Collection Bag for Power Equipment

Abstract

A collection bag for the collection of leaf, grass, wood chips and the like is described that is capable of connection to more than one type of outdoor power equipment, including riding mowers, commercial type lawn mowers, wheeled lawn vacuums, hand-held or shoulder-mounted blower/vacuums, and wood chippers. The collection bag, typically having a large, generally conical shape, collects debris from any of the types of outdoor power equipment. The bag typically has a first large opening and at least one second smaller opening for attaching to different types of equipment. In another aspect, an anti-wear shield is placed between the bag and ground and attached to the equipment, to protect the bag from rubbing on the ground.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device and method for collecting leaves, grass, wood chips, and similar items of debris from outdoor power equipment. The device and method are suitable for use with many types of power equipment, including riding mowers, wheeled lawn vacuums, hand held or shoulder mounted leaf blowers and vacuums, wood chippers and shredders, and side or rear mounted grass or leaf collectors, especially on commercial mowers. The collection bags of the invention are exchangeable among types and brands of outdoor power equipment. The invention also relates to an anti-wear shield device and method to protect the collection bag from abrasion and punctures.

BACKGROUND

Riding mowers, wheeled lawn vacuums, hand held or shoulder mount leaf blower and vacuums, wood chippers and shredders and side or rear mounted grass and leaf collectors on mowers (collectively, “outdoor power equipment”, or “equipment”) are widely used. These pieces of outdoor power equipment typically have electric motors or gasoline powered engines turning a blade or turning an impeller to cut and shred organic material such as grass, grass clippings, leaves and branches. The shredding action reduces the size of the organic material, making it more compact and also speeding up the composting process. The suction created by the turning blade or impeller picks up or conveys the organic material from an intake through the equipment to an output of the equipment. Frequently the organic material is deposited through the output into a collection bag or container attached to the equipment, for collection and subsequent disposal.

Riding mowers are generally used for cutting grass on large lawns, and further for clipping and mulching leaves and other organic material on such lawns. The large amount of grass and other clippings generated makes it helpful to provide means to contain the clippings on the mower and to easily empty the collection bag or container when it becomes full. On riding mowers, many prior art collection containers are bins, of cloth and plastic or all plastic, that hang suspended beneath a hood at the back of the mower. Typically, the mower blades in the deck creates suction that forces the clipping up a discharge chute originating at the deck, and terminating into a hood where the clippings discharge into removable bins.

Most current equipment suffers from the disadvantage that the bins do not hold enough clippings before needing to be emptied. This is especially true in the autumn, when the volume of leaves and other material to be collected is greatly increased. Simply increasing the container size has several problems. First, the container is suspended above the ground, and the increased weight in a large container can destabilize the mower. Second, carrying a large container on the mower can be awkward, without increasing the size of the mower. Third, the container itself becomes heavy and awkward for the person to carry before emptying

Similar constraints apply to non-riding mowers, where collection and storage of clippings can be even more demanding and require more frequent changes. In particular, some commercial lawn mowers that employ side discharge of the grass or leaves use a rigid perforated metal side grass collection bag to collect the organic material. Such devices fill rapidly and are heavy and expensive.

In addition to mowers, other lawn equipment has needs for better collection means. For example, many gas or electric leaf blowers, whether hand held or shoulder mounted, can be converted to vacuum use. A small collection bag may be added to the blower discharge, and is often suspended from the leaf blower. Limitation of bag size is likewise necessary, since increasing the collection bag size burdens the carrier with additional weight, potentially making it too heavy for the person to carry safely.

Lawn vacuums use a small suspended bag to collect leaves and small twigs as the user walks the lawn vacuum over a lawn surface. Many lawn vacuums also employ a movable hose to vacuum confined areas such as flower beds.

Many wood chippers and shredders do not provide means to attach a collection bag to the discharge. This omission increases the work of gathering and collecting the organic material for disposal.

