Patent Application
20150233068
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention is in the technical field of pet products. More specifically, the present invention is in the technical field of pet waste collection, temporary storage, and disposal. More specifically, the present invention addresses the need for portable devices to be used by individuals for the sanitary collection, temporary storage, containment, transport, and environmentally sound disposal of pet waste into the sewer system.
The prior art found in a search of U.S. patents revealed the following:
Utility U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,860 B2, Oct. 12, 2010, Bell
Utility U.S. Pat. No. 7,686,360 B2, Mar. 30, 2010, Platt
Utility U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,368, Mar. 21, 2000, Kowalczyk
Design U.S. Pat. No. D 310, 436, Sep. 4, 1990, Krauth
The present invention is designed to address the pressing environmental need for more people to clean up after their pets, and for those who do so to practice proper separation of pet waste from trash/landfill and biodegradable composting by facilitating the disposal of pet waste into the sewage system.
As more and more towns, cities, and states across the U.S. and regulators around the world require pet owners to remove and properly dispose of pet waste that would otherwise be deposited in public places, previously available options are also being regulated out of existence. Simultaneously, an increasing number of regulatory bodies have established environmentally sound waste collection practices, in which waste is separated into garbage, various recyclables, and compostable waste. The present invention brings together the goals of these efforts with a device that encourages pet owners to clean up and deposit pet waste where it belongs; not in a plastic bag or in the garbage, and not in the compost in a biodegradable bag, but in a secure receptacle that makes it easy to collect, contain, and transport the pet waste to a healthier, more environmentally sound end: into the toilet and ultimately into sewage treatment facilities.
The present invention is designed to be easily manufactured in different sizes to address the clean-up requirements of small, medium, and large pets, as well as to address the need for larger containers to accommodate the increasingly popular practice of individuals (“pet walkers”) walking multiple pets in public places.
The present invention addresses the drawbacks of current methods of collecting, containing, transporting and disposing of pet waste that generally result in the ultimate disposition pet waste in the garbage (land fill) or in the compost, neither of which is environmentally sound nor healthful.
First, the present invention replaces the common use of plastic bags to comply with directives to pick up pet waste, which has resulted in pet owners depositing the pet waste and the plastic bags in the garbage and ultimately in the landfill, where it may remain inert for centuries and longer.
Second, with the banning of plastic bags in many locales, some pet owners have moved to using biodegradable bags to pick up pet waste, and now deposit the waste in either the garbage, or as suggested by the use of a biodegradable bag, in the compost. The pathogens found in pet waste create a health risk when added to compost. The present invention replaces the current practice of pet-owner reliance on an increasingly diminishing supply of environmentally unsound plastic bags or on the improper use of compostable biodegradable bags (intended for food waste disposal) to clean up pet waste.
Third, the present invention encourages pet waste clean-up by alleviating the unpleasant feel, the foul odors, and the lack of sanitation that result when the human hand and other body parts come in contact with pet waste, which is inevitable with the use of easily split plastic bags, and worse, with permeable, even more easily split biodegradable bags, to pick up, transport and dispose of pet waste.
Fourth, the present invention improves on the more cumbersome pet waste clean-up devices currently available on the market that are designed for yard-clean up, but not for both yard clean-up and portability for clean-up after dogs in public spaces. The present invention will benefit not only individual pet owners, kennels, and pet trainers, but also those involved in the increasingly the popular business of dog walking with multiple dogs in public parks and spaces, particularly in the nation's increasingly crowded urban areas.
Fifth, the present invention replaces prior art and current clean-up practices with a unique system of storing the shovel unit and the feces in an airtight container which effectively protects the owner from the foul odor of feces while walking the pet and eliminates fecal contact with the owner's skin, thereby promoting sanitation, peace of mind, and more enjoyable outdoor experience with one's pet or pets.
Sixth, the present invention allows for temporary storage and transportation of pet waste separate from the pet owner's personal belongings, such as back packs, fanny packs, or waste packs, shopping bags, or purses, thus allowing for a more enjoyable experience with one's pet or pets.
