Abstract:
A fastener device in the form of a generally U-shaped wire clip for manual application to temporarily cause a plastic bag liner to be held in inserted position in a waste container and to also serve as a twist-tie closure for the plastic bag.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates generally to liner bags for waste receptacles, and more particularly pertains to a fastener device and a method for its use in retaining a plastic liner bag in its waste-receiving disposition within a waste receptacle.  
           [0002]    It is currently common practice at commercial and household locations to provide waste receptacles, often commonly referred to as wastebaskets, with plastic liners in the form of bags which are manually removable and replaceable as required. It is quite common to use a small waste receptacle formed of plastic and located in a bathroom and to use a larger size but similar receptacle in other desired household locations, the best example perhaps being the household kitchen area. Such a receptacle is commonly provided with a plastic bag or liner that is fitted substantially within the receptacle whereby an outer flap end of the bag extends outwardly and over the receptacle&#39;s rim. It is uncommon for such a bag to be of a size to fit firmly and tightly in its installed position in the receptacle; most often the bag is relatively large compared to the receptacle whereby a major portion of the bag fits loosely within the receptacle and there is a bag end flap that extends outwardly and downwardly relative to the peripheral rim of the receptacle. Depending on the nature of the waste or refuse deposited in the lined receptacle, it is not unusual and is quite objectionable for the bag to be dislodged from its original installed position such that the outer flap end shifts downwardly within the receptacle.  
           [0003]    Dislodgement of the bag is a problem because additional trash deposited in the receptacle tends to cover over and conceal the bag flap within the receptacle and cause removal of the bag to be inconvenient. The person doing so must thrust his or her hands into the receptacle and into the trash contained therein in order to grasp the flap and withdraw the bag.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    This invention comprehends a fastener device for temporarily fastening a plastic bag or liner in position on a trash receptacle. The fastener device is formed from a length of malleable wire of uniform diameter. The device is a one-piece clip having a curved intermediate loop portion and a pair of straight spaced-apart coextensive leg portions. The device is preferably of the size of a No. 2 paper clip. The leg portions are integral to and project from the curved loop portion equidistantly, in a common plane from the curved loop portion.  
           [0005]    The fastener device is utilized in combination with a plastic bag and a trash receptacle. The receptacle is the type typically found in a home or commercial establishment, having a body portion with an upwardly-facing opening defined by a rim. The plastic bag is contained substantially within the trash receptacle as a liner and has a flap portion extending outside the rim and outwardly and downwardly therefrom, against the peripheral sidewall of the receptacle which is immediately subjacent the rim.  
           [0006]    The method of utilizing the fastener or clip device in combination with the receptacle and its plastic bag liner involves a person manually grasping the device in a manner similar to holding an ignition key for an automobile and firmly thrusting the device against the outer flap such that the ends of the legs pierce the flap and contact the outer sidewall of the receptacle, and then manually twisting the device whereby the plastic bag bunches and gathers about the legs of the device, causing the flap to contract snugly against the outer wall of the receptacle. With the legs of the device engaged in the liner flap material, the outwardly-extending portion of the device is manually bent and deformed upwardly and over the receptacle rim whereby it conforms to the rim shape such that the loop portion of the device points downwardly into the receptacle and is firmly wedged against the inside receptacle surface and the overlying liner. A fastening action is thus completed, with the device being left in the position described until such time as it is desirable to remove the filled plastic liner from the receptacle. The removal action involves manually bending the clip back toward its original disposition whereby it can be withdrawn from its engagement with the bag flap portion and then, if desired, it can be used as a twist-tie about the end of the closed plastic bag prior to discarding the bag as refuse. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trash receptacle containing a plastic bag liner, illustrating a first embodiment of a fastener device utilized in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle and plastic liner first shown in FIG. 1 and illustrating the disposition of the fastener or clip device first shown in FIG. 1 as it is utilized in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the fastener device first shown in FIG. 1 but shown in comparatively larger actual scale;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the fastener device shown in FIG. 3;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is an alternate shape constituting a second embodiment of a fastener device in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the device first shown in FIG. 5;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 is an elevational view of an enlarged segment of either the device shown in FIG. 3 or the device shown in FIG. 5, as taken along lines VII-VII of either FIG. 3 or FIG. 5;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 is a perspective fragmentary view illustrating the final disposition of the fastener device relative to the receptacle and plastic bag first shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 9 is an elevational view in reduced scale showing a plastic trash bag and showing a selective final disposition of the fastener device shown in FIGS.  1 - 4 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 1 and 2 show a trash receptacle or wastebasket  10  containing substantially within it a liner or plastic bag  12 . The bag  12  has an outer flap or end  14  extending over the rim of the receptacle  10 , the rim being hidden beneath the flap  14 . A fastener device in the form of a clip  16  is shown in FIG. 1 being manually applied in a disposition transverse to the sidewall of the basket  10 .  
