Device to hold bag open

Abstract

The device to hold a bag open is a strap that is formed into an expandable loop that is placed into the mouth of a bag and expanded to keep the mouth of the bag open by tension. The strap is formed from a flexible, resilient material that is either straight or arcuate in its relaxed state. A plurality of ratchet teeth are disposed at one end of the strap and a spring-biased clasp is attached to the opposite end of the strap. A button or lever on the clasp is pushed to release a pawl on the clasp so that the toothed end can be inserted through the clasp and drawn far enough through the clasp so that the diameter of the loop is small enough to fit into the mouth of the bag. The resiliency of the strap material urges the strap to return to its straight or relaxed state, thereby exerting tension against the mouth of the bag to keep the bag mouth open.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/587,936, filed Jul. 15, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device used to hold open a lawn bag so that a user does not need help from a second person to keep the bag open as the bag is being filled.

2. Description of the Related Art

Plastic receptacles are commonly used for collecting leaves, trash, rubbish and soiled linens. These plastic receptacles are useful because they may be disposed of with little expense, but it is often difficult to collect leaves and other trash by oneself. Many communities have started to require the use of paper refuse bags, which have similar difficulties but do not stretch like a traditional plastic bag in and around a garbage can. Thus, a device for holding bags open is needed that can accommodate both plastic and paper refuse bags of different sizes. Prior art stands and devices for holding open bags are generally not adjustable and are designed to only handle a bag of a single size.

Further, clipping devices for sealing bags are well known in the art, however, such clips can cause bags to tear. A wide variety of stands and supports have been utilized for maintaining a bag in an open position, but such prior art stands and supports are generally stand alone members, rather than being unitary pieces, such as the subject invention, which can easily be held in one hand by the user.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a device to hold bag open solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device to hold a bag open is a strap that is formed into an expandable loop that is placed into the mouth of a bag and expanded to keep the mouth of the bag open by tension. The strap is formed from a flexible, resilient material that is either straight or arcuate in its relaxed state. A plurality of ratchet teeth are disposed at one end of the strap and a spring-biased clasp is attached to the opposite end of the strap. A button or lever on the clasp is pushed to release a pawl on the clasp so that the toothed end can be inserted through the clasp and drawn far enough through the clasp so that the diameter of the loop is small enough to fit into the mouth of the bag. The resiliency of the strap material urges the strap to return to its straight or relaxed state, thereby exerting tension against the mouth of the bag to keep the bag mouth open.

The bag can be laid on its side or otherwise supported while the bag is filled. Once the bag is full, the lever or button is depressed so that the loop can be reduced in diameter and removed from the bag. After being removed from the bag, the resiliency of the strap causes the loop to expand, separating the ends of the strap and returning the strap to its relaxed state for use with another bag.

The strap can be made from any flexible, resilient material, plastic being an economical, easy to form choice. An exemplary application for the device is use of the device to hold a lawn bag open while raking leaves or other yard waste into the bag, although other applications calling for a device to keep the mouth of a bag open will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The device is best used with plastic bags having sufficient flexibility, strength, and enough elasticity that the mouth of the bag will stretch slightly without tearing when tension is applied to the bag by the strap, but the device may also be used with heavy paper bags.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of the device to hold a bag open according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device to hold a bag open according to the present invention, shown in a relaxed state.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the device of the present invention in a relaxed state.

FIG. 4 is a fragmented side view showing the junction of the ends of the device of the present invention when joined together to form a loop.

