Patent Application
20060279097
This disclosure relates to retrieval and disposal devices for pet feces. In particular, the disclosure is directed to modified bags that can be conveniently used to sanitarily pick up and store pet feces until ultimate disposal.
Studies have shown that pet waste that is not picked up and properly disposed of presents environmental and health and safety problems. To combat these problems, many municipalities have introduced ordinances requiring that pet owners retrieve and properly dispose of the their pet's feces. Such ordinances have motivated the development of devices for individuals to conveniently satisfy this obligation.
Ordinary plastic bags have been widely used to pick up and temporarily store pet feces. One common method of using standard plastic bags to accomplish this task while avoiding direct physical contact between one's hand and the feces is to place the bag over one's hand, grab the feces such that the bag is positioned between one's hand and the feces, and invert the bag so that the feces are contained within the bag. A disadvantage of using an ordinary plastic bag in the above-described manner is that even thought the feces never directly contact the user's hand, the waste must nonetheless be grasped with the fingers, which is highly distasteful for many individuals. In addition, if the waste is soft, it can be difficult to completely remove all the waste from the grass and other ground surfaces. Therefore, there is a need for improved pet waste retrieval and storage devices that provide a unique method of retrieval that takes into consideration the challenges of environmental and health concerns that pet feces retrieval and disposal presents.
Unfortunately, many of the known devices developed for this purpose include complicated and cumbersome structural features that make them difficult to carry when walking a pet and thus are not widely used. Other devices leave offensive material exposed on external surfaces of the device after the removal operation is performed. Still other devices include non-disposable contaminated portions that require unpleasant cleaning to minimize the health and safety risk associated with the use and storage of feces contaminated devices.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device that is convenient to carry before and after use while walking one's pet, that is simple to use and easy to manufacture, which would insulate the user from contact with the feces and/or any parts of the device that could have contacted the feces.
The disclosure is directed at a device for collecting and storing pet feces that includes: a bag constructed of a flexible sheet material that includes an open end and a closed end; and a pair of opposed panels connected to the bag at the open end, wherein the panels have a width equaling less than or equal to half of the length of the periphery edge and are configured such that they can conveniently be used to scrape the bag against the contaminated surface thereby scooping feces into the bag. The present disclosure is also directed at manufacturing the same and features of enclosing the contamination edges within the bag for handling and transport.
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several views:
Still referring to
The panels 30 and 40 include inside surfaces 33 and 43 and outside surfaces 35 and 45, respectively. The panels 30, 40 include first end portions 31 and 41 (also referred to as lower portions), second end portions 32 and 42 (also referred to as upper portions), and locking mechanisms 34 and 44 disposed at the second end portions 32 and 42. The inside and outside surfaces 33, 35 of the panel 30 at the first end portion 31 are attached to the first major surface 20 of the bag 10. Likewise, the inside and outside surfaces 43, 45 of the panel 40 at the first end portion 41 are adhered to the first major surface 18 of the bag 10. The panels 30 and 40 have a width Wp that is less than or equal to half of the length Lp of the peripheral edge 16 (see
In use, the bag 10 is positioned by grasping the panels 30, 40 such that the open end 14 of the bag 10 is centered over the waste 50 and end portions 32, 42 of the panels 30, 40 are positioned towards the closed end 12 of the bag. The scraping edges 36 and 46 as shown in
Once the waste 50 is in the bag 10, the pet waste retrieval and storage bag 1 can be flipped over as shown in
Now referring to
Still referring to
Referring now to
In the embodiment shown, a score line 26 is made in the bag 10 to aid in folding. The open end 14 of the bag 10 is cut along the edges 17 and 19 up to the score line 26 to form the flap 24. A panel 30 having a width Wp that is less than the width Wb of the bag 10 is positioned with its scraping edge 36 along the score line 26. The portion of the inside surface 33 near the first end portion 31 is glued or fused to the bag 10. The flap 24 is then folded towards the panel 30 and glued or fused to the portion of the outside surface 35 near the first end portion 31 of the panel 30. The same process is repeated for the second side 18 of the bag 10 using the panel 40 to complete the assembly process resulting in the pet waste retrieval and storage bag 1 shown in
With respect to the material used to construct the pet waste retrieval and storage bag 1, it should be appreciated that various different materials other than plastic can be used in the construction of the bag 10. For example, the bag 10 could be constructed of paper, paper with a wax treatment, or a cloth material lined or coated with a plastic material. In addition, the bag 10 shown is a flat bag, however, it should be appreciated that the bag may include gussets. Similarly, it should be understood that many other materials other than corrugated cardboard can be used in the construction of the panels 30 and 40. For example, the panels can include plastic, wood, or other composite constructions. In the embodiment shown in
In addition, it should be understood that though in the embodiment shown the bag 10 includes only two major surfaces 20 and 18, which are connected at their periphery edges, other embodiments may include additional intermediate side surfaces used to connect the first and second major side surfaces 20, 18 together.
Moreover, it should be understood that in some embodiments, pet waste retrieval and storage bag 1 does not include flap portions 22, 24. In these embodiments, the panels 30 and 40 are connected to the bag 10 only at their first major surfaces 33 and 43. In addition, it should be understood that the panels 30 and 40 are not necessarily connected to the bag 10 with adhesives such as glue. In the embodiment shown in
In some embodiments the device is sized to be conveniently carried in ones purse or pockets. In such embodiments, the bag can be folded over the panels such that the overall length and width dimensions of the device are substantially the same as the length and width dimensions of the panels. In some preferred embodiments each panel has a surface area of less than 100 square inches and more preferably each panel has a surface area of less than 36 square inches.
The above specification, examples, and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.
