Abstract:
A bag holder assembly is provided for suspending a storage bag and maintaining the orifice of the bag in the open position. The bag holder includes a base member, a plurality of bag support members, and a bag attachment means. The base member is preferably comprised of multiple beams joined together by a connecting means. The bag support members attach to and extend from the base member. Each bag support member comprises a bag attachment means for grasping and securing a portion of the bag to the bag support member. Once the opposing lips of the bag are secured against opposing bag support members, the orifice of the bag will remain open due to tension generated by the respective bag support members, thus allowing the use of two hands to place items in the bag or remove contents from the bag. Once loading or unloading has been accomplished, the user can rotate the bag support members approximately 270 degrees about the opposing ends of the base member until the opposing bag support members lie substantially flat against the underside of the base member. The invention further includes a method for loading and unloading a storage bag.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   Not applicable. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates, generally, to devices designed to grasp and support bags of various sizes, and in particular, to devices for supporting plastic or paper bags in an upright position and for maintaining the orifice of a bag in an open position. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   Bags and other collapsible containers for carrying items, whether for grocery or garbage or whether paper or plastic, present problems for those loading or unloading the contents of the bag. Namely, bags and other collapsible containers tend to fold upon themselves once tension has been removed from the bag orifice. In the past, consumers have traditionally overcome this problem by using one hand to hold the bag partially open while removing or inserting contents with the other hand. 
   A number of inventions have been developed to address the problems associated with bag loading and unloading. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 85,511, 2,875,970, 3,226,070, and 6,325,341 disclose bag support structures designed to hold the orifice of a bag in the open position. However, each of these devices has shortcomings, inasmuch as they are either not self contained (e.g., 6,325,341), not capable of being readily assembled, disassembled, transported, or stored (e.g., 2,875,970 and 4,322,048), or are awkward in their operation (e.g., 85,511 and 3,226,070). 
   Other bag support devices have similar shortcomings. U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,908 to Downs discloses a holder designed to accommodate plastic bags with carrying handles or straps. Although the Downs holder comprises support structures that extend upwardly from the base, the support structures are fixed in position and may not be folded or removed from the base structure, thus preventing the device from occupying unnecessary space when stored in a closet or cabinet. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,050 to Peterson et al. discloses a food storage bag holder constructed from first and second support members, which are vertically positioned in a parallel relationship. Because the support members are generally planar, the device only allows bags to be loaded or unloaded from directly above, thus preventing quick and easy access to the bag from all sides. Additionally, the primarily vertical construction of the Peterson device makes it prone to tipping if accidentally brushed against by the user. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,567 to Magnafici discloses a locking bag holder comprised of two stanchion assemblies connected by a crossbar. Although the Magnifici device may be adjusted to accommodate locking bags of different sizes, the device may not be conveniently stored without disassembling the crossbar from the stanchion assemblies. 
   As can be seen from the above discussion, the prior art has largely failed to satisfy the bag holding needs of the average household consumer. What is needed is an improved bag holder that overcomes the shortfalls of the devices that are currently known in the art. Specifically, what is needed is a bag support and holder that is easily assembled, operated, and transported, that is capable of quick and convenient storage, and that is able to accommodate virtually any type of bag. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a bag holder assembly that is easily assembled, operated, and transported, that is capable of quick and convenient storage, and that is able to accommodate many different types of bags. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag holder with a plurality of bag support structures designed to allow the user to access the suspended bag from all directions. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag holder with bag attachment means designed to secure any type of bag in the open position. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag holder with bag support structures that are capable of being folded or integrated with the base structure in order to minimize the amount of required storage space. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag holder that is made from inexpensive materials and is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A bag holder assembly is provided for suspending a storage bag, such as a paper or plastic food storage bag, and maintaining the orifice of the bag in the open position. The bag holder includes a base member, a plurality of bag support members, and a bag attachment means. The base member is preferably comprised of multiple beams joined together by a connecting means. The bag support members attach to and extend from the base member. Each bag support member comprises a bag attachment means for grasping and securing a portion of the bag to the bag support member. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the individual beams comprising the base member form a rectangular or square shape. Two bag support members, each of which is preferably constructed from two support arms joined together to form a triangular arch, extend from opposing ends of the base member and in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the base member. In one embodiment, a cross brace can be used to lend additional support to the bag support members. Bag attachment means are secured near the intersection of the two support arms and are adapted to grasp and secure the lip of a bag against the bag support member. 
