Releasable Retention Device

Abstract

A releasable retention device for retaining a bag with a container, especially a waste container. The releasable retention device has a cap and a hollow base with open ends. Flexible flaps attached to the cap near the perimeter of the cap on the side of the perimeter toward the center of the cap. When an agglomerated portion of a bag is pushed through the flexible flaps, the flexible flaps primarily frictionally. The flexibility of the flaps reduces the risk of tearing a bag. The hollow base is attached to the bottom of the cap and has on its outer surface a fastener for maintaining the releasable retention device within a container.

Claims

1. A releasable retention device, which comprises: a cap having a perimeter, a center, and a bottom: a multitude of flexible flaps, each of said flaps having a first end attached to said cap near the perimeter of said cap toward the center of said cap, each of said flexible flaps extending inward toward the center of said cap with a second end of each of said flexible flaps being nearer to the center of said cap than is the first end of each of said flaps, and each of said flaps having sides; a hollow base having a first open end attached to the bottom of said cap, a second open end that is farther from said cap than is the first open end of said hollow base, and an outer surface; and at least one fasteners attached to the outer surface of said hollow base.

2. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 1, wherein: the second end of each of said flexible flaps reaches the center of said cap.

3. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 2, wherein: the closer sides of each two adjacent flexible flaps touch each other.

4. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 3, wherein: said fastener is a snap-fit joint.

5. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 3, further comprising: threads on the outer surface of said hollow base.

6. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 5, further comprising: a retaining washer having threads on its inner surface to mate with the thread of the outer surface of said hollow base.

7. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 2, wherein: the closer sides of each two adjacent said flexible flaps have a space between each other.

8. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 7, wherein: said fastener is a snap-fit joint.

9. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 7, further comprising: threads on the outer surface of said hollow base.

10. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 9, further comprising: a retaining washer having threads on its inner surface to mate with the thread of the outer surface of said hollow base.

11. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 1, wherein: the second end of each of said flexible flaps does not reach the center of said cap.

12. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 11, wherein: the closer sides of each two adjacent flexible flaps touch each other.

13. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 12, wherein: said fastener is a snap-fit joint.

14. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 12, further comprising: threads on the outer surface of said hollow base.

15. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 14, further comprising: a retaining washer having threads on its inner surface to mate with the thread of the outer surface of said hollow base.

16. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 11, wherein: the closer sides of each two adjacent said flexible flaps have a space between each other.

17. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 16, wherein: said fastener is a snap-fit joint.

18. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 16, further comprising: threads on the outer surface of said hollow base.

19. The releasable retention device as recited in claim 18, further comprising: a retaining washer having threads on its inner surface to mate with the thread of the outer surface of said hollow base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container, specifically a waste container, with a removable lid wherein two Releasable Retention Devices have been inserted into the container.

[0026] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a container, specifically a waste container, with a Releasable Retention Device inserted into the container.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a container, specifically a waste container, holding a bag which is being retained by the Releasable Retention Device.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the Releasable Retention Device into which an agglomerated portion of a bag has been inserted, wherein the container with the Releasable Retention Device has been indented, or recessed, to facilitate insertion of the Releasable Retention Device without obstructing the placement of a lid onto the container and wherein the Releasable Retention Device is maintained in place with two snap-fit joint.

[0029] FIG. 5 is the same as FIG. 4 except that no bag has been inserted.

[0030] FIG. 6 is the same as FIG. 6 with the exception that the Releasable Retention Device is maintained in place with threads on the exterior of the base of the Releasable Retention Device being mated with threads on a releasable washer.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a plan view from the top for an embodiment of the Releasable Retention Device having six flaps.

[0032] FIG. 8 is a plan view from the top for an embodiment of the Releasable Retention Device having eight flaps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The Releasable Retention Device 1 for a bag within a container, especially a waste container, comprises a cap 2 having a perimeter 3, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 8.

[0034] The first end 4 of each of the multiple flexible flaps 5, preferably six or eight flaps 5, is, as most clearly seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, attached to the cap 2 near the perimeter 3 of the cap 2 and toward the center 6 of the cap 2.

[0035] Each flexible flap 5 extends inward toward the center 6 of the cap 2, with the second end 7 of each flexible flap 5 being nearer to the center 6 of the cap 2 than is the first end 4 of the cap 2and, preferably, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, reachingthe center 6 of the cap 2. The closer sides 8 of each two adjacent flexible flaps 5 preferably touch each other, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, but may optionally have a space between them.

[0036] Multiple flexible 5 flaps create greater friction as a principal method to retain an inserted bag 9, and flexibility of the flaps 5 reduces the risk of tearing and inserted bag 9, especially upon insertion of a bag 9 into the Releasable Retention Device 1 or removal bag from the Releasable Retention Device 1. Shortened flaps 5, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6, however, do create a small aperture 10 in the center 6 of the cap 2 which somewhat eases the insertion and removal of a bag 9 into and from the Releasable Retention Device 1.

[0037] The cap 2 can have any cross-sectional shape as long as a sufficient portion of the cap 2 extends sufficiently far beyond the aperture 11 in the container 12 into which the Releasable Retention Device 1 is inserted to prevent the cap 2 from being pushed through the aperture 10, an amount of extension which one of ordinary skill in the art would know.

[0038] Attached to the bottom 13 of the cap 2, as portrayed in FIGS. 1, 4, 5, and 6, is the first end 14 of a hollow base 15. The first end 14 of the hollow base 15 and the second end 16 of the hollow base 15, which is farther from the cap 2 than is the first end 14 of the hollow base 15, are both open to facilitate movement of the first end 4 of each flexible flap 5 into the hollow base 15.

[0039] Connected to the outer surface 17 of the hollow base 15 is one or more fasteners 18 for attaching the Releasable Retention Device 1 to a container 12, preferably a waster container 12. The fastener 18 can be any fastener known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Suitable examples, though, are at least one snap-fit joint 19 and preferably two snap-fit joints, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, and threads 20 on the outer surface 17 of the hollow base 15 to mate with threads 21 on the inner surface 22 of a traditional retaining washer 23, as shown in FIG. 6. Alternatively, rather than using a retaining washer 23, mating threads can be, as one of ordinary skill in the art would know, on the sides of the aperture 11 in the container 12.

[0040] The cross-sectional shape of the hollow base 15 need not be circular if the hollow base 15 is attached to the container 12 with something other than threads 20, such as at least one snap-fit joint 19.

[0041] The Releasable Retention Device 1 can be constructed with any material known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Two suitable exemplary materials are, however, either polypropylene by itself or a combination of polypropylene with polyethylene.

[0042] A method for utilizing the Releasable Retention Device 1 to retain a bag within a container, especially a water container, is as follows: The free end 23 of the bag 9 is, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, pulled upward and then outward and downward over the upper rim 24 of the container 12. The free end 23 of the bag 9 is then pulled tight around the upper rim 24 creating an agglomerated portion 25 of the bag 9 which agglomerated portion 25 is pushed through the flexible flaps 5 of the Releasable Retention Device 1 into the container 12. When desired, the agglomerated portion 25 of the bag 9 is pulled or pushed from the Releasable Retaining Device 1.

[0043] As used herein, the term substantially indicates that one skilled in the art would consider the value modified by such terms to be within acceptable limits for the stated value. Also as used herein the term preferable or preferably means that a specified element or technique is more acceptable than another but not that such specified element or technique is a necessity.