A bag suitable for this purpose has been described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,710 and design patent D482,046. These patents are incorporated herein by reference, and form a background to the present description, which may re-iterate these references in part for clarity. This previously-described collection bag has a large opening at one end, for attachment at that end to a riding lawn mower or tractor, or similar device. The collection bag also has ventilating means for the escape of air. In some designs, the bag also has an opening, remote from the mower, for emptying the bag (c.f. FIG. 1, D482,046 and 6,546,710 FIG. 2, 3, 4.)

Other applications have been published or issued in the broad area of clipping management, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 7,322,176, US 2007/0138453, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,072, but have different approaches to the problem.

Bags of the patented designs (D482,046 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,710) have been sold commercially for several years. Several improvements have now been invented. These improvements address several areas of use.

A first area of improvement in the present invention is the adaptation of the collection bag to catch debris from other lawn devices. In addition to side exhaust mowers, both rear and side discharge mowers, and mowers for operation while walking, can now be equipped with the system of the invention. Moreover, other lawn equipment, including leaf blowers, wood chippers, lawn vacuums and similar equipment using vacuum or forced air to collect material, can be equipped with a collection bag. Moreover, with proper design, a single collection bag can be used for a wide variety of lawn equipment. This greatly reduces the expense of a debris catching system.

A second area of improvement is in providing adapter means to allow the collection bag to be attached to lawn machines not otherwise suitable for attachment of a collection bag of the invention.

A third area of improvement is providing means for extending the life of the collection bag in service, by one or both of protecting it at least in part from contact with the ground, and by reinforcing the collection bag, to provide a longer useful life. In many of these outdoor power equipment devices, wear on the collection bag during use will gradually lead to damage to the bag, and eventually require its replacement. As collection bag size increases, the increased weight tends to cause more rapid degradation of the bag, increasing costs to consumers. Means for increasing the useable lifetime of the bag are highly desirable to the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved debris collecting bag (also described herein as an “exchangeable debris collection bag” or “a collection bag” or a “bag”), that is suitable for use with more than one type of outdoor power equipment. Such outdoor power equipment includes, without limitation, a riding lawn mower, a walk-behind mower, a side-exhaust power mower, a wheeled lawn vacuum, a hand held or shoulder mounted leaf blower/vacuum, a wood chipper, or other type of outdoor power equipment which produces debris. Moreover, the collection bag used in the invention may have a substantially larger volume than most currently used collection bags.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a collection bag structured so that the same collection bag can be used on more than one type of the above equipment, and more preferably on most or all of said equipment.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a collection bag which is inexpensive and easy to use, and which requires little or no modification of the power equipment to install.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an anti-wear shield to extend the life of the collection bag. Such an anti-wear shield preferably fits the outdoor power equipment from a variety of manufacturers.

In particular, the invention comprises an exchangeable debris collection bag suitable for use on two or more types of outdoor power equipment outdoor power equipment wherein said exchangeable debris collection bag has at least two openings, at least two of said openings differing in size, and at least two opening suitable for use in attachment of said bag to at least one type of said outdoor power equipment, and each of said openings capable of being closed when not used for attachment to said outdoor power equipment. In such a collection bag, during operation of a given type of said outdoor power equipment, one of said openings is used to attach said exchangeable debris collection bag to said outdoor power equipment, and the remainder of said openings is closed to allow collection of debris in said exchangeable debris collection bag. In a preferred embodiment, an opening not attached to the outdoor power equipment is used to empty said bag.

The exchangeable debris collection bag has ventilation means for allowing air to be exhausted from said exchangeable debris collection bag during operation of said outdoor power equipment, and said ventilation means are at least partially comprised of a section of material that is pervious to air.