FIG. 5 is a fragmented, environmental, perspective view showing adjustment of the diameter of the loop formed by the device to hold a bag open according to the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a device to hold open a bag, generally designated as 10. As shown in FIG. 1, in a typical application the device 10 is placed within the open end of a bag B to hold the open end of the bag B open. A user P can then hold onto a single point along the device 10 with a single hand to hold the bag B in an open state, and then use the other hand to collect leaves T (or other trash items) off of the ground G. The device 10 may be used with either plastic or paper refuse bags B. It will be understood that the device 10 is not limited to use with lawn bags, but may be used in any other application where it is desired to hold the mouth of a bag open.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the device 10 is an elongated, flat strap 11 of flexible, resilient material that has two opposite surfaces 13 and 15 and two opposing ends 12 and 14. The first surface 13 is substantially smooth through its length. The second surface 15 has a plurality of ratchet teeth 16 disposed at the second end 14. Each of the teeth 16 has a front wall 24 substantially perpendicular to the length of the strap 11. A clasp 18 is disposed on the second surface 15 at the first end 12 of the strap 11. The clasp 18 includes a spring-biased pawl 20 having a front face 22 biased downward towards the second surface 15 to mate with the flat face 24 of the teeth 16. The pawl 20 is held above the first end 12 of the strap 11 by two side support members 21. An axle 23 is provided to allow the pawl 20 to pivot so that the second end 14 may be inserted between the pawl 20 and the second surface 15 to form a loop. A spring, e.g., a torsion spring, is provided within the clasp 18 to provide a rotational force for keeping the pawl 20 in position to press against the front wall 24 of a tooth 16.

The strap 11 is preferably made of an injection-molded, resilient, flexible plastic material, but may also be made with other suitably resilient yet flexible materials. As shown in FIG. 3, the second end 14 preferably has a smaller width than the first end 12 so that the second end 14 may fit between into the clasp 18. The transition from the first width of the first end 12 to the second width of the second end 14 may be abrupt or gradual. The first end 12 of the strap 11 preferably has a width of between 1″ to 2.5″. The second end 14 of the band 10 preferably has a width of between 1.5″ to 3″. The strap 11 may also have a constant width of between 1″-2″ with the side support members 21 being spaced to the sides of the first end 12.

The strap 11 preferably has a length of between about six and twelve feet. Strap 11 is optimally about ten feet in length allowing for a maximum loop diameter of about three feet. The device 10 is preferably made so that it may adjust between a one-foot diameter loop size and a three-foot diameter loop size. The strap 11 may be provided in a linear shape for easy packaging, or it may be provided in an arcuate shape to reduce the amount of tension on the strap 11 when it is placed into the loop arrangement.

FIG. 4 shows the first and second ends 12 and 14 of the band 10 in a connected relationship for forming the device 10 into a loop. The second end 14 is placed over the second surface 15 of the first end 12, under the pawl 20, and between the two side support members 21. The front face 22 of the pawl 20 abuts the front wall 24 of a tooth 16 to keep the device 10 open to a desired diameter. The inside walls of a bag B will keep the device 10 from expanding to a larger diameter when the device 10 is in use.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the second end 14 is inserted underneath the pawl 20, the user P puts pressure on the end of the pawl 20 using a finger F to counteract the spring bias to place the pawl 20 in an open position to allow the second end 14 to slide underneath the pawl 20. The strap 11 is formed into a loop 11 of a first outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the mouth of a bag B, inserted into the bag B, and the resiliency of the strap 11 causes the loop to expand in diameter to adjust to the diameter of the bag B. The abutting of the front face 22 of the pawl 20 against the front wall 24 of a selected tooth 16 will prevent the compressive pressure put on the loop by the bag B from reducing the diameter of the loop. The elastic limit and strength of the material forming the bag B will further prevent the diameter of the loop from expanding.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A device to hold a bag open, comprising:

an elongated strap of flexible, resilient material, the strap having a first end, an opposing second end, a first surface, and an opposing second surface;

a clasp mounted on the second surface of the strap at the first end, the clasp having a pawl pivotally mounted thereon; and,

a plurality of ratchet teeth mounted on the second surface of the strap, each of the teeth having an outwardly facing wall perpendicular to the second surface, the strap being dimensioned and configured for forming a loop holding a mouth of the bag open by tension when placed in the mouth of the bag, the clasp releasably engaging at least one of the plurality of ratchet teeth, whereby the circumference of the loop may be adjusted by the user such that the circumference of the loop matches the circumference of the mouth of the bag.

2. The device to hold a bag open as recited in claim 1, wherein said pawl is pivotally supported by a pair of support members projecting upwardly from said second surface of said strap at said first end thereof.

3. The device to hold a bag open as recited in claim 2, further comprising a spring for biasing said pawl against said pair of support members.

4. The device to hold a bag open as recited in claim 3, wherein said spring is a torsion spring.

5. The device to hold a bag open as recited in claim 1, wherein said loop has a substantially circular contour.