Abstract:
A stake for keeping a bag mouth holder and opener and refuse bag in combination secured to the ground in a fixed position whereby the bag mouth holder and opener has the general shape of a rectangular perimeter of a hyperbolic paraboloid to which the stake can be removably attached or integrally connected such that the stake can be driven in to the ground when the bag mouth holder and opener is positioned in the mouth of a bag.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/685,580, filed Mar. 21, 2012. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates to bag mouth holders, specifically to the bag mouth holder and opener that is used for leaf and lawn waste bags. Bag mouth holders can be helpful in keeping the mouth of a bag open during the filling process. The filling process can involve many difficult steps including grabbing and holding yard waste as well as lifting the waste so that it can be inserted in to an upright bag. These difficult steps can be avoided by laying both the bag and bag mouth holder sideways on the ground and raking yard waste directly into the bag. The bag combined with a bag mouth holder and opener is commonly set on the ground and is free to move until it is filled with enough yard waste to prevent the bag from moving. Because filling a lawn and leaf bag in this manner can cause the bag and holder in combination to move out of position as the rake or yard waste contacts and pushes the bag mouth holder or bag edge, it is helpful to maintain the bag and bag mouth holder in combination in a fixed position on the ground. Wind and other external forces can also cause the bag and bag mouth holder in combination to move out of position. One solution to this problem has been for the user to rest a tool or sticks on top of the bag to prevent it from moving. Another solution has been to partially fill the bag with a small amount of yard waste so that it has enough weight to maintain its position against the force of wind or raking. The user may also position the bag against another object to brace it from movement while filling it with yard waste. 
     SUMMARY 
     The above-described methods used to stabilize a lawn and leaf bag have not adequately addressed the problem of lawn and leaf bags moving across the ground while filling or because of wind. Having to weight a lawn and leaf bag with yard waste requires more bending over, handling yard waste by hand, and impairs efficiently raking yard waste into the bag. Placing objects on top of the bag may collapse the bag, defeating the purpose of using a bag mouth holder and opener in the first place. Further, a stable object used to brace the bag is not always available or conveniently located. Therefore, what is needed is an improved device and method to maintain the position of a lawn and leaf bag when using a bag mouth holder and opener. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for maintaining a bag in combination with a bag mouth holder and opener having the general shape of a rectangular perimeter of a hyperbolic paraboloid to a fixed position on the ground. 
     The present invention accomplishes this and other objects by providing a stake for use with a bag mouth holder and opener such as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,100,370 and 8,333,351, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In one embodiment, a stake has a head, a clip portion and a stake portion, where the head and clip portion loop over and removably attach in mating agreement to an upper member of a bag mouth holder and opener. A clip portion has a tip with a catch surface that engages and retains the upper member of the bag mouth holder and opener in a loop formed by the head and the clip portion. 
     In another embodiment, a stake comprises a unitary structure with a bag mouth holder and opener where the head extends from the upper member of the bag mouth holder and opener. In a method of using a stake with a bag mouth holder and opener, the bag mouth holder and opener is positioned within a bag with the stake positioned outside the bag&#39;s mouth. The stake is then pressed into the ground by applying a force to the head of the stake. The stake can be operated by foot, by hand, or in any other manner such that it can be driven in to the ground to keep the bag and bag mouth holder and opener in combination secure to the ground in a fixed position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective left side view of one embodiment of a stake of the present invention and shows a head, a spike portion, and a clip portion. 
         FIG. 2  is a left side view of the stake of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 3  is a front side view of the stake of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 4  is a back side view of the stake of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the stake of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the stake of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the stake of  FIG. 1  shown removably secured to a bag mouth holder and opener positioned within a leaf and lawn bag. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective left side view of another embodiment of a stake of the present invention and shows the clip portion positioned over a top side of the head portion. 
         FIG. 9  is a left side view of the stake of  FIG. 8   
         FIG. 10  is a front side view of the stake of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 11  is a back side view of the stake of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 12  is a top view of the stake of  FIG. 8   
         FIG. 13  is a bottom view of the stake of  FIG. 8   
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the stake of  FIG. 8  shown removably attached to the bag mouth holder and opener positioned within the mouth of a leaf and lawn bag. 