The exchangeable debris collection bag optionally also has means for its attachment to a shield, which reduces the rate of wear of the bag during use. The shield is preferably directly attached to the outdoor power equipment, or alternatively the shield is attached to the bag, or is integral with the bag, and the bag is attached to the outdoor power equipment. The shield can be provided by reinforcing material connected to the exchangeable debris collection bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the present invention will best be understood from a detailed description of the invention and preferred embodiments thereof selected for the purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collection bag and riding mower assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an anti-wear shield and riding mower according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the top side of a collection bag according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the bottom side of a collection bag according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an end plan view of the small end of the collection bag according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the back end of a riding mower according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is perspective view of the back end of a riding mower according to the present invention showing a simple hitch.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the top side of a collection bag of my prior invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the collection bag, anti-wear shield, side grass collection bag and commercial walk-behind mower according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the anti-wear shield and commercial mower according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the collection bag and vacuum leaf blower assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the collection bag and lawn vacuum assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the collection bag and wood chipper/shredder assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 (on the same sheet as FIG. 5) is a perspective view of the wood chipper/shredder according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 shows an alternative mounting system for a bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One of the improvements to previously-described debris collecting bags is a means for extending the life of the bags. The means comprises an anti-wear shield to extend bag life. In one embodiment, the shield is a support connected to the mower or other equipment that can be placed between the ground and the underside of the bag. The anti-wear shield takes up most of the linear traveling resistance or drag resistance through its attachment to the equipment, thereby greatly lessening any linear traveling resistance or drag resistance to the bag. Attached to the equipment, the anti-wear shield also reduces the force exerted on the equipment where the bag is attached. The anti-wear shield also protects the bottom surface of the bag from abrasion or punctures, thereby greatly extending the usable life of the bag.

The anti-wear shield may be attached to the riding mower's tow plate, or alternately may be attached to another part of the mower, particularly for side-exhaust mowers. The anti-wear shield is less important with smaller outdoor power equipment, but can be used with such equipment, especially where the equipment is wheeled, and/or the bag has an integral shield.

The attachment of a collection bag to a mower and other equipment, and the support of a collection bag by an anti-wear shield, are now described with reference to the Figures, with like reference numbers used to describe like elements.

Referring to FIG. 1, any clipping containers that are included with the manufacturer-supplied grass collection bag assembly have been removed and replaced by the collection bag 11. The large end 12 of the collection bag 11 is supported by the hood 43 (fully visible in FIG. 2), the top piece of a conventional leaf collection assembly, with the dependent collection bins removed. Hood 43 remains in place to provide support to the collection bag 11. The junction between the collection bag 11 and the discharge tube 42 is closed off by drawstring 16 which is passed through a series of grommets, as shown in FIG. 3 or 8. Alternately, drawstring 16 could be passed through a sleeve or hem along the edge of the collection bag 11.

The drawstring 16 may be secured by wrapping the excess string about cleat 14, shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and in detail in FIG. 5. The cleat 14 is attached to the collection bag 11 by a minimum of one cleat grommet 24 having a central hole through which the drawstring 16 enters. Then drawstring 16 passes through grommets 25 (FIG. 3) around the periphery of an opening in bag 11, and exits through cleat grommet 24. The excess drawstring 11 is then wound around arms 15 of the cleat 14.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drawstring 16 encloses both the discharge tube 42, and the support bracket 44. Although the air pressure seal at this junction is not complete, experimentation has shown that the small amount of leakage at this point does not significantly affect the operation of the invention. In fact, even with the amount of leakage provided by this junction, the pressure of air within the collection bag 11 is sufficient that it must be relieved, for example by vent 17 (FIGS. 1, 3) or the system will not operate, since without a means to relieve the pressure in the collection bag 11, there will be no pressure differential to propel the clippings upward through the discharge tube 42.

Accordingly, an air-permeable (“pervious”} section 17 in the collection bag 11, such as a mesh, allows the excess air to exit from the bag. Even with the additional exhaust of air pressure by the pervious section 17, there is still sufficient air pressure within the collection bag 11 to cause it to balloon, and in many cases to balloon to its full capacity. The ballooning of the collection bag 11 maximizes the clippings capacity. The slope 27 of the bag in the area below the point of attachment to the discharge tube 42, shown in FIG. 1, assists the clippings to slide toward the small end 13 of the bag. This further enables the full capacity of the collection bag 11 to be utilized before it needs to be emptied.

