Bag receptacle

Abstract

A support structure for a sealable plastic bag, the structure comprises a receptacle having a top and a bottom, the bottom of the receptacle adapted to contact a surface so that the receptacle is capable of standing in an upright position, the top of the receptacle comprising an elliptically-shaped opening, the elliptically-shaped opening being defined by a rim of the receptacle and having two opposing narrower ends at the rim; the rim of the elliptically-shaped opening having at least two notches, wherein one of the said two notches is disposed at the first of the two narrower ends of the elliptically-shaped opening, and wherein a second of the said two notches is disposed at the second of the two narrower ends of the elliptically-shaped opening in the receptacle. A method of filling a sealable plastic bag utilizing the support structure is also disclosed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of 35 U.S.C. 111(b) provisional application serial number 61/634,432 filed on Feb. 29, 2012, entitled “Bag Receptacle.”

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a receptacle for holding open a sealable bag such that a material can be placed into the bag.

(2) Description of Related Art

Common plastic bags comprise bags that have sealable mouths, such as Ziploc® brand bags, sandwich bags, and other flexible bags. Such common bags may have mouths that are designed to be sealed or the mouth ends may not be specifically designed to be sealed. Indeed, the types of bags that may be used in the receptacle are numerous.

Common plastic bags often sag and do not stand up well when a person attempts to place something in the bag. Attempts have been made to support the common plastic bag. But prior art attempts have not adequately provided convenient, easy-to-use, support for the plastic bag such that a person can easily place things in the bag, perform operations on the bag's contents, and then move the bag about.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A novel receptacle for a bag comprises a relatively wide mouth at one end, and is closed at the other end. The closed end may have at least one relatively small hole, or it may be completely closed. The receptacle comprises a shaped body that extends a certain distance from top to bottom and defines an empty space or cavity interior of the body. The shape of the receptacle in its horizontal cross-section may be at least somewhat elliptical. The mouth of the receptacle may be elliptical in shape as well.

The receptacle in use will normally stand on its closed end and, therefore, the closed end will be referred to herein as the bottom of the receptacle. The mouth, then, will be referred to herein as the top of the receptacle. References to top and bottom, however, are not meant to be limiting.

A method of filling a sealable plastic bag comprising a bag portion with an opening at one end of the bag and a reusable seal extending across the opening of the bag wherein the reusable seal has two ends, the method comprising the steps of: (1) providing a support structure comprising a receptacle having a top and a bottom, the receptacle being capable of standing upright on its bottom, the receptacle having an elliptically-shaped opening in the receptacle at the top thereof, the elliptically-shaped opening being defined by a rim of the receptacle and having two opposing narrower ends at the rim, the rim of the receptacle opening having two notches disposed in the receptacle at its rim, wherein one of the said two notches is disposed at the first of the two narrower ends of the elliptically-shaped opening in the receptacle, and the second of the said two notches is disposed at the second of the two narrower ends of the elliptically-shaped opening in the receptacle; (2) placing the bottom of the support structure on a surface with the elliptically-shaped opening facing upwards; (3) inserting a sealable plastic bag into the receptacle of the support structure such that a first end of the reusable seal is seated in one of the two notches in the receptacle, and a second end of the reusable seal is seated in the other of the two notches in the receptacle; (4) placing an amount of one or more substances into the bag through the bag's opening; and (5) removing the bag from the support structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 shows a first side view of a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 3 shows a second side view of a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 4 shows a third side view of a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 5 shows top view of a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of two receptacles nested one inside the other.

FIG. 8 shows an open bag inserted into the receptacle with each end of the bag's sealable mouth seated in a notch of the receptacle.

FIG. 9 shows a first detail view of one end of the open bag seated in one of the receptacle's notches.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, a receptacle for a bag may comprise a tapered body with an open mouth at the top and a closed bottom that may have feet on which the receptacle stands. The receptacle may comprise two notches, disposed opposite one another, in the opening of the mouth. The two notches are used to seat and hold the ends of the mouth of the bag that can be placed into the receptacle to be held. A person can then place food or other items into the bag being held in the receptacle, and the person can mix or perform other operations on the contents of the bag. After performing such operations, the bag may be sealed and/or removed from the receptacle.

