Patent Application
20050082854
This invention relates generally to animal waste pickup and specifically to animal waste pickup devices which may be used one-handed.
This invention was not made under contract with an agency of the US Government, nor by any agency of the US Government.
This invention relates generally to animal waste pickup and specifically to animal waste pickup devices which may be used one-handed, on virtually any surface, and are sealed for indoor storage, and can be used more than one time without dumping.
In the distant past, the best way to reach a leaf, paper, or waste dropped on the ground was to bend down and physically pick it up. The search for an easy way to remove objects on the ground with minimal effort has sparked the interest of many inventors, but an enabling device whereby a user can manipulate and retrieve an object without bending down, while not having to come into physical contact with the object after retrieval, can be an elusive goal. Several patents show some characteristics of manipulation and retrieval from a standing position.
For the typical pet owner, the situation has become exacerbated in recent years due to the nature of modern pet ownership. Most owners cannot allow their pets to roam free in a run or yard anymore. Instead, a daily or twice daily walk in the neighborhood or park is now the norm, and the pet is expected to go to the bathroom during this time. This has several negative impacts. First is the requirement that the pet be leashed at all times, which means that in addition to attempting to pick up the waste in a sanitary manner, it must be done one handed while the other hand holds a leash which is being tugged upon by an animal eager to leave the immediate area quickly. Thus large tools or two handed tools are almost out of the question. A second issue is that in addition to picking up the waste in public, it must be conveyed thereafter for a distance in a sanitary manner. This can prevent pet owners from carrying out errands during their walks.
The tried and true solution is the inside out plastic bag which is used as a glove while bending over, then the bag is reverted to normal configuration with the pet waste inside. This does, however, end up with the user conveying a plastic bag of pet waste until at least the next trash receptacle.
Certain patent references fall into a group which consists of patents on devices so dissimilar from the present invention as to be of little or no references. U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,600 issued Mar. 6, 2001 to Miller for ANIMAL WASTE SCOOPING AND DISPOSAL DEVICE, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,311 issued May 30, 200 to Jones for SANITARY PICKUP DEVICE, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,913 issued Dec. 21, 1999 to Flumiani for REFUSE COLLECTION DEVICE fall into this category. They provide some overview of what is happening in the area.
A second group of patents are ones which cover devices of the “hand tool” or “pickup” type. U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,911 issued Jul. 1, 1997 to Gatch for LITTER RETRIEVING TOOL, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,681 issued Dec. 27, 1983 to Laroche for ANIMAL EXCREMENT PICKER, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,192 issued Mar. 28, 1978 to Jones for TRASH PICKER, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,958 issued Jan. 11, 1972 to Mesrobian for LEAF PICKER all fall into this category. All of these devices have differences from the hand tool to the present invention and more importantly lack cooperation structures for a sealed receptacle cup and thus for easy one handed usage. For example, the '911 patent teaches a device which may allow a dangling bucket but must be used two handedly with the bucket, and does not have any means to carry a sealed sanitary container, nor allow real cooperation between a bucket and the device. The '681 patent teaches a device with a magnetically attached plate across the bottom: the user is expected to pry off the plate before each use, and it can be used only one time before it must be cleaned. It further has a moving plate with spikes. The '192 patent shows another device with a moving plate with spikes. The '958 patent teaches a device with no sanitary container.