A conical shape of the collection bag 11 is preferred, because it enhances maneuverability of the riding mower 40. As the riding mower 40 takes an inside turn around an obstruction, such as a flower bed, the small end 13 of the conically shaped collection bag 11 is less likely to hit the obstruction. (However, a conical shape bag is not required in the invention.)

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the collecting bag 11 of the invention preferably has a preceding edge 18, located at the large end 12 and on the top side 23 of the collection bag 11. A receding edge 19 is also at the large end 12 and on the bottom side 22 of the collection bag 11. The presence of both a preceding edge 18 and receding edge 19 creates a differential in length of the top side 23 and bottom side 22. When the longer length of the preceding edge 18 is positioned over the hood 43, of riding mower 40, and drawstring 16 is cinched tight, the shorter length of the receding edge 19 more effectively assures the creation of slope 27, which directs the flow of clippings to the small end 13 of the collection bag to more thoroughly fill the collection bag 11.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, the present invention also comprises an anti-wear shield 9. The function of an anti-wear shield is to reduce the interaction of the flexible collection bag 11 with the ground, which serves two functions. First, the shield prolongs the useful life of the bag, by being interposed between the bag and the ground, and so minimizing wear on the bag. Second, the shield can reduce the friction between the bag and the ground, by presenting a smooth, non-conforming surface to the ground. This reduces the power required to move the device, and minimizes turning forces created by dragging a bag along the ground, especially when full.

In FIG. 1, no shield is present. In FIG. 2, a shield for a lawn tractor device is shown. In this embodiment, shield 30 is attached by hitch 34 to hitch wall 47 (FIGS. 2, 6) of a tractor, optionally through the tow hitch hole 46 or 49 (FIG. 7) on the tow plate 45 or hitch attachment 50 of the riding mower 40. The anti-wear shield 30 (FIG. 2) in this embodiment comprises one or more generally planar surfaces, preferably somewhat rigid, e.g. as exemplified by panels 31 (FIG. 2). The one or more panels can be made of any suitable material, such as thin plywood, thin semi-rigid plastic, or other functionally equivalent material. Hinge or hinges 32 may be used to connect multiple panels 31 to aid in compact storage of anti-wear shield 30 by allowing folding.

Hitch 34 in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is an example of means of attachment of a shield 30 to a tractor 40. Hitch 34 comprises bolt 35, washers 36 and machine nut 37, and is located at the end of anti-wear shield 30 closest to riding mower 40. It should be noted that alternate hitch means could be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention. Hitch 34 protrudes through tow hitch hole 46 or ring bolt 49 (FIGS. 6, 7) to effect attachment to riding mower 40. Many riding mowers 40 have a tow plate 45 and tow hitch hole 46 to aid in attachment of various implements such as garden trailers. Hitch attachment 50, for riding mowers 40 without available tow hitch holes, can consist (FIG. 7) of eye bolt 48, washers 51 and machine nuts 52. It should be noted that other hitch attachment designs could be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, butt edge 33, the leading edge of anti-wear shield 30 (FIG. 2), abuts closely to hitch wall 47 of riding mower 40. When placed in close approximation, the butt edge 33 as illustrated may serve to inhibit pivoting of anti-wear shield 30 when riding mower 40 is cornering. Thereby, collection bag 11 (FIG. 1) attached to riding mower 40 remains generally straight and non pivoting when riding mower 40 is cornering, since both anti-wear shield 30 and collection bag 11, being generally non pivoting, stay generally aligned with each other when riding mower 40 is cornering. Anti-wear shield 30 protects bottom side 22 of collection bag 11 from abrasive matter on ground 75 and also reduces the load on hood 43 and bracket 44 caused by friction between the bottom side 22 of collection bag 11 and ground 75.

