WASTE COLLECTION DEVICE
An improved portable waste collection device for pets that is easier to use to collect and dispose of animal waste.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/693,799, filed Aug. 28, 2012, which is hereby incorporated hereby by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates generally to pet accessories, and in particular, to portable devices for collecting pet waste.
BACKGROUNDA common problem for pet owners and other animal caretakers is collecting pet waste (e.g., feces) deposited on the ground by their dogs or other animals. Conventional devices often referred to as “pooper scoopers” are typically used in a variety of home and commercial settings to collect the waste from the ground. Typical settings where pooper scoopers are used for collecting animal waste include residential yards and streets, as well as public parks, dog parks, doggie daycare, kennels, veterinarians, breeders, zoos, stables, and barns.
Many conventional pooper scoopers include a long-handled pan and a long-handled scrapper for sliding the waste into the pan. But these devices require two hands to operate. And for these and other conventional pooper scoopers, the pan must be cleaned out after emptying it to remove the residual waste adhering to it.
Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for improved animal waste collection devices that are easier to use. It is to the provision of solutions to this and other problems that the present invention is primarily directed.
SUMMARYGenerally described, the present invention relates to an improved portable waste collection device for pets that is easier to use to collect and dispose of animal waste. The specific techniques and structures employed to improve over the drawbacks of the prior devices and methods and accomplish the advantages described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments and the appended drawings and claims.
The present invention relates to a device for collecting waste into a disposal bag using only one hand. The collection device can be adapted for use in collecting a range of different types of waste, including animal feces as well as trash, dirt, and other debris. As such, the collection device can be used in a variety of settings, including residential yards and streets, as well as public parks, dog parks, doggie daycare, kennels, veterinarians, breeders, zoos, stables, barns, and the like.
The handle 12 is sized and shaped to be ergonomically held and comfortably gripped in one hand while carrying the device 10 and operating the actuating mechanism 18. And the stem 16 is provided by an elongate member that extends from the handle 12. The stem 16 has a proximal portion 22 that extends from the handle 12 and a distal portion 24 to which the collection fingers 14 are mounted. In some embodiments, the handle 12 and the stem 16 are integrally formed as one part, and in some embodiments the handle is formed by a portion of the stem.
In the depicted embodiment, the disposal-bag system is formed by innovative features of the handle 12 and the stem 16. In particular, the handle 12 has an internal cavity 26 for holding a plurality of the disposal bags 20 and the stem 16 has a bore 28 for extending the bags therethrough into position for use (see
Typically, the handle 12 encloses the internal cavity 22 and is openable to insert a fresh roll of bags 20. For example, the handle 12 can be of a clamshell type with top and bottom shells hingedly coupled together and with a releasable closure such as a magnet, latch, or snap-fit coupling (see
In addition, a bag separator 30 is positioned at the distal portion 24 of the stem 16 (see FIGS. 2 and 5-6). The bag separator 30 is an abutment or catch for separating each bag 20 from the roll at the perforated seam between bags. The bag separator 30 is typically provided by a protrusion (e.g., a tab, finger, arm, boss, or the like, with a rounded, smooth end) extending from the stem 16 (e.g., laterally outward). The bag separator 30 can be integrally formed as a part of the stem 16 or it can be a separate piece that is mounted to the stem (e.g., the protrusion can extend from a threaded nut that screws onto mating threads on the distal portion 24 of the stem 16).
Furthermore, the proximal 22 portion of the stem 16 can be funnel-shaped to facilitate routing the first bag 20 in the roll into the stem bore 28. For example, in the depicted embodiment the proximal 22 portion of the stem 16 is has a circular bottom cross-section and an oblong top cross-section, and the distal portion 24 of the stem is a segment of a tube 32 that is attached to the proximal portion (e.g., by mating threads) (see
The collection fingers 14 are rods, bars, or other elongated members that are arranged generally vertically to define a periphery of a collection space. In the depicted embodiment, for example, the collection fingers 14 are symmetrically arranged along a circle that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the stem 16. The collection fingers 14 each have a proximal portion 34 for pivotal attachment and a distal free portion 36. The collection fingers 14 move between a closed position (see
The actuating mechanism 18 is operable to pivot the collection fingers 14 between the closed position (see
The actuator 40 is slidably mounted to the stem 16 for sliding between a normal position (see
The spring element 42 biases the actuator 40 toward the normal position. In the depicted embodiment, when the actuator 40 is in the normal position the collection fingers 14 are in the closed position (i.e., the actuator is actuated to open the collection fingers). In other embodiments, when the actuator is in the normal position the collection fingers are in the open position (i.e., the actuator is actuated to close the collection fingers). In the depicted embodiment, the spring element 42 is a compression spring sandwiched between the actuator 40 and the proximal portion 22 of the stem 16. In other embodiments, the spring element is provided by a tension spring, a torsion spring, a resilient elastomeric or rubber member, or the like.
