Abstract:
A waste collection device operable by movement of one&#39;s hand to actuate opposing pivotable jaws around waste material. The jaws each have hinged blades that fold out to slide under the waste material as the jaws are closed. A bag is preferable used in conjunction with the device so that the waste material is captured within the bag as the jaws are closed around it.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present U.S. Utility patent application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/945,565 entitled “A versatile, portable, sanitary hand scooper used for picking up animal droppings and unsanitary objects” filed Feb. 27, 2014, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and made part of the present U.S. Utility application for all purposes. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This application relates to waste collection devices, and more specifically to hand held devices for sanitarily retrieving solid or semi-solid animal waste and the like from the ground. 
         [0003]    Pet owners generally need to clean up after their pets. Typically, a pet owner would use a bag around their hand to retrieve and dispose of animal waste, which creates a highly unpleasant tactile sensation. Various other methods have been devised to avoid this manual retrieval of animal waste, such as the use of scoops, shovels, rakes or other cumbersome tools that are inconvenient to transport, require more than one hand to operate, or not very effective in grassy or sandy environments. Furthermore, use of these tools, including just a bag, usually requires one to carry the device and/or the used bag with them in one hand while holding a leash in the other. In addition to securing animal waste, the removal of other undesirable objects, such as small deceased animals like birds and mice may call for the use of a bag or other device that faces many of the same challenges that animal waste presents. There is therefore a need for a convenient, effective solution for the sanitary retrieval of waste that eliminates the feel of the waste through a bag, can be utilized with one hand, and which can allow for efficient transportation of the device and used waste bag. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The invention relates to a waste collection device that allows for convenient, portable, and sanitary retrieval of animal waste or other undesirable graspable objects from a variety of surfaces. In some embodiments, a waste disposal device is disclosed comprising pivotally connected opposing jaws, each of the jaws having a pivotable blade attached thereon, with a jaw biasing member that acts upon the jaws to maintain the jaws in a closed position. 
         [0005]    In other embodiments, a method of removing waste material from a surface is disclosed, including the steps of: grasping a waste collection device that has opposable jaws, each of the jaws having a pivotable blade attached thereon; pivoting the jaws to an open position; inserting a back between the jaws; placing the blades on either side of the waste material; pivoting the jaws toward a closed position; lifting the waste material from the surface; grasping the open end of the bag; and opening the jaws to release the bag and waste material. 
         [0006]    The foregoing has outlined rather generally the features and technical advantages of one or more embodiments of this disclosure in order that the following detailed description may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of this disclosure will be described hereinafter, which may form the subject of the claims of this application. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of an embodiment of a waste collection device in accordance with the present disclosure in an opened configuration; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows a top isometric view of the waste collection device of  FIG. 1  in a closed configuration; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows a side view waste collection device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows a bottom isometric view of the waste collection device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows front view of the waste collection device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 6A-6C  show a bottom view of the waste collection device of  FIG. 1  as the blades are moved from a stowed position to an open and locked position; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 7A &amp; 7B  show side views of another embodiment of a waste collection device in an open position as it is being used; 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  shows a top isometric view of an embodiment of the waste collection device combined with a bag dispensing accessory; and 
           [0015]      FIGS. 9A &amp; 9B  show side views an embodiment of the waste collection device in use with a bag. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Preferred waste collection systems are disclosed herein that address many of the shortcomings of existing devices. The preferred systems comprise a bag combined with a manual waste removal tool that can be used with the bag. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a preferred embodiment of a waste collection device  1  that comprises opposable jaws  10 / 10 B that are pivotally connected at jaw hinge  60 . Each jaw  10 / 10 B is manipulable from a closed position (as seen in  FIG. 2 ) to an open position by means of bands  40 / 40 B. In one exemplary method of opening and closing the device  1 , a user inserts their fingers along an outside surface of one jaw  10 / 10 B under a portion of a band  40 / 40 B. The user similarly inserts their thumb along the opposite jaw  10 / 10 B under band  40 / 40 B, whereby opening and closing ones hand will open and close the device  1 . The bands  40 / 40 B are secured within a band slot  17 / 17 B on jaws  10 / 10 B by band shoulders  16 / 16 B that extend over the band slots  17 / 17 B. Similarly, each jaw  10 / 10 B has defined therein strap slots  18 / 18 B that are overhung at least partially by strap shoulders  19 / 19 B to secure a strap within the strap slots  18 / 18 B (as seen in  FIG. 8 ). Each jaw also includes a friction block  50 / 50 B on an inside surface thereof. The friction blocks  50 / 50 B cooperate to provide separate surfaces against which a leash or pocket can be secured when the device  1  is in a closed position. Jaws  10 / 10 B also each have a bag hook  70 / 70 B that can secure a used bag thereon, allowing a user to be free from the necessity to carry both the device and a used bag. Jaws  10 / 10 B further include attachment apertures  80 / 80 B for attachment of a lanyard, carabiner, or other attachment device for securing the device  1  to a user, leash, or for general storage. 
