Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to structures that dispense bags and in particular to a structure that can dispense bags from a bottom of a trash receptacle.
Description of the Related Art
Trash bags are mainly used to line a trashcan type receptacle. The problem is the liners are never near the receptacle and someone has to retrieve a liner from a remote location to complete the function, too much time and too many man hours are wasted in this process.
Many people in a residential or commercial application will store several extra bags in the bottom of the trashcan receptacle as a means to speed up the entire cycle of changing trashcan liners. In an industrial cleaning, health care, or fast food application the time and cost factor for this process is significant.
Many times this job has been delegated to people with handicaps or mental illness. A more efficient, easier, cleaner, and less cumbersome way of having these bags readily available has been needed for some time.
The present disclosure describes a system or apparatus which is convenient and economical for packaging, deploying, and distributing plastic bags, primarily, but not exclusively in the waste arena. The invention puts bags at the source of where they are being used. For example, in the waste industry the Speedy Bag System will be in the bottom of the receptacle, when the full bag is removed the next one to replace it is automatically discharged and ready to line the receptacle. This speeds up the process of relining the receptacle, rather than taking the extra steps to find a replacement bag that may be in a remote location like a back storeroom or cleaning cart.
Because the bags are connected at a point of weakness and packed sequentially, the next bag to be used follows the full bag being removed. After all but the last bag are used up, the last bag is attached to the container through a score in the underside of the container causing the said container to follow the last bag out of the receptacle as the last bag is removed. The container can be disposed of, recycled, or refilled.
Then a new Speedy Bag System is put into the bottom of the receptacle so that a large number of bags in a protected container will remain at the bottom of the trash receptacle for the process to be repeated.
In another embodiment, the bag dispensing apparatus comprises a container and a series of bags. The container includes a box that has a plurality of walls that define an enclosure. One of the walls defines a restricted opening. The container includes opposing walls and two of said opposing walls include connectors. A core is included with the container that attaches to the connectors. The core includes a plurality of hingedly connected plates. The connectors provide for the rotational movement of the core relative to the box. A series of bags are connected in sequence and wound around the core. The core receives and connects to the terminal end portion of a last bag of the series of bags. The core is rollable, or can be rolled, from a first planar position to a second position in which the core has an angled spiral coil shape. The second position defines a crimped connection with a terminal end portion of a last bag.
The series of bags is sequentially removable through the opening in the container. There is a line of weakness between each pair of adjacent bags to permit ease of separation between adjacent bags. The last bag and subsequent bags are rolled around the core to define the series of bags. A first position of the last bag includes the attachment between the last bag and core removing the container with the last bag. The last bag is optionally movable to a second position that includes the last bag separating from the container. When separated from the last bag, the container is suitable for refilling with the series of bags.
The connectors on the opposing walls of the container are circular notches and each notch receives a terminal end portion of the core. The crimp connection of the core includes inner and outer plates. The inner plate is outwardly biased and the outer plate is inwardly compressed to define a crimping connection on the distal end portion of the last bag. The container is a rectangular box that has four folded sides. The area covered by three of said sides being large enough to permit entry into the box of the series of bags and positioning of the terminal end portion of the core of the series of bags into the connectors in two opposing sides of the box.
The bag dispensing apparatus can also comprise a container that includes a box that has a plurality of walls. The walls define an enclosure that has a restricted opening defined in one of the walls. The box has an approximately rectangular shape that includes two opposed elongate first sidewalls and two opposed second sidewalls. The opposed second sidewalls each include a notch. A core connects to the notches in the container. The notches provide for rotational movement of the core relative to the box. The core includes a plurality of panels that are biased to a first position. A series of bags includes a plurality of bags that are connected in sequence. The core crimps the last bag of the series of bags between two of panels. The last bag and the subsequent bags of the series of bags are rolled around the core. The series of bags are sequentially removable through the opening in the container. A line of weakness is positioned between each pair of adjacent bags that permits ease of separation between of the adjacent bags. The apparatus, is adapted for positioning on a bottom of a trashcan. Each bag of the series of bags is deployable from the container positioned on the bottom of the trashcan and each bag is adapted to extend from the container around a rim of an opening of the trashcan. The removing, of each bag unwinds a subsequent bag from the core. The last bag of the series of bags is adapted to remove the container when the last bag is removed from the trashcan. The last bag is optionally separable from the container. The container is separated from the last bag and is optionally refillable with the series of bags.
The container rests on the bottom of the trash can solely by the weight of the container and series of bags. The container is a rectangular shaped box that has four folded sides. The area covered by three of the is large enough to permit the positioning of the core of the series of bags into the notches. The opening has a first length and the core has a second length. The length of the core is greater than the length of the opening.