In one embodiment, the circumference of the elliptic body of the receptacle may decrease from the top to the bottom of the receptacle, such that the body of the receptacle tapers radially inward from top to bottom. In one example, the degree of tapering may be substantially uniform from top to bottom. In another example, the decrease may not be uniform and some portion(s) of the distance from top to bottom may not decrease. Thus, at least part of the body of the receptacle may taper inwardly from top to bottom. This tapering from top to bottom enables, among other things, multiple receptacles to be nested by placing the bottom of one receptacle into the mouth of another receptacle and allowing it to sink down as far as possible. Tapering may also be used to facilitate support for a bag placed inside the receptacle.

However, it is also possible to make the body of the receptacle with a uniform circumference from the top to the bottom, such that the body of the receptacle does not taper at all from top to bottom.

At the top of the receptacle, there is a rim that forms, or lines, the open mouth of the receptacle. The rim may be generally elliptical in shape, although the shape may vary depending on the embodiment. There may be two indentations, or notches, disposed opposite one another on the rim of the mouth of the receptacle. In an embodiment in which the mouth is elliptically shaped, the indentations may be disposed one at each of the two narrower ends of the elliptical rim of the mouth. The narrower ends of the elliptical rim are near or adjacent the foci of the ellipse.

The indentations in the rim are sized, both in width and depth, to receive and hold the ends, or seams, or edges of the mouth of a plastic bag. More specifically, for sealable plastic bags, the indentations in the rim of the receptacle may be sized to receive the ends of the sealable mouth of the plastic bag. In use, the receptacle may be placed on a stable surface sitting on its bottom side with its open mouth on the top. A bag, which can be made of any material including plastic, will be inserted into the open mouth of the receptacle with the closed side of the bag toward the bottom and the open mouth of the bag toward the top. The open mouth of the bag may be sealable. The two opposite edges of the bag's mouth may be placed or seated into the two notches in the rim of the receptacle's mouth. The notches are adapted to receive or hold the edges of the bag's mouth. With the bag held and supported by the receptacle, the bag can receive liquids, solids, or any other substance. When the user desires, the bag can have its mouth sealed and can be removed from the receptacle, even when the bag is full. Throughout this process, the receptacle may help to support or shape the bag so that the bag does not collapse and can maintain a shape that allows a user to interact with the contents within the bag, with or without the aid of utensils or tools.

There may be disposed at or near the top of the receptacle at least one handle. This enables the receptacle to be easily grasped by a human hand, and held or moved. The handle may be integrally formed with the body of the receptacle or it may be a separate part that is attached to the body of the receptacle. The particular shape, size, location, and orientation of the handle are matters of design choice. The handle(s) may be designed to facilitate or allow a bag to be disposed in the receptacle as described above and/or to allow for multiple receptacles to be nested one inside another. However, the handle(s) should not be disposed such that the handle(s) will interfere with the function of the notches on the rim of the receptacle. In an embodiment in which the receptacles are capable of being nested, the handle(s) may be sized and disposed such that the handle(s) do not interfere with the nesting of two or more receptacles.

In one embodiment, there may be one or more spacer(s) disposed on the outer wall of the body of the receptacle. One function of the spacer(s) is to keep the top receptacle of two nested receptacles from traveling so far into the bottom of the two nested receptacles that it becomes difficult to remove. If the top receptacle of two nested receptacles is kept slightly above its maximum penetration into the bottom of the two nested receptacles, then it may be easier to take the top receptacle out of the bottom receptacle. This functionality of the spacer(s) may also be taken advantage of when plural receptacles are nested.

The spacer(s) may be a raised portion or protrusion disposed on the outer surface of the receptacle below the handle, and extending a distance downwards from the handle. The spacer may be integrally formed with the receptacle or it may be a separate part that is attached to the receptacle. Alternatively, the spacer may be disposed on the interior wall of the receptacle. Any combination of different kinds of spacers may be used.

In one embodiment, there may be at least one relatively small hole disposed through the wall of the bottom of the receptacle, or through the side of the receptacle near its bottom. The hole or holes may allow air to enter into the space between the exterior bottom of the top of two nested receptacles and the interior bottom of the bottom of the two nested receptacles when the top receptacle is pulled upwards. This minimizes any suction that might occur when the top of two nested receptacles is pulled upwards. Further, the hole or holes may perform the same or a similar function when a bag placed into the receptacle is pulled upwards to be removed from the receptacle. The hole(s), if disposed at or near the bottom of the receptacle, will allow any liquids that might be in the receptacle to easily drain out. This may also facilitate drying when the receptacle is washed.

