Patent Application
20130343677
The present invention is directed to a portable bag holder and kit for collecting contents such as refuse, yard waste, recyclables and construction debris. In particular, the invention is directed to a device that maintains a disposable bag in at least a partially open position during use.
When using disposable bags, it is usually difficult to perform other simultaneous functions while trying to keep the mouth of the bag open. Without containers or stands to serve as scaffolds, the current unstructured mouth openings of polymeric and other commercially available bags collapse while performing tasks such as collecting waste, raking leaves and picking up trash and recycling. When one attempts to load the bag with contents (such as leaves, refuse, debris, recyclables and other objects), some contents may miss the bag opening and end up on the ground or floor. This process is frustrating in that it requires duplicate efforts along with potential physical discomfort incurred by bending, lifting and carrying the objects for disposal in the bag as well as transport of the bag itself to a disposal bin, recycling bin or comparable receptacle (collectively “disposal bins”).
One solution is to simply use one hand for placing the debris into the bag while using the other hand to hold the bag open. This may not be an effective approach when the bag is empty, as two hands are often required to hold the bag open. Consequently, if only a small handful of contents may be lifted and placed in the bag at one time, the job will take much longer than if both hands could be used. To prevent objects from dropping back to the floor or ground, some people will hold the bag in a horizontal position, rather than vertically upright. In this position, the bag mouth generally does not stay open, making it difficult to also sweep or rake objects into the bag. Again, the solution is generally to hold the bag open with one hand while sweeping or raking with the other hand. Using the bag in this manner can be very inefficient, since users are constantly stopping to try to hold the bag open with one hand and loading the bag with the other.
Various attempts have been made to provide portable devices that are workable with a single hand and that hold bags open in at least a partially open position, particularly during the performance of tasks that require incorporation of contents into the bags for eventual transport and/or disposal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,549 to Lowery provides an example of a bag mouth holder that includes a frame having longitudinally spaced clamps for releasably clamping portions of a bag mouth extending through the frame. The frame includes an elongate handle and support foot structure so that the frame may be positioned on the ground in a freely upstanding position with the bag opening in a horizontal direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,519 to Cheng provides another example of a portable bag mouth holder in which a generally rectangular frame is provided with a handle selectively attached thereto. One side of the frame has leg means to support the frame in an upright standing position, and opposing side portions of the frame are adjustable lengthwise to accommodate bags of various sizes. Clip elements are provided near the frame's four corners for attaching the bags to the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,645 to Chang also provides an example of a portable bag mouth holder that includes a rigid frame with a pair of parallel side bars having a handle at one end. Free ends of the side bars are mounted to a lower supporting platform bar. A slider bar is slidably mounted on the side bars and located between the handle and the lower supporting platform bar. Both the slider bar and the supporting platform bar have a horizontal U-shaped channel. A flexible bag can be mounted to the device by wrapping two opposite sides of the bag's lip portion on two securement bars and inserting the wrapped securement bars into the U-shaped channels, thereby securing the bag to the device. The slide is pushed upward to maintain the bag in an open position and may be adjusted to accommodate bags of different sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,011,278 to Baldwin, III provides an additional example of a portable hag mouth holder in which parallel handles are gripped and squeezed together in one hand, thereby compressing a spring and repositioning a small section of frame near a large frame loop. While the handles are gripped, the loop is placed within the mouth of a bag, and the top of the mouth of the bag is placed over the small frame with the other hand. Releasing the handles correspondingly releases compression from the spring and moves the small frame away from the frame loop. The mouth of the bag is thereby tensioned around the large loop and the small frame to maintain the mouth of the bag in an open position.
Despite these known methods and devices, a need persisted for improved bag holders that avoid inherent disadvantages in the prior art in facilitating one-handed operation of a bag holder while maintaining a disposable bag in at least a partially open position. This need was initially addressed by providing a portable bag holder that maintains the mouth of a bag in an at least partial open position to receive contents therein, as disclosed in US patent application publication 20110147545. The present invention provides additional attributes over the prior application by providing a portable bag holder and kit for use with one hand during execution of a variety of tasks.
