Leaf loader devices and methods
A holding device that is adapted to fit within the opening of a refuse bag to hold the refuse bag open, and a grasping device that is effective to grasp leaves and other debris to load the leaves and other debris into the refuse bag are provided. The holding and grasping devices are particularly effective in that they increase the efficiency of filling standard refuse bags with leaves, sticks, grass, and other debris since the holder maintains the bag in an open position while the grasper is used to load leaves into the bag.
The present invention relates to devices and methods for filling a bag with leaves, grass, debris, and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONMany homeowners dispose of leaves, grass, and other garbage by raking or sweeping the leave, grass, garbage and/or other debris into refuse bags or lawn and leaf bags. Removing leaves and grass from a lawn, or sweeping or removing garbage or debris from a home or office, can be difficult at least for a person working alone. Typically, in order to gather and discard the leaves or garbage, the person must simultaneously rake or sweep with one hand while using the other hand to hold open the refuse bag into which the leaves or garbage is collected. As such, the job of collecting leaves or garbage can be a tedious and time consuming one.
Several devices have been designed to facilitate the raking and loading of leaves and other debris into refuse bags. U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,461, for example, discloses a device for holding open and facilitating the filling of a trash bag with leaves, grass, debris or the like. The device is a frame-like structure with opposed entry and exit ends. The frame is configured to receive on its exit end a specially configured trash bag having two knots tied within the opening edge of the bag. The bag is placed upon the exterior of the exit end of the frame and pulled toward entry end so that the knots of the bag line up with the holes in the sidewalls. The knots are pulled through the holes and retained in the corresponding slits such that the bag is securely retained on the frame which maintains the bag in a fully open position on the ground or floor surface so as to facilitate sweeping or raking grass, leaves, garbage and other debris or the like into the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,759 discloses another device to facilitate the loading of leaves and other debris into a bag. The device is a generally cylindrical member with funnel portion extending upwardly therefrom. The cylindrical portion includes means for desirably holding the yard waste bag in position, stretched around the cylindrical portion during usage of this bagging device, so that when refuse is deposited into the bagging member, packed down, and when filled to capacity, the bagging member can be removed, leaving all of the yard waste conveniently already deposited into the bag, and ready for tying, removal, and disposal.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,212 discloses another support device for holding a bag open. The support device has a straight free state flexible body with a width sufficient to extend along and hold open a majority of the length of a bag, and it also has a length which defines an arc when flexed inside a bag leaving one side of the bag unsupported by the flexible body for convenient raking and filling of the leaf bag.
While these device can facilitate the loading of leaves and other debris into a bag, some of the devices are limited to use with a specially configured bag. Moreover, the devices are limited to either resting on the ground, which can make it difficult to compact the contents within the bag, or alternatively the device is configured to be used in an upright position, which would require the user to lift the debris to a certain height, thereby creating further difficulty for the user.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved devices and methods for loading leaves and other debris into a bag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a holding device for use in holding open a refuse bag. In general, the device includes an elongate, substantially planar member having opposed first and second ends, and a mating element formed on at least one of the first and second ends and adapted to removably and mate the first end to the second end to form a substantially cylindrical member. The first and seconds ends are preferably adjustably matable such that a circumference of the elongate, substantially planar member is adjustable when the opposed ends are mated to one another. In use, the elongate member has a length extending between the first and second ends that is sufficient to fit within the opening of a refuse bag and to hold the bag in an open position when the first and second ends are mated to one another.
In one embodiment, the elongate, substantially planar member includes a first pair of female mating elements formed on the first end thereof, and a second pair of male mating elements formed on a second end thereof and matable with the first pair of female mating elements. Each of the first and second pair of mating elements can be disposed along a side edge of the first and second ends of the elongate, substantially planar member. In an exemplary embodiment, each female mating element is a bolt member and each male mating element is a slot having a first portion adapted to removably receive the bolt member and a second portion adapted to retain the bolt member. In another embodiment, the elongate, substantially planar member includes a length extending between the first and second ends that is greater than a width of the elongate, substantially planar member.
The present invention also provides a leaf loading kit having a sleeve member with opposed ends adapted to mate to one another to form a substantially cylindrical member. The opposed ends are adjustably matable to one another such that a circumference of the sleeve member is adjustable. The kit further includes a grasping device having a substantially elongate shape with handle members formed on opposed ends thereof. The sleeve member can include a first pair of female mating elements formed on the first end thereof, and a second pair of male mating elements formed on a second end thereof and matable with the first pair of female mating elements. Each of the first and second pair of mating elements is preferably disposed along a side edge of the first and second ends of the sleeve member. In an exemplary embodiment, each female mating element comprises a bolt member and each male mating element comprises a slot having a first portion adapted to removably receive the bolt member and a second portion adapted to retain the bolt member.