A third group of patents are ones that generally concern encasement or boxing of pet waste. U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,369 issued Mar. 21, 2000 to Stahovic for ANIMAL EXCREMENT COLLECTION DEVICE AND COLLECTING TOOL teaches a device with two hand tool parts and a bag suspended from one of them. The user is supposed to scrape the animal excrement free from the first tool and into the bag. This and other “bag” type patents reach little or nothing about the present device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,137 issued Dec. 20, 1997 to Gutierrez for STAFF OR STICK FOR RECOLLECTION ORGANIC WASTE FROM DOMESTIC ANIMALS SUCH AS DOGS OR CATS teaches a box having a pie shaped cross section (see
U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,537 issued May 13, 1997 to Keimer for PET WASTE PICKUP AND DISPOSAL APPARATUS is similar to the '137 patent (just previous), i.e. it has jaws which open and close. This is the only one with a container, but the container is really for the entire device, it is not a solid and sealed pet waste receiver.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,816 issued Sep. 1, 1981 to Tobias for DEVICE FOR COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL OF PET WASTE at least teaches some sort of cup shaped portion of the hand tool. However, this cup is obviously not solid and detachable; it is used differently, and has numerous structural differences. In fact, this is actually another “bag” type device, unrelated to the present invention. Note that
It would be advantageous to eliminate some of the moving parts of the reference patents, in order to provide simpler, more efficient and less expensive operation.
It would further be advantageous to provide a “multi-use” capability: certain references do not allow more than one use before the device must be cleaned off.
It would be advantageous to have a device which may be used one handed.
It would be further advantageous to have a device which could be used one handedly to both pick up and sanitarily contain pet wastes.
It would also be advantageous if such a device may be self cleaning, with the potentially dirty portions of the device safely contained so that externally no pet waste matter might be found.
It would be advantageous to have a device, which utilizes and incorporates a receptacle cup with a sealed upper lip to confine odors, a plastic bag to hold the waste, a removable bottom on the receptacle cup for removing the bag and detents inside the receptacle cup to attach and disengage the receptacle cup from the hand tool.
Finally, it would be advantageous to provide a device which can be used in any of three modes: with a sealed cup only, with a cup and bag, or as a cylindrical bag holder only.
General Summary
The invention comprises a two part device in which a pick up tool cooperates with a sanitary container to allow one handed pickup and containment of pet wastes.
A first handle permits that a force be placed against an opposing handle, the first handle connects to a solid tube inside a hollow tube to which the second handle is attached. Disengaging springs with stops inside the hollow tube and on the solid tube in turn push a shuttle plate over spikes that are embedded on a fixed plate attached to the hollow tube; the spikes may impale animal waste to be collected and placed in a plastic-bag-lined receptacle cup (the sanitary container), the cup has a removable bottom and a seal on the upper lip for confining materials and odors therewithin.
The shuttle plate engages detents located on the interior of the receptacle cup, extending the shuttle plate downwards in reference to the spikes and thus expanding a spring inside the hollow tube. The spring urges the shuttle plate upwards against the detents and the bottom of the fixed plate downwards against the lip of the cup, resulting in the cup and hand tool portion being clamped together, this may hold the sanitary waste pickup device to the receptacle cup and confine the animal waste in the container or in the plastic bag. The plastic bag may be released through a removable bottom of the cup, or by releasing the cup from the pick-up device and disposing of the bag manually. The sanitary waste pickup device may disengage any animal waste from the spikes by motion of the shuttle plate from its neutral/medial/rest position relatively down the spikes to the very tip of the spikes. The return spring then returns the shuttle plate to a neutral position in the solid tube and resumption of animal waste pickup may continue, or the device may be left with the shuttle plate urged upwards against the bottom of the detente with the device sealed.
Summary in Reference to Claims
It is therefore one aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device comprising: a receptacle cup with a depth, a bottom, an interior surface, a lip, and at least one detente on the interior surface located at approximately one half the depth of the receptacle cup; a shuttle plate dimensioned and configured to moveably accept the spikes through a plurality of apertures, each spike passing through an aperture of the shuttle plate, the shuttle plate dimensioned and configured so it may pass the detente on the cup if a first force is applied to the shuttle plate, and may not pass the detente if a second lesser force is applied; a fixed plate with embedded parallel spikes projecting therefrom; a void at the center of the fixed plate, a solid tube passing therethrough, the solid tube having a first end attached to the shuttle plate and a second end having a first handle attached thereto, the solid tube having a first stop; a hollow tube attached to the fixed plate and surrounding the solid tube slidably, and having at least first and second catches and at least two springs, disposed within the hollow tube, allowing tension and release against the first catch during relative movement of the solid tub within the hollow tube stops; the first handle, forming a physical unity whereby the solid tube, and shuttle plate urging the solid tube downwards sets in motion the shuttle plate to scrape clean the spikes as the shuttle plate moves downwards; and a second handle attached to the hollow tube.
