Abstract:
A trash bag holder detachably mounted on a wall having capability to be used in sweeping debris. The device is assembled from a flexible rod handle, end caps, a bag holder base, rod handle clips, and trash bag holder brackets. When fully assembled the trash bag holder maintains a trash bag in an open position. Rod handle clips maintain the trash bag onto trash bag holder brackets. The trash bag holder brackets may be selectively clipped together and attached to the base to form a unitary assembly. A sloped area on the base allows the unit to be used as a scoop to facilitate the cleanup of debris while the base also allows the unit to be removably attached to a wall or door where it maintain a trash bag in a vertical open position without the need for a rigid container.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     While not very sexy, it is readily apparent that plastic trash bags, also referred to as trash can liners, are an integral part of life. These bags, (collectively referred to herein as “trash bags”) can be manufactured as a wide variety of flexible plastic products. For example, trash bags can be made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) low density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). All of these trash bag materials can be of varying thickness (usually measured in mils) and can be of a wide variety of colors and transparencies. Typically such trash bags are used in trash containers as liners and are used without any container and simply carried to a location where trash is to be deposited therein. Trash bags may also be made of cloth and paper, depending on the use of the bag. 
     In cases where the user does not have a ridged structure, such as a trash can, use of trash bags can be problematic and inconvenient for a user. Further, use of a trash bag by itself for sweeping up smaller debris is difficult if not impossible since the trash bag itself has no rigidity and will not stay in place when a user attempts to sweep things into it. It would thus be useful to have an apparatus that allows a trash bag to be maintained in an open position during clean up or sweeping operations. Such an apparatus would also allow a trash bag to be attached to a wall so that it can be maintained in a vertical open position without the need for a trash container. 
    
    
     
       LIST OF FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  illustrates the fully assembled trash bag holder according to an embodiment hereof. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the trash bag holder base according to an embodiment hereof. 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates a wall mounting bracket according to an embodiment hereof. 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates the back of the bag holder base according to an embodiment hereof. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates the rod handle according to an embodiment hereof. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the end cap according to an embodiment hereof. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a handle clip according to an embodiment hereof. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates the bag holder bracket according to an embodiment hereof. 
         FIG. 6A  illustrates an end-on view of a bag holder bracket according to an embodiment hereof. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a frontal view of a trash bag holder base according to an embodiment hereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  an overview of the trash bag holder apparatus is illustrated. Generally the trash bag holder apparatus comprises a base  10 , a rod handle  12 , bag clips  14 ,  16 , and  18 , bag holder brackets  20 ,  22 , and  24  and end caps (not shown in this illustration) for retaining rod holder  12  onto base  10 . It should be noted that rod handle  12  is inserted through a cylindrical passage on each handle clip during assembly. Therefore, rod handle  12  will have a plural number of handle clips on rod handle  12 . 
     During use, the user will take the bag holder bracket  24 , for example, drape a top portion of the trash bag over bag holder bracket  24  and then clip the top portion of bag holder bracket  24  to handle clip  18  thereby pinching the top portion of the trash bag between the bag holder bracket  24  and hand clip  18 . As will be shown below, handle clip  18  is flexible and expands to detachably engage the top portion of bag holder bracket  24  and the top portion of the trash bag. Bag holder bracket  22  can then be attached to other bag holder brackets that have similarly been clipped onto respective bag holder clips and inserted into the bag holder base. 
     This procedure of draping a trash bag over the bag holder bracket, engaging the bag holder bracket with previously placed bag holder brackets and engaging the top of any bag holder bracket with a handle clip is continued until the top of the trash bag is engaged and retained in place around rod handle  12 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2  the bag holder base is illustrated in further detail. Bag holder base  10  comprises rod handle slots  30  into which the rod handle with attached end caps is threaded. Bag holder base  10  also comprises rigid slots which are dimensioned to engage bag holder brackets ( 20 ,  22  and  24 ) which, when attached to the rod holder adds further rigidity to the entire assembly. Bag holder bracket slots  32  are disposed on either side of the bag holder base  10 . The spacing between rod holder slots  30  dictates the width of the trash bag opening once the trash bag is attached to the rod handle. 
