Patent Application
20180009559
This invention relates to the classification of Handling: Hand and Hoist-line Implements. Specifically, this invention is a hand-held yard waste collection device.
A combined internet search for “yard waste” and “back pain” generates over one million (1,000,000) hits. Chiropractors, orthopedic doctors, laser spine institutes, landscape maintenance services, and a host of other interested stakeholders all discuss “yard waste” and “back pain” together, with many professing cures for the back pain caused by collecting yard waste. The obvious reason for so many results is that collecting yard waste causes back pain for a large proportion of the population.
Those who perform yard work are well aware of the difficulties typically encountered when manually collecting leaves and other light debris, and placing them into plastic bags. There are a few common methods for collecting leaves and other yard waste. First, a person holds a plastic bag open with one hand while the plastic bag rests on the ground, and uses the other hand to rake leaves and waste into the bag. This usually requires stooping to hold the bag open, and “choking-up” on the rake to get reasonable leverage with only one hand. Second, two people participate: one holds the bag, the other rakes the leaves into a pile and picks up the pile, placing it in the bag. One person repeatedly stoops and the other person holds the bag for a prolonged period of time. Third, a person uses a specialty implement to help collect leaves. For example, an open bottom barrel can be placed in an open trash bag to make the single person process easier. The problem with the open bottom barrel and other specialty implements is that they do not eliminate stooping and straining while collecting leaves.
In the past, a considerable amount of yard waste was burned. In recent years, many jurisdictions have imposed bans on burning yard waste. More and more jurisdictions have imposed restrictions that require residents to separately bag yard waste. Some require specific types of bags to be used. The result is that more and more homeowners have to rake, sweep, and bag yard waste and debris. In order to collect leaves, weeds, grass clippings, tree clippings, and other flora debris, a person usually needs to use one of the methods briefly discussed, above. The repetitive bending, while lifting, is the cause of most of the back pain. Even though most yard waste is not heavy in the conventional sense, repeated stooping and lifting fatigues the back, causing back pain.
Many tools and solutions have been created to address this problem. The internet abounds with alleged solutions. However, none of the tools or advertisements work. That is because all of the solutions, no matter how well-intentioned, still require some amount of stooping and lifting in order to collect yard waste and debris.
An ideal solution to collecting yard waste would be a tool that allowed a person to collect such waste without bending or stooping. Such a tool must also be light weight and ergonomically correct. Lastly, such a tool would need to be inexpensive. For although people seem to spend significant money on rehabilitating their back, after getting back pain, they don't seem to be enamored with spending money for tools that prevent back pain.
There is clearly a market demand for an inexpensive, light weight yard waste collection device that minimizes lifting and stooping. There have been many attempts to create yard waste collection devices, but all of them fall far short of the market need.
For example, U.S. Utility Pat. No. 3,697,030, by named inventor Schultz, entitled, “Material Collecting Means” (“Schultz '030”), teaches a rim structure to maintain a collection bag in the open position. Although Schultz '030 makes leaf or yard waste collection a one-person job, it does not eliminate stooping and lifting. If anything, Schultz '030, and other similar products that require the leaves or waste be vertically dropped into a bag or trashcan, exacerbates the stooping and lifting inherent in the collection of yard waste and debris.
There are many similar products and patents to Schultz '030, which teach some sort of frame to hold open a leaf bag: U.S. Utility Pat. No. 7,546,989, entitled, “Leaf bagging apparatus,” by named inventors Lineberry et. al., teaches a bag frame opening that lays flat on the ground; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 6,994,301, entitled, “Leaf bagger,” by named inventor Fox teaches a variation of a triangular bag holder frame; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 5,393,022, entitled, “Multi-compartment debris and leaf bag holder and assembly,” by named inventor Palumbo teaches using multiple frames, placed on their side, with bags; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 5,180,126, entitled, “Leaf caddy,” by named inventor Bennett, teaches another variation on a bag frame; and U.S. Utility Pat. No. 4,846,427, entitled, “Lawn and leaf bag frame,” by named inventor Jones, teaches a bag insert that mates with a frame.
The prior art has many examples of marrying a frame with a pole, to enable the user to rake the leaves into an open bag. For example, U.S. Utility Pat. No. 7,708,236, entitled, “Method and apparatus for collecting yard debris,” by named inventor Romero, teaches a variation of a triangular frame on a pole for raking leaves into bag; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 7,374,135, entitled, “Method and apparatus for collecting yard debris,” by named inventor Romero, teaches a variation of a triangular frame on a pole for raking leaves into bag; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 6,520,554, entitled, “Yard sweepings collection device,” by named inventor Ditzik, teaches a variation of a triangular frame on a pole for raking leaves into bag; and U.S. Utility Pat. No. 3,942,832, entitled, “Leaf collector,” by named inventor Haas, teaches a variation of a triangular frame on a pole for raking leaves into bag. Although an improvement over traditional methods of raking leaves, these solutions still seem to be ergonomically imperfect, still requiring a lot of stooping and sustained holding.
