Abstract:
A pet waste collection device includes a container with first and second boxes joined with a hinge, and a handle that may be detachably attached to the collection container. The handle includes a finger portion that is slidable in an opening through a thumb portion of the handle. The handle is oriented such that the first and second boxes become extensions of the users thumb and fingers with action mimicking a grasping action while maintaining the users hand remote from any pet waste being collected. The handle may be reusable, and a plurality of collection containers may be included as part of a kit.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present disclosure relates generally to the collection of pet waste, and more particularly to a hinged box container and unique sliding handle for collecting and disposing of pet waste.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     The collection and disposal of pet waste has been an undesirable but necessary duty of pet owners for many years. Many pet owners and inventors have attempted to address this problem in a wide variety of ways ranging from the use of a simple scoop or bag to the relatively complex contraptions described in prior art references. But many of these devices may not be acceptable to some persons, and/or may simply not be practical. For instance, the simple use of a plastic bag to retrieve pet canine feces can present an unpleasant tactile sensation to the user, even though they are separated from the waste by the thickness of the plastic bag. This unpleasant tactile sensation can render the plastic bag unacceptable for use by many pet owners. In other instances, a variety of pet waste collecting devices are either too complex to be practical, or may include long handles and the like rendering them less than portable for everyday usage.  
         [0003]     The present disclosure is directed to solve one or more of the problems set forth above.  
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0004]     In one aspect, a pet waste collection device includes a first box joined to a second box with a hinge. A handle has a finger portion with one end attached to the first box, and a thumb portion with one end attached to the second box. One of the finger and thumb portions is slidably received in an opening through the other of the finger and thumb portions.  
         [0005]     In another aspect, a pet waste collection kit can include a plurality of waste collection containers stacked on one another in a flattened configuration. A separate reusable handle can be detachably attached to a selected one of the containers.  
         [0006]     In still another aspect, a method of collecting pet waste includes attaching respective finger and thumb portions of a handle to first and second boxes of a waste collection container. A thumb and at least one finger are inserted into an annular thumb engagement and annular finger engagement of the handle, respectively. The collection container is opened by moving the finger and thumb engagements away from one another by sliding one of the finger portion and thumb portion of the handle through one another. The pet waste is enclosed within the container by sliding the finger and thumb portions back into contact in a reverse direction. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pet waste collection kit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a sectioned side view of a pet collection container in a flattened configuration;  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the pet collection container of  FIG. 2  in an expanded configuration with a handle as shown in  FIG. 1  attached thereto;  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the pet collection container of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a user collecting pet waste using the pet waste collection device of the present disclosure; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view the pet waste collection device of  FIG. 5  being detached from the handle for disposal after collecting the animal waste. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a pet waste collection kit  10  might include a plurality of pet waste collection containers  12  stored in flattened configurations stacked adjacent one another in a supply box  16 . A separate reusable handle  14  may be detachably attached to a selected one of the collection containers  12 . In one aspect, the collection containers  12  may be made from a suitable cardboard and/or plastic material, and the handle may be made from a more durable plastic material for reuse with a plurality of collection containers  12 . Handle  14  includes a finger portion  40  with an extension  42  that includes an annular finger engagement  41  at one end, and a hook  49  (or other equivalent attachment) at its other end. Handle  14  also includes a thumb portion  45  that includes an extension  47  with an annular thumb engagement  46  at one end and a hook  44  at its opposite end. One of the finger and thumb portions includes an opening  48  that receives the other of the finger and thumb portions for sliding engagement through the opening. In the illustrated embodiment, thumb portion  45  includes a slot shaped opening  48  that permits the annular finger and thumb engagements  41 ,  46  to be slid together as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , or apart as shown in  FIG. 5 . Although the handle is shown as including hooks  44  and  49  for detachable attachment to respective collection containers  12 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that other configurations, such as cooperating slots and tabs could be substituted in place without departing from the intended scope of the present disclosure.  
         [0014]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-4 , a collection container  12  is shown in its flattened configuration and expanded configuration. Although not necessary, the collection container  12  may include a pull tab actuator  23  and a pair of straps  24  and  25  that can be utilized to assist in expanding the collection container from its flattened configuration as shown in  FIG. 2  to its expanded configuration as shown in  FIG. 3 . Pull tab  23  may be attached to extension  47  of thumb portion  45 , as shown, or may be detached. In addition, although not necessary, the storage container  12  may be equipped with a locking feature that assists in maintaining the collection container  12  in an expanded configuration. For instance, a plurality of interlocking tabs  27  may be added to the basic container construction in order to provide a locking feature that holds container  12  in its expanded configuration as shown in  FIG. 3 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, although interlocking tabs  27  are illustrated, any suitable locking feature, such as cooperating slots and tabs could be substituted in place without, departing from the intended scope of the present disclosure. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a wide variety of equivalent locking feature strategies are available to the present disclosure. One such alternative locking strategy is shown in  FIG. 4  where pull tab  23  includes a notch  38  that cooperates with opening  30  in second box  21  to lock pull tab  23  and its associated straps  24  and  25  in the expanded position shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The pull tab strap  23  may bear against extension  42  of finger portion  40  in order to maintain the notch  38  engaged in a locked position at opening  30  as shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0015]     In its basic configuration, the pet waste collection device includes a container  12  and a handle  14 . In one aspect, the handle is detachable for reuse, in other contemplated embodiments, the handle would also be disposable and permanently attached to the container  12 . Collection container  12  may include a first box  20  that is connected to a second box  21  via a living hinge  22 . The respective first and second boxes can be made from any suitable material, such as a disposable and biodegradable cardboard material, but it can also be made from other suitable materials, such as plastic. The living hinge  22  ( FIG. 4 ) can be as simple as a fold in the cardboard or be a segment of tape that joins the two boxes together. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the container  12  could be cut from a single sheet of cardboard and include appropriate folds and joints to have the ability to assume a flattened configuration or an expanded configuration as shown.  