FIGS. 3 (top view), 4 (bottom view) and 5 (closure detail) show important details in the current design of the collection bag 11. In the present invention, collection bag 11 has a small end 13 comprising sleeve 21 and cleat 14. Drawstring 16 is passed through at least one cleat grommet 24 located in cleat 14, passing through sleeve 21 before emerging through the other cleat grommet 24. Drawstring 16 can be cinched tight, effectively closing off sleeve 21 to inhibit clippings from exiting collection bag 11 when attached to riding mower 40 (see FIG. 1, for example). As shown in detail in FIG. 5, excess drawstring 16 can be wrapped around arms 15 on cleat 14 to store and secure drawstring 16.

As seen most easily in FIG. 4, a view of the bag from below, the upper (“preceding”) edge 18 of the bag projects further in the forward direction than does the lower (“receding”) edge 17. The longer preceding edge 18 allows the bag to fit securely over a hood 43 (FIG. 2) or other attachment site, while the shorter receding edge 17 is important in the creation of a steady slope in the bag (e.g. slope 27 in FIG. 1). This allows collected debris to smoothly fill the rear portions of the bag 11, and helps reduce the frequency of emptying the bag 11. When the bag is laid flat, the distance between the preceding edge and the receding edge is preferably at least about 6 inches, more preferably 12 inches or more.

Referring to FIG. 8, the present invention can also use the collection bag described in commonly invented and assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,710, which is shown in FIG. 8. Such a collection bag lacks the adaptability of the present collection bag in terms of fitting multiple equipment types, and does not have the preceding/receding offset of FIG. 3-4, but is amenable to adaptation to use of an anti-wear shield.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, an anti-wear shield of the present invention can also be used with a side discharge mower, such as commercial-style mower 70. The commercial mower 70 is illustrated in FIG. 9 with a conventional side collector 80 of a rigid construction, having metal panels with perforations to provide venting of air pressure as clippings fill conventional side collector 80.

In the particular embodiment illustrated, conventional side collector 80 removably attaches at side discharge 71 (FIG. 10) of commercial mower 70. Anti-wear shield 60 removably attaches to conventional side collector 80 by clothesline hook 67 mounted on contour board 65 of anti-wear shield 60, connecting to an added hook 81 mounted on conventional side collector 80. Contour edge 66 on contour board 65 of shield 60 aligns to the edge of conventional side collector 80 to provide positioning.

Bag 11 is attached to side collector 80 by attaching cord 16 of the bag to hook 82 as shown (or similar anchors, for example anchors of the type 81) on conventional side collector 80. The cord 16 is then tightened, and is held by cleat 14 or an equivalent means. Other attachment systems are possible, and would likewise lead to the attachment of a bag of the invention in a position selected to allow the bag to catch the output of the mower. Experimentation has shown that the flaring sides found on some types of conventional side collector 80 can retain the cinched bag 11 onto side collector 80 without anchors.

As seen best in FIG. 10, the side anti-wear shield 60 comprises one or more panels 61 of a material such as thin plywood or thin semi-rigid plastic material or other suitable material, i.e., material having a smooth lower surface and enough rigidity to significantly increase the lifetime in use of a bag of the invention. One or more hinges 63 attached to panel 61 allows compact storage by providing folding convenience of anti-wear shield 60. When side-mounted, an anti-wear shield 60 is preferably accompanied by a wheel guard 62 unless the wheels are shielded by fenders or the like. Clippings and debris emerge from the usual opening 71 (FIG. 10) and are guided by the conventional side collector 80 (FIG. 9) into the bag 11.

Although not illustrated, another way to provide a shield for the bag of the invention is to reinforce part of the bag so as to make it more durable in use when dragged over the ground. Coating the lower side of the bag with smooth resins or other materials can prolong bag life, although flexibility of the bag may be somewhat diminished.

It should be noted that alternate designs for removably attaching anti-wear shield 60 to conventional side collector 80 are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. It should also be noted that anti-wear shield 60 could be removably attached to commercial mower 70 by any convenient means.

