The present invention generally relates to a scooper device and more particularly relates to a waste scooper and disposal device.
With the growing population of domesticated pets, pet animal owners have the responsibility to timely remove their pet animal waste droppings for reasons of environmental sanitation. The manner in which a person collects such waste needs to be sanitary for reasons of people's health and well-being. Currently, a common method for collecting pet animal droppings is placing waste paper or paper bags over a person's hand and grasping the waste droppings, and then wrapping the droppings and throwing into a garbage can.
Over the years, various devices have been made to assist people with the removal of their pet animal droppings in attempts to protect against the contact and spread of germs. However, such commonly known devices are of complex construction, largely inefficient in operation, and often result in contamination of a person's hands. Handling pet animal droppings in such way is not hygienic or sanitary and can lead to the spreading of unhealthy germs and health concerns. There is a need for a hand-held, sanitary, and portable device for pet owner's to easily and efficiently retrieve and dispose of waste.
A conventional apparatus for picking up animal droppings is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,169 issued to DeToma, which discloses an umbrella-like mechanical manipulator resemblant of a person's fingers requiring a person to carry individual bags with him or her, to be conscientiously and properly placed over the mechanical fingers on each occasion of use, to position the bag over the fingers to protect against contamination of the mechanical fingers when actuated to pick up the pet droppings. As provided therein, such device requires a person to carry multiple individual bags with him or her when using the device. Such devices are complex in construction and inconvenient in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,077,172 issued to Perkitny discloses a waste collection device including a body including a housing with an opening. The opening of the housing allows an open end of an associated bag to be folded thereover, and an internal retractable pulling mechanism is connected to the body and removably connected to the associated bag for selectively pulling the associated bag into the housing. To use, the open end of the bag is positioned adjacent waste material to be collected. The complicated pulling mechanism then pulls the bag into the housing and the waste material is simultaneously transferred into the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,198,310 issued to Lau discloses a device for pet animal droppings collection having a control lever, operating mechanism, spring and pairs of movable parts actuating in a cross-like manner to mimic the grasp of a person's hand. The primary shortcomings are complexity of construction, inconvenience in operation, and hygienic concerns.
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 8,955,893 issued to Stern discloses an animal waste bucket with a handle. The bucket includes a row of tines at the front entrance to facilitate scooping under the desired object. However, such device requires additional steps to then dispose of the waste which upon scooping merely remains situated in the bucket.
Another type of waste disposal device is a large stationary bucket or container fitted with a bag liner adapted to line the closed interior receiving compartment of the device. U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,099 issued to Stravitz discloses a waste disposal device having a large standing storage container with a removable top cover that can be opened to allow for a person to insert waste from the person's hand into the container. Such devices require the waste to be independently picked up and handled by the person to then be forcibly inserted by the person's hand into the top of the large container, to then be dropped down into the storage compartment. Such devices allow for the storage of waste in a bag and the eventual disposal of the waste, but the waste has already been handled by the person's hands. The mobility of such large heavy standing containers is also limited as they are difficult to maneuver.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.
Accordingly, there is a need for a compact portable lightweight animal waste removal and disposal tool for attending to the cleanup and disposal of animal waste in a more convenient, effective and sanitary manner.
As disclosed in this application, the inventor has discovered novel and unique devices and methods for efficient and sanitary removal and disposal of animal waste, which exhibit superlative properties without being dependent on heavy, immobile, expensive or complex components.
Embodiments of the present invention provide for devices and methods and disclosed herein and as defined in the annexed claims which provide for improved waste removal and disposal features in order to efficiently scoop up and dispose of pet animal droppings of many types from a variety of surfaces, in a sanitary manner, for people's health and well-being.
It is one prospect of the present invention to provide one or more novel devices of simple but effective construction which can be applied to many environments to efficiently and effectively remove and dispose of pet animal waste.
The following presents a simplified summary of the present disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented herein.