         [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate one embodiment of the fastener device or clip  16  having a looped portion  17  and extending legs  18  and  20 . FIGS. 5 and 6 show a slightly different shape for a fastener device or clip in accordance with the present invention, the clip  22  having a loop portion  24  with integral leg portions  26  and  28  projecting from the loop portion  24  an equal distance and in parallel relationship to each other. The clips  16  and  22  are preferably formed from a malleable wire having the general characteristics of the wire in a jumbo or No. 2 paper clip. The clips  16  and  22  may be manually bent in accordance with the method of utilizing the invention and will hold the form to which each is manually bent until such time as manual force may be reapplied to alter the configuration. As shown in FIG. 7, the outer or distal end of the legs  18 ,  20 ,  26 , and  28  may be provided with a sharpened end point  30  to facilitate the use of the clip as hereafter described.  
         [0018]    Clip  16  is shown in an operative or functional position in FIGS. 1, 2,  8 , and  9 . The clip  16  is grasped in an individual&#39;s hand and placed substantially as shown in FIG. 1 whereby the ends of the legs  18  and  20  pierce and penetrate through the flap  14  and come to rest against the outer surface of the receptacle  10  just below the circular rim of the receptacle  10 . A twisting or rotative action is applied to the clip  16  whereby the adjacent flap material is caused to bunch and gather into a clump  32  encircling the legs of the clip  16 . The foregoing manual action pulls the flap tightly against the outer sidewall of the receptacle  10  so the bag is prevented from slipping downwardly into the receptacle as a result of trash being dropped into the receptacle. Then, the outwardly-extending loop portion  17  of the fastener device  16  is manually bent upwardly and over the flap  14  and rim  10   a  of the receptacle  10 , as shown in FIG. 8. The clip  16  is thus bendably formed over and against the receptacle rim whereby the loop  17  extends downwardly within the receptacle to hold the flap  14  in place as FIG. 8 illustrates.  
         [0019]    Having heretofore described the utilization of the fastening device  16  in combination with the receptacle  10  and plastic bag  12 , it should be clearly understood that the simplified shape of the fastening device  22  shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 would be employed in the same manner as described with reference to the fastening device  16  to temporarily fasten a plastic bag in its installed position on the receptacle  10 .  
         [0020]    The receptacle  10  shown in the drawings is only an example of one shape of a receptacle to which the present invention may be applied. Other common receptacles are rectilinear in cross-section and/or smaller or larger, depending upon location and intended use. There is no reason why the inventive concept herein disclosed would not be applicable to a substantially large heavy-duty plastic bag used in a garbage can or similar outdoor container or with other receptacle configurations used commercially and industrially.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 9 is an illustration of a plastic bag after it has been withdrawn from its support receptacle and having the fastening device  16  reshaped to close the bag, the illustration showing the device  16  twisted about the neck of the bag  12  to act as a twist-tie closure means on a trash-filled bag prior to its disposal.  
         [0022]    While the foregoing description has shown and described the fundamental features as applied to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that modification embodied in various forms may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.