Clothesline hook 82 may be added to the top surface of conventional side collector 80 for engaging drawstring 16, to help retain collection bag 11 on side collector 80. An optional wheel guard 62, made of thin plywood, thin semi-rigid plastic or other suitable material, may be attached to panel 61 of anti-wear shield 60 with hinge 64, or other suitable means, which allows compact storage of the wheel guard assembled to the shield 60 by conveniently folding. Wheel guard 62 protects collection bag 11 from abrasion caused by contact with the wheel of commercial mower 70. Anti-wear shield 60 protects bottom side 22 of collection bag 11 from abrasive matter on ground 75 and abrasion from wheel on commercial mower 70.

In another aspect, the present invention provides for the collection of unwanted material other than grass clippings, and for the use, in debris collection, of devices other than lawn mowers. Referring to FIG. 11, the present invention is illustrated in an embodiment directed to a leaf vacuum/blower. The embodiment consists of collection bag 11 removably attached to vacuum leaf blower 85. Sleeve 21 on the small end 13 of collection bag 11 is placed to encompass the periphery of blower discharge 87 of vacuum leaf blower 85. At small end 13, drawstring 16 is cinched tight, thereby wrapping and securing the drawstring about cleat 14, and thereby removably attaching collection bag 11 to vacuum leaf blower 85. At the large end 12, cinching drawstring 16 tight, and wrapping and securing it about cleat 14, closes off air pressure leaks sufficiently to inhibit clippings from exiting collection bag 11.

In this embodiment, the large end 12 of collection bag 11 may rest on the ground 75, to support the weight of the clippings within the collection bag 11. Blower intake 86 of vacuum leaf blower 85 can therefore be easily maneuvered to pick up organic debris such as leaves. At the large end 12 of collection bag 11, the bag may be emptied when drawstring 16 is loosened from cleat 14 and large end 12 is completely opened to empty contents of leaves or clippings from collection bag 11 without the need to remove the small end 13 from vacuum leaf blower 85.

In the embodiment of FIG. 12, the present invention consists of collection bag 11 removably attached to lawn vacuum 91. Sleeve 21 on small end 13 of collection bag 11 encompasses the periphery of vacuum discharge 96 of lawn vacuum 91. At small end 13, cinching drawstring 16 tight, and wrapping and securing it about cleat 14, removably attaches collection bag 11 to lawn vacuum 91. At large end 12, cinching drawstring 16 tight, and wrapping and securing drawstring 16 about cleat 14, closes off air pressure leaks sufficiently to inhibit clippings or leaves from exiting collection bag 11.

The vacuum intake 95 of lawn vacuum 91 is used for clearing expanses of lawn surface while pushing lawn vacuum 91. In addition, in flower or garden beds, hose intake 93 can be maneuvered, by holding onto hose handle 94, to pick up clippings or leaves while lawn vacuum 91 remains stationary. In this use, the collection bag 11 provides a large volume for collecting leaves and clippings before needing to be emptied, thereby increasing the ease and speed of completing the chore. At the large end 12 of collection bag 11, drawstring 16 is loosened from cleat 14 and large end 12 is completely opened to empty contents of leaves or clippings from collection bag 11 without the need to remove the small end 13 from lawn vacuum 91.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the present invention is adapted to collect debris from a wood chipper or similar device. Collection bag 11, which is preferably the same as the collection bag in other uses, is removably attached to wood chipper/shredder 105. In FIG. 13, sleeve 21 on the small end 13 of collection bag 11 encompasses the periphery of chipper discharge 106 of wood chipper/shredder 105. At small end 13, cinching drawstring 16 tight, and wrapping and securing it about cleat 14, removably attaches collection bag 11 to wood chipper 105. At large end 12, cinching drawstring 16 tight, and wrapping and securing it about cleat 14, closes off air leaks sufficiently to inhibit clippings or leaves from exiting collection bag 11. After collection bag 11 is filled with debris, the drawstring 16 at the large end 12 of the bag 11 is loosened from cleat 14, and large end 12 is completely opened to empty contents of leaves or clippings from collection bag 11 without the need to remove small end 13 from wood chipper/shredder 105.