Seventh, the present invention addresses the environmental need to reduce exposure to pathogens, pollutants, and gaseous emissions caused by pet waste that is not properly cleaned up and disposed of into waste water treatment facilities.
Eighth, the present invention also decreases contamination of the watershed by promoting appropriate pet waste disposal into waste water treatment facilities for both pets at home (yard clean-up) and pets out walking (public-space clean-up).
The present invention is an ergonomic hand-held apparatus to be used by individuals for the sanitary collection, temporary storage, containment, transport, and environmentally sound disposal of pet waste.
The present invention comprises a portable waste receptacle container with a removable base, a removable lid, and a removable base cap. The bottom of the container is fully open, relying on the removable base to form the bottom of the container when the apparatus is assembled, such that when pet waste is collected into the apparatus, the pet waste can fill the space in both the container and the removable base, and the container can then be closed completely with the lid assembly. The removable lid incorporates a telescopic/fixed handle and a shovel unit.
In the preferred embodiment, the container, the removable lid, the telescopic/fixed handle, the shovel unit, the removable base and the removable base cap are made from molded plastics or other polymers, although it will be obvious that metal and other resilient materials, molded or cast could also be used.
The preferred embodiment of the container is an open-bottomed cylindrical unit, though it will be obvious that shapes such as a semi-cylindrical, rectangular, elliptical, other oblong forms, or various shapes could also be made to simultaneously accommodate the shovel unit and the pet waste.
In the preferred embodiment, the container, the removable lid, the removable base, and the removable base lid are sized with the same diameter/perimeter although it will be obvious that these four components could also be of slightly increasing diameter or perimeter.
In the preferred embodiment, the container, the removable lid, the removable base, and the removable base lid are aligned such that the removable lid attaches by compression-plus-quarter-turn threading to the top of the container, the removable base attaches by compression-plus-quarter-turn threading to the bottom of the container, and the removable base cap attaches by compression plus-quarter-turn threading to the bottom (closed end) of the removable base. It will be obvious that other methods of attaching these four “stacked” components such as a compression alone or threading alone, cam lock lever-type buckles, clamps, clips or other fasteners would work provided the apparatus remains easy to assemble and disassemble and remains securely closed when filled with pet waste.
In the preferred embodiment, when assembled the removable base forms approximately the bottom 20 percent of the open-bottomed container, although it will be obvious that the removable base portion could form a larger or smaller percentage of the total size of the container.
Integrally formed with or attached to the top of the removable lid is a telescoping or fixed handle. The top of the handle incorporates a cap attached by compression or threading which opens to a hollow handle compartment in which to store items such as hand sanitizer, sanitizing towels, mace, a thin flashlight, container liners, etc. In the preferred embodiment, the handle is a telescoping handle integrally formed with or attached to the top of the lid and can be extended and retracted to employ the shovel from a comfortable distance to facilitate the ergonomic and sanitary collection of pet waste. The handle integrally formed with or attached to the top of the lid may also be a fixed handle.
Integrally formed with or attached to the underside of the removable lid is a shovel unit comprising a neck integrally formed with or attached to a blade. In the preferred embodiment, the shovel unit below the removable lid fits inside the container and is aligned to the arcuate walls of the container to ensure ample room for collected pet waste when the removable lid and the removable base are both attached to the container and closed.
In the preferred embodiment, the shovel unit comprises a curved, slightly elongated neck and a blade. One end of the neck is integrally formed with or attached to the underside of the lid and curves backwards at an angle toward the side wall of the cylindrical container such that the blade, integrally formed with or attached to the second end of the neck, will be offset to one side of the container. The concave blade conforms to the arcuate side wall of the container and is sufficiently offset to be in close proximity to the side wall of the container. The blade is a trowel-shaped, curved or flat scoop with upwardly turned sides wherein the scooping end is either cut straight across or tapered to a point. It will be readily understood that the blade can be integrally formed with the neck or attached by means of a screw or like member. It will be readily understood that the neck can be curved or attached to the underside of the lid with an S-curved or angled handle or any offset configuration that results in the concave blade hanging in conformity with and in close proximity to the container wall, such that the container has maximum volume available for pet waste. Alternatively, the neck of the shovel could be integrally formed with the underside of the lid or attached so that the blade hangs straight down and is centrally disposed in the container. In the preferred embodiment, the length of the shovel unit including the neck and blade is approximately 60 percent of the combined length of the container and the removable base when the apparatus is assembled, though it will be obvious that shorter and longer lengths of the shovel unit may also be manufactured for smaller and larger sizes of the apparatus.