There is substantial prior art in which the inventor uses a chute or ramp to route the leaves and yard debris into a bag. For example, U.S. Utility Pat. No. 5,000,406, entitled, “Apparatus for catching leaves or other debris,” by named inventor Petersen, teaches a truncated parallelepiped chute with bag retainer and handle; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 4,971,274, entitled, “Combination holder for disposable leaf and rubbage bags and yard tool,” by named inventor Mitchell, teaches a dustpan-like leaf chute with bag opening; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 4,723,803, entitled, “Leaf bagging device,” by named inventor Sapp, teaches a dust-pan like handle with bag and angled chute; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 4,572,559, entitled, “Scoop for gathering leaves, grass, debris and the like,” by named inventor Gainley, teaches a chute-shaped scoop that captures leaves; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 7,815,153, entitled, “Leaf catcher,” by named inventors Campbell, et. al., teaches a leaf collector that lays on the ground and has several projections that create a wide chute; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 6,983,965, entitled, “Leaf collecting system,” by named inventor Bergell, teaches a chute to be placed in over-turned trash can; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 6,708,742, entitled, “Leaf and debris chute,” by named inventors Weathers, et. al., teaches a chute with a bag retainer feature; U.S. Utility Pat. No. 5,915,768, entitled, “Yard waste bagging means,” by named inventor Young, teaches a chute that fits into turned-over trash-can like receptacle. There are many other sources of prior art which teach or disclose the use of a ramp or chute in order to collect leaves, but any further recitation would be merely cumulative.
Although substantial prior art exists to help bag leaves and other yard waste, none of the prior art significantly reduces or eliminates the stooping or lifting that ultimately leads to back pain. The market is still searching for a suitable solution, as evidenced by the fact that, although there have been many inventions in the public domain for decades, none of them seem to have acquired any significant market traction. The ideal tool will collect yard waste without requiring the user to bend, stoop, or lift. In order to be attractive to the market, such a solution also needs to be economical and lightweight.
This summary is intended to disclose the present invention, a yard waste collection device. The embodiments and descriptions are used to illustrate the invention and its utility, and are not intended to limit the invention or its use.
The present invention relates to hand implements used to perform landscaping, such as the collection of leaves and other lightweight, ground-based debris. The present invention is a hand implement that allows the user to easily rake yard debris into a bag. In its primary embodiment, the present invention has an integral body and a handle.
The integral body has a planar surface that rests on the ground when in use. The planar surface has one open, free edge that is wider than a typical 24″ yard rake. The free edge is beveled, in order to help with raking or sweeping debris onto the planar surface. The free edge has two defined end points. A continuous side surface, integral with the planar surface, extends vertically upward from the planar surface, from one endpoint of the free edge to the other endpoint of the free edge. The continuous side surface has at least one opening, opposed to the free edge. The at least one opening has two sides: a side facing the planar surface, and a side disposed away from the planar surface. On the side of the opening disposed away from the planar surface is a rim, surrounding the opening. The rim has a clamping or capturing means for attaching a yard-waste or trash bag to the rim.
In the primary embodiment, the continuous side surface forms a slightly obtuse angle with respect to the planar surface. In an alternative embodiment, the continuous side surface forms an acute angle with respect to the planar surface. In an alternative embodiment, the continuous side surface is largely orthogonal to the planar surface. In an alternative embodiment, part of the continuous side surface is obtuse with respect to the planar surface, and the rest of the continuous side surface is orthogonal to the planar surface. The continuous side surface may have more than one discernable regions, all of which are continuously connected, produced by inflecting the surface. The discernable regions of the continuous side surface in proximity with the free edge end points may be triangular, rectangular, parallelepiped, or irregular. A fillet may provide a transition from the planar surface to the continuous side surface. One or more fillets may provide transition between discernable regions of the continuous side surface.
The opening in the continuous side surface can be any shape: circular, square, rectangular, parallelepiped, or irregular. The rim can be any shape: cylindrical, square, rectangular, polyhedral, or irregular. Typically, the shape of the rim will be complementary to the shape of the opening. In other words, a circular opening would be mated with a cylindrical rim. This is not a requirement. In the primary embodiment, the opening is circular and the rim is cylindrical. In an alternative embodiment, the opening is semi-circular, and the interior surface of the opening is semi-cylindrical, with the opening and the surface oriented so that the flat edge and flat surface, respectively, are parallel and flush with the planar surface. The rim may be either truncated or pronounced. A pronounced cylindrical rim, for example, would create a feed tube into the collection bag.
The present invention includes a clamping or capturing means, to secure a collection bag to the side of the rim disposed away from the flat planar surface. Clamping can be provided by spring-clamps, a retaining ring, or spring-steel retaining clips. The spring-clamps may be captive on the external rim of the integral body, or they may be loose spring clamps.
The present invention has a handle. In an alternative embodiment, the handle telescopes, to allow a person to use the present invention without bending over. In another alternative embodiment, a captive handle can be integrally molded into the integral body.