Some wood chipper/shedders 105 do not include retention means at chipper discharge 106 that can readily be adapted to retain a bag for collecting debris. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, bag retainers 110 can be added to a wood chipper/shredder 105 if required to retain collection bag 11. In this embodiment, at least one retainer grommet 20 in the bag 11 (FIG. 13) is placed on sleeve 21 at the small end 13 of collection bag 11 so that it engages bag retainers 110, placed in the sides of chipper discharge 106, so as to removably attach collection bag 11 to wood chipper/shredder 105. An exemplary bag retainer 110 comprises bolt 111, washers 112 and machine nuts 113. It should be noted that alternate bag retainer means could be used without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Bag retainers 110 can be located on chipper discharge 106 so as to not interfere with the safe use of guard 109.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, means for removable attachment of the bag to the side discharge of a mower are provided. In FIG. 15, adapter 120 is attached to a side-discharge mower 70. In contrast to FIG. 9, the attachment means do not comprise a commercial mesh-type catcher such as catcher 80 of FIG. 9.

Instead, adapter 120 is designed to fit a variety of side discharge mowers with means for attachment of collection bag 11. The adapter 120 is connected to the mower discharge 71 (see FIG. 10), by several hooks 124, which are attached to adapter 120 by bolts, rivets or the like 125. The hooks slip into holes in the deck of the mower 70. Such holes may be placed by the operator in a standard commercial mower of any of a variety of detailed shapes.

The bag 11 is connected, optionally by its smaller end opening 13, to adapter 120 by tightening a drawstring 16 and cinching it with a cleat 14, as previously described. The adapter 120 may have a flared rim 122, on end 123 of adapter 120 to ensure a reliable connection during use. In the embodiment of FIG. 15, no shield is illustrated, but one could be provided if desired.

In another embodiment, not illustrated, the means for attachment comprise an adapter, which may be called a connector chute, made of materials suitable for outside mechanical use, including metals, plastic, fabric, or a combination of the materials. The adapter comprises a generally open tube shape, removably attached at a first end to the mower's side discharge opening with fasteners. The fasteners may include easily released devices such as clips, hooks, and the like. Or, they may be designed for prolonged usage, for example use of the connector chute as the primary means for discharge, and which may include reversible connections such as nuts and bolts and other sturdy fasteners.

The connector chute device further comprises means at the other end for retaining a collection bag, such as a collection bag of the invention. The means may include a flaring or flange at the other open end about which the bag is cinched. The bag, typically the narrower end, is cinched around the open end of the collector chute, assuring retention of the bag while the mower is in motion. Alternative means for retaining the open end of the bag can be used, including without limitation corrugated or otherwise locally rough segments of the collector chute; and the use of pins, clips, hook-loop closures (“Velcro™”), and other reversible fasteners, to retain the bag on the chute.

The collection bag, lying on the ground adjacent to the mower, and removably attached to the connector chute device, can then be used to collect debris on the lawn. A shield could also be provided with attachment either to the mower or to the connector chute device. Alternately, a shield could be integrated into the bottom of the bag. As described above, a shield protects the bag against abrasion when it is dragged across rough ground, especially when it is partially full or more.

An advantage of the bag as described herein is that the presence of drawstring-controlled openings (or other flexible opening diameter controls, such as belts, optionally combined with hook-loop closures) at opposite ends of the bag, or otherwise disposed in at least two locations on an exchangeable debris collection bag, allow the use of a single bag with a variety of types of outdoor power equipment. In particular, a single bag can be used both with relatively high-volume devices, such as rear discharge and side discharge mowers and tractors, and also with relatively lower volume devices such as lawn and hand vacuum blowers, and with chippers. This greatly simplifies the use of collection devices for multiple tasks, reducing bag inventory and the need to maintain large stocks of replacement parts for this use. Moreover, the use of anti-wear shields for protection of bags attached to mowers and other high-volume uses further increases the economy of providing and using collection bags.