   Once the opposing lips of the bag are secured against opposing bag support members, the orifice of the bag will remain open due to tension generated by the respective bag support members, thus allowing the use of two hands to place items in the bag or remove contents from the bag. Once loading or unloading has been accomplished, the user can rotate the bag support members approximately 270 degrees about the opposing ends of the base member until the opposing bag support members lie substantially flat against the underside of the base member. This feature allows for convenient storage of the bag holder by minimizing the amount of space occupied by the bag holder. 
   An alternative embodiment of the invention includes the use of telescoping beams on the base member to accommodate bags of different widths. 
   Another embodiment of the invention includes the use of telescoping arms and lateral hinges on the bag support members to accommodate bags of different heights. 
   Another embodiment of the invention includes alternative configurations of bag support members. 
   Another embodiment of the invention includes alternative configurations of the base member. 
   Another embodiment of the invention includes the use of a flexible base member, which allows the bag holder to be easily assembled and disassembled. 
   Another embodiment of the invention requires the affixation of the base member to a vertical surface and reorienting the attachment means to receive and secure a bag in the upright position and to maintain the orifice of the bag in the open position. 
   Another embodiment of the invention requires the bag holder to be inverted and the base member secured to the underside of a horizontal structure, such as a cabinet, with the bag attachment means realigned to secure the bag in the upright position and to maintain the orifice of the bag in the open position. 
   These and other objects, advantages, and features of this invention will be apparent from the following description. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of base member with bag support members. 
       FIG. 2A  is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the bag holder with bag support members in the upright position. 
       FIG. 2B  is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the bag holder with bag support members in the retracted position. 
       FIG. 3A  is a side view of an embodiment of the bag support member as viewed along line  3 A shown in FIG.  2 A. 
       FIG. 3B  is a side view of the embodiment of the bag support member shown in  FIG. 3A , as viewed along line  3 B. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the bag support member detail of one embodiment of the bag holder. 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the base member. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   With reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , a preferred embodiment of bag holder  1  will now be described. As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , bag holder  1  comprises a base member  2 , bag support members  3 , and bag attachment means  4 . Base member  2  may be of any shape or thickness, so long as the resulting structure provides a stable base for supporting the bag holder. Base member  2  may be fashioned from any material, including, but not limited to plastic, metal, or wood. As shown in  FIG. 1 , base member  2  is preferably constructed using a plurality of beams  5 , which may have various cross sections, including cross sections that are square, rectangular, cylindrical, triangular, or any other cross section known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Beams  5  may be molded, glued, or snapped together, depending on the material selected. Other means known to those skilled in the art, including, but not limited to the use of dovetailing or the insertion of modified beam ends into recesses in the receiving beam (as shown in FIG.  3 A), may also be used. 
   The preferred base member  2  depicted in  FIG. 1  includes four beams  5 , which include two longitudinal beams  6  and two transverse beams  7 . Longitudinal beams  6  are spaced apart in a parallel arrangement and connect to the inside edges of transverse beams  7 . Transverse beams  7  overlap longitudinal beams  6  at their distal ends as shown in  FIG. 1  by a margin sufficient to create projections  15  for the attachment of bag support members  3 . For purposes of clarity,  FIG. 1  depicts each of projections  15  as being approximately  10 % of the total length of transverse beams  7 . However, the actual length of each of projections  15  may be as small or large as necessary to allow bag support members  3  to be secured to transverse beams  7 . 
   Although projections  15  may simply be an extension of transverse beams  7 , projections  15  may also include locking means  21 , which are shown in  FIG. 5  as raised bosses on projections  15 . Alternatively, locking means  21  may comprise an aperture (not shown) drilled through projection  15  and a pin (also not shown) inserted through the aperture on the outside of bag support members  3 . Other locking means  21  known to those skilled in the art are also contemplated by the present invention. 
   In the alternative embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , base member  2  may comprise a single planar sheet or multiple planar sheets of material with projections  15  at each corner adapted to receive bag support members  3 . This type of construction will provide greater weight and stability to base member  2 , as compared to the preferred embodiment depicted in FIG.  1 . In a further alternative embodiment, base member  2  may comprise beams  5  in addition to longitudinal beams  6  and transverse beams  7  depicted in FIG.  1 . Additional beams  5  would lend further structural support to base member  2 . 