Therefore, in accordance with embodiment of the invention, there is provided an animal waste removal and disposal device for scooping up pet waste from a surface and disposing of such waste in a flexible tube which forms a bag to be dropped in the trash. In one embodiment, the device has elongated annular scooper body, which has an annular wall that defines a passageway. The passageway extends from a frontward waste entrance opening to a rearward waste exit opening of the scooper body. The rearward waste exit opening is preferably configured to receive and secure a pleated tubing dispensing cassette. The cassette has an annular cassette body which defines an opening through the cassette, and the opening is sized to closely surround and fit tightly against an outer surface of the annular wall of the waste exit opening of the device. In such preferred embodiment, the annular wall that extends through the cassette provides a slippery guide for waste moving through the passageway of the device and exiting the waste exit opening at the back of the device. In one embodiment, a handle is operatively connected to an outer surface of the elongated annular wall of the scooper body and is configured to be grasped by a user's hand in order to maneuver the device to scoop up waste.
In another embodiment, the annular wall of the scooper body of the waste removal and disposal device is characterized as having a length sufficient to extend fully through the opening of the annular cassette body such that it provides a protective barrier between waste moving through the passageway and exiting the waste exit opening of the device.
In another embodiment, a portion of the scooper body forms a protective guard around the outside of at least a portion of the cassette to provide a barrier between the cassette and the waste when the scooper device is maneuvered across a surface such as grass or a sidewalk to scoop up waste from such surface.
In yet another embodiment, the annular wall of the waste exit opening connects to a radially outwardly extending wall that is preferably at least semi-annular in shape. Such radially outwardly extending wall connects to a rearwardly extending outer annular wall. The outer annular wall is preferably disposed concentric with and relative to the respective inner annular wall of the scooper body. In such embodiment, the outer annular wall, the radially extending wall, and the inner annular wall form a U-shaped channel therebetween, within which a cassette may be installed, at the waste exit opening of the scooper device.
In a preferred embodiment, the backwardly extending annular wall of the waste exit opening includes a top portion relative to a bottom portion, such that the top portion forms a rearwardly extending protrusion relative to the bottom portion. In other words, the top portion extends out further than the bottom portion, to maintain an open passageway for tubing that extends and hangs from the waste exit opening of the scooper device.
In another embodiment, the rearwardly extending outer annular wall contains a blade for severing said tubing. The waste removal and disposal device preferably includes an elongated pole that may be connected to and disconnected from the handle, at the option of the user. In another preferred embodiment, the scooper device includes a row of tines extending forwardly from the annular scooper body at the waste entrance opening.
The waste removal and disposal device is preferably of unitary construction, such that the body is a single piece of a homogenous material, forged from a material selected from a group consisting of plastic, resin, high-density polyethylene, rubber, and steel.
In another preferred embodiment, the waste removal and disposal device further comprises a pleated flexible-tubular film dispensing cassette having an annular shape defining an opening therethrough, and the cassette comprises flexible tubular film within the cassette, such that the flexible tubular film is configured to be dispensed from the cassette by a user pulling one end of the tubular film from a front face of the cassette. Such cassette preferably has a uniform aperture or opening along its front (or back) side from which the tubular film may be pulled.
In one embodiment, the outer periphery of the annular scooper body at the rearward waste exit opening preferably has an outline that is geometrically similar to the outline of the opening of the pleated flexible-tubular film dispensing cassette. Such geometric mating helps keep the cassette firmly engaged with the waste exit opening of the scooper body.
In yet another preferred embodiment, a material scooping device is provided comprising an annular body that is configured to receive a tubing dispensing cassette. The body defines a passageway therethrough and has an upper surface opposite a lower surface, and the lower surface is preferably configured as flat in order to slide along an opposing external flat surface such as a sidewalk or street in order to scoop up material such as dirt, beads, trash and pet waste from such external surface. Such preferred embodiment of the device further includes a tubing dispensing cassette that is operatively connected to the annular body of the scooping device, and the cassette includes a length of pleated flexible tubing contained within it. A handle is preferably fixed to the annular body of the scooping device for maneuvering the body to scoop up the desired material.