         [0018]    Each jaw  10 / 10 B also has a blade  20 / 20 B at an end opposite jaw hinge  60 . Blades  20 / 20 B are pivotally connected to jaws  10 / 10 B by blade hinges  12 / 12 B form a stowed position (shown in  FIG. 2 ) to an open position. Blades  20 / 20 B are comprised in one embodiment of blade tines  24 / 24 B that are shaped to slide past the blade tines  24 / 24 B of the opposing blade  20 / 20 B when the blades  20 / 20 B are each in the open position and jaws  10 / 10 B are pivoted from an open position towards a closed position. When the blade tines  24 / 24 B are moving past one another, there is, in a preferred embodiment, space between the edges of the tines  24 / 24 B such that sand or blades of grass can pass between the tines  24 / 2 B when the device  1  is closed so that the sand or grass is not substantially removed along with waste material that is being grasped. 
         [0019]    Blades  20 / 20 B are prevented from pivoting past an open position by abutting respective blade stops  15 / 15 B. Each blade  20 / 20 B has disposed therein a magnet  30 / 30 B on a bottom surface thereof. When the blades  20 / 20 B are pivoted to their stowed position, a top surface thereof contacts their respective jaw  10 / 10 B. When the jaws  10 / 10 B are closed, the magnets  30 / 30 B attract one another causing the jaws to be pulled into a closed position by the magnetic forces between the magnets  30 / 30 B. This magnetic force maintains the device  1  in a closed position until a user exerts sufficient force to overcome the magnetic attraction that keeps the bottom surfaces of blades  20 / 20 B together. The magnets  30 / 30 B allow the device  1  to be secured to a leash or pocket for hands-free transportation and storage of the device. Magnets  30 / 30 B can also be one or more magnets and corresponding materials that are attracted to magnets, such as a metal surface or other ferromagnetic material. 
         [0020]      FIGS. 2 &amp; 3  show the device  1  in a closed position, where each jaw  10 / 10 B has been rotated about jaw hinge  60 , and each blade has been rotated about blade hinges  12 / 12 B to their stowed positions, such that the bottom surfaces of blades  20 / 20 B are adjacent, being held together by the magnets  30 / 30 B therein. Alternatively, magnets  30 / 30 B can be replaced in some embodiments by a biasing member, such as a spring, acting upon jaw hinge  60  to urge the jaws  10 / 10 B to a closed position. 
         [0021]      FIGS. 4-6C  show an embodiment of the device  1  where blades  20 / 20 B are securable in an open position. While the description here will focus on one jaw  10 , it is understood that both jaws  10 / 10 B and blades  20 / 20 B and parts thereof will have analogous structures. In  FIG. 4 , blade  20  has blade sleeves  22  that rotate about and slide along blade hinge  12 . When in the stowed position and while rotating to an open position, blade lock shoulders  222  of blade sleeves  22  slide along jaw sliding surface  122 . When the blade  20  reaches an open position (seen in  FIGS. 6A-6C ), blade lock surface  224  aligns with jaw lock surface  104 , and the force applied by spring  13  upon blade spring abutment  228  moves blade  20  along blade hinge  12  until blade lock shoulder  222  abuts jaw lock shoulder  102 . In this position, blade inner surface  255  of blade  20  abuts blade stop surface  155  of blade stop  15 , preventing the blade  20  from opening past the open position, while the abutment of blade lock surface  224  and jaw lock surface  104  prevent the blade  20  from pivoting towards a stowed position. In order to return the blade  20  to a stowed position, a user must slide the blade  20  along blade hinge  12  against the force of the spring  13  until blade lock shoulder  222  can clear and rotate against jaw sliding surface  122 . 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, the blades  20 / 20 B are not locked in an open position, but are instead biased towards an open position by a biasing member acting on the blades  20 / 20 B. In that case, the force acting to keep the the jaws in a closed position (whether that force be by magnets  30 / 30 B or by a biasing member acting about jaw hinge  60 ) must overcome the force that would attempt to bias the blades  20 / 20 B to their open position.  FIGS. 7 &amp; 7A  show an embodiment of the device  1  where the blades  20 / 20 B are biased open but unlocked, whereby the blades  20  can rotate when abutting surface G so that the blades  20 / 20 B are substantially parallel to the surface G, and can slide under waste product W when jaws  10 / 10 B are moved towards a closed position. 
