Abstract:
A portable waste disposal tool uses recycled plastic merchandise bags secured to a frame by an adjustable tensioning bag clamp and sliding lock assembly, including a sliding lock and a bag clamp, the frame holding the bag in an open position to contain debris from an indoor or outdoor hard surface, a yard or other ground surface, including dirt, dust, yard waste and pet waste. The frame is attached to the lower end of an elongated extension handle wherein the waste is maintained within the plastic bag until deposited in a trash receptacle by a simple single handed release of the bag clamp.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Applicant claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 61/687,578, filed on Apr. 27, 2012 by the same inventor. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     A portable waste disposal tool uses recycled plastic merchandise bags secured to a frame by an adjustable tensioning bag clamp and sliding lock assembly, including a sliding lock and a bag clamp, the frame holding the bag in an open position to contain debris from an indoor or outdoor hard surface, a yard or other ground surface, including dirt, dust, yard waste and pet waste. The frame is attached to the lower end of an elongated extension handle wherein the waste is maintained within the plastic bag until deposited in a trash receptacle by a simple single handed release of the bag clamp. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     A preliminary review of prior art patents was conducted by the applicant which reveal prior art patents in a similar field or having similar use. However, the prior art inventions do not disclose the same or similar elements as the present debris disposal and collection tool, nor do they present the material components in a manner contemplated or anticipated in the prior art. 
     Several prior art devices disclose scooping tools that employ the use of an attached bag. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,109,547 to Miller, a device is provided with a handle attached to a wire frame, the wire frame provides an anchor for one side of a bag and a slide bar, slidably mounted upon the wire frame, anchors the other side of the opening of the bag, with a sliding member on the handle forcing the slide bar back and forth along the wire frame to open and close the attached bag. A tool with a ring opening attaches a bag by use of an annular ring, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,678 to Bailey, with the annular ring either a separate component of the bag or part of the opening of the bag. A fixed scoop having a rear opening with a bag attached to the rear opening by a hook, knobs or having the bag tied to the scoop member providing no tension adjustment or quick single handed release means to the bag is indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,447 to Clark. A similar product is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,891 to Pettenon, except the bag is apparently proprietary and the front opening is custom fitted over the front edge of the fixed scoop, the bag providing its own tension to secure it to the fixed scoop. 
     A simple triangular wire frame is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,414 to Dameron, wherein a bag is fitted around the triangular wire frame with a portion being stretched over at least on bight, the bag held open to receive contents. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,220 to Bredt, a device discloses a hollow handle with a grip on one end and an opening in the other end, having a retractable tool end which includes a pair of resilient arms which spread into an open V-shape when extended outside the handle opening and compress together when retracted inside with a bag having two slide channels built into the bag, each slide channel receiving on the two resilient arms, wherein the bag is opening when the resilient arms are fully extended, and the bag is closed and perhaps even drawn within the handle opening when the resilient arms are fully retracted within the handle. 
     A simple tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,618,073 to Casper, which defines a handle with a fixed frame on a tool end and a handle on the grip end, an upper clip and a lower clip above and below the fixed frame on the handle at the tool end, the upper and lower clips attaching opposing sides of an upper opening of the bag. This device provides no adjustable tension to the bag and also does not provide for a simple release of the bag from the frame without some form of intervention, unlike the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Routine cleaning tasks often require the use of some type of tool to contain debris. When sweeping, a dust pan is used to contain the debris swept up by a broom. A bag or other container is used to pick up lawn debris, including pet waste, until it can be deposited into a receptacle or another preferred location. Several devices, as discovered in a search of the present waste disposal tool, provide some type of elongated handle with a device at the lower end which has the capability of maintaining waste within a structure or an attached bag. Some use an elastic band to hold the bag to a frame while others use different types of attaching means. Most of the prior art devices are distinguished from the present tool by the required use of two hands to remove their bags, while others are distinguished by requiring use of proprietary bags which require renewed purchase of new bags during the duration of the devices. 
