Bag receptacle holder apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus used with a sleeve receptacle to make an animal waste bag holder apparatus or with a trash can receptacle to allow air captured between the bag and the the trash can to escape. The apparatus includes a bolt that extends through a side hole formed on the receptacle. The bolt's head is placed adjacent to the inside surface of the receptacle and the threaded shaft extends through the side hole. When a plastic bag is inserted into the receptacle, the bag's top edge is folded over the outside surface of the receptacle and placed below or adjacent to the side hole. The holder includes a flange nut with internal threads which when tightened on the shaft, presses against the portion of the plastic bag adjacent to the side hole. When tightened, the portion of the plastic bag is pulled which tightens the plastic bag around the receptacle.

Claims

1. An accessory used with a trash can filled with a plastic bag, said thrash can includes a top opening and sidewalls and an air space located between said sidewalls and said plastic bag when placed inside said trash can, said accessory comprising: a. a side hole formed on said sidewalls of said trash can near said top opening; b. a bolt with a wide head and a threaded shaft, said threaded shaft configured so that when said wide head is located inside said trash can said threaded shaft is extended through said side hole, said bolt includes a fully extending, longitudinally aligned air conduit that allows air located inside said air space located between said trash can and said plastic bag to pass through said bolt; and, c. a flange nut with internal threads that attaches to said threaded shaft that extends outside said trash can, said flange nut includes an inside surface configured to press against said trash can when said flange nut is tightened onto said threaded shaft, said flange nut also includes a hole that allows air to escape from said air conduit inside said bolt.

2. The accessory, as recited in claim 1, further including a washer attached to said inside surface of said flange nut.

3. The accessory as recited in claim 1, further including a handle attached to said flange nut.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a bag receptacle holder combined with a sleeve and elongated handle and used as a tool for removing animal waste material from the ground and depositing it into a bag.

(2) FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the tool with a bag attached thereto show in FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the sleeve with a disposable bag attached thereto and positioned behind animal waste deposited on a grass surface.

(4) FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the tool showing light downward force being exerted on the pole causing the sleeve to transform into an oval cross-sectional configuration.

(5) FIG. 5 is a partial side elevational view of the distal end of the pole and the sleeve showing the top edge of a bag being positioned in a gap formed between the flange and the outside surface of the sleeve.

(6) FIG. 6 is a top elevational view of tool used with a plastic bucket with a wide upper lip that rest against the top edge of the sleeve to hold the bucket in the sleeve.

(7) FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the plastic bucket attached to the sleeve.

(8) FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of a trash can with the second embodiment of the bag holder used as an accessory that enables air to escape from the space between a bag placed into the trash can when inserting the bag into the trash can, and securely holds and tightens the bag on the trash can.

(9) FIG. 9 is an end elevational view of a trash can with the holder used as a trash can accessory showing a bag held securely and tighten on the trash can.

(10) FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the holder attached to the side wall of a trash can as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 showing the flange nut be attached to the shaft.

(11) FIG. 11 is a sectional side elevational view of another embodiment of holder used with a thin wall sleeve or a cylindrical receptacle and showing an adapter attached to one end of the shaft that attaches to a handle that can be easily gripped by a user.

(12) FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of an optional shovel used with the embodiments of the apparatus as shown in FIGS. 1-4, 6 and 7.

(13) FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the shovel in FIG. 12.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

(14) Disclosed herein is a waste receptacle holder disclosed herein that attaches to a straight wall or curved wall receptacle designed to receive a plastic bag. The receptacle may be a thin wall sleeve 20 with top or bottom openings or a thin wall trash can 120. When a plastic bag 60 is installed on the center cavity 26, 126 formed in the sleeve 20 or trash can 120, respectively, the top edge 62, 62′ of the plastic bag 60, 60′ folds over the outside surface of the sleeve 20 or trash can 120. A side hole 24, 124, is formed on the sidewall of the sleeve 20 or trash can 120, respectively, at location so that top 62, 62′ edge of the plastic bag 60 or trash can 120, respectively, when folded over the sleeve 20 or trash can 120 extends downward at least partially covers or adjacent to the side hole, 24, 124, respectively.