The bag has been described herein as having two openings, one quite large, for attaching to the hood of a large mower or similar device, and one small, for attaching to most smaller outdoor equipment. It is also possible to have additional openings in a system of the invention. In particular, there can be two openings for non-mower devices, for example of “small” and “medium” relative size, for attachment of different equipment. There could also be a second large opening, to allow rapid emptying of the bag without having to remove it from a lawn mower.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that, while the invention has been described above in terms of preferred embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Various features and aspects of the above described invention may be used individually or jointly. Further, although the invention has been described in the context of its implementation in a particular environment, and for particular applications, those skilled in the art will recognize that its usefulness is not limited thereto and that the present invention can be beneficially utilized in any number of environments and implementations where it is desirable to removably contain leaves, grass, wood chips and other debris, especially organic debris, which may be collected from a machine producing or collecting such debris. Accordingly, the claims set forth below are to be construed in view of the full breadth and spirit of the invention as disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An exchangeable debris collection bag having at least two openings that each have attachment means for fastening said exchangeable debris collection bag to at least one type of outdoor power equipment.

2. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 1, wherein said openings can be closed when not in use.

3. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 1, wherein an opening in the bag which is not attached to said type of outdoor power equipment can be used to empty said bag.

4. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 1 wherein said exchangeable debris collection bag has ventilation means for allowing air to be exhausted from said exchangeable debris collection bag during operation of said outdoor power equipment.

5. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 1 further comprising shield means for protection of said exchangeable debris collection bag to reduce the rate of wear of said exchangeable debris collection bag during use.

6. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 5 wherein said shield means is attached to said outdoor power equipment so that said shield means reduces the extent of contact of said EDCB with the ground.

7. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 5 wherein said shield means and said EDCB are independently connected to said outdoor power equipment.

8. The shield of claim 5 wherein said shield means is attached to said exchangeable debris collection bag, and said exchangeable debris collection bag is attached to said outdoor power equipment.

9. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 5 wherein said shield is provided by reinforcing material connected to said exchangeable debris collection bag.

10. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 1 wherein the types of outdoor power equipment are selected from a lawn mower, a leaf blower, a lawn vacuum, and a chipper.

11. A method of extending the useful life of an exchangeable debris collection bag attached to outdoor power equipment, wherein the rate of wear of an exchangeable debris collection bag is reduced by providing a shield to reduce the friction of the exchangeable debris collection bag when in contact with the ground.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said shield is attached to said outdoor power equipment.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said exchangeable debris collection bag is attached to said shield.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the exchangeable debris collection bag has at least two openings suitable for attachment of the exchangeable debris collection bag to the outdoor power equipment to receive debris from the outdoor power equipment.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said openings of the exchangeable debris collection bag are of different sizes.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the outdoor power equipment is selected from a lawn mower, a leaf blower, a lawn vacuum, and a chipper.

17. A debris collection system comprising an exchangeable debris collection having at least two types of openings for connection to outdoor power equipment.

18. The debris collection system of claim 17 further comprising shield means for reducing the rate of wear of an exchangeable debris collection bag during use.

19. The debris collection system of claim 18 wherein said shield means are reversibly connected to one or more of the outdoor power equipment and the exchangeable debris collection bag.

20. The debris collection system of claim 18 wherein said shield means are integrally formed with said exchangeable debris collection bag.

21. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 1 wherein the preceding and receding edges of the bag differ in length by more than 5 inches.

22. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 1 wherein said opening has at least one grommet.

23. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 22, wherein said bag is connected to a piece of said equipment via said grommet.

24. The exchangeable debris collection bag of claim 1 wherein said bag is connected to at least one type of said equipment by connecting a drawstring to a hook on said equipment.