Patent Application
20060118588
The present invention relates in general to devices for collecting animal litter. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dispenser of bags for collecting animal litter.
The rapid increase of urban population coupled with the increasing popularity of dogs and other pets has created a serious sanitary problem in connection with the disposal of animal litter, and particular canine litter. Because many animal pet owners have permitted their animals to deposit solid excrement on both private and public property, a number of communities have enacted ordinances requiring pet owners, under penalty of fine, to retrieve and dispose of lifter created by their pets.
It has been found that the willingness of pet owners to retrieve and properly dispose of animal litter is related to the ease, convenience and economy with which the litter may be handled in a clean and sanitary manner. While a number of devices have been proposed for the purpose of disposing of animal litter, they have suffered from various shortcomings. Some devices are not completely disposable and, therefore, require some degree of cleanup. Other types of devices, both of the disposable and reusable varieties, are awkward and/or conspicuous to carry. Moreover, some prior animal lifter collection devices are too expensive for everyday use.
One commonly accepted method for collecting and storing animal litter until a proper disposal site can be found involves the use of a disposable plastic bag. Some pet owners will simply place a plastic bag, such as a plastic grocery bag, in a clothing pocket for retrieval when needed. This method of collecting animal lifter presupposes, however, that the pet owner will always have access to and remember to grab a plastic bag prior to walking the pet. There have been proposals to provide devices which would store plastic bags within a container that may be worn by the owner or the pet. Each of these prior devices, however, suffers several disadvantages which the present invention is intended to overcome.
The retractable leash has been gaining popularity for the last twenty years and has taken its place as a permanent pet product. Some have recognized the desirability of providing an easy way to carry pet waste cleanup bags when going for a walk utilizing such a retractable leash. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,469 discloses a retractable leash placed into an animal waste collecting device which incorporates its own handle, bag holder and flashlight. It is believed, however, that such an assembly involves apparatus and associated costs which are undesirable.
Accordingly, there is a need for a bag dispenser which provides access to bags when needed. There is a further need for a bag dispenser which provides access to a roll of plastic bags when needed. There is an additional need for a bag dispenser which can be used with or without a housing. There is also a need for a bag dispenser that is modular to increase the ease of replacing an exhausted roll of bags. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.
The present invention discloses a bag dispenser which provides access to bags when needed. The present invention further discloses a bag dispenser which provides access to a roll of plastic bags when needed. The present invention additionally a bag dispenser which can be used with or without a housing. The present invention also discloses a bag dispenser that is modular to increase the ease of replacing an exhausted roll of bags. The bag dispenser provides bags for a variety of purposes including, without limitation, the collection of animal waste.
A bag dispenser embodying the present invention includes an axle having a plurality of spaced-apart interior annular rings and a roll of bags wound about the axle. A rod is insertable into the axle and is able to engage at least one of the annular rings to connect the rod to the axle. A stop allows the rod to selectively engaging a selected one of the annular rings. The engagement of the rod and axle permits the axle to rotate about the rod. The rod is also able to selectively disengage from the annular rings of the axle in order to disconnect the rod from the axle.
The rod includes a base shaft, a resilient lever, and the stop which extends from one side of the resilient lever. As noted above, the stop automatically engages at least one of the annular rings as the rod is inserted into the axle.
The bag dispenser further includes a flange at one end of the rod. The flange has a bracket for retaining an end of the resilient lever which engages the axle.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the bag dispenser also includes a housing defining an inner cavity. The housing has an aperture therethrough permitting access to the inner cavity. A cap is attached to the rod for positioning the roll of bags centrally within the housing. The cap snap-fits to an open end of the housing.
A bag roll retainer is connected to an end of the axle opposite the cap. The bag roll retainer includes an axle guide extending into the axle. The axle and bag roll retainer are removably connected.
The cap includes a flange having a central slot, and the rod extends through the central slot and includes a retaining flange for retaining the engaging means in abutting relation to the cap flange. The cap also includes at least one bracket extending outwardly therefrom for connecting the bag dispenser to a leash.
In an additional embodiment of the present invention, the bag dispenser includes a generally planar bar having an elongated slot through which the bags are individually removable from the roll, and first and second bag roll retaining flanges. The bar extends between the first and second bag roll retaining flanges in spaced relation to the axle. The bag dispenser also includes a guide for limiting radially outward expansion of the roll of bags as the roll of bags unwinds.
The roll of bags is adhesively connected to the axle. One side of each bag includes a releasable dry adhesive for adhering to another side of at least one bag in the roll of bags.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:
As shown in
A bag dispenser 10 embodying the present invention, illustrated in
The rod 20 includes a base shaft 28 and an L-shaped resilient lever 30. The resilient lever 30 is of unitary construction with the base shaft 28 but splits from the base shaft 28 at the lower portion of the rod 20. The stop 24 extends from one side of the resilient lever 30. The engaging means 22 functions by the stop 24 automatically engaging at least one of the annular rings 14 as the rod 20 is inserted into the axle 12.