The material scooping device preferably forms a protective guard around at least a portion of the tubing dispensing cassette to provide a barrier between the cassette and the material when the scooping device is maneuvered to scoop up material from a surface.
The material scooping device preferably includes a blade for severing flexible tubing material. The material scooping device also preferably includes an elongated pole operatively connected to the handle.
In yet another preferred embodiment, a waste scooper and disposal device is provided comprising a cassette for dispensing a flexible pleated tubing, where the cassette has an annular (ring like) body having a generally U-shaped housing. The annular body has an outer annular wall connecting or transitioning to a radially inwardly extending wall, and the inwardly extending wall connects or transitions to an elongated inner annular wall. In such embodiment, the elongated inner annular wall is characterized as having a sufficient length to sufficiently extend frontally from the U-shaped housing to form a scooper at a distal end thereof, and the scooper at the distal end defines a waste entrance opening configured to scoop up waste from a surface. Opposite the front end of the housing is the back end of the housing, which includes a waste exit opening defined by the housing.
A first portion of the elongated inner annular wall is preferably disposed concentric with the outer annular wall. As the inner annular wall extends frontally from the housing, a top portion of the inner annular wall preferably transitions from a first horizontally disposed axis to a diagonally downwardly sloped longitudinal axis relative to the horizontal, and thence transitions agains to a second horizontally disposed axis which is disposed closer to the bottom portion of the elongated inner annular wall, such that a corresponding second portion of the elongated inner annular wall is not concentric with the outer annular wall. In other words, the second portion of the elongated inner annular wall has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first portion of the inner annular wall. As noted herein, the distal end of the inner annular wall forms a scooper that defines a waste entrance opening configured to scoop up waste from a surface in embodiments of the invention.
In such preferred embodiment, the waste scooper and disposal device further comprise an annular flange operatively secured to the body to help retain pleated tubing in the U-shaped housing. A handle is preferably fixed to the cassette for maneuvering the device to scoop up said waste from a surface. The waste scooper and disposal device preferably includes pleated tubing within the cassette. In a preferred embodiment, a portion of the tubing is sufficiently drawn frontally from the cassette to extend forward of, out in front of, the distal end scooper, wrap inwardly and backwardly through the scooper, and then extend outwardly from the device. A knot is formed with the tubing for receiving waste preferably and conveniently outside of the device and disposing of the waste that is scooped up by the scooper.
In one embodiment, the housing of the waste scooper and disposal device also includes a blade that is operatively connected to the housing for severing of tubing. The blade is preferably integrated into the housing. The waste scooper and disposal preferably includes an elongated pole operatively connected to the handle for maneuvering the scooper device across a ground surface to scoop up waste material while a user is in a standing position.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims.
Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals throughout the figures identify substantially similar components, in which:
For a further understanding of the nature and function of the embodiments, reference should be made to the following detailed description. Detailed descriptions of the embodiments are provided herein, as well as, the best mode of carrying out and employing the present invention. It will be readily appreciated that the embodiments are well adapted to carry out and obtain the ends and features mentioned as well as those inherent herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, persons of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following disclosure is illustrative only and not in any way limiting, as the specific details disclosed herein provide a basis for the claims and a representative basis for teaching to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner. It should be understood that the devices, materials, methods, procedures, and techniques described herein are presently representative of various embodiments. Other embodiments of the disclosure will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure.
As used herein, “axis” means a real or imaginary straight line about which a three-dimensional body is symmetrical. A “vertical axis” means an axis perpendicular to the ground (or put another way, an axis extending upwardly and downwardly). A “horizontal axis” means an axis parallel to the ground.
