Patent Application
20230323616
The present embodiments relate generally to animal waste collection, specifically, the retrieval, transportation and disposal of pet waste.
Pets positively enrich the lives of their owners in many ways. For example, dogs provide companionship, contribute to an active lifestyle, provide emotional and physical support services and the like. Around 38% of US households are estimated to have one or more dogs.
Current environmental concerns as well as national laws, state legislature and county, city or municipal ordinances aim to reduce or eliminate the production, distribution and even use of plastic bags. As it is beneficial for both the 90 million pet dogs and the pet's human companion to incorporate regular exercise into a daily or weekly routine, a system was needed to provide a hygienic, durable and reusable system to maintain sanitary conditions in both public or private spaces.
Previous prior art approaches to handling and treatment of pet waste include cupped devices or bag holders on extended braces or garments to be attached to the animal to catch fecal matter before it hits the ground. Others employ a device either mechanical or simple in design to surround and lift the excrement from the surface with and/or without the use of a disposable bag. These devices and systems can be encumbering, inefficient, prone to leaking, detrimental to the environment or even outright banned in some jurisdictions.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The present embodiments may, inter alia, provide for the efficient and environmentally responsible retrieval, transportation and/or disposal of solid excrement from canines or other pets. In certain embodiments, the system may include a retrieval apparatus (e.g. scoop, claw, jaws or the like) that is integrated into a handled lid assembly that attaches to and/or forms a seal with a solid container. In operation, a user may retrieve the excrement with the scoop/lid, then position the scoop/lid to the solid container, allowing the scoop retaining the waste material to enter the container. When so positioned, the waste may drop into the container for storage and transportation. In some embodiments, this accumulation and storing process may be performed multiple times whereupon the user can re-secure the lid to the container for transportation.
The lid and container may form a seal such that the excrement and any associated smell may be kept inside the container. The pet waste may then be carried to its appropriate disposal location. For example, the user may empty the container into a private septic or sewage system, an approved public disposal container, or the like.
In some embodiments, the container may include a second opening or access port for removing the excrement from the container. The access port may, for example, be disposed near the end distal the primary opening. A second cover may be provided to close and/or seal the secondary opening, such as, for example, a hinged door or the like. This secondary opening also may be used with a biodegradable or flushable liners (or the like), providing another option for positioning the liner in the interior chamber of the container.
In certain embodiments, antimicrobial materials such as antimicrobial plastic technology or other sturdy and non-corrosive materials (such as stainless steel, carbon fiber and the like) may be used to form some or all of the components and will reduce and/or eliminate the need for plastic bags or other disposable waste capture components.
In certain embodiments, the pet waste retrieval, transporting and disposal system may include a container and a locking lid with integrated scoop. For example, the lid may include a latch that engages a detent (or a receiving tab) on the container. Alternatively, or additionally, the latch may be disposed on the container and the detent may be disposed on the lid, or any other mechanism may be used to fixedly secure the lid to the container. The user may disengage the lid from the container by releasing the latch from detent (or second latch) and separating the container and lid at the interlocking connection.
In some embodiments, the pet waste retrieval, transporting and disposal system may include fastened elastic elements that will restrain the cover assembly securely to the container assembly when positioned in an overlapping manner.
In some embodiments, the container assembly may be attachable to or nestled into a harness worn by the user, enabling the user to transport the pet waste retrieval, transporting and disposal system hands-free. The container may be detached from the harness when necessary. Additional uses are further disclosed and described in the embodiments herein.
The systems and methods described herein also may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.
Advantages will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments which have been shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the present embodiments may be capable of other and different embodiments, and their details are capable of modification in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The Figures described below depict various aspects of the system and methods disclosed herein. It should be understood that each Figure depicts an embodiment of a particular aspect of the disclosed system and methods, and that each of the Figures is intended to accord with a possible embodiment thereof. Further, wherever possible, the following description refers to the reference numerals included in the following Figures, in which features depicted in multiple Figures are designated with consistent reference numerals.
There are shown in the drawings arrangements which are presently discussed, it being understood, however, that the present embodiments are not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:
a;
The Figures depict certain embodiments for purposes of illustration only. Alternative embodiments of the systems and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.
Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of the description is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent and equivalents. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.
It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘______’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based upon any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, it is done for sake of clarity only so as not to confuse the reader and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based upon the application of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).