The bottom of the receptacle may be formed in such a manner that the receptacle will stand on a flat surface in a substantially stable fashion. The bottom of the receptacle may be relatively flat, or it may comprise one or more feet on which it will stand. If there are feet, the feet may be integrally formed with the receptacle, or the feet may be separate parts that are attached to the receptacle, or they may be a combination thereof.

By way of example, and not as a limitation, the bottom of the receptacle may have four integrally formed protrusions in the bottom wall of the receptacle that function as feet. The feet may be formed at four opposing locations to maximize stability of the receptacle when it stands on the feet. The holes, described above, in the bottom of the receptacle may be disposed at the bottom of the feet. Also, the feet may each be hollow to form a cavity that is continuous with the space inside the body of the receptacle.

The receptacle may be made of any material suitable for its purpose. The material from which the receptacle is made should be strong enough to hold the bag and its contents. It may be relatively light in weight. It may also be able to hold relatively hot items in the bag without significantly deforming. By way of example, but not limitation, the receptacle may be molded of thermoplastic, particularly acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic. However, the receptacle could be made of metal or wood or a cellulose material, or any other suitable material.

The receptacle may be of any convenient overall size. The size of the receptacle may be coordinated with the size of the bag that a person might want to place in the receptacle, including, without limitation, gallon-size, quart-size, sandwich-size, and other sizes of bags.

The horizontal cross-sectional circumference of the receptacle may be sized to shape a bag placed into the receptacle such that a mouth of the bag is biased into an open position.

By way of example, and not as a limitation, for a standard gallon-size bag, the interior circumference of the receptacle at the rim can be 20.75 inches. A receptacle sized in this manner may tend to keep the mouth of the bag in a desirably open position. However, bags of different sizes will need the receptacle sized differently.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of this invention. The bag receptacle 10 shown comprises an elongated receptacle body 20. The receptacle body 20 has a horizontal cross-sectional shape that is elliptical. While the elliptical shape is preferred, it is not necessary that the horizontal cross-sectional shape be elliptical. Persons of ordinary skill in this art, after reading this disclosure, will be able to design receptacles with horizontal cross-sectional shapes other than ellipses that would function to hold a bag approximately as well as the elliptical shape disclosed herein.

The elliptical cross-sectional shape of the receptacle body 20 tapers inward to the center from top to bottom. In other words, starting from the top at the mouth 30 of the receptacle body 20, the circumference of the elliptical shape gradually decreases as one moves downward along the receptacle body. While the drawings show the receptacle body continually tapering from top to bottom, it is not necessary that the body continuously taper from top to bottom. The tapering may exist along some parts from top to bottom and other parts may not taper.

The bag receptacle 10 has an open mouth 30 at the top end of the receptacle body 20. The edge of the receptacle body 20 at the open mouth 30 forms, or includes, a rim 35. Because the receptacle body has an elliptical cross-sectional shape at the top, the mouth is also elliptically shaped as is apparent in the drawings.

There are two notches or indentations, 50 and 55, in the receptacle body 20 at the rim 35. One of the two notches 50 and 55 is disposed at each of the two narrower sides of the rim 35. The notches 50 and 55 are therefore disposed on the sides of the elliptical open mouth 30 nearer or adjacent the foci of the elliptical mouth opening. Notch 50 is disposed on the opposite side of the rim from notch 55. In other embodiments, the notches 50 and 55 may be disposed anywhere along the rim 35. The rim 35 may comprise any particular number of notches, and this number of notches may depend on the type of bag for which the receptacle is intended.

The use of the notches is advantageous because they hold the two ends of the mouth of the bag, preventing the mouth of the bag from sinking down into the receptacle and allowing the contents of the bag to spill out. The seating of the ends of the mouth of the bag in the notches of the receptacle may also minimize twisting or other deformation of the bag within the receptacle, providing better stability during use.