     The objective of the present tool is to use a recycled plastic bag or other appropriate sized bags that are generally used for groceries or other merchandise and would otherwise be thrown away. Devices using proprietary bags can become expensive over time, and other devices with an incorporated receiver can become soiled, which is often the case when removing pet waste. By using the recycled bags, one simply disposes of the bag as they would have in the first place, except now with the removed waste contents. There is no cleanup and there is no required “touching” of the waste or the bag containing the waste by the user. It is also an objective to provide the manner of securing the recycled bag to the frame with the adjustability of the clamp to allow more than one size of plastic bag to be used and still secure to the frame without being casually disengaged. It is also an objective that the release of the filled bag be accomplished with a simple one-handed release. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following drawings are informal drawings submitted with this utility patent application. 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the debris collection and disposal tool with the optional extension tray in a lowered position. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the debris collection and disposal tool. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the debris collection and disposal tool. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the debris collection and disposal tool. 
         FIG. 5  is a lower side sectional view of the debris collection and disposal tool. 
         FIG. 6  is the same view of the debris collection and disposal tool as shown in  FIG. 1  with the optional bag support tray in a raised position. 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional side view of the debris collection and disposal tool as shown in  FIG. 2  with the optional bag support tray in a raised position. 
         FIG. 8  is a close-up front perspective view of the lower end of the debris collection and disposal tool indicated a recycled plastic bag attached within the lower support frame. 
         FIG. 9  is a lower side sectional view of the debris collection and disposal tool securing a recycled plastic bag. 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional side view of the bag retaining clip upon the distal end of the bag support tray securing the end of the plastic bag. 
         FIG. 11  is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of the debris collection and disposal tool with the extension tray in a lowered position with a lower margin of the bag support frame defining a wire instead of the solid lower margin frame section as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 ,  4 - 7  and  9 . 
         FIG. 12  is a side view of the debris collection and disposal tool releasing the plastic bag from the bag support frame. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A debris collection and disposal tool  10 , as shown in an embodiment in  FIGS. 1-10 , and  11 , to receive waste within a supported recycled plastic bag  100 , supplies an elongated handle  20  having an upper end  22  defining a grip portion  24 , a shaft  26 , and a lower end  28 , the shaft  26  including a bag clamp and sliding lock assembly  40  including a shaft support collar  42  engaging the shaft  26 , a shaft lock  44  and a bag handle clamp  46 , the handle  20  further defining the lower end  28  attaching a bag support frame  50 . The bag support frame  50  defines an overall hollow ring structure, preferably a rectangular shape as shown in the drawing figures, having an upper section  51  defining an upper handle receiver  52  securing the lower end  28  of the handle  20 , side sections  54  and a lower section  55 , a front portion  60  defining a bag retaining extension  62  with an outward flared perimeter  64 , and a rear portion  58 . The rear portion  58  may further extend a retractable bag support tray  70  pivotally attaching to the rear portion  58  by a hinge means  72 , providing the bag support tray  70  in a lower position,  FIG. 1 , and a raised position,  FIG. 6 . The bag support tray  70  further forms a flat plate  74  with upright side support margins  76  and a distal bag retaining means  78 ,  FIGS. 9-10 . 
     A recycled plastic bag  100  or other suitable recycled bag, is placed upon the bag support frame  50 , in a manner indicated in  FIGS. 8-10 , with the bag support tray  70  in the lowered position. A bottom  103  of the plastic bag  100  is inserted through the bag support frame  50  from the front portion  60  to the back portion  58 , with the bottom  103  of the plastic bag  100  attached within the distal bag retaining means  78 ,  FIGS. 9-10 , in the embodiment shown as a resilient clip. An upper opening  102  of the plastic bag  100  would then be attached around the bag retaining extension  62  on the front portion  60  over the outward flared perimeter  64  with a lower handle portion  106  of the plastic bag  100  being placed below the lower section  55  under the bag support frame  50 ,  FIG. 9 , while an upper handle portion  104  of the plastic bag  100  is pulled over the upper section  51  of the bag support frame  50  and inserted within the bag handle clamp  46 . The user may otherwise position the bag in any manner which secured the bag upon the frame other than as shown in  FIG. 9 , although the disclosed attachment is preferred. 
