Abstract:
A kit containing a plurality of pet waste containers each of which may scoop or pick up pet excrement is provided. Each container provides a plastic bag with a simple frame about the bag mouth. Each pet waste container is held in a pouch removably attached to a leash until desired for use. The used pet waste container is then grasped by a squeeze clip which is attached to a ring attached to the pouch until convenient for disposal.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to the field of waste management and, in particular, to a kit containing apparatus used to facilitate cleanup and transport of pet waste. 
     Many pet owners walk their pet to provide the pet with exercise and an opportunity to relieve themselves away from the pet owner&#39;s domicile. Nearly all pet owners will have a leash either directly attached to the pet during the walk or in hand while controlling the pet with voice commands. In most locations, local ordinances require the pet owner to clean up pet waste excreted by their pets. During nearly every pet walk, the pet will have been trained to relieve itself at least once. During longer walks and hikes, this will occur more than once. 
     Therefore, it would be most convenient for the pet owner to have several disposable pet waste containers removably attached to the pet leash. It is then desirable that the pet waste container be sealable and reattachable to the pet leash, thereby providing the pet owner with hand-free and convenient transport of the pet waste container until disposed of. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a kit containing pet waste containers each of which has the means for scooping or picking up pet excrement. Each present invention container provides a plastic bag with a simple frame about the bag mouth. Each pet waste container is held in a pouch removably attached to a leash until desired for use. When desired, a pet waste container is removed from the pouch. Before use, the frame is held in a folded position with the bag contained within the folded frame. The frame has a release which when activated pops open the frame allowing the bag body to drop free while the bag mouth is attached to the frame. The frame allows the excrement to be scooped into the bag. Alternatively, the excrement may be picked up by passing a hand against the bag and through the frame onto the excrement thereby covering the excrement with the bag body. The enclosed excrement is then pulled back through the frame and the frame reclosed, thereby reclosing the bag mouth with the excrement held within the bag body. The used pet waste container is then grasped by a squeeze clip which is attached to a ring attached to the pouch until convenient for disposal. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the invention pouch. 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the invention pet waste container. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the invention pet waste container in an open position. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the invention pet waste container in a closed position. 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the pet waste container frame in an open position. 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of an open frame. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the frame. 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the frame. 
         FIG. 10  is a right side view of the frame. 
         FIG. 11  is a left side view of the frame. 
         FIG. 12  is a front view of the frame partly folded. 
         FIG. 13  is a front view of the frame folded. 
         FIG. 14A  is a front view of the frame with the corner locks activated. 
         FIG. 14B  is a front perspective view of the frame with the corner locks activated. 
         FIG. 15  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the frame. 
         FIG. 16  is a front perspective view of the alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 15 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like elements are indicated by like numerals, there is shown a pouch  10  removably attached to a leash  1  by means of a carabiner  5 . The carabiner  5  is preferably attached to the leash handle  2  or loop acting as a handle. The pouch  10  has a generally rectangular cross section and has a front  11 , rear  12 , two opposite connecting sides  13 , a bottom  14  and an open top  15 . The pouch  10  has a generally rectangular lid  16  with one side attached at a junction formed by the pouch rear  12  and top  15 , said lid  16  adapted to extend over the pouch open top  15  and attach to the pouch front  11  near to the pouch top  15 . The lid  16  is preferably attached to the front  11  by means of a hook and loop fastener  17 , such as sold under the trademark VELCRO. The pouch front, rear, sides, bottom and top define a pouch interior  18 . The pouch  10  is preferably made from a flexible, weather-resistant material such as nylon. The pouch rear  12  has a double loop  20  attached centrally thereto, said double loop  20  having an upper loop  21  extending near to the pouch top  15  and a lower loop  22  extending near to the pouch bottom  14 . The pouch upper loop  21  has a carabiner  5  removably attached thereto. The carabiner  5  is adapted to attached to a leash, preferably a leash handle  2 . The pouch lower loop  22  has a circular ring  6  removably attached thereto. One or more squeeze clips  7  are attached to the ring  6 . The clips  7  are adapted to hold used pet waste containers  30 . 
     The pouch interior  18  holds a plurality of pet waste containers  30 . Each container  30  is comprised of a bag  31  attached to a frame  40 . The bag  31  has an mouth  32  opening into a body  33 . The body  33  defines a bag interior  34 . The bag body  33  has an exterior surface  35  and an interior surface  36 . The bag mouth  32  is attached to the frame  40 . The bag  31  is made from a liquid impervious material such as a biodegradable plastic. 
