Patent Application
20130081579
The present disclosure relates to devices, systems and methods for holding waste disposal bags on a pet leash.
Many municipalities have ordinances that require pet owners to clean up after their pets and make sure pet waste is disposed of properly. These mandates often extend to sidewalks, parks, and other public areas. When taking their pets for walks in these areas, pet owners often keep their pets on a leash. Thus, pet owners need to hold the leash in one hand while walking their pets. If they need to hold a bag of pet waste as well, that leaves the pet owners with no free hand for other activities such as using a cell phone or PDA. It is also common for pet owners to engage in outdoor exercise, such as jogging, with their pets, which makes it unfeasible to carry a bag of pet waste. In addition, it can simply be unpleasant and unsightly to hold a bag of pet waste.
Devices have been designed to obviate the need for pet owners to carry pet waste bags while walking their pets. In particular, there are existing devices to attach the pet waste bag to the pet leash. Such solutions include securing devices having one or more arms that attach to a pet leash. These devices can be awkward to use because a first arm has to be disengaged from the leash and the waste bag pulled through the leash and the first arm of the securing device, over a focal point, and then through the leash and a second arm. Other devices include a flexible planar body with an attachment surface for securing the body to a pet leash and a plurality of slits extending through the body and intersecting a common aperture through which a waste bag is inserted. These devices are large so they may hang down and contact the pet and may be awkward to use as well.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device and system for holding waste bags on a pet leash that are easy to use. There also is a need for a device and system for holding waste bags on a pet leash that is compact and integrates easily into a pet leash.
The present disclosure, in its many embodiments, alleviates to a great extent the disadvantages of known waste bag holding devices by providing retention devices, systems and methods which can be integrated with or coupled to a leash. Disclosed retention devices, systems and methods comprise a fabric strip made of leash material and a retention mechanism that is effective and easy to use. The retention mechanism includes an elastic cord and a locking mechanism.
Exemplary embodiments of a retention device comprise a fabric strip having a first end and a second end and a retention mechanism attached to the fabric strip at one or more of the first end and the second end. The fabric strip may be comprised of a leash material. One or more of the first or second end of the fabric strip may comprise an elastic material. The retention mechanism preferably includes a loop member and a locking mechanism slidably coupled to the loop member. The locking mechanism is adapted to tighten the loop member. Exemplary embodiments may further comprise a stop slidably coupled to the loop member, and the stop may be in the faun of a bead.
In exemplary embodiments, the fabric strip of the retention device is integrated with a pet leash. More particularly, the first end of the fabric strip may be located adjacent a handle portion of the pet leash, and the loop member may be attached at or near the second end of the fabric strip. In exemplary embodiments, the fabric strip is flush with the pet leash. The fabric strip may be coupled to the pet leash. In exemplary embodiments, the first end and second end of the fabric strip are attached to form a ring. The ring may be coupled to a handle portion of a pet leash.
Exemplary embodiments include a waste bag carrying system comprising a pet leash having a lead portion and a handle portion and a retention device. The retention device has a fabric strip including a first end and a second end and a retention mechanism. The retention mechanism is attached to the fabric strip at one or more of the first end and the second end. The retention mechanism includes an elastic cord member and a locking mechanism slidably coupled to the elastic cord member and adapted to tighten the elastic cord member. The system may further comprise a stop slidably coupled to the elastic cord member.
In exemplary embodiments, the fabric strip of the retention device is integrated with the pet leash. More particularly, the first end of the fabric strip is located adjacent the handle portion of the pet leash, and the elastic cord member is attached at or near the second end of the fabric strip. The fabric strip may be flush with the lead portion of the pet leash. The fabric strip may be coupled to the pet leash. In exemplary embodiments, the first end and second end of the fabric strip are attached to form a loop, and the loop is coupled to the handle portion of a pet leash.
Exemplary embodiments include a method of carrying a waste bag, comprising providing a pet leash having a lead portion and a handle portion, providing a retention device, coupling the retention device to the pet leash, and inserting a waste bag in the retention device. The retention device has a fabric strip and a retention mechanism, and the retention mechanism further includes a loop member and a locking mechanism slidably coupled to the loop member. The fabric strip of the retention device is coupled to the pet leash. Then a waste bag is inserted into a substantially circular loop formed by the loop member, and the loop member is tightened using the locking mechanism.
In exemplary embodiments, coupling the fabric strip of the retention device to the pet leash comprises integrating the fabric strip with the pet leash such that a first end of the fabric strip is located adjacent the handle portion of the pet leash and the fabric strip is flush with the lead portion of the pet leash. In exemplary embodiments, coupling the fabric strip of the retention device to the pet leash comprises attaching a first end and second end of the fabric strip to form a ring and coupling the ring to the handle portion of the pet leash. Tightening the loop member may comprise sliding the locking mechanism along the loop member until the waste bag is securely held by the elastic cord member and may further comprise contacting the waste bag with a stop slidably coupled to the elastic cord member.
Accordingly, it is seen that waste bag carrying devices, systems and methods are provided which are easy to use, compact and integrate easily into a pet leash. These and other features and advantages will be appreciated from review of the following detailed description, along with the accompanying figures in which like reference numbers refer to like parts throughout.
The foregoing and other objects of the disclosure will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the following paragraphs, embodiments will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not drawn to scale, and the illustrated components are not necessarily drawn proportionately to one another. Throughout this description, the embodiments and examples shown should be considered as exemplars, rather than as limitations of the present disclosure. As used herein, the “present disclosure” refers to any one of the embodiments described herein, and any equivalents. Furthermore, reference to various aspects of the disclosure throughout this document does not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced aspects.