As used herein, homogeneous is defined as the same in all locations, and a homogeneous material is a material of uniform composition throughout that cannot be mechanically separated into different materials. Examples of “homogeneous materials” are certain types of plastics, ceramics, glass, metals, alloys, paper, board, resins, high-density polyethylene and rubber.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, there is provided an animal waste removal and disposal device for scooping up pet waste from a surface and disposing of such waste in a flexible tube which forms a bag to be dropped in the trash.
Referring initially to
An animal waste removal and disposal device 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is provided. As illustrated in
In another embodiment, the annular wall of the scooper body 102 of the waste removal and disposal device is characterized as having a length sufficient to extend fully through the opening of the annular cassette body 108 such that it provides a protective barrier between waste 112 moving through the passageway and exiting the waste exit opening of the device.
In another embodiment, a portion of the scooper body forms a protective guard around the outside of at least a portion of the cassette 108 to provide a barrier between the cassette 108 and the waste 112 when the scooper device is maneuvered across a surface such as grass or a sidewalk to scoop up waste 112 from such surface.
The device 100 is designed and configured to operatively receive, hold, and move a pleated tubing dispensing cartridge or cassette 108, thereby allowing waste 112 from a surface 122 to be scooped up and disposed of as flexible tubing 109 is rearwardly drawn away from the waste exit opening 106b of the device 100.
Advantageously, in addition to the exemplary pleated tubing dispensing cassette 108 illustrated in
In yet another embodiment, the annular wall of the waste exit opening 106b connects to a radially outwardly extending wall that is preferably at least semi-annular in shape. Such radially outwardly extending wall connects to a rearwardly extending outer annular wall. The outer annular wall is preferably disposed concentric with and relative to the respective inner annular wall of the scooper body. In such embodiment, the outer annular wall, the radially extending wall, and the inner annular wall form a U-shaped channel therebetween, within which a cassette 108 may be installed, at the waste exit opening of the scooper device.
In a preferred embodiment, the backwardly extending annular wall of the waste exit opening includes a top portion relative to a bottom portion, such that the top portion forms a rearwardly extending protrusion relative to the bottom portion. In other words, the top portion extends out further than the bottom portion, to maintain an open passageway for tubing 109 that extends and hangs from the waste exit opening of the scooper device.
In another embodiment, the rearwardly extending outer annular wall contains a blade 116 for severing said tubing 109. The waste removal and disposal device preferably includes an elongated pole that may be connected to and disconnected from the handle 114, at the option of the user. In another preferred embodiment, the scooper device includes a row of tines 126 extending forwardly from a wide mouth opening of the annular scooper body 102 at the waste entrance opening 106a.
The waste removal and disposal device 100 is preferably of unitary construction, such that the body is a single piece of a homogenous material, forged from a material selected from a group consisting of plastic, resin, high-density polyethylene, rubber, and steel.
In another preferred embodiment, the waste removal and disposal device further comprises a pleated flexible-tubular film dispensing cassette 108 having an annular shape defining an opening therethrough, and the cassette 108 comprises flexible tubular film within the cassette 108, such that the flexible tubular film is configured to be dispensed from the cassette 108 by a user pulling one end of the tubular film from a front face of the cassette 108. Such cassette 108 preferably has a uniform aperture or opening along its front (or back) side from which the tubular film may be pulled.
In one embodiment, the outer periphery of the annular scooper body at the rearward waste exit opening preferably has an outline that is geometrically similar to the outline of the opening of the pleated flexible-tubular film dispensing cassette 108, such as illustrated in
In yet another preferred embodiment, a material scooping device is provided comprising an annular body 102 that is configured to receive a tubing dispensing cassette 108. The body 102 defines a passageway therethrough and has an upper surface 102a opposite a lower surface 102b, and the lower surface is preferably configured as flat in order to slide along an opposing external flat surface such as a sidewalk or street in order to scoop up material such as dirt, beads, trash and pet waste 112 from such external surface. Such preferred embodiment of the device 100 further includes a tubing dispensing cassette 108 that is operatively connected to the annular body 102 of the scooping device, and the cassette 108 includes a length of pleated flexible tubing 109 contained within it. A handle 114 is preferably fixed to the annular body 102 of the scooping device for maneuvering the body 102 to scoop up the desired material.