It is therefore a second aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device wherein the bottom of the receptacle cup is removable.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device wherein the invention is a metal material.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device wherein the invention is a plastic material.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device wherein the invention is a wood material.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device wherein the receptacle cup is cylindrical.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device wherein the receptacle cup is square in horizontal cross-section.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device wherein the second stop prevents the shuttle plate from passing beyond the ends of the spikes.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device wherein a plastic bag lines the cup.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device wherein the first handle is horizontal and attached to the solid tube at an intermediate point of the first handle.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device wherein the second handle may encircle the first handle.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device further comprising: a seal disposed at the lip of the cup or the fixed plate.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device further comprising: a second detente located on the interior surface of the cup.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device wherein the second detente is located nearer to the lip of the cup than the first detente.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention to provide a sanitary waste pickup device further comprising: a seal located at the lip of the cup or on the fixed plate.
a through 4f are front and right side views of various elements of the first embodiment of the invention, showing the outer hollow tube and solid tube for the sanitary waste pickup device.
a-5c are top and right side views of parts the first embodiment of the invention, showing the fixed plate with embedded spikes and side view of a spike of the sanitary waste pickup device.
a and 7b are top and right side views of the first embodiment of the invention, showing the shuttle plate with a plurality of apertures for the sanitary waste pickup device.
The first embodiment of the sanitary waste pickup device is the front view of
A horizontally placed handle 50 is attached and may be connected by means of a bolt, an adhesive, pressure fit, unitary construction, etc, to a vertical solid rod 52 at the mid point of the first handle 50. A second handle 51 may vertically encircle the first handle 50 or in other embodiments may parallel it or be otherwise arranged for one handed pressure on the two handles, and pressure may be applied between the two to urge the solid tube 52 up or down in relation to hollow tube 53. The second handle 51 is connected by the same devices listed in reference to the solid tube 52 or by equivalent devices such as screws or soldering to hollow tube 53 that surrounds the solid tube 52 slidably. The hollow tube 53 is connected to the fixed plate 54 via the same means or equivalents. Parallel spikes 55 are embedded into the fixed plate 54 and project therefrom in the downward direction, the spikes 55 may be dimensioned and configured so as to be moveably accepted by the shuttle plate 56 that may be attached to the solid tube 52.
Solid tube 52 may advantageously be itself hollow in alternative embodiments, or may be a rod, etc.
The second embodiment of the device is similar to the first embodiment but features spring action to maintain a closure of the device with the cup portion (
In embodiments, the thickness of shuttle plate 56 may be increased either across substantial areas, or locally about the apertures. This allows the ends of spikes 55 to actually be entirely shrouded when shuttle plate 56 is extended fully, thus increasing cleaning action even further.
Obviously, wider apertures allow easier relative motions and minimize the risk of jamming. Narrower apertures provide a better scraping action of the spikes.
On the other hand, when handles 50, 51 are forced apart (when handle 50 is forced in a downwards direction as sensed in
The top view of the sanitary waste pickup device
The first handle 50, solid tube 52, and hollow tube 53 are shown in
The top side and right side views of the fixed plate 54 and the right side view of the spike 55 are seen in
The bottom view of
Detente 73 may be a single bump, catch, stop or similar protrusion from the interior of cup 68 or it may be ridge around the interior, or plurality of such bumps, or other equivalent devices.
