Device for Aiding the Removal of a Bag from a Container
The present invention provides a device for aiding the removal of a bag from a container. The device comprises a body having a rear wall and a plurality of side walls that define a receiving area. A lever is pivotably coupled to the body of the device and the lever pivots from a raised position whereby the lever is disposed in the receiving area to a lowered position. Pressure can be applied to the lever in the lowered position to substantially prevent the container from lifting upwards as the bag is lifted from inside the container. The device also comprises a mechanism for removably mounting the body to the container so that the device can be reused and/or used on multiple containers.
The present invention relates to a step device, and in particular to a step device that can be mounted to a container.
Containers are often used in homes and businesses for storing objects such as decorations, equipment, tools, toys, trash and other objects. These containers generally can be lined on the interior with paper or plastic bags for maintaining the integrity and cleanliness of the container while also allowing the paper or plastic bag to be removable and disposed of or placed elsewhere. Problems often arise, however, when the paper or plastic bag becomes full of items and the bag needs to be replaced. In many instances, the items being held within the paper or plastic bag are very heavy and makes lifting the bag out of the container very difficult. The weight of the items in the bag are generally heavier than the container itself. It is common for the items in the bag to push the bag outwards against the inner wall(s) of the container such that as the bag is lifted from the container, the container moves in the same upward direction as the bag. Since the items within the bag are heavy, a person removing the bag must use both hands to do so and there is no means for holding the container to the floor. Therefore, a need exists for providing a step or other means for holding the container down while the paper or plastic bag is removed. In particular, a need exists for providing a step or means for holding the container down and which can be easily removed and coupled to a plurality of containers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention addresses the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a device for aiding the removal of bags from a container, wherein the device includes a body and a lever such that the body can be coupled to the container.
In one aspect of the present invention, a device for aiding the removal of a bag from a container is provided and it includes a body having at least one wall. A lever is pivotably coupled to the body such that the lever pivots between a raised position in which the lever is disposed substantially adjacent to the at least one wall and a lowered position in which the lever has pivoted away from the at least one wall. The device further includes a mechanism for removably mounting the body to the container such that the mechanism couples to the rear wall.
In a different aspect, a method is provided for removing a bag from a container in which a device is provided for aiding in the removal of the bag. The device comprises a body having at least one wall and a lever that is pivotably coupled to the body such that the lever pivots between a raised position in which the lever is disposed substantially parallel to the body and a lowered position in which the lever has moved away from the body. The device further includes a mechanism for removably mounting the body to the container. The method comprises pivoting the lever from the raised position to the lowered position, applying pressure to the lever to substantially hold the container to the ground, lifting the bag from the container, and removing the bag from the inside of the container.
In another aspect of the present invention, a container assembly is provided and it comprises a housing having an open end and a closed end. The container assembly further includes a device for aiding the removal of a bag from the interior of the housing, wherein the device comprises a body that is removably mounted to the housing and a lever that is pivotably coupled to the body such that the lever pivots between a raised position in which the lever is disposed substantially parallel to the body and a lowered position in which the lever has moved away from the body.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The above-mentioned aspects of the present invention and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference numerals are used to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe embodiments of the present invention described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present invention.
Broadly, the present invention provides a device that can be removably mounted to a container or trash can, for example, such that the device includes a lever that pivots from a raised position to a lowered position. In the lowered position, weight can be applied to the lever to keep the container grounded as a bag is removed from the interior of the container. More than one device can be mounted to the container to allow an individual to place two feet on each lever in the lowered position to help remove the bag.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a device 2 for aiding in the removal of a bag is illustrated in
In one embodiment, the lever 6 pivots about rivets 10 which can be used to pivotably couple the body 4 to the lever 6. In this particular embodiment, the rivets 10 pass through an opening in an ear 12 of the side wall 5. The ear 12 protrudes away from the side wall 5 as in
Although the embodiment in
The lever 6 can be any shape known to the skilled artisan. In
In the raised position, the lever 6 may be held or biased into the receiving area 8 by a tab 9 which protrudes into the receiving area 8 from the side wall 5. The tab 9 may comprise any material including the same material as the side wall 5. In one embodiment, the body 4 including the tab 9 is made from a plastic material. In other embodiments, the body 4 may be plastic and the tab 9 may be any elastic material known to the skilled artisan that compresses or elastically deforms when the lever 6 is in the raised position. The tab 9 can be positioned along the side wall 5 such that the lever 6 moves past the tab 9 in the raised position. Alternatively, in a different embodiment, the tab 9 may hold the lever 6 in the raised position by applying a normally-oriented pressure against the lever. In a further embodiment, the lever 6 may include a slot or gap in which the tab 9 may slideably engage into when the lever 6 is in the raised position. Additionally, the lever 6 and/or body 4 may include a magnet or clasp for holding the lever 6 in the raised position.
