Patent Application
20180283786
The present invention relates to a bag drying apparatus. More specifically, the present invention provides a bag drying apparatus adapted to receive and to maintain a bag in an open position.
Many people utilize plastic bags with sealable tops for storing food and snacks. These plastic bags are normally discarded after one use, as cleaning and otherwise maintaining them in a safe condition is not convenient. Once disposed of, these plastic bags remain in landfills for significant periods of time, as they do not degrade quickly. Further, disposal of the plastic bags after a single use requires the costly purchases of large quantities of bags.
Devices have been disclosed in the known art that relate to bag drying racks. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices in the known art have several known drawbacks. For example, one bag drying rack includes a upstanding pole that can receive a bag. However, such a device is unstable and prone to tipping. Further, the device has no means of receiving bags of various sizes of multiple bags.
In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the devices in the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing bag drying apparatuses. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of bag drying apparatuses now present in the art, the present invention provides a new bag drying apparatus wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when cleaning and drying bags for storing food and other items.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved bag drying apparatus comprising a panel comprising a panel slot with an open first end that is accessible from a first end of the panel. The panel is adapted to couple with a board comprising a board slot having an open first end accessible from a second end of the board. When the panel and board are interlocked, the bag drying apparatus is configured to receive and to maintain a bag in an open position.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bag drying apparatus configured to accommodate a variety of bag shape and sizes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag drying apparatus with a fan for blowing air within the interior of a received open bag.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bag drying apparatus that is adapted to be disassembled and stored in a generally flat configuration.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag drying apparatus that may be readily fabricated from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.
Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the bag drying apparatus. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for drying plastic bags. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Referring to
In the shown embodiment, the panel slot 13 and the board slot 17 have an identical length such that they are fully received within each other when interconnected. In alternative embodiments, the dimensions of the panel slot 13 and board slot 17 may vary. The bag drying apparatus 11 is configured to receive and to maintain an inverted bag 20 in an open position allowing for the drying thereof. Further, a first end 24 of the board 16 includes one or more prongs 23 that protrude therefrom. The prongs 23 are adapted to engage with the received bag 20 so as to maintain the bag 20 in an open configuration. The second end 19 of the board 16 is configured to align with a second end 25 of the panel 13, such that the interlocked bag drying apparatus 11 is adapted to rest flush with a flat support surface.
Specifically refereeing to
Referring to
Referring to
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