         [0016]     In the event that the container  12  includes an expansion device, such as pull tab actuator  23 , it may take the configuration that includes a pair of straps  24  and  25  that extend through the inside of boxes  20  and  21  and then out through openings in the ends of the boxes and then reattaching on the underside of the same as shown in  FIGS. 2-4 . Thus, when pull tab  23  is pulled, such as by lifting thumb portion  45 , straps  25  and  24  are pulled through an opening  30  in box  21  and cause both boxes  20  and  21  to move away from the flattened configuration of  FIG. 2  to the expanded configuration as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . When the boxes  20  and  21  reach their expanded configuration, the interlocking tabs  27  will be received in respective catches of adjacent tabs  27  to irreversibly maintain the container  12  in the expanded configuration. Alternatively, or in addition, boxes  20  and  21  may be located in the expanded configuration via the cooperation of notch  38  with opening  30  as shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0017]     Although handle  14  may be permanently attached, such as via glue, and thus disposable like container  12 , preferably handle  14  has a more robust construction to enable it to be used over and over again with disposable containers  12 . Thus, in the illustrated embodiment of  FIGS. 1, 5 , and  6 , the handle  14  includes exposed hooks  44 ,  49  that may be engaged with respective slots  28  and  29  of the first and second boxes  20  and  21 . For instance, the thumb portion hook  44  may be detachably attached in one or more slots  28  cut into the top surface of box  20 , and the finger portion hook  49  may likewise be detachably attached to one or more slots  29  made in the top surface of box  21 . In the illustrated embodiment, box  20  includes a first handle attachment slot  28  that receives hook  44 , and the second box  21  includes a second handle attachment slots  29  that receives hook  49 . The slots are configured to allow the handle to open and close container  14  as shown in  FIG. 5  without becoming detached from container  12 .  
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY  
       [0018]     In practice, a pet owner may have a complete kit  10  as shown in  FIG. 1  that includes a plurality of containers  12  and a handle  14 . When it is time to take their pet for a walk, the pet owner will simply retrieve a container  12  from supply box  16  and possibly maintain the storage box in a flattened configuration for convenience until time for use. Although the present disclosure contemplates collection containers that are always in a expanded configuration, a user of a collapsible version will first need to expand the collection container from the flattened configuration as shown in  FIG. 2  to the expanded configuration as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . This can be done by gripping pull tab actuator  23  and lifting the extension  47  of thumb portion  45  the same away from the top surface of boxes  20  and  21 . This will result in straps  24  and  25  being displaced upward through opening  30 , placing forces on the respective boxes  20  and  21  causing them to move toward an expanded configuration. When they reach an expanded configuration, interlocking tabs  27  will be received in respective cuts made in cooperating tabs and will lock the boxes in their expanded configuration for use, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Alternatively, or in addition, tab  23  may include a notch  38  that cooperates with opening  30  to lock boxes  20  and  21  in the expanded configuration as shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0019]     In another aspect, handle  14  may be detachably attached to the container  12 . This may be accomplished by inserting hook  49  through a first handle attachment slots  29  in the second box  21 , and inserting thumb portion hook  44  in a similar handle attachment slot  28  in first box  20 .  
         [0020]     Next, the pet owner inserts one or more fingers  31  of their hand  32  into the annular finger engagement  41  of the finger portion  40  of handle  14 . The pet owner then inserts their thumb into the annular thumb engagement  46  of the handle  14  as shown in  FIG. 4 . When the annular finger and thumb portions  41  and  46  thumb engagements are in contact with one another as shown in  FIG. 3 , the open sides  33  and  34  of boxes  20  and  21  are adjacent one another to form an enclosure as shown in  FIG. 3 . When the annular finger and thumb engagements  41  and  46  are moved away from each other as shown in  FIG. 5 , the open sides  33  and  34  or boxes  20  and  21  allow the open sides  33  and  34  to be positioned over pet waste  36 . When the pet owners thumb  37  and finger(s)  31  are moved back together to the configuration shown in  FIG. 3 , the pet waste is retrieved within container  12 . Next, the pet owner can release the container  12  holding the pet waste by partially positioning the container  12  in a suitable receptacle, such as a garbage can  35 . When an asymmetrical force is applied to the container  12  by an interaction with a rim of the garbage can and a pulling force on handle  14  away from container  12 , the hooks  44  and  49  will break free of container  12  and the container holding the pet waste  36  will drop into garbage can  35 . The handle  14  may then be stored away for future use. Alternatively, if the permanently attached handle version is being used, the container with handle are discarded with the waste trapped inside.  
         [0021]     By utilizing the unique handle  14  construction that has action somewhat similar to that of scissors, but has a different orientation so that the handle  14  and container  12  function as extensions of normal hand movement during a grasping or picking up movement of finger toward and away from the thumb. However, the handle and container  12  keep the pet owner remote from, but in proximity of, the pet waste avoiding any of the undesirable tactile sensations experienced by those who utilize an inverted plastic bag to retrieve the pet waste. In addition, because the boxes are substantially more rigid than a plastic bag, they can be used in a scooping action to help insure that the waste is received in one or both of the boxes  20  and  21  during the collection procedure.  
         [0022]     It should be understood that the above description is intended for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other aspects, objects, and advantages of the disclosure can be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims.