Ergonomic scoop

Abstract

An apparatus for picking up material is disclosed that has a scoop section with a bottom, a leading edge, two spaced apart side walls extending up from opposed sides of the bottom, and a back between the two side walls extending up from the bottom opposite the leading edge. The scoop has a cavity formed within the bottom, the side walls, and the back, and having an open front end and extending rearward therefrom. The scoop has a handle connected to and extending rearward and downward from the back of the scoop section. The handle and back are fixedly or adjustably attached to one another. The scoop cavity has an extended cavity section disposed under the handle that is a contiguous part of the cavity. The scoop is ergonomically designed for reducing stress related fatigue, strain or injury to the upper or lower extremities, or shoulder or neck.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a scoop section having a bottom, a leading edge, two spaced apart side walls extending up from opposed sides of the bottom, and a back disposed between the two side walls extending up from the bottom opposite the leading edge;   a cavity formed within the bottom, the side walls, and the back, and having an open front end and extending rearward therefrom; and   a handle having an elongated body connected to and extending rearwardly and downwardly from the back, wherein the handle and back are integrally formed with one another or separately formed and fixedly or adjustably attached to one another.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  which is a scooping device. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cavity has an extended cavity section disposed under the handle. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the elongated body is spaced from the back such that a grasping hand can circumferentially grasp the elongated body without contacting the extended cavity section, and the elongated body has a length that exceeds a length of the extended cavity section. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the handle is spaced above the extended cavity section and the extended cavity section extends rearward under the handle sufficient to form a hand shield. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the handle angles downward relative to the bottom of the scoop section. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the handle angles downward between greater than about 0° to about 75° relative to the bottom of the scoop section. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said scooping device has a vertical axis extending perpendicularly from a connection of the handle connected to the back of said scoop section, wherein the handle projects rearwardly and downwardly from the back and the vertical axis to define a handle angle of between about 15° to less than about 90° with respect to said vertical axis. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the handle having an elongated body comprises a first section that projects rearwardly from the back and a second section that projects rearwardly and downwardly from the first section, wherein the first section and the second section are integrally formed with one another or separately formed and fixedly or adjustably attached to one another. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the second section has a length that exceeds a length of the first section. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the first section of the handle is oriented at an angle between about 0° to about 15° relative to the bottom of the scoop section and the second section of the handle angles downward relative to the bottom of the scoop section. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said scooping device has a first vertical axis extending perpendicularly from a first connection of the first section of the handle connected to the back to the bottom of said scoop section, wherein the first section of the handle projects rearwardly from the back and the first vertical axis to define a first section handle angle of between about 15° to about 115° with respect to said first vertical axis, and wherein said scooping device has a second vertical axis extending perpendicularly from a second connection of the second section of the handle connected to the first section of the handle to the bottom of said scoop section, wherein the second section of the handle projects rearwardly and downwardly from the first section of the handle and the second vertical axis to define a handle angle of between about 25° to less than about 100° with respect to said second vertical axis. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the open front end of the cavity is wider between the side walls than the cavity near the back, and the side walls diverge gradually away from one another from the back to the open front end. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the leading edge of the scoop section is reinforced having a greater material thickness than adjacent parts of the bottom, and the reinforced leading edge continues upwardly along a front edge of each of the side walls, respectively. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the handle and the scoop section are integrally formed with one another from at least one material selected from the group consisting of wood, metal, plastic, composite or antimicrobial material. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the bottom is gradually convexly curved upward, the bottom curvature is greater near the back than near the leading edge, and the bottom has a groove or ridge extending between the leading edge and the back. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the scooping device includes one or more slits or perforations, or combinations thereof, on the bottom and/or side walls. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1  which is an ergonomic scooping device. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising (i) a hinge-like or ratchet-like mechanism on a portion of the back at or near where the handle attaches to the back or on a portion of the handle near where the handle attaches to the back that enables the handle to rotate into or nearly into the scoop section, or that enables the handle to rotate downwardly towards the bottom of the scooping device; (ii) a hinge-like or ratchet-like mechanism on a portion of the back at or near where the handle attaches to the back or on a portion of the handle near the where the handle attaches to the back that enables the handle to rotate downwardly towards the bottom of the scooping device to various degrees, the angle of which is selected by a user, and such adjustment is fixed at variously selected angles by the user; and (iii) the handle being made in telescoping sections so that by depressing the handle, it telescopes within itself to shorten the handle and by pulling on the handle, it extends itself to elongate the handle. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the handle is curvilinear in shape having a proximal end that is joined to part of the back at or near the top and a distal end that is joined to part of the back at or near the bottom.