The integral body is constructed from a stiff, lightweight, environmentally durable material such as poly(methyl-methacrylate) (“PMMA” or tradenames Plexiglass or Lucite®), polycarbonate (“PC” or tradename Lexan®), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”), polypropylene (“PP”), high-density polyethylene (“HDPE”), low-density polyethylene (“LDPE”), steel, zinc, or aluminum. In one embodiment, the integral body is molded as a single piece out of a polymer: PMMA, PC, ABS, PP, HDPE, or LDPE. Common methods to adjust the material properties of molded plastic can be used, such as adding glass beads, flue ash, foaming, or gas injection.
The user rakes leaves into the integral body, by raking them past the beveled free edge and onto the planar surface. The leaves and yard waste will then pass through the opening and into the collection bag because (1) further leaves and debris raked onto the planar surface will displace them, forcing them through the opening and into the collection bag; (2) the user will push the leaves and debris through the opening with the rake or other hand held implement; or (3) the user will raise the free edge above the opening and collection bag, allowing gravity to pull the leaves into the collection bag.
The present invention is illustrated with 21 drawings on 16 sheets.
The following descriptions are not meant to limit the invention, but rather to add to the summary of invention, and illustrate the present invention, by offering and illustrating various embodiments of the present invention, a yard waste collection device.
The integral body 150 has several discernible features. The integral body has a planar surface 112 connected to a continuous side surface 115, 116. The continuous side surface has two discernible regions, 115, 116, which are both substantially triangular. The angle between the planar surface 112 and the continuous side surface 115, 116 is substantially orthogonal, although that is not a requirement of the present invention 111. The angle between the planar surface 112 and the continuous side surface 115, 116 could also be obtuse, or slightly acute. The planar surface 112 has an interior surface 112 and an exterior surface 129. The continuous side surface 115, 116 has an interior side surface 115, 116, and an exterior side surface 128, 130, 138. The planar surface 112 has at least one free edge 114. The free edge 114 has two end points 160, 161. A beveled surface 113 transitions between the planar surface 112 and the free edge 114. An interior edge 133, 135 defines the transition between the interior planar surface 112 and the interior continuous side surface 115, 116. An exterior edge 131, 132, 141 defines the transition between the exterior planar surface 129 and the exterior continuous side surface 128, 130, 138. The interior edge 133, 135 and the exterior edge 131, 132, 134 may be filleted. The continuous side surface 115, 116 has a top edge 120, 121.
A cylindrical opening 118 is centered on the continuous side surface 115, 116. The cylindrical opening 118 has an interior opening 118 and an exterior opening 148, connected by an interior cylindrical surface 124. An interior edge 119 defines the transition between the interior continuous side surface 115, 116, the opening 118, and the interior surface of the opening 124. The opening 148 has an exterior surface, or rim 125. The rim 125 has an edge 126. The interior surface 124 of the opening 118, 148 also has an exterior surface that is a vertical cylindrical segment 122, disposed on the relative top of the integral body 150.
The present invention 111 has a handle 123 attached to the integral body 150 by a handle shank 127. The handle shank 127 is attached to the vertical cylindrical segment 122, and can be integrally molded into the integral body.
A cylindrical opening 18 is centered on the roughly rectangular region of the continuous side surface 17. The cylindrical opening 18 has an interior opening 18 and an exterior opening 48, connected by an interior cylindrical surface 24. An interior edge 19 provides the transition between the roughly rectangular region of the interior continuous side surface 17, the opening 18, and the interior surface of the opening 24. The opening 48 has an exterior surface, or rim 25. The rim 25 has an edge 26.
The present invention 11 has a handle 23 attached to the integral body 50 by a handle shank 27. The handle shank is attached to the top surface 22 of the roughly rectangular region of the continuous side surfaces 17.
A cylindrical opening 218, 318, 418, is centered on the continuous side surface 215, 238, 315, 338, 415, 438. The cylindrical opening 218, 318, 418 has an interior opening 218, 318, 418 and an exterior opening 248, 348, 448, connected by an interior cylindrical surface 224, 324, 424. An interior edge 219, 319, 419 provides the transition between the the continuous side surface 215, 238, 315, 338, 415, 438, the opening 218, 318, 418, and the interior surface of the opening 224, 324, 424. The opening 218, 318, 418, 248, 348, 448 has a cylindrical exterior surface, or rim 225, 325, 425. The rim can be truncated like 225 or extended like 325, 425. The extended cylinder 325 can either be parallel to the planar surface 312, or the extended cylinder 425 can be angled with respect to the planar surface 412. The rim 225 has an edge 226. The rim 325, 425 edge is obscured by a retaining ring 360, 460, used to hold a standard lawn or leaf bag 370, 470. The interior surface 224, 324, 424 of the opening 248, 348, 448 also has an exterior surface that is a vertical cylindrical segment 222, 322, 422, disposed on the relative top of the integral body 250, 350, 450.
The present invention 211, 311, 411 has a handle 223, 323, 423 attached to the integral body 250, 350, 450 by a handle shank 227, 327, 427. The handle shank 227, 327, 427 is attached to the top surface 222, 322, 422. The handle shank 227, 327, 427 can have a telescoping feature 239, 339, 439, allowing the length of the handle shank 227, 327, 427 to be adjusted.
A standard leaf bag 370, 470 is connected to the present invention 11, 111, 211, 311, 411 with a clamping means attached to the rim 25, 125, 225, 325, 425.