   Bag support members  3  comprise support arms  8 , feet  9 , and arresting means  10 . Although bag holder  1  may include as many bag support members  3  as there are attachments provided on base member  2 , two bag support members  3  should preferably be used in conjunction with base member  2 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . Restricting bag holder  1  to two bag support members  3  will increase the range of access to suspended bag  11 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . 
   Bag support members  3  may have a number of shapes as desired. In the preferred embodiment, two support arms  8  extend from projections  15  on opposing ends of a single transverse beam  7  and connect in the center to form pinnacle  12 . Pinnacle  12  may be modified as shown in  FIG. 3A  to provide mount  20  to allow bag attachment means  4  to be rigidly secured on the inner surface of pinnacle  12 . 
   In order to provide additional structural support to bag support members  3 , cross brace  13  may be inserted between the lower portions of support arms  8  near feet  9  and secured in place by inserting the respective ends of cross brace  13  into apertures drilled into support arms  8 . Alternatively, cross brace  13  may be secured in place by molding or other means known to those skilled in the art. Additionally, triangular braces  14  may be added to secure cross brace  13  in place. Triangular braces  14  may be integrated with support arms  8  and cross brace  13 , or they may be affixed using other means commonly known in the art. 
   Arresting means  10 , which provide a means for arresting the rotation of bag support members  3  about projections  15 , are preferably located near the intersection of support arms  8  with longitudinal beams  6 . In the preferred embodiment in  FIGS. 1-2B  and  3 B, arresting means  10  are depicted as spurs projecting from the lower portions of support arms  8  and contacting the upper surface of longitudinal beams  6 . Alternatively, a single spur may be attached to one support arm  8  on each of bag support members  3 . Although arresting means  10  are depicted as triangular in shape and located at the intersection of support arms  8  with longitudinal beam  6 , arresting means  10  can take on virtually any shape and be located along any portion of bag support member  3 , so long as the selected arresting means  10  functions to restrain the rotation of bag support members  3  in the upright and operable position. Additionally, although arresting means  10  are depicted as being molded to and thus an integral part of support arms  8 , arresting means  10  may be secured to bag support member  3  or base member  2  by any other means known to those of ordinary skill in the art, including, but not limited to adhesives, snapping means, or mechanical screws. 
   Feet  9 , which lend additional support to bag support members  3  by contacting the surface upon which bag holder  1  is placed, are shown in  FIGS. 1-3B  as molded extensions of support arms  8  located at the intersections of support arms  8  with projections  15 . If so desired, however, feet  9  may comprise an independent attachment to support arms  8  and may be connected to support arms using screws, snaps, or other means known to those in the art. Additionally, feet  9  may assume shapes in addition to the square or rectangular shapes shown in  FIGS. 1-3B . Feet  9  may also be smaller and thus less pronounced than those shown in the preferred embodiment or may even be omitted from bag support members  3  altogether. 
   Regardless of the shape or size of feet  9 , feet  9  preferably contain hinge apertures  16  for receiving projections  15 , which pass through hinge apertures  16 . Additionally, feet  9  may optionally be equipped with nubbins  17  (or any other high friction material) on the underside of feet  9  to increase the amount of friction between bag holder  1  and the selected surface to prevent sliding of the entire assembly. Preferably, nubbins  17  are fashioned from a plastic or rubber material and are secured to feet  9  using an adhesive or similar means. 
   In the preferred embodiment, attachment means  4  comprise molded clips for maintaining storage bag  19  in the open position as shown in  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B, and  3 B. However, attachment means  4  may also include other means known to those skilled in the art for grasping and securing storage bag  19 , including, but not limited to, spring clips, binder clips, adhesives, and clothespins. Referring to  FIG. 2A , attachment means  4  are adapted to hold lip  18  of storage bag  19  against pinnacle  12  and support arms  8 . In particular, attachment means  4  are particularly suited to grasp and hold sealable locking or “zipper” bags (as depicted in FIG.  2 A). 