A portable bag mouth holder is provided that maintains a bag mouth of a disposable bag in an open position. The portable bag holder includes a handle having an elongate body depending therefrom and terminating in a bag mouth engaging portion for maintaining the bag mouth in the open position. The bag mouth engaging portion includes a frame that assists in maintaining the bag mouth in the open position for receiving contents therein. The bag mouth is removable from the bag mouth engaging portion to permit bag disposal after the contents are placed in the bag and to allow re-use of the bag mouth engaging portion on another bag. Also, in use, the handle allows manipulation and placement of the holder and bag in any one of a plurality of positions to facilitate placing contents into the bag.
The frame of the bag mouth engaging portion may be a receptacle comprising a top of predetermined length, a bottom of predetermined length that exceeds the top length to facilitate guiding of the contents into the bag and opposing sides of predetermined height joined by opposed open ends; wherein the top, bottom and sides are joined to form front and rear open ends of the receptacle with the bag mouth surrounding one of the open ends of the receptacle for receipt of the contents into the bag. The receptacle may include structure for releasable engagement with at least a portion of the bag mouth, the structure selected from one or more apertures provided in the receptacle, or one or more grooves provided near one of the open ends of the receptacle along at least one or more of the top, bottom and sides thereof. The receptacle may optionally include a foldable flap to facilitate entry of contents into the bag when at least part of the bag mouth is in the open position.
The to secure the bag to the portable bag holder, the bag can be provided with a drawstring having first and second ends and a length exceeding a periphery of the bag mouth, and wherein the drawstring is releasably engageable with an open end of the receptacle to retain the bag mouth in the open position.
The frame of the bag mouth engaging portion may instead be a loop frame having a handle engaging portion proximate the elongate body of the handle and an opposed collection portion with opposed side portions intermediate the handle engaging portion and the collection portion. The handle engaging portion, the collection portion and side portions together delineate an ingress for receipt of the contents. In some embodiments that include the loop frame, at least one latch is in releasable engagement with each frame side portion, with each latch being configured and dimensioned to retain at least a portion of the bag mouth and the opposing sides of the receptacle. The latches are closable to retain at least the opposing sides of the receptacle with the bag mouth in the open position to receive contents in the bag via the receptacle. The latches are also openable to allow disposal of at least one of the receptacle and the bag after contents are placed in at least one of the receptacle and bag. This configuration permits re-use of the latch on at least one of another receptacle and another bag. Each open end of the receptacle corresponds to the ingress of the loop frame.
With some embodiments, the bag can include a drawstring having first and second ends and a length exceeding a periphery of the bag mouth. The drawstring is releasably engageable with an open end of the receptacle and further engageable with the groove to retain the bag mouth in the open position. In some embodiments, the elongate body includes drawstring securing structure that releasably secures at least part of the drawstring to allow disposal of at least one of the receptacle and the bag after contents are placed in at least one of the receptacle and bag. Such embodiments allow the holder to be re-used with another bag. The drawstring securing structure may be selected from at least one of a primary aperture defined along the elongate body, one or more protrusions provided adjacent the primary aperture and one or more secondary apertures configured and dimensioned to receive at least part of the drawstring or the bag mouth when either the drawstring or the bag mouth is pulled therethrough.
The portable bag mouth holder may be provided in combination with a plurality of receptacles, with each receptacle having a top of predetermined length, a bottom of predetermined length that exceeds the top length and opposing sides of predetermined height joined by opposed open ends. In exemplary combinations, at least one receptacle includes structure for releasable engagement with at least a portion of the bag mouth, and an optional foldable flap that facilitates entry of contents into the bag. In such combinations, the frame may be selected from at least a receptacle selected from the plurality of receptacles and a loop frame as heretofore described.
A kit for holding a disposable bag open is provided that includes components for forming a portable bag mouth holder and optionally one or a plurality of bags of the same or different sizes. The bags are sized to be compatible with the frame. The kit may optionally include a plurality of handles of different sizes and/or adjustable length.
A method for holding a disposable bag open is provided that includes providing a portable bag mouth holder as heretofore described. The method also includes securing at least part of the bag mouth of a disposable bag with the bag mouth engaging portion so as to maintain the bag mouth in the open position for receiving contents in the bag. The bag mouth is removable from the bag mouth engaging portion to permit bag disposal after contents are placed therein and to allow re-use of the bag mouth engaging portion on another bag. Optionally, optionally the portable bag mouth holder and one or a plurality of receptacles may be provided in a kit.