In the embodiment of
In an exemplary embodiment, the step end 13 of the lever 6 may comprise a recessed portion 16 as shown in
In the exemplary embodiment of
In the embodiments of
The container assembly 20 may be any size from a small container (i.e., a small waste basket of 3-5 gallons) to a large container (i.e., 30 or more gallons). The container assembly 20 may also be made from any material including plastic, aluminum, steel, or other similar materials known to one skilled in the art. The size of the device 2 for aiding the removal of a bag from the container may also be of different sizes. In general, the size of the device 2 may be proportional to the size of the container assembly 20. For example, a larger container may have a larger device 2, whereas a smaller container may have a smaller device 2. In one embodiment, the body may be 3″ long and less than 2″ wide and the lever may approximately the same length but a smaller width.
In
More than one of the devices 2 for aiding the removal of a bag from the housing can also be provided. These devices 2 each include a body 4 and a lever 6, wherein the lever 6 pivots from a raised position to a closed position. When the closed end 23 of the housing is resting on the ground, the lever 6 may be pivoted angle θ between the raised position and the lowered position. In the lowered position, the lever 6 may come into contact with the ground. In the embodiment in which the open end 21 has a larger diameter than the closed end 23, a user may pivot the lever 6 less than 90° between the raised position and the lowered position. In the embodiment in which the closed end 23 has a larger diameter than the open end 21, a user may pivot the lever more than 90° but generally less than 180°. In the alternative embodiment in which the open end 21 and closed end 23 have substantially the same diameters, a user may pivot the lever about 90°.
Thus, once a user pivots the lever(s) 6 from the raised position to the lowered position, the bag can be removed from the container assembly 20. To do so, downward pressure is applied to the lever(s) 6 to keep the container 20 from lifting up as the bag is lifted from the container. As described above, a user can stand on the lever(s) 6 and then lift the bag and remove it from inside the container 20. As also described above, the top surface of the lever(s) 6 may include a textured or friction-enhancing surface layer 14 to increase the grip between the user's foot and the lever 6. Additionally, the lever(s) 6 may include a recessed portion 16 or a step or tab in which an object may be used for lifting or lowering the lever(s) 6.
While exemplary embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention have been disclosed hereinabove, the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A device for aiding the removal of a bag from a container, the device comprising:
- a body having at least one wall;
- a lever being pivotably coupled to the body, wherein the lever pivots between a raised position in which the lever is disposed substantially parallel to the body and a lowered position in which the lever has pivoted away from the body; and
- a mechanism for removably mounting the body to the container.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one wall includes a tab for securing the lever in the raised position.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the lever comprises a surface with a friction-enhancing material for applying pressure thereto.
4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a rivet for pivotably coupling the lever to the body.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the mechanism comprises an adhesive tape for removably mounting the body to the container.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the mechanism comprises a magnet for removably mounting the body to the container.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the lever comprises a pivot end being pivotably coupled to the body and a step end being opposite the pivot end, the step end moving between the raised position and the lowered position.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the step end includes a recessed portion configured for receiving an object to assist with the pivoting of the step end.
9. A method for removing a bag from a container comprising:
- providing a device removably mounted to the container comprising a body having at least one wall, the wall contacting the container, a lever pivotably coupled to the body, wherein the lever pivots between a raised position and a lowered position;
- pivoting the lever from the raised position to the lowered position;
- applying pressure to the lever to substantially hold the container to the ground;
- lifting the bag from the container; and
- removing the bag from the inside of the container.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the applying pressure step further comprises stepping onto a friction-enhancing surface of the lever.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the lever comprises a pivot end being pivotably coupled to the body and a step end being opposite the pivot end, the step end having a recessed portion for assisting the pivoting of the lever between the raised position and lowered position.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein, after the removing step, the lever is pivoted back to the raised position.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein, during the pivoting step, the lever is moved past a tab which extends from one of the side walls of the body.
14. A container assembly, comprising:
- a housing having an open end and a closed end; and
- a device for aiding the removal of a bag from the interior of the housing, the device comprising: a body that is removably coupled to the housing; and a lever being pivotably coupled to the body, wherein the lever pivots between a raised position in which the lever is disposed substantially parallel to the body and a lowered position in which the lever has pivoted away from the body.
15. The container assembly of claim 14, wherein the body further comprises at least one wall that includes a tab for securing the lever in the raised position.
16. The container assembly of claim 14, further comprising a rivet for pivotably coupling the lever to the body.
17. The container assembly of claim 14, wherein the device further comprises an adhesive tape for removably mounting the body to the housing.
18. The container assembly of claim 14, wherein the device further comprises a magnet for removably mounting the body to the housing.
19. The container assembly of claim 14, wherein the device comprises a plurality of devices for aiding the removal of the bag from the interior of the housing.
20. The container assembly of claim 14, wherein the lever comprises a pivot end being pivotably coupled to the body and a step end being opposite the pivot end, the step end having a recessed portion for assisting the pivoting of the lever between the raised position and lowered position.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 18, 2008
Publication Date: Oct 22, 2009
Inventor: Gary Krebs (West Lafayette, IN)
Application Number: 12/105,563
International Classification: B65D 25/00 (20060101);