     The upper section  51  of the bag support frame  50  may also extend a forward handle gathering means  53 ,  FIGS. 1-3 ,  5  and  7 , the handle gathering means  53  providing a passage through which the upper handle portion  104  of the plastic bag  100  is threaded prior to being attached within the bag handle clamp  46  to enhance the tension and security of the plastic bag  100  upon the bag support frame  50 . Alternatively, the handle gathering means may be presented as a pair of spaced handle gathering pegs,  61 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  6 ,  8  and  11 , which narrow the width of the handle and apply lateral pressure to the upper handle portion  104  of the plastic bag  100  providing additional security to the upper handle portion attachment. 
     Once initially installed, the bag clamp and sliding lock assembly  40  are subsequently slid up the shaft  26  by releasing the shaft lock  44 , sliding the shaft support collar  42  upward until the upper opening  102  of the plastic bag  100  is tightly affixed around the bag retaining extension  62  of the bag support frame  50  and secured thereupon, further releasing the shaft lock  44 , retaining the bag clamp and sliding lock assembly  40  in place during use of the tool  10 , the bag clamp and sliding lock assembly  40  placement selected by the user based upon the limitations of the preferred tension upon the plastic bag  100  and conforming to the size of the plastic bag being used. At this point, the plastic bag  100  is securely retained upon the bag support frame  50  with the bag opening  102  fitted tightly upon the bag retaining extension  62  with the outward flared perimeter  64  preventing the opening  102  of the plastic bag  100  from being removed from the bag support frame  50 . The tool  10  is now ready to be used to gather and collect refuse into the plastic bag  100 . 
     The purpose of the bag clamp and sliding lock assembly  40  being moveable along the handle shaft  26  is to provide the tool  10  with the capability to use various sizes of plastic bags meeting the basic component requirements of the disclosed plastic bag  100 , the plastic bags  100  being delivered in a variety of different sizes and shapes. This feature eliminates the need to use a proprietary bag, unlike certain prior art devices, making the tool  10  conform to various sized plastic bags  100  instead of searching for a plastic bag  100  conforming to the tool  10 . 
     To release the plastic bag  10  and its contents once the bag is at a desired fullness, as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , the user would simply place the filled plastic bag  100  and the waste disposal tool  10  over a trash receptacle, release the bag handle clamp  46  with the simple single-finger depression of the bag handle clamp  46 , wherein gravity causes the plastic bag  100  and its contents to drop into the trash receptacle. The upper handle portion  104  of the plastic bag, once released from the bag handle clamp  46 , releases tension of the upper opening  102  of the plastic bag  100  upon the bag retaining extension  62  and the upward flared perimeter  64 , further releasing the filled plastic bag  100  from the bag support frame  50  for proper disposal wherever chosen by the user. 
     Alternate embodiments of the debris collection and disposal tool  10  may include the bag support frame  50  having a lower margin defining a shaped wire section  56 , shown in  FIG. 11 , over which the plastic bag  10  would be placed, replacing the solid lower section  55 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 ,  4 - 7  and  9 . This shaped wire section  56  reduces the profile over that of the lower section  55  of the bag support frame  50  to provide for an easier introduction of small items being swept into the upper opening  102  of the suspended plastic bag  100  and also allow for the bag support frame  50  to be slid under some items so that they can be “flipped” into the plastic bag  100 , similar to the action of a spatula, instead of having to be urged into the plastic bag  100  with an accessory tool, as indicated below. This is most useful when attempting to pick up nuts lying on the ground, small clumps of materials or dry animal waste materials. 
     An accessory tool, not shown, would be recommended for use with the waste disposal tool. This accessory tool could be provided as a broom, a rake, a hoe or a shovel. This shovel is best presented as having an ergo-dynamic handle which can be strapped to the arm of the user with a grip handle on a shovel handle, the shovel used with one arm to urge waste into the waste disposal tool while holding the tool with the other arm. 
     Although the embodiments of the debris collection and disposal tool have been described and shown above, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the tool as herein described.