Patent Application
20130108190
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of waste disposal, and more particularly to a device that can be used to hold open the mouth of a drawstring trash bag to receive waste in situations where the trash bag is used without a trash can.
2. Background & Description of the Related Art
When people engage in outdoor recreational activities away from their home, they frequently do not have access to a trashcan or other waste receptacle when needing to dispose of waste. To address this problem, people commonly use drawstring trash bags for waste disposal during such activities. One benefit of using a drawstring trash bag is that, when the bag is not in use, the mouth may be easily closed by cinching the drawstrings. This allows the bag and its contents to be easily transported to a permanent waste receptacle without fear of trash spilling out of the bag. Another benefit is that the bag may be hung by its drawstrings in a visible and easily accessible location, while keeping it elevated and away from obstacles on the ground.
It can be difficult, however, to use a drawstring trash bag in the manner described above because the mouth of the bag tends to close when the bag is hanging. The weight of the bag and its contents often has a tendency to cinch the drawstrings thus causing the mouth of the bag to close when the bag is hanging by its drawstrings.
What is needed is a device that will allow the bag to hang by its drawstrings in a convenient location and at the same time keep the mouth of the bag open so that the bag is always ready to receive waste. Other devices have attempted to do this by creating a rigid support rim around the perimeter of the mouth of the trash bag. None, however, have been as compact, portable, and easy to use as the current invention.
The present invention comprises a flat, rigid plate with a trash receiving hole or opening extending therethrough. The rigid plate can be placed on top of a drawstring trash bag to keep the mouth of the bag open an amount sufficient to accept small waste such as disposable beverage cans and bottles which first pass through the hole in the plate. The rigid plate rests on top of the mouth of the bag and is held in place by the trash bag drawstrings. The plate has a plurality of receivers formed in and extending inward from a periphery of the rigid plate for receiving the drawstrings. A hook or holder from which the bag can hang from its drawstrings may also be used in combination with the rigid plate.
The weight of the hanging bag and its contents creates a downward force on the drawstrings. This downward force tends to move the drawstrings closer together and creates a cinching motion which closes the mouth of the trash bag. The motion of the drawstrings coming together as the trash bag mouth closes creates a force that is applied to the plate by the drawstrings within the receivers, thus keeping the plate from moving. Abutment of the drawstrings against the plate, within the receivers, prevents the drawstrings from cinching the opening or mouth of the bag smaller than the trash receiving opening or hole through the plate thereby keeping the mouth of the bag open an amount sufficient to allow waste dropped through the opening in the plate to pass through the mouth of the bag.
The plate also provides a nominal amount of weight to the bag thus allowing it to hang vertically and minimizing horizontal movement of the bag that may be caused by wind or drafts. The flat upper surface of the plate may be used for the printing of logos or other promotional indicia thereon. This feature allows businesses, sports teams, or other such entities to advertise in a place that is regularly seen by individuals using the trash bag opening plate.
The holder for hanging the trash bag may be temporarily mounted to the rear bumper of an automobile, the sidewall of a pick-up truck or another similar mounting surface that is likely to be present at outdoor activities away from the home.
As required, detail embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. The term “rectangular” as used in this patent is meant to include both square and non-square rectangular shapes.
Referring to the drawings in more detail, the reference numeral 1 refers to a trash bag opening device 1 for keeping a drawstring trash bag 2 sufficiently open to allow trash, such as a disposable metal beverage can 3, to be deposited into the bag 2 when the bag is hanging by a drawstring 4. The bag 2 may be suspended from a hook 8 with the drawstring 4 supported by the hook 8. The hook 8 is sized and adapted to be mounted on the rear bumper of an automobile or on the side wall of a pick-up truck.
A drawstring trash bag 2 of the type with which the rigid plate 1 may be used is shown in
Outlet openings or exit openings 17 are formed in the sleeve 11 to allow portions of the draw string 4 to be withdrawn therethrough. In a typical draw string trash bag 2, there are two such outlet openings 17, each located midway between both anchor points or welds 16 securing the drawstring 4 to the bag 2 along the edges. Portions or strands 21 and 22 of the drawstring 4 are pulled out of the sleeve 11 through the drawstring outlet openings 17 and pulled upward relative to the rest of the bag 2. Drawing the strands 21 and 22 while holding the bag down manually or through the weight of trash in the bag 2 draws the mouth 12 of trash bag 2 inward, decreasing its size until the bag is sufficiently closed. When the strands 21 and 22 of the drawstring 4 are drawn from the bag 2, two segments or legs 21a and 21b and 22a and 22b are generally formed along each strand 21 and 22 respectively.
Referring back to
A trash receiving hole 31 extends through the center of the rigid plate 24 between the opposed planar surfaces 26 and 27 to allow trash to pass therethrough and into the bag 2 as described in more detail hereafter. Hole 31 is sized to accept trash at least as wide as a conventional twelve ounce disposable aluminum beverage, such as can 3, or a disposable water bottle, or sports drink bottle or the like. Such a can 3 is approximately two and one half inches in diameter. The hole 31, which may be round, preferably has a diameter or width of between approximately two and three quarter inches to four inches so that a can 3 may be dropped axially through the hole 31. It is foreseen that hole 31 may be larger or smaller depending on the type of trash being disposed. For example, the hole 31 may be sized larger to allow bottles for sports drinks to pass therethrough and which tend to have a larger diameter. It is also foreseen that hole 31 may be shaped in a variety of geometries, however circular and square will likely perform best.
Four draw string receivers 34 are formed in the rigid plate 2. The receivers 34 in the embodiment shown in
The rigid plate 24 is secured in place on top of the trash bag 2 by inserting the segments 21a, 21b, 22a and 22b of drawstring 2 in slots 38a-d. With the drawstring strands 21 and 22 supported on the hook 8, the weight of trash in the bag 2, pulls the drawstring segments 21a-b and 22a-b inward under tension, exerting pressure inward against the rigid plate 24 within the slots 38a-d. The tension on the strand segments 21a-b and 22a-b produces both normal and tangential forces exerted by the segments 21a-b and 22a-b on the respective drawstring receivers 34 securing the rigid plate 24 in place. All of the edges of the plate that may come into contact with the drawstring 2 are preferably beveled or rounded to deduce damage to the drawstring 2.
Rigid plate 24 prevents the mouth 12 of trash bag 2 from fully closing. Because the drawstring receiving slots 38a-d forming receivers 34 are spaced outward from the trash receiving hole 31, the drawstring receivers 34 maintain a minimum distance between the drawstring segments 21a-b and 22a-b received therein sufficient to keep the mouth 12 open wider than the trash receiving hole 31.
As noted previously, the trash bag 2 can hang by drawstrings 4 from trash bag hook 8. Trash bag hook 8 includes a downwardly opening, hooked mounting end 51 sized to mount on or over a sidewall of a truck or a bumper. Trash bag hook 8 further includes an upwardly opening, hooked support end 52 sized to receive and support said drawstring strands 21 and 22 therein. Drawstring strands 21 and 22 may be placed in the inverted hooked support end such that the trash bag 2 hangs therebelow from the drawstring strands 21 and 22.
As discussed previously, it is foreseen that trash receiving hole 31 through plate 24 may be of varying geometries and sizes. It is also foreseen that the periphery of plate 24 may be of varying geometries and sizes.
It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of the parts described and shown.