An additional bag dispensing apparatus comprises a container that includes a box that has a plurality of walls. The walls define an enclosure that includes a restricted opening in one of the walls. The container is an approximately rectangular shaped box. A series of bags is included in the container. The series of bags are connected in sequence. A core connects to the last bag of the series of bags. The last bag and the subsequent bags of the series of bags are rolled around the core. The series of bags is sequentially removable through said opening in the container. A line of weakness is positioned between each pair of adjacent bags that permits ease of separation between adjacent bags. The apparatus is adapted to roll the core and bags together to form the container. The core has a first planar position and includes a plurality of hingedly connected panels. The core rolls into a second position that crimps a last bag. The continued rolling of the core winds the series of bags into a roll. The removing of each bag unwinds a subsequent bag from the core. The last bag is adapted to remove the container when removed from a trashcan. The last bag is optionally separable from the container. The container is separable from the last bag and is optionally refillable with the series of bags.
Other details and advantages of the invention will become apparent with the following description of the embodiment and accompanying drawings.
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a plan view
Fifth wall 38 is shown as the top wall and includes cuts 17 that define top opening 16 as described previously. Sixth wall 40 is the bottom wall and is a solid wall that does not define an aperture to include a score or slit. Third wall 34 and fourth wall 36 are end walls. Nested or series of bags 26 is positioned in box 11 of container 10. Series of bags 26 are wound around a core 44.
Core 44 is an elongate member that connects to last bag 27. Core 44 engages last bag 27 and subsequent bags, connected in series at a point of weakness as described previously. Last bag 27 and subsequent bags are rolled onto core 44 to form nested or series of bags 26. Outermost bag 20 is the first bag to be deployed from core 44.
Core 44 has a first approximately planar side 54 and a second approximately planar side 56 (see
The continued rotation of core 44 in the second position from the first position continues to wind the remainder of the sequential bags around core 44.
Alternatively, series of bags 26 with core 44 can be positioned within box 11 without receptacles 30. Series of bags 26 can rotate within the preferably elongate rectangular box 11 of container 10 and deploy bags. Core 44 has a length that is greater than the length of elongate cuts 17 and opening 16 in the top of container 10. This length prevents core 44 from inadvertently pulling out from box 11.
Core 44 is preferably made of wood-based products that can include cardboard, paper and/or wood composite recyclable materials. Alternatives include, for example adjoining plates connected by tape or other forms of hinge type rotating or flexing connections that can include polymer, metal or composite materials. Core 44 preferably has a square cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, but it is understood that core 44 can be a tube or take other forms such as a framework that functions to provide a core element for the connection, storage and dispensing of bags.
Container 10 defines opening 16 in top 38 that has been expanded from perforations, pre-cut, weakened line or score 21. Opening 16 has a defined length L1 and a defined width W1 (See
Plate 90 has a length L2, a width W2 and includes a cut 23. Length L2 and width W2 of plate 90 are greater than length L1 and width W1 of opening 16 of container 10, respectively. In one preferred embodiment, length L2 and width W2 of plate 90 approximate the dimensions of top 38, but it is understood that plate 90 can have a variety of shapes, sizes and thicknesses. Plate 90 retains the end of last bag 27 by the frictional binding force and/or bias of cut 23. Plate 90 has a structure that is sufficiently rigid such that plate 90 does not pass through opening 16. Similarly, slit or cut 23 has sufficient binding strength on the end of last bag 27 such that cut 23 will not readily release last bag 27.
Cut 23 of plate 90 is preferably parallel to the length of plate 90 and is a controlled slit such that when at least part of the end of last bag 27 of series of bags 26 is passed through cut 23, that portion of last bag 27 is retained by cut 23. Cut 23 retains bag 27 by the bias and/or frictional forces between the separated portions of plate 90.
In the preceding specification, the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will be evident, however, that various modifications, combinations and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. While the present disclosure is described in terms of a series of embodiments, the present disclosure can combine one or more novel features of the different embodiments. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive sense.
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/462,599 filed May 2, 2012 that is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/685,667 filed on Jan. 11, 2010 that was a continuation in part of, claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/140,178 filed on May 31, 2005 that claims priority to and the benefit of provisional application 61/207,831 filed Feb. 18, 2009 and, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this application.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4570304 | Montreuil et al. | Feb 1986 | A |
4849090 | Case et al. | Jul 1989 | A |
5183157 | Darden | Feb 1993 | A |
5353950 | Taylor et al. | Oct 1994 | A |
5564762 | Ring | Oct 1996 | A |
5671847 | Pedersen et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
5738239 | Triglia | Apr 1998 | A |
6007403 | Urspringer et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
7168591 | Miller | Jan 2007 | B1 |
7669728 | Licata | Mar 2010 | B2 |
20050172529 | Bourgoin et al. | Aug 2005 | A1 |
20070023442 | Auzenne | Feb 2007 | A1 |
20080011910 | Ramsey | Jan 2008 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20140263532 A1 | Sep 2014 | US | |
20180057300 A9 | Mar 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 12685667 | Jan 2010 | US |
Child | 13462599 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 13462599 | May 2012 | US |
Child | 13844644 | US | |
Parent | 11140178 | May 2005 | US |
Child | 12685667 | US |