     Bag holder base  10  also comprises a sloped area  34  that allows the entire assembly comprising the rod handle, trash bag, and base to be used as a trash scoop, so that debris may be swept into the assembled unit with the bag attached. The entire bag holder bracket  10  is then mounted on a wall using a wall bracket (see,  FIG. 2A ) so that the assembled unit with the trash bag attached can be installed on a wall, yet be removed for leaf and other debris clean up purposes. 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates a wall mounting bracket according to an embodiment hereof. Wall mounting bracket  26  comprises mounting holes  29  and a sloped area  28 . Sloped area  28  engages the back of bag holder base  10  (see,  FIG. 2B ) to support the wall mounting bracket when in a hanging position. 
       FIG. 2B  illustrates the back of the bag holder base according to an embodiment hereof. As can be seen from this illustration ( FIG. 2B ) the bag holder base comprises reinforcing structures  36  throughout to add further strength to the bag holder base, yet maintain a light weight structure for the base. The reinforcing structures  36  extend to and are affixed to the top of supporting plate  38 . Supporting plate  38  is sloped upward at the same angle as sloped area  28  of mounting bracket  26 . This configuration of supporting plate  38  and sloped area  28  allows bag holder base  10  to rest securely on wall mounting bracket  26  while being easily removable. 
     In an embodiment, the entire bag holder base is injection molded as a single unitary structure which can be made from a variety of strong polymers. The material used for the base and the method of forming the base are not meant as limitations. For example, the base could be made using various processes from a variety of plastics, metal, or other ridged materials that can be used as a base structure and known in the art. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3  the rod handle is illustrated. Rod handle  12  generally comprises a flexible rod material. Rod handle  12  may be constructed from a flexible polymer, or metal. The ends of rod handle  12  comprise a slightly roughened area onto which end caps (see,  FIG. 4 ) are pressure fit to allow rod handle  12  to be retained in base  10 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an end of cap according to an embodiment hereof. End cap  44  is pressure fit onto the ends of rod handle  12 . End cap  44  comprises an internal pressure fit ring  46  which, when engaged upon the ends of rod handle  12  grip rod handle  12  securely. Rod handle  12  with rod cap  44  attached can then be inserted into holder slots  30  on base  10  where it will be retained in place by virtue of rod cap  44 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a handle clip according to an embodiment. It should be noted that handle clip  14  is but one of a plurality of handle clips that comprise the final bag holder assembly (see,  FIG. 1 ). Handle clip  14  is made from a flexible polymer material, although this is not meant as a limitation. Other flexible material such as aluminum or other metals may also be used for the purposes described herein. Handle clip  14  comprises a top portion having a cylindrical channel  48  therethrough. The purpose of the cylindrical channel  48  is to allow handle clip  14  to be threaded onto rod holder  12  during the assembly of the bag holder apparatus. The lower portion of bag holder  14  comprises two flexible flanges  50 ,  52  which flexibly engage the top portion of the bag holder brackets and a layer of a garbage bag. (See  FIG. 6 ). Multiple number of handle clips are attached to rod handle  12  so that subsequent bag holder brackets can be attached to all of these clips thereby maintaining a trash bag around the length of rod handle  12 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a bag holder bracket according to an embodiment hereof. It should be noted that the description in this figure is illustrative only. It is not meant to limit the number of bag holder brackets  22  that are used in the final assembly (see,  FIG. 1 ). Indeed, multiple bag holder brackets will be used to maintain the opening of a trash bag that is used with the bag holder apparatus. Bag holder bracket  22  is also made from a high impact polymer, although this is not meant as a limitation. Again, this part may be made from metal or other ridged material so long as it functions for the purposes described herein. Bag holder bracket  22  comprises engagement sections  54 ,  56 , dispose along the top and bottom portions of bag holder bracket  22 . These engagement sections,  54 ,  56  are wider at the outside portions and more narrow at the portions that meet the body of bag holder bracket  22 . In this manner engagement sections  54 ,  56  can engage the flexible flanges of handle clip  14  ( 52 ,  50 , see  FIG. 5 ). 
     Bag holder bracket  22  further comprises an integral vertical clip  58  on one end and vertical rod  60  on the opposite end. The purpose of vertical clip  58  is to permit a bag holder bracket  22  to engage the corresponding rod of an additional bag holder bracket so that the one bag holder bracket can be connected to another if desired. Similarly, the purpose of vertical rod  60  on bag holder bracket  22  is to allow the engagement of the clip portion a subsequent bag holder bracket so that multiple bag holder brackets can, if desired, be connected together, or allowed to “float” on rod handle  12 . 