         FIG. 15  is a left side view of the stake of  FIG. 1  showing a nut and bolt for attachment through the head and clip of the stake and through a hole in a bag mouth holder and opener. 
         FIG. 16  is a left side view of the stake of  FIG. 8  showing a nut and bolt for attachment through the head and clip of the stake and through a hole in a bag mouth holder and opener. 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a stake of the present invention and shows the stake as a unitary structure with a bag mouth holder and opener. 
         FIG. 18  is a close-up perspective view of the stake of  FIG. 17  shown extending from an upper member of a bag mouth holder and opener. 
         FIG. 19  illustrates a view looking through a bag mouth holder and opener showing an integrally-attached stake with spike portion extending downward from one of its members. 
         FIG. 20  illustrates steps in a method of using a stake of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in  FIGS. 1-20 .  FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a stake  1  with a head  2 , spike portion  3 , and a clip portion  4 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , stake  1  is for removably attaching to a bag mouth holder and opener as shown, for example, in  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 2  shows a side view of the stake shown in  FIG. 1 ;  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  5 , and  6  show front, back, top, and bottom views, respectively, of stake  1  of  FIG. 1 . 
     Head  2  of stake  1  transitions to a downwardly-extending spike portion  3  at a joint or bend  52 . Spike portion  3  has a proximal end portion  56  positioned near head  2  and a tip  58 . Spike portion  3  defines an angle  54  of about seventy-five degrees with head  2 . In other embodiments, angle  54  is greater or less than seventy-five degrees, but is preferably less than ninety degrees. In another embodiment, angle  54  is about sixty degrees. To facilitate driving spike  3  into the ground, spike portion  3  tapers in thickness  60  and/or in width  62  moving form proximal end portion  56  to tip  58 . 
     Clip portion  4  doubles back at a U-portion  65  and extends towards spike portion  3  substantially parallel to head  2 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-7  and  15 , clip portion  4  is below bottom surface  2   b  of head  2 . Clip portion  4  and head  2  define an open loop with an inside surface  64  and a gap  72  between tip  4   a  of clip portion  4  and bottom surface  2   b  of head  2 . Gap  72  is positioned about half way between inside face  3   a  of spike portion  3  and U-portion  65  and provides a point of entry to open region  66  between head  2  and clip portion  4 . Open region  66  is shaped and configured to receive a member  10  of bag mouth holder and opener  5  (shown in  FIG. 7 ) through gap  72 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , clip portion has a tip  4   a  that points toward bottom surface  2   b  of head  2  and defines a catch surface  68  to engage and retain upper member  10 . Preferably, open region has a perimeter or shape  70  that closely or identically matches a cross-sectional shape  20  of upper member  10  (see  FIG. 18 ) for attachment in mating agreement therewith. Shape  70  in one embodiment is a rectangle, a rectangle with rounded ends, a flattened oval, an ellipse, a rectangle with a domed side, or the like. 
     In one embodiment stake  1  is made of plastic using an injection molding process, such as a synthetic or semi-synthetic organic polymer. Stake is preferably flexible and resilient so that clip portion  4  can be temporarily displaced with tip  4   a  moving away from head  2  to more easily permit insertion of upper portion  10  of bag mouth holder and opener  5  into open region  66 . Due to its resiliency, tip  4  then resumes its resting position with inside surface  64  and catch surface  68  engaging upper member  10  of bag mouth holder and opener  5 . In one embodiment, stake  1  has a thickness of about 1/16″ and width of about 1.25″ along head  2 , clip portion  4 , and proximal end portion  56 . Other dimensions are acceptable and depend on the material used and the desired physical characteristics (e.g., shear strength, flexibility, etc.) of stake  1 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8-9 , perspective and side views, respectively, illustrate another embodiment of stake  1 . In the embodiment of stake  1  shown in  FIGS. 8-14  and  16 , clip portion  4  is positioned above top surface  2   a  of head  2 . Tip  4   a  of clip portion  4  is directed downward towards top surface  2   a  of head and positioned approximately over bend  52 . Gap  72  is positioned above bend  52  with open region and opening towards outside surface  3   b  of spike portion  3 . Catch surface is preferably substantially parallel with spike portion  3 . 