The present invention also provides a method for loading debris into a refuse bag. A sleeve member is provided having opposed ends adapted to mate to one another to form a substantially cylindrical member. The opposed ends are adjustably matable to one another such that a circumference of the sleeve member is adjustable. A refuse bag is also provided having an open end and a bottom. The method includes the steps of inserting the sleeve member into the open end of the refuse bag and mating the opposed ends to one another. The sleeve member adjusts to hold the refuse bag in an opening configuration. The sleeve member is then pressed downward to compact the refuse bag, and debris is loaded into the refuse bag. The method further includes the step of pulling the sleeve member upward to expand the refuse bag such that the debris remains at the bottom of the bag, and repeating the process of loading and pulling until the refuse bag is filled with debris. In a further embodiment, the step of loading debris into the refuse bag comprises providing a grasping device having a substantially elongate shape with handle members formed on opposed ends thereof, and holding the handle members and bringing them toward one another to grasp debris.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
As shown in
A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the term “refuse bag” as used herein is intended to include virtually any type of bag, including trash bags and other similar bags. Moreover, the term “debris” is intended to include any materials which a user desired to place into a bag, and thus the term is not intended to be limited to leaves, sticks, grass, etc., and other waste materials. A person skilled in the art will also appreciate that the holding sleeve 10 and the grasping device 50 can be used alone or together, or alternatively they can be used with a variety of other devices.
Referring now the
As indicated above, the planar body 11 includes opposed ends 11a, 11b that are adapted to mate to one another. Accordingly, one of the ends, e.g., end 11a, preferably includes at least one male connector element 12a, 12b formed thereon, and the opposed end, e.g., end 11b, includes at least one female connector element 14a, 14b formed thereon that is adapted to mate to the male connector element(s) 12a, 12b. As shown in
In order to mate the opposed ends 11a, 11b of the planar body to one another, two channels 15a, 15b can be formed in end 11b for receiving the T-bolts 12a, 12b. Each channel 15a, 15b should be sized to slidably receive the shank of each T-bolt 12a, 12b, but to prevent the head for the T-bolts 12a, 12b from passing therethrough. Each channel 15a, 15b also includes an entry hole 14a, 14b formed on one end thereof for allowing the head of the T-bolts 15a, 15b to be passed therethrough and slid into the channels, thereby at least temporarily preventing removal of the T-bolts from the channels 15a, 15b. The length of the channels 15a, 15b allow the circumference of the planar member 11 to be adjusted when the ends 11a, 11b are mated to one another. This is particularly advantageous in that the holding sleeve 10 can be used with refuse bags having varying sizes. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of mating techniques can be used to mate the opposed ends to one another, and
As previously stated, the present invention further provides a holding device 50 for grasping debris and loading it into a bag. As shown in
The sleeve 10 and grasping device 50 can be formed from a variety of materials. Suitable materials include, for example, flexible materials such as cardboard, corrugated cardboard, plastics, metals, etc.
A person skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantages of the invention based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described, except as indicated by the appended claims. All publications and references cited herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Claims
1. A leaf loading kit, comprising:
- holding device for use in holding open a refuse bag comprising an elongate, substantially planar member having opposed first and second ends, and a mating element formed on at least one of the first and second ends and adapted to removably and mate the first end to the second end to form a substantially cylindrical member, wherein the first and seconds ends are adjustably matable such that a circumference of the elongate, substantially planar member is adjustable when the opposed ends are mated to one another, and wherein the elongate member has a length extending between the first and second ends that is sufficient to fit within the opening of a refuse bag and to hold the bag in an open position when the first and second ends are mated to one another; and
- a grasping device separate from the holding device and having a substantially elongate shape with handle members formed on opposed ends thereof.
2. The kit of claim 1, wherein the elongate, substantially planar member includes a first pair of female mating elements formed on the first end thereof, and a second pair of male mating elements formed on a second end thereof and matable with the first pair of female mating elements.
3. The kit of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second pair of mating elements is disposed along a side edge of the first and second ends of the elongate, substantially planar member.
4. The kit of claim 2, wherein each female mating element comprises a bolt member and each male mating element comprises a slot having a first portion adapted to removably receive the bolt member and a second portion adapted to retain the bolt member.
5. The kit of claim 1, wherein the elongate, substantially planar member includes a length extending between the first and second ends that is greater than a width of the elongate, substantially planar member.
6. A leaf loading kit, comprising:
- a sleeve member having opposed ends adapted to mate to one another to form a substantially cylindrical member, the opposed ends being adjustably matable to one another such that a circumference of the sleeve member is adjustable;
- a grasping device separate from the sleeve member and having a substantially elongate shape with handle members formed on opposed ends thereof.
7. The kit of claim 6, wherein the sleeve member includes a first pair of female mating elements formed on the first end thereof, and a second pair of male mating elements formed on a second end thereof and matable with the first pair of female mating elements.
8. The kit of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second pair of mating elements is disposed along a side edge of the first and second ends of the sleeve member.
9. The kit of claim 7, wherein each female mating element comprises a bolt member and each male mating element comprises a slot having a first portion adapted to removably receive the bolt member and a second portion adapted to retain the bolt member.
10. The kit of claim 6, wherein the sleeve member includes a length extending between the first and second ends that is greater than a width of the sleeve member.
11. (Cancelled).
12. (Cancelled).
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 31, 2003
Publication Date: Feb 3, 2005
Inventors: Kelson Burns (Walpole, MA), George Freeman (Westboro, MA)
Application Number: 10/631,704