The slide mount 44 is slidably mounted to the stem 16, moves with the actuator 40, and has the control arms 46 pivotally mounted to it. The slide mount 44 can be an integral portion of the actuator 40 or it can be a separate element that is coupled to the actuator for co-movement. In the depicted embodiment, the slide mount 44 is in the form of a collar, disc, or plate with a central bore through which the stem 16 is slidingly received (e.g., having the same dimensions as the fixed collar 38 and connected to the actuator by connecting rods 48). In other embodiments, the slide mount is in the form of a block or framework that moves with the actuator and to which the control arms are pivotally mounted.
The control arms 46 extend between and couple together the slide mount 44 and the collection fingers 14. The control arms 46 each have a proximal portion 50 that is pivotally mounted to the slide mount 44 by a pivot pin, snap-fit coupling, or the like. And the control arms 46 each have a distal portion 52 that is rotationally mounted to the collection fingers 14 by a rotary pin or the like. The distal portions 52 of the control arms 46 are rotationally mounted to the collection fingers 14 at rotary points 54 of the collection-finger proximal portions 34. The rotary points 54 are each spaced apart and laterally offset from the respective pivot point 37 (where the respective collection finger 14 is pivotally mounted to the fixed collar 38) so that the knuckle-shaped proximal portion 34 of the collection finger forms a moment arm.
In this way, when an upward axial force is applied to the actuator 40 to slide it away from the collar 38, the force is transferred via the slide mount 44 and the control arms 46 to the laterally offset rotary points 54, which upward axial force causes the collection fingers 14 to pivot about the pivot points 37 to the open position. At the same time, this upward axial movement of the actuator 40 charges the spring 42. So when the force is removed from the actuator 40, the energized spring 42 discharges to force the actuator back toward the collar 38, which force is transferred via the slide mount 44 and the control arms 46 to the laterally offset rotary points 54, which downward axial force causes the collection fingers 14 to pivot about the pivot points 37 to the closed position. As such, the device 10 is a compact, self-contained, all-in-one, bag-dispensing, two-finger-operated, spring-actuated waste-collection device.
Having described details of the structure of the collection device 10, its use will now be detailed with respect to
To collect waste 2 with the device 10, the actuator 40 is actuated from the normal to the actuated position to pivot the collection fingers 14 from the closed to the open position (see
In addition, some embodiments include a convenient storage container for packaging and carrying the device 10. And some embodiments include a stick with an alligator type clip attached on the end of the stick (see
It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions, or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only. Thus, the terminology is intended to be broadly construed and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed invention. For example, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “one” include the plural, the term “or” means “and/or,” and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, any methods described herein are not intended to be limited to the sequence of steps described but can be carried out in other sequences, unless expressly stated otherwise herein.
While the invention has been shown and described in exemplary forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. A device for collecting waste, comprising:
- a handle including an internal cavity for storing a plurality of disposal bags;
- a stem extending from the handle and including a bore for receiving the bags;
- a plurality of pivotal collection fingers that are pivotally moveable relative to the stem; and
- an actuating mechanism that operates to pivot the collection fingers between closed and open positions, the actuating mechanism including an actuator that slides relative to the stem, a spring that biases the actuator toward a normal position from an actuated position, and a plurality of connecting arms that translate upward when the actuator is actuated and that are rotationally mounted to knuckles of the collection fingers to form moment arms, wherein moving the actuator to the actuated position transfers the translatory upward force to the moment arms to pivot the collection fingers from the closed position to the open position to collect the waste, wherein releasing the actuator permits the spring to discharge and transfer an opposite translatory downward force to the moment arms to pivot the collection fingers from the open position to the closed position, and
- wherein the first bag in the roll can be fed through the stem bore, out of the stem, and beyond the collection fingers where it can be folded over for use to collect the waste into the bag and then removed to dispose of the bag holding the waste.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 28, 2013
Publication Date: Jun 5, 2014
Inventor: Michael BALLACCHINO (Atlanta, GA)
Application Number: 14/012,443
International Classification: E01H 1/12 (20060101);