The proportions of the cup, spikes, springs and stops may allow the shuttle plate to be stopped from further downward motion beyond the distal ends of the spikes. It will be appreciated that pushing the shuttle plate beyond the spike ends might allow it to become misaligned, so that it would require manual manipulation to return the spikes to the apertures.
First detente 100 acts to secure shuttle plate 110 as discussed in reference to the first detente 73 of the first embodiment shown in
The three modes of operation of the device (cup only, cup and bag, or cylindrical cup portion and bag) may now be seen more clearly as well. If cup bottom 108 is removed, cylindrical portion 106 remains, with detentes 100, 102. The use of the device remains the same but the capacity may be substantially increased merely by increasing the size of bag 104 (substituting a larger bag).
Additional advantages of the preferred embodiment may also be seen in
Returning to
A final aspect of the best mode now contemplated is the provision of clip 138 on the side of outer tube 140. This clip may advantageously be used to hold spare plastic bags, to hold a pet leash, or may even be configured and dimensioned to hold cup bottom 108 when the device is used in a mode which does not employ it as a cup bottom.
However, as noted second detente may be employed to profitably increase the flexibility of use of the preferred embodiment. Second detente 102 may as stated previously and shown herein be located above first detente 100 at a location higher on the interior surface of cylindrical cup part 106.
A bag may be employed as a liner in any of the embodiments of the invention, but in the two detente embodiment, the removable bottom may be taken off, exposing the bottom of the bag. When the shuttle plate is disposed between the two detents, a small gap will exist between the interior surface of the cup and the periphery/edge of the shuttle plate, through which gap the bag may freely flow downwards and thus remove itself from the interior of the cup without further user intervention. The user may hold the entire device over a trash container/dust bin, remove the bottom, and pull the handles sufficiently to bring the shuttle plate above one detente and below the other. The weight of any materials in the bag will then pull the bag from between the fixed plate and seal (which will not be in contact in the loosely attached position), past the first detente, past the shuttle plate edge, past the second detente, and down into the trash can: no two components of the two parts of the device will be in contact together.
A seal may be incorporated for sanitation, and to additionally prevent the escape of odors, at the location at which inner tube 126 passes through fixed plate 112.
Finally, in another embodiment, there may be no bottom whatsoever: the receptacle may be a cylinder sealed at the top by the seal, with a plastic bag to keep wastes contained at the bottom end.
The nature of the spikes may also vary to suit the embodiment, usage and manufacturing needs. The spikes may be generally cylindrical, tapered, may have flat, rounded or pointed ends, and so on. The spikes may have a round, elliptical or oval cross-section, a square cross-section, triangular, polygonal, or may comprise an I-beam, H-beam, X-beam, T-beam or similar irregular configuration.
To use the device for waste collection, the device, both major components attached together in storage position, may be placed on the ground with the cup bottom in a clean location. The user will remove the hand tool portion by squeezing the handles together, thus applying a force sufficient to lift the shuttle plate past the one or more detents of the embodiment utilized and clear the hand tool from the cup. While squeezing to bring the shuttle plate relatively high on the spikes (or even to the underside of the fixed plate), the device is stabbed onto the material to be cleaned up: leaves, litter, pet waste, etc. The device is then returned to the cup, where the squeeze of the handles is reversed: the shuttle plate is forced downwards. It may pass over the one or more detents until its maximum downward extension is reached and the materials impaled on the spikes expelled therefrom. Upon release of the handles, the shuttle plate will attempt to return to rest position, bumping into the detents. The fixed plate will be drawn downwards to impact the lip of the cup and the hand tool and cup will once again be in storage position, locked together. Wastes inside the container will be sanitarily isolated in a closed space with no air gaps to allow escape of odors, insects, bacteria, viruses, etc.
The present invention has been disclosed so as to allow one skilled in the art to practice the invention without undue experimentation, but nothing in this disclosure is to be taken to limit the scope of the invention: the scope of the invention may be understood from the appended claims only. The invention as disclosed herein is subject to many modifications, equivalents, improvements, and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed below.