The material scooping device 100 preferably forms a protective guard (e.g., numeral 105 in
The material scooping device preferably includes a blade 116 for severing flexible tubing 109 material. The material scooping device also preferably includes an elongated pole 118 operatively connected to the handle 114.
Referring to
A first portion of the elongated inner annular wall is preferably disposed concentric with the outer annular wall 105. As the inner annular wall 104 extends frontally from the housing, a top portion of the inner annular wall 104 preferably transitions from a first horizontally disposed axis to a diagonally 104b downwardly sloped longitudinal axis relative to the horizontal, and thence transitions again to a second horizontally disposed axis which is disposed closer to the bottom portion of the elongated inner annular wall 104, such that a corresponding second portion of the elongated inner annular wall 104 is not concentric with the outer annular wall 105. In other words, the second portion of the elongated inner annular wall 104 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first portion of the inner annular wall 104, as seen in
In such preferred embodiment, the waste scooper and disposal device further comprise an annular flange 124 operatively secured to the body 102 to help retain pleated tubing 109 in the U-shaped housing. A handle 114 is preferably fixed to the cassette 108 for maneuvering the device to scoop up said waste 112 from a surface. The waste scooper and disposal device preferably includes pleated tubing 109′ within the cassette 108. In a preferred embodiment, a portion of the tubing 109 is sufficiently drawn frontally from the cassette 108 to extend forward of, out in front of, the distal end scooper 106a′, wrap inwardly (in the direction of arrows A) and backwardly (in the direction of arrow B) through the scooper 106a′, and then extend outwardly from the device. A knot 120 is formed with the tubing 109 for receiving waste 112 preferably and conveniently outside of the device and disposing of the waste 112 that is scooped up by the scooper.
Referring to an embodiment in
A knot 120 is tied at the end of the tubing 109, to form a catch bag. In such embodiment, the forwardly extending inner annular wall scooper 106a′ is configured to scoop up pet waste 112 while fully encased with flexible tubing 109 (e.g., plastic tubing) thereby obviating any direct contact between the waste 112 and the annular wall scooper 106a′ itself, when a user slides such embodiment across a surface 122 to scoop up materials such as pet waste 112. Upon a user scooping up such pet waste 112, the waste 112 will fall backwardly (generally along the direction of the longitudinal axis of 104) into the catch bag (e.g., see 9 at
In one embodiment, the housing of the waste scooper and disposal device also includes a blade 116 that is operatively connected to the housing for severing of tubing 109. Preferably, the outer annular wall 105 defines a sharp edge or blade 116 for severing the tubing 109 that extends from the waste exit opening 106b. In other words, the blade 116 is preferably integrated into the housing. The waste scooper and disposal 100 preferably includes an elongated pole 118 operatively connected to the handle 114 for maneuvering the scooper device across a ground surface 122 to scoop up waste 112 material while a user is in a standing position.
Except as may be expressly otherwise indicated, the article “a” or “an” if and as used herein is not intended to limit, and should not be construed as limiting, the description or a claim to a single element to which the article refers. Rather, the article “a” or “an” if and as used herein is intended to cover one or more such elements, unless the text expressly indicates otherwise.
This invention is susceptible to considerable variation within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
This continuation application claims the benefit of U.S. Nonprovisional Patent application Ser. No. 15/476,965, filed Mar. 31, 2017, which claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 62/315,679, filed on Mar. 31, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62315679 | Mar 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15476965 | Mar 2017 | US |
Child | 16019389 | US |