply for charging said power supply. 
   
     
     
         11 . A salt dispersing assembly for distributing salt on a frozen walkway for thawing the frozen walkway, said assembly comprising:
 a hopper having a chute integrated into said hopper thereby facilitating a granular material placed in said hopper to be released through said chute wherein said hopper is configured to distribute the granular material onto a walkway, said hopper having a bottom wall and an outer wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said outer wall having a front side, a back side and a distal edge with respect to said bottom wall defining an opening into said hopper thereby facilitating the granular material to pass through said opening for filling said hopper, said front side sloping rearwardly toward said back side between said bottom wall and said distal edge, said chute being integrated into said front side, said chute being aligned with said bottom wall, said chute extending along a full width of said front side, said chute having a distal end with respect to said front side, said distal end being open for releasing the granular material, said chute having an upper wall and a lower wall, said lower wall lying on a plane being coplanar with said bottom wall of said hopper, said hopper having a dividing wall extending between said bottom wall and said distal edge of said outer wall, said dividing wall being positioned closer to said back side of said outer wall than said front side of said outer wall, said dividing wall defining an electronics space between said dividing wall and said back side, said dividing wall defining a storage space between said dividing wall and said front side of said outer wall such that said storage space receives the granular material, said dividing wall sloping rearwardly such that said dividing wall lies on a plane being coplanar with said front side of said outer wall thereby facilitating said storage space to angle toward said chute thereby facilitating the granular material to be directed toward said chute, said dividing wall having an air vent extending through said dividing wall, said air vent being aligned with said bottom wall of said hopper, said hopper having a lip extending rearwardly from said back side, said lip being aligned with said distal edge of said outer wall, said lip having a rear edge;   a lid being hingedly coupled to said hopper for opening and closing said hopper, said lid having a back edge and a bottom surface, said back edge being hingedly coupled to said rear edge of said lip on said hopper, said lid having a ridge extending downwardly from said bottom surface, said ridge extending around a full perimeter of said lid, said bottom surface resting on said distal edge of said outer wall of said hopper having said ridge abutting an inside surface of said outer wall when said lid is closed thereby inhibiting the granular material from escaping through said opening defined by said distal edge of said outer wall of said hopper;   a diffuser being removably attachable to said chute thereby facilitating the granular material to pass through said diffuser, said diffuser having a rear end, a front end and an outside wall extending between said rear end and said front end, each of said rear end and said front end being open, said outside wall having a recess extending around said outside wall, said recess being aligned with said rear end such that said rear end has a height and a width being less than a height and a width of said front end, said distal end of said chute insertably receiving said rear end of said diffuser such that said distal end of said chute abuts a threshold of said recess, said chute having a recess being integrated into said lower wall of said chute, said recess in said chute accommodating said rear end of said diffuser when said rear end is inserted into said distal end of said chute, said diffuser having a plurality of vanes being positioned in said front end of said diffuser, said vanes being spaced apart from each other and being distributed across said front end;   a funnel being hingedly coupled to said front end of said diffuser, said funnel being positionable in a deployed position having said funnel extending away from said diffuser thereby facilitating the granular material to pass outwardly through said funnel, said funnel being positionable in a stored position having said funnel being displaced from said diffuser, said funnel having a back end and an exterior wall, said back end being hingedly coupled to said front end of said diffuser at a connection point being aligned with said exterior wall, back end being aligned with said front end of said diffuser when said funnel is in said deployed position, said exterior wall resting on said outside wall of said diffuser when said funnel is in said stored position, said exterior wall tapering inwardly between said back end and said front end;   a handle being attached to said hopper thereby facilitating said handle to be gripped, said handle having a first end and a second end, said handle being curved between said first end and said second end, each of said first end and said second end being attached to said back side of said outer wall;   a grip being pivotally attached to said hopper thereby facilitating said grip to be gripped, said grip having an upper end and a front surface, said upper end being pivotally coupled to said bottom wall of said hopper at a connection point being aligned with said front surface, said front surface having a plurality of depressions being spaced apart from each other and being distributed along a full length of said grip to enhance gripping said grip, said grip being positionable in a deployed position having said grip extending downwardly from said bottom wall, said grip being positionable in a stored position having said grip lying against said bottom wall;   a trigger being movably coupled to said handle thereby facilitating said trigger to be manipulated into an engaging position, said trigger being biased into a disengaging position;   a blower being integrated into said hopper, said blower being in fluid communication with an interior of said hopper, said blower being directed toward said chute, said blower urging air toward said chute when said blower is turned on for urging the granular material outwardly through said chute wherein said blower is configured to distribute the granular material onto the walkway, said blower being positioned in said electronics space, said blower having an intake and an exhaust, exhaust being aligned with said air vent, said blower urging air inwardly through said intake and outwardly through said exhaust and outwardly through said air vent when said blower is turned on;   a power supply being positioned in said electronics space in said hopper, said power supply comprising at least one battery;   a conductor extending through an interior of said handle, said conductor being electrically coupled between said power supply and said blower, said trigger being in electrical communication with said conductor, trigger completing a circuit between said power supply and said blower when said trigger is urged into said engaging position thereby turning said blower on, said trigger breaking said circuit between said power supply and said blower when said trigger is urged into said disengaging position thereby turning said blower off; and   a charge port being integrated into said back side of said outer wall of hopper thereby facilitating said charge port to insertably receive a charge cord, said charge port being electrically coupled to said power supply for charging said power supply.