     In one embodiment, inside surface  64  is textured, for example, with ribs, cross hatches, protrusions, or other feature that promotes non-slip engagement with upper member  10 . In other embodiments, inside surface  64  has a non-slip finish or material chosen based on the material of bag mouth holder and opener  5 . Because gap  72  is between top surface  2   a  of head  2  and clip portion  4 , which is above head  2 , length  74  of head  2  is reduced compared to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIG. 12 , length  74  in one embodiment is about the same as head width  76 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 15-16 , embodiments of stake  1  of  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 8 , respectively, are shown with a nut  7  and a bolt  8  that extends through an opening (not shown) through head  2  and clip portion  4 . Bolt  8  may also extend through an opening (not shown) in bag mouth holder and opener  5  to secure stake  1 . 
       FIG. 17  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a stake  1  integrally connected to a bag mouth holder and opener  5  at a middle portion  12  of one curved upper member  10 . Preferably, stake  1  is so positioned because middle portion  12  of curved upper member  10  is the portion of bag mouth holder and opener  5  that is near to or just outside of the mouth of bag  6  when bag mouth holder and opener  5  is positioned in a bag  6  as shown, for example, in  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 18  illustrates a close-up view of middle portion  12  of upper member  10  with one embodiment of attached stake  1 . In this embodiment, stake  1  comprises a unitary structure with bag mouth holder and opener  5 . In one embodiment, upper member  10  is a flattened longitudinal member with a top surface  22 , a bottom surface  24 , and a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape  20 . Preferably, cross-sectional shape  20  has a height  26  that is significantly smaller than a width  28 . A stake head  2  extends transversely (e.g., perpendicularly) from curved member  10  substantially in the same planes defined by top surface  22  and bottom surface  24 . Preferably, head  2  defines a T-shape with upper member  10 , which is useful to provide a surface for a user&#39;s foot to press stake  1  into the ground.  FIG. 19  illustrates a view looking through bag mouth holder and opener  5  with spike portion  3  of stake directed downward. 
     Similar to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , an integrally-attached stake  1  has a bend  52  that transitions to a downwardly-extending spike portion  3  with proximal end portion  56  and tip  58 . Spike portion  3  defines an angle  54  of about sixty or seventy-five degrees with spike head  2 . In other embodiments, angle  54  is greater or less than seventy-five degrees, but is preferably less than ninety degrees. To facilitate driving spike  3  into the ground, spike tapers in thickness  60  and/or in width  62  moving form proximal end portion  56  to tip  58 . 
     When stake  1  is integrally connected to bag mouth holder and opener  5  as shown in  FIGS. 17-18 , stake is preferably made of the same materials and formed during the same manufacturing process as bag mouth holder and opener  5 . In one embodiment, bag mouth holder and opener  5  and stake  1  are made of plastic, polypropylene, rubber, and aluminum. In another embodiment, stake  1  is rubber or plastic and is optionally reinforced with metal or other rigid material. 
     Referring to  FIG. 20  one uses stake  1  of  FIG. 1  by attaching stake  1  to upper member  10  of the bag mouth holder and opener  5  such that the spike portion  3  of stake  1  is directed away from the bag mouth holder and opener  5 . When stake  1  is attached in position, the user can lay the stake  1  and bag mouth holder and opener  5  in combination on the ground  100  such that the spike portion  3  points directly downward. Then, the user can apply pressure to the stake head  2  by foot, hand, rake or any other means such that the spike portion  3  is pushed in to the ground  100 , securing the bag mouth holder and opener  5  and stake  1  in combination to a fixed position. 
     Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, the above description is merely illustrative. Further modification of the invention herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.