(15) Referring to the accompanying FIGS. 1-7, the holder 8 is part of a tool 10 that includes a lightweight elongated pole 12 with the sleeve 20 attached or mounted on one end of the pole 12 that receives and holds a small plastic bag 60. The plastic bag 60 is sufficient in length and diameter to fit into the sleeve 20. The opposite end of the plastic bag 60 is closed.

(16) The sleeve 20 is cylindrical with two opposite end openings 22, 23. A side hole 24 is formed on the side wall. The sleeve 20 is made of thin flexible plastic and designed to bend and flex as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. When the sleeve 20 and the plastic bag 60 are forced downward against the ground 5, the sleeve 20 is reshaped into an oval cross-sectional configuration so that waste material 99 may be raked towards the top opening 23 of the sleeve 20 and into the plastic bag 60 as shown in FIG. 1.

(17) As shown in FIG. 5, the holder 8 includes a partially threaded bolt 40 designed to fit into the side hole 24. The bolt 40 includes a wide head 41 and threaded shaft 42. The wide head 41 is placed on the inside surface 21 of the sleeve 20 and the threaded shaft 42 extends outward through the side hole 24. When a plastic bag 60 is inserted through the top opening 23, the top edge 62 of the plastic bag 60 is folded over the outside surface of the sleeve 60 and placed adjacent to extended passed the shaft 42. Disposed on the shaft 42 and adjacent to the inside surface of the wide head 41 is an optional flexible washer 39. Attached to the portion of the shaft 42 located adjacent to the outside surface of the sleeve 20 is a lock washer 48. During use the lock washer 48 is forced onto the shaft 42 and against the washer 39 or against the outside surface of the sleeve 20 to hold the shaft 42 securely in place on the sleeve 20.

(18) The holder 8 includes a wide flange nut 36 with a center bore with internal threads 38 that attaches to the threads 44 formed on the threaded shaft 42. The flange nut 36 includes a planar inside surface 37 configured to press against the outside surface of the receptacle. The inside surface 37 may be flat or include a plurality of projections configured to grip a plastic bag.

(19) The flange nut 36 may be attached or integrally formed on the end of long or short handle 12. The handle 12 may be straight or slightly curved as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When used with a long handle 12, the tool 10 may be used to pick up waste material 99 while standing.

(20) When the threaded bore is attached to the shaft and the flange nut 36 is tightened on the shaft 42, the inside surface 37 of the flange nut 36 presses against the portion of the plastic bag 60 adjacent to the side hole 24 and the shaft 42. As the flange nut 36 is tightened further on the shaft 42, the portion of the plastic bag 60 under the flange nut 36 is pulled which tightens and twists the entire plastic bag 60 around the sleeve 20 as shown in FIG. 1. If the plastic bag extends on opposite sides of the hole, the plastic bag is twisted on opposite sides.

(21) FIG. 6 is a top elevational view of tool 10 in which the plastic bag 60 is replaced with a bucket 20. The bucket 70 includes a wide upper lip 72 that rest against the top edge of the sleeve 20 to hold the bucket 70 in the sleeve 20.

(22) FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the plastic bucket 70 attached to the sleeve 20.

(23) FIGS. 8 and 9 is a front perspective view and a side elevational view, respectively, of a trash can 120 with the second embodiment of the holder 8′used as an accessory for holding a plastic bag 60′on the trash can 120 and also enables air to escape from the space 200 between the plastic bag 60′ and the trash can 120 when inserting the plastic bag 60′ into the trash can 120 and also securely holds the bag on the trash can 120.