In one embodiment of the method, the frame comprises a receptacle, the disposable bags include a drawstring and the disposable bags are secured to the frame by the drawstring. In another embodiment, the frame is a loop frame a loop frame having a handle engaging portion proximate the elongate body of the handle and the disposable bags are secured to the frame by a drawstring.
Other aspects of the presently disclosed invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description.
The nature and various advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
Now referring to the figures, wherein like numbers represent like elements, an exemplary embodiment of a portable bag holder 10 is provided in
As further described hereinbelow, portable bag holder 10 includes a handle having an elongate body depending therefrom and terminating in a bag mouth engaging portion for maintaining the bag mouth in an open position. The bag mouth engaging portion includes a loop frame 18 having a handle engaging portion 20, an opposed collection portion 22 and interposed side portions 24, 26. Handle engaging portion 20, collection portion 22 and side portions 24, 26 together delineate an ingress 28 having an entry area for receipt of contents into bag as further described hereinbelow.
As shown in
Loop frame 18 may comprise an integral member or may alternatively comprise two or more detachably engageable members as shown in
Referring again to
Handle 32 may detachably engage loop frame 18 at handle engaging portion 20, for instance, by threading though a complementary slit 38 in the handle engaging portion (see
Each side portion 24, 26 is provided with a respective latch 24a, 26a in releasable engagement therewith. Each latch 24a, 26a is configured and dimensioned to retain at least part of bag mouth 16 thereby and may resiliently clasp a respective side portion 24, 26 to ensure retention of the latch thereon. Each latch 24a, 26a may be an essentially elongate U-shaped member that engages bag mouth 16 such that at least a portion of the bag mouth is retained intermediate latch 24a, 26a and respective side portion 24, 26. Latches 24a, 26a may engage side portions via snap-fit engagement and/or may be fabricated from a resilient material such that each latch has an integral pivot hinge portion facilitating placement and removal of the latches relative to bag 12 and side portions 24, 26. Each latch 24a, 26a is closable to retain bag mouth 16 at least partially open to receive contents 13 therein via ingress 28. Each latch is likewise openable to allow disposal of bag 12 after contents 13 are placed therein and to allow latches 24a, 26a to be re-used on another bag. Each frame side portion 24, 26 may include an aperture (not shown) that accommodates detachable engagement of a corresponding latch 24a, 26a therethrough. Each latch can thereby retain at least a portion of bag mouth 16 through a corresponding aperture when the bag mouth is putted around a periphery of loop frame 18 and engaged by each latch.
Referring further to
Now referring to
At least one receptacle side 56 may have an aperture for releasable engagement by a corresponding latch of loop frame 18 (shown in
In an exemplary combination,
Referring to
Referring to
Handle 102 may be integral with elongate body 104 or may detachably engage the elongate body as would be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art (e.g., by threaded engagement, frictional engagement, snap-tight engagement, notch and recess engagement, epoxy and any complement and equivalent thereof). Elongate body 104 may comprise intussusceptable members (not shown) that are engageable in any one of a plurality of lockable positions to provide a selective handle length.
Elongate body 104 terminates in a bag mouth engaging portion for maintaining disposable bag 112 in an open position so that bag mouth readily receives contents therein (see
Receptacle 150 may include structure for releasable engagement with at least a portion of bag mouth 112a. As shown in
In some embodiments, bag 112 may include a drawstring 112b having first and second ends 112b′ and a length that is longer than a periphery of bag mouth 112a (see
In some embodiments of holder 100, elongate body 104 includes structure for securing bag mouth 112a to holder 100 via drawstring 112b. Such structure may include a primary aperture 104 defined in the elongate body. As shown in the exemplary embodiment of
In other embodiments, structure for securing bag mouth 112a to holder 100 via drawstring 112b may include at least one protrusion (not shown) provided adjacent primary aperture 104a around which at least a portion of bag mouth 112a is secured to retain the bag mouth in the open position. In still other embodiments, structure for securing bag mouth 112a to holder 100 to retain the bag mouth in the open position via drawstring 112b may include one or more secondary apertures (not shown) configured and dimensioned to receive at least one of drawstring 112b and bag mouth 112a when at least one of the drawstring and bag mouth is pulled therethrough.