In the preferred embodiment, when the pet owner desires to clean up after his or her pet, he or she grasps the handle of the fully assembled apparatus, removes the lid attached to the container either by compression or threading or a combination of the two, scoops the pet waste into the container with the shovel unit, employing as necessary the telescoping or fixed handle integrally formed with or attached to the top of the lid. The pet owner then replaces the shovel unit in the container, retracts the telescoping handle (if extended), and reattaches the lid to the container either by compression or threading or a combination of the two such that the lid is securely closed. The pet owner then transports the pet waste in the airtight, leak-proof container until he or she is ready to dispose of the pet waste properly. The pet owner then removes the removable base from the container either by compression or threading or a combination of the two and holds both the container and the removable base over the toilet to drop the pet waste in for easy, flushable waste disposal. The apparatus is then easily reassembled using the compression or threaded fittings on the the removable base.
The present invention also comprises a removable base cap that is attached to the bottom (closed end) of the removable base. In the preferred embodiment, the removable base cap is attached by compression or theading to the bottom (closed end) of the removable base, though it will be obvious that other possible methods of attachment such as clamps, clips, or other fasteners could also be used. When the base cap is detached from the removable base it may be used as a pet water/food bowl. When attached to the removable base, it creates a “false bottom” storage compartment for small personal items and/or pet items.
The present invention is also designed so as to allow for the use of disposable container liners for the more fastidious pet owner who prefers the convenience of having to rinse out the container less frequently. These liners conform to the shape and size of the interior of the container, covering the interior walls of the container and the interior walls and bottom of the attachable base. These liners will be made of flushable paper such as that used for toilet seat covers, or similarly flushable, biodegradable material. The liners can be scented in various fragrances or unscented.
The present invention also incorporates portability components comprising assemblies attached to the exterior of the container for the purpose of affixing the apparatus to an article of clothing such as a belt, pocket, or waistband to facilitate portability, and to allow the apparatus to be attached to means of personal transportation or equipment for carrying convenience.
In the preferred embodiment, a clip component is attached to the side of the container just beneath the lid for the purpose of affixing the invention to an article of clothing. In the preferred embodiment, a second portability component incorporates assemblies also attached to the exterior of the container just beneath the lid, on the opposite side of the container as the first clip component for attachment to personal transportation or equipment. It will be obvious that assemblies could be positioned closer to one another without affecting portability. It will be obvious that other forms of clip, clamp or fastener or strap, band, or tie of rubber, plastic, leather or similar material could be attached to the container to facilitate portability.
While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there will hereinafter be described presently preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invented apparatus and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments described or illustrated in the drawings included. Referring now to the invention in more detail:
In
In
In
In
In
In
In
The components of the invention can be made from washable plastic or other polymer-based material or metal, with the exception of the portability strap which may be made from standard strap material and the container liners, which are to be made from disposable, biodegradable, flushable paper or other material. The invention features a shovel with extended, telescoping handle built into and projecting out from a detachable lid on an airtight container. The shovel has a telescopic handle for ease of use in scooping the waste from the ground. The invention also features optional refillable, disposable, biodegradable container liners and a removable base. Upon collection of pet waste, the shovel slides back into the container with optional container liner and the unit is closed up, leaving the pet waste sealed in the airtight container and enveloped in optional biodegradable flushable paper similar to that used for toilet seat covers. The user detaches the removable base to dump the waste and optional liner into the toilet. The removable base also attaches to an optional removable base cap, which serves as a water or food bowl for pets or storage compartment for personal and/or pet items. Other variations include different sizes of the invention to accommodate small and large pets, and single or multiple pets.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, system, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, system, and examples, but by all embodiments and systems within the scope and spirit of the invention defined by the subsequent appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61934717 | Feb 2014 | US |