     The container frame  40  is rectangular in shape, having a flat bottom element  41 , a flat top element  42 , and a pair of opposite lateral elements  43  interconnecting said bottom and top elements. The frame bottom, top and lateral elements define a frame interior  44 . The frame  40  has an exterior surface  45  and an interior surface  46 . The bottom element  41  has a front edge  51 . The top element  42  has a front edge  52 . The frame top and bottom elements  42 ,  41  have clip indents  49  adjacent the frame rear  50 . Each lateral element  43  also has a front edge  53 . Each lateral element  43  has a straight score line  47  midway between and parallel to the bottom and top elements  41 ,  42 . The frame exterior surface  45  has four adhesive patches  48 , two on each lateral element  43 , each lateral element having one adhesive patch  48  near the bottom element  41  and one adhesive patch  48  near the top element  42 . Alternatively, one adhesive patch  48  or glue dot may be used on each lateral element  43 . The bag exterior surface  35  has an adhesive strip  37  about the bag mouth  32 . The bag exterior surface adhesive strip  37  is attached to the frame interior surface  46  thereby attaching the bag mouth  32  to the frame bottom, top and lateral elements. Alternatively, instead of attaching the adhesive strip  37  to the bag, an adhesive strip  37  could be attached to the frame interior surface  46 . The effect for attachment of the bag mouth  32  to the frame interior surface  46  would be the same. 
     The frame top  42  has a notched channel  55  formed parallel to and near the top front edge  52  and one of said lateral elements  43 . The notched channel  55  extends to and then continues downward into the said lateral element  43  a desired distance, said lateral element portion  56  of the notched channel being parallel to the lateral element front edge  53 . The frame top portion between the notched channel  55  and top front edge  52  is designated  75 . The lateral element portion between the notched channel lateral element portion  56  and the lateral element front edge  53  is designated  76 . 
     The frame bottom  41  has a notched channel  57  formed parallel to and near the bottom front edge  51  and the other lateral element  43 ′ opposite the lateral element containing the notched channel  56 . The frame bottom portion between the notched channel  57  and bottom front edge  51  is designated  77 . The notched channel  57  extends to and then continues upward into the said lateral element  43 ′ a desired distance, said lateral element portion  58  of the notched channel being parallel to the lateral element front edge  53 . The lateral element portion between the notched channel lateral element portion  58  and the lateral element front edge  53  is designated  78 . By pressing inward the portions  75 ,  76 ,  77 ,  78  of the frame between the notched channels and the front edges a “lock” is formed at opposite corners of the frame  40  holding the frame open in a generally rectangular configuration. 
     In an alternative embodiment, a flat rectangular holding element  60  is pivotally attached along one of the holding element&#39;s long sides  61  to one of the lateral elements  43  along that lateral element&#39;s score line  47 . In the frame  40  folded position, the holding element  60  pivots along the lateral element&#39;s score line  47  against the lateral element external surface  45 . When the frame  40  is unfolded, the holding element  60  will protrude outward from the adjacent lateral element  43 . The holding element  60  acts as a handle when the pet waste container  30  is used in a “scoop” mode. 
     In an unused mode, the bag body  33  is bunched up about the bag mouth  32 . The frame  40  is folded along the lateral element score lines  47  wherein the lateral elements  43  are folded inward into the frame interior  44 , and the frame top  42  and bottom  41  elements are closed toward each other. Each lateral element&#39;s adhesive patches  48  engage each other thereby holding the frame  40  in a folded closed position with the bag  31  enclosed within the frame  40 . The unused pet waste container  30  is then stored in the pouch interior  18 . 
     To use a pet waste container  30 , the pouch lid  16  is opened and a folded container  30  is drawn from the pouch interior  18 . The container frame top  42  and bottom  41  are gently separated with the lateral elements  43  then straightening and the bag body  33  falling free from the frame interior  44 . To pick up waste, the pet walker places his/her hand into the bag body  33 , picks up the waste, and pulls the waste enclosed in the bag through the frame  40 . The frame  40  is then closed along the lateral element score lines  47  and then sealed by means of the four adhesive patches  48 . Generally, the pet waste container  30  is then discarded or grasped along the clip indent  49  by a squeeze clip  7 , and attached to the ring  6  on the pouch lower loop  22  for discard at a later time. 
     The present invention pet waste container  30  may be used as a scoop. The frame  40  is opened as described above. A “lock” is then formed at opposite corners of the frame  40  as described above thereby holding the frame open in a generally rectangular configuration. The pet waste container  30  may be grasped by an alternative embodiment handle  60  protruding from one of the lateral elements  43 . The frame bottom front edge  51  is then pushed below and against the waste thereby bringing the waste into the bag mouth  32  attached to the frame interior surface  36 . The frame  40  is then closed along the lateral element score lines  47  and then sealed by means of the four adhesive patches  48 . The pet waste container  30  is then discarded or grasped by a squeeze clip  7  which is attached to the pouch lower loop  22  for discard at a later time. 
     It is understood that the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative of the application. Other embodiments may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.