The seating of the ends of the mouth of the bag in the notches also keeps the bag in a desired or suitable shape. A receptacle that has no notches might allow the seams of the bag to press up against the interior of the receptacle and tend to push the bag inward into a distorted or undesirable shape. This may make the opening of the mouth of the bag less uniformly open in the desired shape for one of the bag's intended uses of receiving items into the bag and having items removed from the bag.

The seating of the ends of the mouth of the bag in the notches may also make the ends of the bag easily accessible to the user, so that the user may easily seal the bag by accessing one end of the bag, which may protrude through the opening of the notch) and zipping the bag from one end of the mouth of the bag to the other end.

Once zipped closed, the ends of the mouth of the bag may easily rest in the notches, which may make it easy for the user to grab the ends of the mouth of the bag, which may protrude through the openings of the notches, and lift the bag out of the receptacle.

The particular shape of the notches is not critical to this invention, as long as the ends of the bag can be seated or held in the notch. Persons of ordinary skill in this art, after reading this disclosure, will be able to design notches of a particular depth, width, and shape which will provide their desired function.

The notches may have any shape or size that may receive or hold an end of a bag. For example, the notches may approximate long slits so as to stabilize or receive the creased ends at the mouth of a Ziploc or sealable bag.

At or near the open mouth 30 of the receptacle body 20, and extending outwardly from the receptacle body 20, is a handle 60 which can be used by a person to hold, lift, or move the bag receptacle 10. The handle 60 may be large enough and shaped such that a person can easily grasp it with one's hand, and can hold it securely even when a bag inside the bag receptacle 10 is filled with food and/or liquid. The handle 60 can be integrally formed with the receptacle body 20, as is shown in the drawings, or it can be a separate part that is attached to the receptacle body 20.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the larger side of the receptacle body. It is apparent from this view that the tapering of the receptacle body 20 is rather gradual or small. Persons of ordinary skill in this art who read this disclosure will be able to design a particular tapering that is suitable for their particular application. For some applications, the tapering may be greater than shown in this preferred embodiment. Tapering may allow the bag receptacle 10 to be nested with another bag receptacle 10. If nesting were not desired, then the receptacle body 20 could be not tapered. However, tapering may also serve other functions advantageous to the receptacle 10.

Also visible in FIG. 2 is the closed bottom 40 of the receptacle body 20. At the bottom 40 of the receptacle body 20, there are disposed four integrally formed feet 80 on which the bag receptacle 10 may stand when it is placed on a flat surface. Only two of the four feet 80 are visible in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows another side view of the bag receptacle 10, particularly one of the two narrow sides. FIG. 4 shows the other narrow side of the bag receptacle 10. In FIG. 4, one can see the handle 60 at the top of the receptacle body 20 and protruding outward from the receptacle 10. Extending beneath it is the spacer 70, which is designed to be just long enough to provide the proper spacing between the two bag receptacles 10 when they are nested one inside the other. The length of the spacer 70 and its particular location is a matter of design choice. When one bag receptacle 10 is placed into the mouth 30 of another bag receptacle 10, the lower part of the spacer 70 of the first bag receptacle 10 may contact the rim 35 of the mouth 30 of the second bag receptacle 10, and will maintain a spacing between them. This spacing may be designed to help prevent the first bag receptacle from becoming stuck in the second bag receptacle. The amount of spacing that is desirable will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in this art who reads this disclosure.

It is apparent from FIGS. 3 and 4 that the receptacle body 20 tapers from top to bottom. Also visible in FIGS. 3 and 4 are the feet 80. Two of the four feet 80 are shown in each figure.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the bag receptacle 10 looking down into the open mouth 30 at the top of the receptacle body 20. The elliptical shape of the open mouth's rim 35 is apparent in this view. The notches 50 and 55 are present at the narrow ends of the elliptical rim 35. These are the ends that are closer to or adjacent the foci of the elliptical rim 35. At the bottom 40 of the receptacle body 20, one sees the four integrally formed feet 80 that are projecting downwards. There are four relatively small holes 90 in the bottom 40 of the receptacle body 20, one hole 90 in each of the four feet 80. One purpose of these holes 90 is to allow air to enter the interior of the bag receptacle 10 when it is nested with another bag receptacle 10, and the upper bag receptacle 10 is being withdrawn. The holes 90 also allow air to enter the interior of the bag receptacle 10 when a filled bag is withdrawn from the interior of the bag receptacle 10. The number and location of the holes 90 is a matter of design choice. The holes 90 may be integrally formed when the bag receptacle is formed, or they may be drilled or punched out after forming the bag receptacle 10. The receptacle may have any number of holes or it may have no holes at all.

FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the bag receptacle 10. In this figure, one sees the four feet 80a, 80b, 80c, and 80d, and the four holes 90a, 90b, 90c, and 90d. The handle 60 and the spacer 70 are also visible. The notches 50 and 55 at the top of the receptacle body give the appearance of a slight flattening of the two opposing sides of the elliptical rim 35 in this view.

FIG. 7 shows a first bag receptacle 10a nested in the interior of a second bag receptacle 10b. It is apparent in this figure how the spacer 70 of the first bag receptacle 10a holds the first bag receptacle 10a a certain distance out of the second bag receptacle 10b. In one embodiment, the combination of this distance and the air holes 90 makes it relatively easy to withdraw the first bag receptacle 10a from the second bag receptacle 10b. It will be appreciated that any number of spacers may be provided on the bag receptacle 10a and 10b.

FIG. 8 shows a common plastic bag 100 with its sealable mouth 105 open. The seal on the bag 100 has a first end 110 and a second end 115. The bag 110 is shown being placed into the receptacle 20 with the first end 110 of the bag's sealable mouth 105 to be seated in notch 55. The second end 115 of the bag's sealable mouth 105 is to be seated in notch 50.

With the bag in the receptacle, a person can add or remove a substance to or from the bag. A person can perform operations on the substance in the bag, such as mixing, stirring, or the like. If desired, a person can remove the bag from the receptacle, either with the sealable bag mouth open or closed. The bag can be placed into the receptacle with the bag's mouth either open or closed. The bag can be placed into the receptacle either empty or with something in the bag. The bag's mouth can be opened or closed while the bag is inserted into the receptacle.

FIG. 9 shows the bag 100 fully inserted into the receptacle 20. The end 115 of the bag's sealable mouth 105 is seated in notch 50, and the end 110 of the bag's sealable mouth is seated in notch 55. As is apparent in the drawing, the elliptical shape of the receptacle 20 and the seating of the ends of the bag's mouth in the notches has biased the bag's mouth 105 open. This biased-open position enables a person to easily place or pour a material into the bag through its open mouth. In FIG. 9, a person is pouring a liquid or semi-liquid material 120 from a container 125 into the bag 100 as it is held by the receptacle 20.

The references to top and bottom here are meant to apply to the normal orientation of the bag receptacle 10 when in normal use. However, the references are not meant to be limiting in scope.

A method of using a bag receptacle comprises obtaining a bag receptacle having an open mouth with plural notches, placing a bag into the mouth of the bag receptacle such that the ends of the bag's mouth are seated into the notches in the mouth of the receptacle, and placing a substance into the bag through its open mouth. The substance may be removed or otherwise manipulated while the bag is at least partially contained by the bag receptacle.

A method of using a bag receptacle comprises forming at least one notch in the open mouth of the receptacle, inserting a bag into the receptacle such that the bag's open mouth is supported by the at least one notch, and then placing an item into the bag through its open mouth. The item may be removed or otherwise manipulated while the bag is at least partially contained by the bag receptacle.

A method of using a bag receptacle may further comprise placing a substance into the bag through its open mouth while the bag is disposed in the receptacle. A method of using a bag receptacle may further comprise performing an operation on a substance in the bag through its open mouth while the bag is disposed in the receptacle. A method of using a bag receptacle may further comprise removing the bag from the receptacle with the bag's mouth either open or closed.

A method of using a receptacle may comprise providing a receptacle comprising at least one notch, at least partially inserting a flexible bag into the receptacle such that the end(s) of the mouth of the flexible bag are at least partially received by the one or more notches, the receptacle providing support for the flexible bag to prevent the flexible bag from falling or collapsing, and placing at least one thing into the flexible bag. The method may further comprise the step of performing an operation to change or manipulate a content of the bag. The method may further comprise the step of removing the bag from the receptacle.

The embodiments described above describe only some of the ways this invention can be implemented. Persons of ordinary skill in this art, having read this disclosure, will be able to design other embodiments using only ordinary skill. Those other embodiments would come within the scope of this disclosure which is meant to be limited only by the following claims.