(24) As shown more clearly in FIG. 10, the holder 8′ is similar to holder 8 shown in FIG. 5 and includes partially threaded bolt 40 designed to fit into the side hole 124 formed on the side of the trash can 120. The side hole 124 is located a sufficient distance from the top edge of the trash can so the top edge 62′ of plastic bag 60′ folded downward over the outside surface of the trash can is located adjacent or near the side hole 124. The bolt 40 includes a wide head 41 and a perpendicularly aligned threaded shaft 42. The wide head 41 is placed on the inside surface 121 of the trash can 120 and the threaded shaft 42 extends outward through the side hole 124. When a plastic bag 60′ is inserted through the trash can's top opening and into the center cavity, the top edge 62′ of the plastic bag 60′ is folded over the outside surface of the trash can 120 and placed adjacent to extended passed the shaft 42. Disposed on the shaft 42 and adjacent to the inside surface of the wide head 41 is an optional washer 43. Attached to the portion of the shaft 42 located adjacent to the outside surface of the trash can 120 is a lock washer or threaded bushing 48. During use the lock washer or threaded bushing 48 is tightened on the shaft 42 and forces against the outside surface of the trash can 120 to hold the shaft 42 securely in place on the trash can 120.

(25) Formed in the shaft 42 is a longitudinally aligned air conduit 80. The air conduit 80 extends from the wide head 41 to the end of the shaft 42.

(26) The holder 8′ includes a wide flange nut 136 with a wide cylindrical body 137. Extending perpendicular from the body 137 is an intermediate member 142. The intermediate member 142 includes internal threads 138 configured to attach to the external threads formed on the shaft 42. The flange nut 136 includes an interior space 140 that accommodates the lock washer or lock bushing 48 thereby allowing the outer inside surface 138 of the body 137 to press against the outside surface 123 of the trash can 120. The end cap 150 may be attached or formed on the intermediate member 142. The end cap 150 includes a hole 152 that communicates with the air conduit 80.

(27) When used on a trash can 120, the air conduit 80 allows air 200 in the space 128 between the inside surface 121 of the trash can 120 and a plastic bag 60′ when placed into the trash can 120 to escape enabling the plastic bag 60′ fully expand into the trash can 120.

(28) When the flange nut 136 is tightened on the shaft 42, the inside surface 138 of the body 137 presses against the plastic bag 60′adjacent to the side hole 124 and the shaft 42. As the flange nut 136 is further tightened on the shaft 42, the portion of the plastic bag 60′ under the inside surface 138 of the body 137 is twisted and pulled which tightens the entire plastic bag 61 around the plastic bag 60′ as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

(29) FIG. 11 is a sectional side elevational view of the second embodiment of the holder 8 used with a thin wall sleeve 20 that includes an adapter 150 attached to one end of the shaft 42. The adapter 150 may be attached to handle 12 that can be gripped by a user that allows the trash can 120 to be easily transported and, and if desired, turned upside down without detaching the bag 60′ from the trash can 60′.

(30) When the holder 8 is assembled into an animal waste bag holder tool 10, it may be desirable to distribute the tool 10 with an elongated scooping tool 180. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the scooping tool 180 includes a straight or curved elongated handle 182 with a claw member 184 attached at its distal end. During use, the user may use the tool to flick animal waste material 99 into the plastic bag 60 or bucket 70.

(31) The flange nut 36, 136 must be sufficient in diameter to grip a sufficient portion of the plastic bag adjacent to the side hole when forced against the outside surface of sleeve or trash can. The side holes 24, 124 formed on the sleeve and trash can are slightly larger in diameter than the shafts to allow the shafts on the bolts to slide freely therein. In the embodiments shown herein, the shafts are approximately ½ to ¾ in diameter. The flange nut 36 136 has as a complimentary threaded bore. The diameter of the flange nut is 1 to 2 inches in diameter. It should be understood, that the actual diameters of the shafts, bores and flange nuts may vary for different applications.

(32) In compliance with the statute, the invention described has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It should be understood however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown, comprises the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted under the doctrine of equivalents.