Patent Application
20110089188
The present invention relates to a dispenser of animal waste bags having a holder for containing a roll of waste bags with an aperture at one end that enables removal of the bags one at a time from the center of the roll of waste bags, with the holder being located within a plush animal figure that has a second co-aligned aperture for dispensing of the waste bags.
When pet owners, and in particular dog owners, walk their pets in public areas, they are subject to various laws and ordinances requiring them to retrieve animal waste due to various sanitation and safety concerns. To help in retrieving animal waste, many pet owners carry disposable plastic bags. In most instances, the pet owners will place an inside-out bag over their hand, pick up the pet waste, turn the bags right side out and then seal the bag for disposal.
Many different holders for these animal waste bags have been developed. However, these holders tend to be plain dispensers that do not provide the convenience of being able to dispense from a roll of waste bags in an easy manner.
The foregoing and other features of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description and drawings of illustrative embodiments of the invention in which:
Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, where like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention.
Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrase “in one embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it may. Furthermore, the phrase “in another embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment, although it may. Thus, as described below, various embodiments of the invention may be readily combined, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
In addition, as used herein, the term “or” is an inclusive “or” operator, and is equivalent to the term “and/or,” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “based on” is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not described, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, throughout the specification, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references. The meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.”
The waste bag dispenser of the present invention is shown in
Roll of bags 4 are comprised of plastic bags that are tightly rolled and configured to partially overlap between each consecutive bags. The bag at the center of the roll forms lead bag 8. Lead bag 8 is pulled from the center of the roll, and since the next subsequent bag overlaps with lead bag 8, the next bag is partially pulled out of the center of the roll along with lead bag 8. Thus, bags may be continuously pulled from the roll of bags.
Holder 2 may be comprised of a light, deformable material, such as plastic or rubber that substantially keeps its shape when subject to compression. In one embodiment, holder 2 may be cylindrical, but it may also be other shapes capable of containing a roll of waste bags. Holder 2 may contain window 10 that permits the roll of bags to be inserted into the holder. Window 10 is sufficiently sized so that the roll of bags may be inserted but, once inserted, the roll of bags will be maintained in position while the bags are dispensed. The window in one embodiment may extend substantially but not entirely from one end to the other end of holder 2 along the longitudinal direction, and may extend from 90 to 180 degrees along the circumference of the holder. Preferably, window 10 will not extend to each end so that a portion of the holder circumscribes each end of the roll of waste bags. The roll of waste bags will generally be equal to or smaller than the length of holder 2, and window 10 may be less than either the length of holder 2 or roll of bags 4. The insertion of roll of bags 4 through window 10 can be aided, in the situation where the length of the window is smaller than the length of the roll of bags, by having holder 2 made of a deformable material since the window will be capable of enlarging or deforming to fit the roll of bags inside the holder.
In another embodiment, holder 2 may be made of a hard, relatively inflexible material. The roll of bags may be inserted into the holder through a screw on cap, a snap-fit lid or any other suitable means of access to the interior of holder 2. Any other method for insertion of the roll of bags into the holder may be used.
One end of holder 2 contains taper 12 that ends in first aperture 14. Taper 12 helps to guide the roll of bags towards first aperture 14. First aperture 14 may contain resistance feature 16, which is a plurality of deformable flaps that provide resistance such that when the lead bag is pulled out, the lead bag separates from the next subsequent bag because of the resistance thereby leaving a portion of the subsequent bag outside of the roll of bags. Alternatively, first aperture 14 may simply be a hole sized to permit removal of lead bag 8, which may be sized to perform the same function as resistance feature 16. Generally, first aperture 14 will be located centrally within the end of holder 2.
After waste bag roll 4 is inserted in the cavity of holder 2, the leading portion of lead bag 8 is inserted through aperture 14. One of the benefits of window 10 is that it permits the user access to the interior of holder 2 so as to more easily enable insertion of lead bag 8 through first aperture 14 of the end of holder 2. After roll of bags 4 is inserted into holder 2, holder 2 is inserted into plush animal
Plush animal
In another embodiment of the invention, bags may be dispensed through an aperture located in a position other than at the end of the dispenser. Likewise, the bags of the roll may be dispensed from the periphery of the roll, instead of the center of the roll.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