         [0023]    If the blades  20 / 20 B are biased toward an open position by a biasing member, they will naturally open when jaws  10 / 10 B are opened and the bottom blade surfaces no longer abut one another. If, however, the blades are not biased open, and magnets  30 / 30 B are present within blades  20 / 20 B, then the magnetic force between the magnets  30 / 30 B in blades  20 / 20 B will tend to pull the blades  20 / 20 B to an open position as the jaws  10 / 10 B are opened. If done with sufficient momentum, the blades  20 / 20 B may pivot to a fully open position. If the blade locking mechanisms are utilized as described above, the blades may lock automatically if the momentum drives the blades  20 / 20 B to fully open. In any event, if the blades  20 / 20 B do not fully open due to the magnetic forces of magnets  30 / 30 B and the opening of jaws  10 / 10 B, the user can manually open the blades to their fully open position. 
         [0024]      FIG. 8  shows the device  1  in combination with a bag dispenser P holding a plurality of bags B. Bag dispenser P is secured to the device  1  by an upper strap S 1  and a lower strap S 2 . In one example where the bag dispenser P is held onto jaw  10 B, upper strap S 1  is secured within band slot  17 B under band  40 B and bound by a band shoulder  16 B so that the upper strap S 1  remains in band slot  17 B. Similarly, lower strap S 2  is secured within strap slot  18 B and bound by strap shoulder  19 B. In some embodiments, straps S 1 /S 2  are preferably made of an elastic material that can be stretched to install and remove the bag dispenser P from the device  1 . Each bag B can be a typical bag that includes a closed end or bottom joined by sidewalls that extend from the closed end and terminate at an open end to provide an internal compartment capable of holding waste. The bag can be made of a thin, flexible sheet of plastic or similar material. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 9A &amp; 9B  show an example of the device being used with the closed end of bag B inserted between the jaws  10 / 10 B of the device  1 , with the open end of the bag B pulled back over the blades  20 / 20 B and jaws  10 / 10 B. When a user closes the device  1  around waste material W on surface G, the blades  20 / 20 B cause bag B to wrap around waste material W and be lifted from surface G. Once lifted, the bag B can be pulled down off jaws  10 / 10 B to capture waste material W within the bag B, which can then be knotted closed and secured to the device  1  by a hook  70 / 70 B. It is important that, for use with bags B, the blade tines  24 / 24 B be smooth such that they do not puncture the bad B, especially as the times move past one another as seen in  FIG. 9B . 
         [0026]    The device  1  can be made of any suitably rigid material, such as plastic, metal, rubber, wood, or similar. If used, magnets can be any type of rare earth magnet, neodymium magnet, electromagnet, or similar. The general shapes and proportions shown herein are for demonstration purposes only, and do not limit the scope of the invention. 
         [0027]    The articles “a” and “an” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to include the plural referents. Claims or descriptions that include “or” between one or more members of a group are considered satisfied if one, more than one, or all of the group members are present in, employed in, or otherwise relevant to a given product or process unless indicated to the contrary or otherwise evident from the context. The invention includes embodiments in which exactly one member of the group is present in, employed in, or otherwise relevant to a given product or process. The invention also includes embodiments in which more than one or the entire group members are present in, employed in or otherwise relevant to a given product or process. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention encompasses all variations, combinations, and permutations in which one or more limitations, elements, clauses, descriptive terms, etc., from one or more of the listed claims is introduced into another claim dependent on the same base claim (or, as relevant, any other claim) unless otherwise indicated or unless it would be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art that a contradiction or inconsistency would arise. Where elements are presented as lists, (e.g., in Markush group or similar format) it is to be understood that each subgroup of the elements is also disclosed, and any element(s) can be removed from the group. It should be understood that, in general, where the invention, or aspects of the invention, is/are referred to as comprising particular elements, features, etc., certain embodiments of the invention or aspects of the invention consist, or consist essentially of, such elements, features, etc. For purposes of simplicity those embodiments have not in every case been specifically set forth in so many words herein. It should also be understood that any embodiment or aspect of the invention can be explicitly excluded from the claims, regardless of whether the specific exclusion is recited in the specification. The entire contents of all of the references (including literature references, issued patents and published patent applications and websites) cited throughout this application are hereby expressly incorporated by reference. 
         [0028]    Numerous modifications and alternative embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode for carrying out the present invention. Details of the structure may vary substantially without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and exclusive use of all modifications that come within the scope of the appended claims is reserved. Within this specification embodiments have been described in a way which enables a clear and concise specification to be written, but it is intended and will be appreciated that embodiments may be variously combined or separated without parting from the invention. It is intended that the present invention be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law.