     The curvature of rod handle  12  in conjunction with the structure of the bag holder brackets allows the trash bag holder apparatus to accommodate a large variation in trash bag sizes. The bag holder brackets can be adjusted along rod handle  12  to accommodate different size bags and to permit a user to adjust the bag opening to suit his or her preferences. The presence of vertical clip  58  and vertical rod  60  allows brackets to be connected together and moved around the rod handle as a unit to further adjust for different bag sizes. 
     Bag holder bracket  22  also comprises a flattened area  62  which serves two purposes. First, it provide additional rigidity to the entire bag holder bracket structure and at the same time allows a small surface area for the placement of an advertisement, or logo which may be embossed or applied to the part during manufacture. In an embodiment, this bag holder bracket (and others similar to it) are injection molded and comprise a unitary piece of plastic or metallic material. The material used for the bag holder bracket and the method of forming the bag holder bracket are not meant as limitations. 
       FIG. 6A  illustrates an end on view of a bag holder bracket according to an embodiment hereof. As can be seen from this particular view, engagement areas  54  and  56  have a roughly trapezoidal cross section that engages the flexible flanges of handle clip  14  (see  FIG. 5 ,  50 ,  52 ) when a trash bag is draped over the bag holder bracket. It should also be noted that the cross section of bag holder bracket  22  is symmetrical. Therefore, a user does not have to pay attention to a top or bottom portion when draping a bag over the bag holder bracket for subsequent engagement with a handle clip. This allows for ease of assembly. In this  FIG. 6A , vertical rod  60  is also illustrated. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the assembly of the bag holder apparatus is discussed. In an embodiment, the bag holder apparatus comes to a consumer in a disassembled fashion. In assembling the unit, the user takes flexible rod handle  12  and first attaches end caps (see  FIG. 4 ,  44 ) to each end of rod handle  12  (see  FIG. 3 ,  42 ). 
     Prior to attaching end caps to rod handle  12  the user places a plurality of handle clips (see  FIG. 5 ) onto rod handle  12 . The number of handle clips is illustrated in  FIG. 1  as a total of six, however this is not meant as a limitation. The number of handle clips that are placed onto flexible rod handle  12  is a function of the size of the trash bag and the overall dimension of the bag holder apparatus. The flexible rod handle  12  is inserted into the cylindrical channel  48  (see  FIG. 5 ) of each handle clip. After all handle clips are in place, the final rod cap is attached to the flexible rod handle. 
     After the rod handle, handle clips, and rod caps are in place, the ends of the rod handle  12  are placed into the rod handle slots  30  of base  10 . Mounting bracket  26  is attached to a wall or a door (see,  FIG. 2A ). Base  10  can then be removably attached to a wall bracket for subsequent storage. It should be noted that prior to placing a bag on the bag holder apparatus, a user may elect to clip the bag holder brackets together and clip that assembly to corresponding handle clips to permit the entire unit without a bag attached to be stored and attached to a wall for subsequent use. 
     When the user desires to attach a trash bag to the entire unit, the user simply disengages bag holder brackets from their corresponding handle clips, drapes the top portion of a trash bag over the bag holder brackets and then clips the bag holder brackets to corresponding handle clips. If desired, the bag holder brackets may be selectively connected together. In this fashion the opening of the trash bag is maintained by a combination of the dimension of the flexible rod handle  12  and bag holder brackets and bag holder clips. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a frontal view of a trash bag holder base according to an embodiment hereof. Bag holder bracket slots  32  are disposed on either side of the bag holder base  10 . Each bag holder bracket slot  32  comprises a vertical rod  70 . The vertical rods  70  are engaged by a vertical clip  58  of a bag holder bracket  22  (see  FIG. 6A ) to maintain the rigidity of the entire structure and to keep at least a portion of the trash bag tightly against the base bracket. 
     Subsequently, a user can remove the entire assembly from a wall bracket and, holding rod holder  12 , simply place the wall bracket on the ground and, using the sloped area  34  (see  FIG. 2 ) sweep debris directly into the opening that is maintained by handle rod  12  and bag holder bracket and bag holder clips. 
     It will also be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed and that the examples and embodiments described herein are in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art of the present invention will recognize that other embodiments using the concepts described herein are also possible. Further, any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” or “the” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.