Multiple receptacles and multiple bags may be included in a kit along with one or more variations of a frame selected from at least one or more variations of loop frame 18 and one or more receptacles 50 and 150. Such a kit may include various components for forming a loop frame 18 such as handle engaging portions 20, collection portions 22 and side portions 24, 26 of varying dimensions to accommodate a variety of bag volumes. Optionally, one or a plurality of bags of the same or different size, material and/or color may be included in the kit that are all compatible with ingress 28 of loop frame 18 (or alternatively compatible with portable bag holder 100). Optionally, a plurality of handles of different sizes and functionality may be included with such a kit. Such handles may be interchangeable with one or more variations of loop frame 18. They also may have adjustable lengths provided by different members that can be connected to each other at different positions. Additionally, a plurality of receptacles of varying sizes and geometries may optionally be provided with such a kit. This breadth of selection can accommodate various situations. For example, in communities where local regulations dictate disposal of recyclable materials, such a kit may incorporate bags of varying colors and sizes corresponding to specified recyclable materials large blue plastic bags for plastic recyclables, medium yellow bags for paper recyclables, large-to-medium green plastic bags for leaves and compost, small-to-medium white plastic bags for general waste products, etc.). Such bag selections can include one or more bags having drawstrings as heretofore described. In another example, such a kit can accommodate commercial and industrial uses where receptacles of varying sizes eliminate large plastic and metal waste containers and facilitate quick and easy removal of commercial byproducts (e.g., to more easily facilitate OSHA and other regulatory compliance).
Any of loop frame 18, handle 32 and latches 24a, 26a, along with any of handle 102 and elongate body 104, may be fabricated from plastic, although other fabrication materials may be employed, including but not limited to composites, fiber-based alloys and any combination and equivalent thereof. It is advantageous to select lightweight materials that are sufficiently strong to hold the bag as disclosed herein. Receptacles 50 and 150 may also be fabricated from plastic to facilitate repeated use of the receptacle. Construction of receptacles 50 and 150 from cardboard or other fibrous material can facilitate easy disposal of the receptacle along with any debris collected therewith.
It is understood that the present invention portable bag holder additionally simplifies transport and removal of contents from a bag in addition to facilitating single-handed introduction of contents into the bag. A bag having contents therein may be combined with at least one of loop frame 18 (and optionally receptacle 50) and one of portable bag holder 100 (and receptacle 150) to transport the contents from an original location to a destination location. At the destination location, the bag mouth remains open for easy removal of the contents from the bag. For example, this function may be desirable for sports and recreational equipment wherein only some articles of equipment are required at any one time. All of the necessary equipment can be easily transported while only the equipment that is currently required is easily removed and replaced in the bag for the duration of a recreational activity.
The present invention portable bag holder and kit is successfully employable in a variety of tasks that benefit from a bag holder that is workable with a single hand. In residential use, the disclosed portable bag holder and kit may be used in many tasks, including but not limited to storage, landscape cleanup, year-round weather-related cleanup, patio and deck cleanup, driveway and walkway cleanup, transport of landscaping materials and retrieval and transport of recyclables. In commercial and municipal use, the present invention is amenable to successful use in activities including, but not limited to, beach and park cleanup, construction cleanup, stadium cleanup and disaster cleanup. When used for construction work, the portable bag holder can reduce labor-related injuries by eliminating back injuries attributable to bending and repetitive stress injuries attributable to repetitive fining of disposable bags
Any dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value as well as equivalent units of that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm” as well as “1.58 inches”. In addition, any dimensions and values disclosed herein accommodate successful use of the present invention with a variety of commercially available bags and receptacles. The disclosure of such dimensions and values, however, shall not preclude use of the present invention tool with customized bags and receptacles having dimensions and values outside of the prescribed ranges.
Certain features of the invention are also disclosed in US patent application publication 20110147545, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto. In particular, the present invention includes additional features over the prior publication, including that the present device is readily fabricated from commercially available materials and is amenable for use with existing commercially available bags. The present device is also amenable for use in a variety of tasks, either alone or with one or more disposal bins that facilitate disposal of the contents retained by and transported in the held bags. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in the incorporated publication, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily attainable by one of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure set forth herein, or by routine experimentation therefrom, are deemed to be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It is therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention in the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61662222 | Jun 2012 | US |