The means for selectively disengaging 26 the rod 20 from the axle 12 includes a flange 32 at one end of the rod 20. The flange 32 has a bracket 34 for retaining an end 36 of the resilient lever 30 which extends away from the portion of the resilient lever 30 which engages the axle 12. The rod 20 is disengaged from the axle 12 when the end 36 of the resilient lever 30 is biased towards the axle 12. This causes the stop 24, which is part of the resilient lever 30, to move towards the center of the axle 12 and away from the annular ring 14 the stop 24 had been engaged with. Disengaging the stop 24 from the annular ring 14 allows the rod 20 to be removed from the axle 12.
The bag dispenser 10 also includes a generally cylindrical housing 38 defining an inner cavity 40 for holding therein the roll 16 of plastic bags 18. The housing 38 has an aperture 42 in a sidewall of the housing 38 which permits access to the inner cavity 40. The roll 16 of plastic bags 18 is disposed within the inner cavity 40 of the housing 38 such that the bags 16 may be individually removed therefrom through the aperture 42 in the housing 38. The roll 16 of plastic bags 18 may be inserted into and disposed within the inner cavity 40 through an upper open end 46 of the housing 38.
A cap 44 is attached to the rod 20 to form a lid for covering the housing 38 and positioning the roll 16 of bags 18 centrally within the housing 38. The cap 44 encloses the upper open end 46 of the housing 38. As shown, the cap 4 snap-fits onto the open upper end 46 of the housing 16. The cap 44 includes a generally circular flange 48 having a central slot 50. The rod 20 extends through the central slot 50 and includes a retaining flange 52 for retaining the engaging means 22 in abutting relation to a shelf 56 of the cap flange 48. The cap 44, in combination with the rod 20, also includes two loops or brackets 54 extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom for connecting the bag dispenser 10 to a leash (not shown) or the like. A tie 58 or the like is placed through the brackets 54 to securely affix the dispenser 10 to the leash device or the like. In the alternative, the cap 44 and rod 20 may be of unitary construction.
In another embodiment of the present invention,
In
The roll 16 of bags 18 is adhesively connected to the axle 12, 82. A piece of tape 92 or the like connects an end of a first bag 18 on a new roll 16 to the roll 16. The tape 92 is removed and the first bag 18 is threaded through the slot 86 to place the dispenser 80 in condition for use. One side of each bag 18 includes a releasable dry adhesive 94 for adhering to another side of at least one bag 18 in the roll 16 of plastic bags 18. The adhesive 94 assists the bags 18 in maintaining cohesiveness as a roll 16 and prevents the roll 16 from unwinding during use of the dispenser 10, 60, 80.
In use, fifteen or so plastic bags 18 are wound about the axle 12 to form the roll 16. A replacement roll 16 may include bags 18 pre-wound about an axle 12 which replaces the bag-exhausted axle 12 from the previous roll 16 or new bags 18 can be wound about the axle 12 used for the previous roll 16. Either way, the cap 44 and rod 20 are removed from the housing 38 to place the new roll 16 within the inner cavity 40 if a housing 38 is used. If no housing 38 is used, then the cap 44 and rod 20 are simply disengaged from the bag-exhausted axle 12. The axle 12 is either engaged to the rod 20 or placed into the housing 38 and the rod 20 engaged to the axle 12 as the cap 44 is placed onto the housing 38. If a bag roll retainer 62 is used, the bag roll retainer 62 can be connected to the axle 12 at any point during this process. The end bag 18 of the roll 16 may then be accessed through the housing aperture 42 and withdrawn from the housing 38 as desired. The entire roll 16 of plastic bags 18 disposed on the axle 12 will rotate within the housing 38 as the bags 18 are withdrawn therefrom. The bags 18 are preferably releasably attached to one another such that one bag 16 may be easily separated from another after being withdrawn from the dispenser 10, 60, 80 yet the bags 16 are sufficiently attached to one another to prevent such separation as they are being withdrawn from the dispenser 10, 60, 80.
Another bag dispenser 100 embodying the present invention, seen in
The bag dispensers 10, 60, 80, 100 and their various components may be made of a variety of materials including, without limitation, metal or plastic.
The bag dispenser 10, 60, 80, 100 is intended to be utilized in connection with a collar, harness or a leash device (not shown) commonly utilized when walking one's pet. The bag dispenser 10, 60, 80,100 may also be attached to a key chain (not shown) or the like. The leash device may be simple leather or chain leash or a leash device that incorporates a retractable leash that extends from a housing.
Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