Exemplary embodiments of a retention mechanism will be described with reference to
An exemplary embodiment of a locking mechanism 24 is a slidable button lock wherein when button 28 is pressed down, the locking mechanism 24 is in an unlocked position and may be slid along the loop member 22. When the button 28 is released the locking mechanism 24 is in a locked position and remains stationary, maintaining the size of the ring 26. A through hole 25 receives two cords of the loop member 22. The locking mechanism 24 may also include a stop 30, which can be slidably coupled to the elastic cord member 22 by inserting the cord member through a through hole 32 in the stop 30. The stop 30 could vary in shape and size, and in exemplary embodiments is a bead.
Another exemplary embodiment of a retention mechanism 214 incorporates a different locking mechanism 224 shown in
The retention mechanism 14 is attached to the fabric strip 12 of the retention device 10 through a connection of the loop member 22 with the first end 16 and/or second end 18 of the fabric strip 12. More particularly, in exemplary embodiments the ends of the loop member 22 are inserted through the locking mechanism 24 and are then attached to the second end 18 of the fabric strip 12. The ends of the loop member 22 can be fastened to the second end 18 of the fabric strip 12 by any fastening methods or mechanisms, including by application of adhesives or by being sown together. In some embodiments, the ends of the loop member 22 are fastened to the second end 18 of the fabric strip 12 while in other embodiments the ends of the loop member 22 may be inserted between and fastened to both the first end 16 and the second end 18 of the fabric strip 12. As mentioned above, the loop member 22 may be an elastic cord to provide a more secure hold on a waste bag.
In exemplary embodiments, as shown in
As best seen in
With reference to
In exemplary embodiments, the retention mechanism 114 is attached to the fabric strip 112 at or near the point where the first and second ends 116, 118 of the fabric strip 112 are attached to form the closed loop 113. More particularly, the ends of the loop member 122 of the retention mechanism 114 are disposed between the first and second ends 116, 118 of the fabric strip 112. The ends of the loop member 122 are fastened to inner portions of the fabric strip 112 at or near one or both of the first and second ends 116, 118 of the fabric strip, either by sewing or gluing. The locking mechanism 124 of the retention mechanism 114 and stop 130 are slidably coupled to the loop member 122 by insertion of the cords of loop member 122 through through hole 125. When the leash 120 is being used and the retention device 110 is holding a waste bag, the retention mechanism 114 hangs down from the leash handle 134, as shown in
In operation, after the pet waste is in the waste bag 50 the user closes the top of the waste bag 50 by, e.g., tying a quick knot, and then secures the waste bag 50 using the retention mechanism 14 of the retention device 10. More particularly, the user inserts the top portion 52 of the waste bag 50 through the ring 26 formed by the loop member 22 of the retention mechanism 14. To secure the waste bag 50, the user presses button 28 of the button lock mechanism 24 so the locking mechanism 24 is in an unlocked position. The user then slides the locking mechanism 24 along the loop member 22 toward the top portion 52 of the waste bag 50 until the locking mechanism 24 is pushed tightly against the top portion 52 of the waste bag 50.
As best seen in
To remove the waste bag 50 from the retention device 10, the user first presses button 28 or 228 of the button lock mechanism 24 or 224 so the locking mechanism 24 is in an unlocked position. Then the user slides the locking mechanism 24 or 224 along the loop member 22 away from the waste bag 50 in the direction of the fabric strip 12 until the locking mechanism 24 or 224 is far enough away from the top portion 52 of the waste bag 50 so the waste bag can be removed from the retention mechanism 14 or 214. The top portion 52 of the waste bag 50 is then slid out of the loop member 22, and the bag removed and disposed of.
Operation of exemplary embodiments of a retention device coupled to a leash handle will now be described in connection with
Once the pet waste is in the waste bag 150 the user closes the top of the waste bag 50 and secures it using the retention mechanism 114 of the retention device 110. This is accomplished by inserting the top portion 152 of the waste bag 150 through the ring 126 formed by the elastic cord member 122 of the retention mechanism 114. The user then presses button 128 of the button lock mechanism 124 so the locking mechanism 124 is in an unlocked position, thereby securing the waste bag 150. The user then slides the locking mechanism 124 along the loop member 122 toward the top portion 152 of the waste bag 150 until the locking mechanism 124 is pushed tightly against the top portion 152 of the waste bag 150.
With reference to
Removal of the waste bag 150 from the retention device 110, entails unlocking the locking mechanism 124 or 224 by pressing button 128 or 224 of the button lock mechanism 124 or 224. Then the user slides the locking mechanism 124 or 224 along the loop member 122 away from the waste bag 150 in the direction of the fabric strip 112 until the locking mechanism 124 or 224 is far enough away from the top portion 152 of the waste bag 150 so the waste bag can be removed from the retention mechanism 114 or 214. The user then slides the top portion 152 of the waste bag 150 out of the elastic cord member 122 and removes the bag from the retention device 110.
Thus, it is seen that waste bag retention device, systems and methods are provided. It should be understood that any of the foregoing configurations and specialized components or may be interchangeably used with any of the apparatus or systems of the preceding embodiments. Although illustrative embodiments are described hereinabove, it will be evident to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the disclosure. It is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the disclosure.
