Patent Application
20240410122
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The disclosure relates to pet waste disposal devices and more particularly pertains to a new pet waste disposal device for suctioning up pet waste. Suctioning up pet waste in a hygienic manner is a desirable way of dealing with pet waste. Adapting an existing air mover to suction up waste remains an unmet need.
The prior art relates to pet waste disposal devices but does not teach a device that is couplable to an intake port of an air mover and which enables a user to suction up pet waste in a hygienic manner.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a receptacle, which has a pair of ports positioned therein proximate to a top of the receptacle. An adapter is attachable by a first end to one of the ports and has a second end that is configured for attachment to an intake port of an air mover. The receptacle thus is in fluidic communication with the air mover. A suction tube is selectively attachable by a first terminus to the other port so that the suction tube is in fluidic communication with the receptacle. The suction tube is configured to direct a partial pressure produced by the air mover to suction up pet waste from a surface. The pet waste enters a second terminus of the suction tube and is deposited into the receptacle.
Another embodiment of the disclosure includes a pet waste collection system comprising an air mover that has been fitted with pet waste collection device, according to the disclosure above. The suction tube directs a partial pressure produced by the air mover to suction up pet waste from a surface, with the pet waste being deposited into the receptacle.
Yet another embodiment of the disclosure includes a method of collecting pet waste, which entails providing a pet waste collection device, according to the disclosure above. Steps of the method include attaching the adapter to an intake port of an air mover, attaching the adapter to one of the ports in the receptacle, attaching the suction tube to the other port, and positioning the second terminus of the suction tube proximate to pet waste to suction up the pet waste.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A lid 16 is selectively attachable to the receptacle 12 to close the top 14. As will become apparent, the lid 16 is configured to be removed from the receptacle 12 to empty pet waste 42 from the receptacle 12. A handle 18 is attached to the lid 16 and is configured to be grasped in a hand of a user to detach the lid 16 from the receptacle 12 and to attach the lid 16 to the receptacle 12. The handle 18 also can be used to support and maneuver the pet waste collection device 10. The present invention also anticipates a bottom 20 of the receptacle 12 being hingedly attached to the receptacle 12 and a quick release connection (not shown) being operable between the bottom 20 and the receptacle 12 to allow for the pet waste 42 to be dropped directly into a trash bin.
A first fastener 22 and a second fastener 24 are attached to the receptacle 12 and to the lid 16, respectively. The second fastener 24 is complementary to the first fastener 22 and thus is selectively couplable to the first fastener 22 to removably attach the lid 16 to the receptacle 12. With the receptacle 12 being cylindrical, the second fastener 24 may comprise a lock pin 26, which is attached to and which extends radially from an outer circumference 28 of the lid 16. The first fastener 22 may comprise a pin slot 30, which extends into an inner circumference 32 of a sidewall 34 of the receptacle 12 from the top 14. The lock pin 26 is insertable into the pin slot 30 and, with a twisting motion being imparted to one or both of the lid 16 and the receptacle 12, the lock pin 26 slides into the pin slot 30 to attach the lid 16 to the receptacle 12.
As is shown in
A pair of ports 40 is positioned in the receptacle 12 proximate to the top 14 of the receptacle 12. The ports 40 are substantially opposingly positioned in the receptacle 12, thereby reducing potential for the pet waste 42 to pass through the receptacle 12 to the air mover 44. Each port 40 may comprise a connecting tube 46, which is attached to the receptacle 12 and which protrudes both into and from the receptacle 12.
An adapter 48 is attachable by a first end 50 to one of the ports 40 and has a second end 52 that is configured for attachment to an intake port 54 of the air mover 44. The receptacle 12 thus is in fluidic communication with the air mover 44. Air mover 44, in the context of this specification, should be interpreted to mean handheld blowers, backpack type blowers, handheld debris suctioning devices, backpack type debris suctioning devices, vacuums, such as shop vacs, or the like. The air mover 44 may be gas powered, battery powered, plug-in type, or the like. For backpack type air movers 44, the present invention anticipates the adapter 48 comprising a section of flexible tubing (not shown), which would be positioned between its first end 50 and its second end 52. The present invention anticipates the second end 52 of the adapter 48 being of a wide variety of configurations so as to match the intake ports 40 of a wide variety of air movers 44. For example, as is shown in
A suction tube 56 is selectively attachable by a first terminus 58 to the other port 40 so that the suction tube 56 is in fluidic communication with the receptacle 12. The present invention anticipates the suction tube 56 comprising a plurality of sections (not shown), which would be selectively couplable to increase an effective length of the suction tube 56. The present invention also anticipates the suction tube 56 comprising a plurality of nested segments (not shown), which would render the suction tube 56 selectively extensible and thus length adjustable. The suction tube 56 may comprise substantially rigid plastic, metal, or the like. The suction tube 56 is configured to direct a partial pressure produced by the air mover 44 to suction up pet waste 42 from a surface. The pet waste 42 enters a second terminus 60 of the suction tube 56 and is deposited into the receptacle 12. The pet waste collection device 10 is anticipated to be beneficial to users who own one or more pets and who are required to remove pet waste 42 from areas where the pets defecate. Many such users already have purchased an air mover 44 for other purposes, and the pet waste collection device 10 allows the user to use an existing air mover 44 to collect pet waste 42.