   From the foregoing description and drawings, the operation of the preferred embodiment of bag holder  1  can be readily understood. Bag support members  3  are first attached to base member  2  via projections  15  and are rotatably secured thereon. The manner of attaching bag support members  3  to base member  2  depends on the material(s) from which support members  3  and base member  2  are constructed. In one embodiment, both are fashioned from a flexible plastic material, which allows the user to flex a slight arc in base member  2  as shown in FIG.  3 A. By bending base member  2 , the distance between projections  15  is temporarily reduced, thereby allowing projections  15  to slide into hinge apertures  16 . 
   Once bag support members  3  are rotatably secured on projections  15 , the entire assembly is then placed on a flat surface, such as a kitchen countertop, or secured to a flat wall or under a hanging cabinet using screws, adhesives, or similar means. Bag support members are then rotated towards each other until arresting means  10  contact longitudinal beams  6  and resist further forward movement of bag support members  3 . Once arresting means  10  contact longitudinal beams  6 , bag support members  3  are in the operable position as shown in FIG.  2 A. As depicted in  FIGS. 2A and 4 , when in the operable position, bag support members  3  may be slightly angled towards each other a few degrees from vertical, which arrangement helps to maintain storage bag  19  in the open position. 
   When bag support members  3  are in the operable position, lip  18  of storage bag  19  is secured to attachment means  4 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2A and 3B , the user slides lip  18  under attachment means  4 , where it is frictionally secured against pinnacle  12 . Alternatively, storage bag  19  may be secured directly to bag support members  3 . This latter embodiment may be useful when storage bag  19  contains handles, in which case the handles could be draped or looped over bag support members  3  rather than being attached to attachment means  4 . 
   Once the user has finished loading or unloading storage bag  19 , storage bag  19  is removed from bag support members  3  by sliding lips  18  out of attachment means  4  or by simply removing the handles (if any) from bag support members  3 . If the user does not wish to load or unload additional bags, the entire bag holder  1  may be collapsed and placed in storage. In order to collapse bag holder  1 , bag support members  3  may be disconnected from base member  2  by again flexing an arc in base member  2  and removing projections  15  from hinge apertures  16 . 
   Alternatively, the user may fold bag holder  1  into the storage position as shown in  FIG. 2B  for substantially flat storage of the entire assembly. The storage position is achieved by simply rotating bag support members  3  away from each other and through an angle of approximately two hundred and seventy (270) degrees from the operable position (see arrows in FIG.  2 A). As can be seen in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , one of bag support is members  3  is slightly offset from one of feet  9 . The non-offset bag support member  3  is first rotated about projection  15  until the side opposite from attachment means  4  lies flush against the underside of base member  2 . Next, the offset bag support member  3  is rotated about projection  15  until the side opposite attachment means  4  contacts the inner surface of the opposing bag support member  3 . The offset thus allows bag support members  3  to fit together in a parallel relationship once folded into the storage position. It will be readily appreciated from the drawings that once bag support members  3  have been rotated into the storage position, arresting means  10  will serve as the only point of contact of bag holder  1  with the support surface, thereby preventing attachment means  4  from becoming damaged or dirty through contact with the support surface. 
   Bag holder  1  may also be secured to different surfaces to suit the needs of the user. In one embodiment, bag support members may be rotated into the operable position, the entire assembly inverted, and base member  2  secured to the underside of a flat surface (e.g., a hanging cabinet) using adhesives, screws, or the like. In this manner, the user may either leave attachment means  4  in the original position or reorient attachment means  4  to receive storage bag  19  from below. Similarly, bag holder  1  may be secured to a flat vertical surface, such as a kitchen wall, and attachment means  4  reoriented to suit the needs of the user. 
   If so desired, bag holder  1  may also be modified to accommodate different sizes of storage bags  19  by slightly modifying base member  2  and bag support members  3 . In order to accommodate storage bags  19  of different widths, longitudinal beams  6  may be telescoping beams (not shown), thus allowing the user to increase or decrease the distance between bag support members  3  when in the operable position. In order to accommodate storage bags  19  of different heights, support arms  8  may also be telescoping and pinnacles  12  fitted with one or more hinges (not shown) to adapt to the change in the angles at which support arms intersect. Additionally, hinges should also be added to support arms  8  below the telescoping members in order to accommodate for the change in the angles at which support arms intersect. 
   There are, of course, other alternate embodiments that are obvious from the foregoing descriptions of the invention, which are intended to be included within the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.