Referring to the drawings and initially
In operation, a user may retrieve the excrement from a grassy nook or other location deemed suitable by the canine by using the retrieval member 30. Once the excrement is secured, the retrieval member 30 may be positioned within an interior chamber 45 (
To clean the system 10, the user may utilize conventional methods such as water streams, scrubbing or the like. In addition, a user may fill some or all of interior chamber 45 with a cleaning solution, close the container assembly 40 with lid assembly 20, and agitate any undesired material by shaking or other method. Optionally, a user may allow the solution to soak inside interior chamber 45 for some time.
The various components of the system may be made of any suitably rigid material and non-corrosive materials, such as stainless steel, carbon fiber, acetal resin, thermoplastic polymer, or the like. In some embodiments, materials having antimicrobial properties may be used to form some or all of the components and may reduce and/or eliminate the need for plastic bags or other disposable waste capture components. Other similar wear resistant materials having low static and dynamic coefficients of friction and capable of being formed into the parts described herein are considered to fall within the scope of the claimed inventions. Other materials also may be used. In some embodiments, each component is made of the same material. Alternatively or additionally, one or more of the components of the system may be made of different material than others of the components.
An exemplary cover assembly 20 is shown in
Referring also to
As best shown in
In certain embodiments, the pet waste retrieval, transporting and disposal system may include a container and a locking lid with integrated retrieval member. As illustrated, the lid 21 may include a latch 23 that engages a detent (or the like) on the container assembly 40, which may be a second latch 43 (
Other mechanisms also may be used to couple the cover assembly 20 to the container assembly 40, such as a threaded coupling, a snap-fit coupling, elastic straps as shown in
The width of the lid 21 may at its widest point be between about 2 ½ inches (nominally, about 6 centimeters) and about 9 inches (nominally, about 23 centimeters) or more, preferably between about 3 inches (nominally, about 8 centimeters) and about 7 inches (nominally, about 18 centimeters), and even more preferably between about 3 ¾ inches (nominally, about 8 centimeters) and about 7 inches (nominally, about 18 centimeters). In the embodiment illustrated in
In some embodiments, the lid 21 may include mounting members 25 and 27 for attaching to corresponding mounting member receivers 26 and 34 on the handle 22 and retrieval member 30, respectively. Such an arrangement may enable the handle 22 and/or retrieval member 30 to be detachable from the lid 21, which may assist in cleaning.
The retrieval member 30 may provide a mechanism for retrieving the excrement. In the embodiment illustrated in
Alternatively, or additionally, in the embodiment illustrated in
The retrieval member 30 may have a length between about 2 inches (nominally, about 5 centimeters) and about 8 inches (nominally, about 23 centimeters), and preferably between about 2 ½ inches (nominally, about 6 centimeters) and about 5 inches (nominally, about 13 centimeters). In the embodiment illustrated in
Exemplary container assemblies 40 are shown in
The container assembly 40 may be formed as a unitary piece, or one or more components may be attachable to/detachable from the other components.
In some embodiments, the container assembly 40 may include a mechanism for lockingly-engaging the cover assembly 20. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in
The width of the opening 47 may at its widest point be between about 2 ½ inches (nominally, about 6 centimeters) and about 9 inches (nominally, about 23 centimeters) or more, preferably between about 3 inches (nominally, about 8 centimeters) and about 7 inches (nominally, about 18 centimeters), and may have a depth between about 2 ½ inches (nominally, about 6 centimeters) and about 8 inches (nominally, about 23 centimeters), and preferably between about 7 inches and about 12 inches (nominally, about 30 centimeters). Other sizes may also be used.
In some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, as illustrated in
Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of the description is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent and equivalents. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical. Numerous alternative embodiments may be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.
The following additional considerations apply to the foregoing discussion. Throughout this specification, plural instances may implement components, operations, or structures described as a single instance. Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of the individual operations may be performed concurrently, and nothing requires that the operations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separate components in example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single component may be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the subject matter herein.
This detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment, as describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. One may implement numerous alternate embodiments, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this application.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept.
The patent claims at the end of this patent application are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless traditional means-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as “means for” or “step for” language being explicitly recited in the claim(s). The systems and methods described herein are directed to an improvement to computer functionality, and improve the functioning of conventional computers.