Claims

1. A support structure for a sealable plastic bag, the structure comprising:

1) a receptacle having a top and a bottom, the bottom of the receptacle adapted to contact a surface so that the receptacle is capable of standing in an upright position, the top of the receptacle comprising an elliptically-shaped opening, the elliptically-shaped opening being defined by a rim of the receptacle and having two opposing narrower ends at the rim;

2) the rim of the elliptically-shaped opening having at least two notches, wherein one of the said two notches is disposed at the first of the two narrower ends of the elliptically-shaped opening, and wherein a second of the said two notches is disposed at the second of the two narrower ends of the elliptically-shaped opening in the receptacle.

2. The support structure of claim 1 wherein the receptacle has a generally elliptical shape that extends from the rim of the receptacle to near the bottom of the receptacle.

3. The support structure of claim 2 wherein the receptacle tapers slightly in cross-section from top to bottom.

4. The support structure of claim 1 wherein the two notches are larger than a sealing portion of a sealable plastic bag which the support structure is sized to support.

5. The support structure of claim 1 wherein the receptacle is made of a substantially rigid thermoplastic.

6. The support structure of claim 5 wherein the bottom of the receptacle has four integrally molded feet spaced apart at the bottom of the receptacle such that the support structure can rest on the four feet.

7. The support structure of claim 1 wherein the bottom of the receptacle has at least one hole therethrough.

8. The support structure of claim 1 wherein at least one handle for lifting the support structure is attached to the receptacle at a particular part of the rim of the receptacle, wherein said handle extends outwardly from the rim.

9. The support structure of claim 1 wherein the receptacle is formed as a unitary structure from a thermoplastic material.

10. An article for holding a sealable plastic bag in an open position while filling the plastic bag with a material, the article comprising:

1. a unitary receptacle having a body that is elliptical in cross-section, an open mouth at the top and a closed bottom;

2. the elliptical body forming an elliptically-shaped rim at the open mouth, the elliptically-shaped rim having a longer axis and a shorter axis;

3. the elliptical rim comprising a notch indented into the rim at each of the two ends of the longest axis of the elliptically-shaped rim;

4. at least one hole through the bottom of the unitary receptacle; and 5, at least one handle integrally attached to the receptacle, the handle disposed at the rim of the receptacle and extending outwardly therefrom.

11. The article of claim 10 wherein the elliptical body tapers slightly from top to bottom, thereby enabling multiple receptacles to be nested one inside another.

12. The article of claim 11 further comprising a spacer extending downwardly from the handle such that, when two receptacles are nested one in another, the spacer spaces the two receptacles slightly apart, thereby allowing easy removal of one nested receptacle from the other.

13. The article of claim 10 further comprising plural feet integrally molded in the bottom of the receptacle, the plural feet arranged to stably hold the receptacle upright.

14. The article of claim 10 wherein the closed bottom of the receptacle is generally flat such that the receptacle can stably sit thereupon.

15. A method of filling a sealable plastic bag comprising a bag portion with an opening at one end of the bag and a reusable seal extending across the opening of the bag wherein the reusable seal has two ends, the method comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a support structure comprising a receptacle having a top and a bottom, the receptacle being capable of standing upright on its bottom, the receptacle having an elliptically-shaped opening in the receptacle at the top thereof, the elliptically-shaped opening being defined by a rim of the receptacle and having two opposing narrower ends at the rim, the rim of the receptacle opening having two notches disposed in the receptacle at its rim, wherein one of the said two notches is disposed at the first of the two narrower ends of the elliptically-shaped opening in the receptacle, and the second of the said two notches is disposed at the second of the two narrower ends of the elliptically-shaped opening in the receptacle;

(2) placing the bottom of the support structure on a surface with the elliptically-shaped opening facing upwards;

(3) inserting a sealable plastic bag into the receptacle of the support structure such that a first end of the reusable seal is seated in one of the two notches in the receptacle, and a second end of the reusable seal is seated in the other of the two notches in the receptacle;

(4) placing an amount of one or more substances into the bag through the bag's opening; and

(5) removing the bag from the support structure.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of sealing the bag's reusable seal after placing the one or more substances into the bag and before removing the bag from the support structure.