As is shown in
A pair of first couplers 68 is attached singly to the adapter 48, proximate to the first end 50 of the adapter 48, and to the suction tube 56, proximate to the first terminus 58 of the suction tube 56. A pair of second couplers 70 is attached singly to the connecting tubes 46 externally of the receptacle 12. The second couplers 70 are complementary to the first couplers 68 so that each second coupler 70 is selectively couplable to a respective first coupler 68 to removably attach the adapter 48 and the suction tube 56 to the connecting tubes 46.
Each second coupler 70 may comprise a locking pin 72, which is attached to and which extends radially from either the adapter 48 or from the suction tube 56. Each first coupler 68 comprises a grove 74, which extends arcuately into an inner perimeter 76 of a respective connecting tube 46. The locking pin 72 is insertable into the grove 74 and, with a twisting motion being imparted to the adapter 48 or to the suction tube 56, the locking pin 72 slides into the grove 74 to attach either the adapter 48 or the suction tube 56 to the respective connecting tube 46. While only one locking pin 72 and only one grove 74 are depicted in
Additionally anticipated by the present invention is a plurality of liners (not shown), with each liner being sized complementarily to the receptacle 12 so that it can be inserted thereinto. Each liner would have a pair of holes positioned therein which would allow for insertion of the connecting tubes 46. The liners would enable quick, easy, and sanitary disposal of the pet waste 42. The liners may comprise biodegradable materials, such as paper stock, plastic, or the like. Also anticipated are tension clips attached to the receptacle 12, above the connecting tubes 46, which would clip to the liner to ensure that the liner is held in a proper position.
The present invention also anticipates a grip (not shown) being attached to the receptacle 12 and being opposingly positioned relative to the suction tube 56. In a situation where the pet waste 42 collection device 10 is attached to a backpack type blower or a backpack type debris suctioning device, the grip would enable the user to manipulate and to properly position the suction tube 56 to collect the pet waste 42.
A damper 78 is attached to the receptacle 12 and is positioned over a respective one of the ports 40, such that, upon connection of the adapter 48 to the respective one of the ports 40, the damper 78 decreases a partial pressure (increases vacuum) in the receptacle 12 that is imparted by the air mover 44. The damper 78 also reduces a probability of the pet waste 42 passing through the adapter 48 to the air mover 44. The damper 78 may be removably attachable to the receptacle 12, thereby allowing for the damper 78 to be one of a plurality of dampers 78, with each damper 78 being of a different configuration. Dampers 78 of various sizes and shapes will impart different partial pressures to the receptacle 12. As is shown in
A screen 82 is attached to or is attachable to a respective connecting tube 46 to which the adapter 48 is to be attached. The screen 82 is configured to exclude particles of the pet waste 42 from passing through the adapter 48 to the air mover 44, thereby protecting the air mover 44 from contamination and potential damage.
The present invention also anticipates a pet waste collection system 84, which comprises an air mover 44 and a receptacle 12. The receptacle 12 has a pair of ports 40 positioned therein proximate to a top 14 of the receptacle 12. An adapter 48 is attached by a first end 50 to one of the ports 40 and is attached by a second end 52 to an intake port 54 of the air mover 44. The receptacle 12 thus is in fluidic communication with the air mover 44. A suction tube 56 is attached by a first terminus 58 to the other port 40 so that the suction tube 56 is in fluidic communication with the receptacle 12. The suction tube 56 directs a partial pressure produced by the air mover 44 to suction up pet waste 42 from a surface, with the pet waste 42 being deposited into the receptacle 12.
In use, the pet waste collection device 10 enables a method of collecting pet waste 86, which entails providing a pet waste collection device 10, according to the specification above. A first step 88 of the method 86 is attaching the adapter 48 to an intake port 54 of an air mover 44. A second step 90 of the method 86 is attaching the adapter 48 to one of the ports 40 in the receptacle 12. A third step 92 of the method 86 is attaching the suction tube 56 to the other port 40 so that the suction tube 56 is in fluidic communication with the receptacle 12. A fourth step 94 of the method 86 is positioning the second terminus 60 of the suction tube 56 proximate to pet waste 42 on a surface to suction up the pet waste 42 through the suction tube 56 and into the receptacle 12. It will be apparent that the assembly steps one through three above can be performed in different sequences without affecting the outcome.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, 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 an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure 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 disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
