Patent Publication Number: US-7216905-B1

Title: Refuse removal system and method for removing refuse

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This Patent Application is based upon Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/741,906 filed 5 Dec. 2005. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Scope of the Invention 
   This invention relates generally to devices for the pickup and removal of waste material such as refuse, and more particularly to an improved device for the optimally sanitary disposal of dog droppings and the like. 
   2. Prior Art 
   Due to the unsightly and unsanitary nature of dog droppings along sidewalks, roads and grassy areas, many communities have enacted regulations and laws requiring that pet owners not only leash dogs during walks, but also require the pickup and removal of any dog droppings deposited during the walk. In some cases, severe penalties are provided for enforcement of violations. 
   A number of devices have been both patented and marketed which facilitate both pickup and removal of dog droppings and the like. A simple device for accomplishing the same is the utilization of a small plastic disposable bag or pouch within which the dog&#39;s owner places his or her hand for protective manual pickup of the droppings. Subsequently the flexible plastic bag is reversed or turned inside out and sealed or knotted to close the bag opening. A significant psychological drawback is encountered utilizing this known methodology, that drawback being associated with protected indirect contact with soft, malleable droppings. 
   Various sizes and shapes of “pooper scoopers” have also been marketed. When used directly, the inner and outer surfaces of such devices become soiled and must be rinsed or washed after each use. Accordingly, pet-owners (and others) are often confronted with pet waste having available only an awkward scoop or shovel or, worse, a simple plastic bag for use together with whatever other “tools” may be afforded by their immediate environment. Other solutions known in the art such as disposable surgical gloves, paper tissues, sandwich bags and the like do little to reduce the well-known unpleasantness of the pet sanitation task. None of these alternatives provides for optimal sanitary gathering and capturing of pet waste. 
   The use of mechanical type waste removal and capturing systems often relies on the cleaning of the system subsequent to which is time consuming and may not be sanitary. Thus, there is a need for a waste removal and capturing system which is disposable as a unit. 
   There is further a need for a waste removal and capturing system which is easily manufactured, low cost in manufacture and is sufficiently cost optimized in order that the consumer may discard the system after one time use. 
   There is a further need in the art for a device that is capable of removing waste, such as, soft animal excrement from relatively tall grassy areas. Conventional “pooper-scoopers” are not able to properly remove soft excrement from such areas. For example, the use of a plastic bag wrapped around a user&#39;s arm still requires a user to comb through tall grassy areas (while indirectly touching the soft waste excrement) which still does not result in proper removal of the soft droppings. Thus, there is a need for a waste removal encapturing system which is able to properly remove waste, such as, soft animal droppings from grassy areas. 
   There is a still further need for a waste removal system which permits the user to substantially encapsulate the waste material and cradle the waste material within a substantially closed region where the waste material may be gently removed. 
   There is a further need in the art for a simple device that solves these problems of awkwardness, inconvenience, and distastefulness associated with gathering and disposing of pet waste. These unresolved problems and deficiencies are clearly felt in the art and are solved by our invention in the manner described below. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention is directed to a refuse removal system for picking up waste material and the like in an optimally sanitary manner including a claw mechanism having a first and second set of arcuately formed finger members. Each of the first and second set of arcuately formed finger members are displaced each from the other in a longitudinal direction. A flexible bag member having an open section and a closed section is fixedly attached to the claw mechanism substantially in the area of a hinge member. The hinge member, which may be a spring loaded hinge member, joins together the first and second set of arcuately formed finger members. A pair of actuating members, which may be formed in one piece formation with each respective set of arcuately formed finger members, provides actuation of the arcuately formed finger members between an open and closed position. Prior to operation of the refuse removal system, the first and second sets of arcuately formed finger members are located external to the bag while the actuating members are internal to the bag such that the claw mechanism passes through the bag member wall. 
   It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a refuse removal system which is economical to manufacture and convenient to use. 
   It is another object of this invention to provide a refuse removal system which is disposable. 
   It is still another object of this invention to provide a refuse removal system that can properly remove refuse, such as, soft animal droppings from grassy areas. 
   A still further object of this invention is to provide a waste removal system which permits the user to gently cradle the waste material within a claw type mechanism for removal of the waste material in an efficient manner. 
   It is still another object of this invention to provide an optimally sanitary method for removing refuse, for example, animal droppings. 
   It is still another object of this invention to provide a device for picking up and removing refuse and the like which avoids any direct or indirect hand contact with the droppings and means for enclosing and disposing of the refuse. 
   A still further object of this invention is to provide a device for picking up and removing refuse and the like having a first set of arcuately formed finger members and a second set of arcuately formed finger members for more effective engagement with the dog droppings when embedded in grass and dirt. 
   In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanied drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the refuse removal system being held in an open position. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the refuse removal system being held in a closed position with refuse contained therein. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the refuse removal system being held in a closed position with refuse contained therein with the bag member inverted and containing the device and the refuse. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the refuse removal system being held in a closed position with refuse contained therein with the bag member grasped from the open end. 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view partially of the cut-away refuse removal system in an open position with the bag member inverted. 
       FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the hinge member. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the refuse removal system according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1–5  there is shown refuse removal system  10  for disposal of refuse  14  in an optimally sanitary manner. Refuse  14  may be excrement or other waste material disposed on a base surface  16 . 
   Refuse system  10  includes bag  12  having an open section  20  and a closed end section  22 . The user inserts his/her arm via the open section  20  of bag  12  thereby isolating the user&#39;s arm from refuse  14  to be removed from base surface  16 . Bag  12  may be formed of any composition which is impervious to passage of refuse  14  through the bag wall  24 . Bag  12  may be formed of a closed cell plastic composition and may preferably be transparent. Bag  12  is flexible in nature and may be manipulated by the user. 
   Refuse system  10  further includes claw mechanism  26  which as will be seen in following paragraphs passes through the closed end of bag wall  24 . Claw mechanism  26  includes a first set of arcuately formed finger members  28  and a second set of arcuately formed finger members  30  which are displaceable each with respect to the other. Each of first and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  are displaced each from the other in longitudinal direction  32  as is seen in  FIG. 1  and defined by directional arrow  32 . 
   As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the individual finger members of the first and second sets of arcuately formed finger members  28 ,  30  are spaced apart sufficiently thereby forming an open cage type structure. This type of arrangement allows for the first and second sets of finger members  28 ,  30  to have a raking effect which allows for removal of refuse  14 , such as soft animal droppings, from all types of grassy areas. 
   As can be seen in  FIG. 1  first and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  are initially disposed in an open condition and further as is seen in  FIG. 2  the first and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  are in a closed position subsequent to grasping of refuse  14  from base surface  16 . 
   As is seen in  FIG. 5  first and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  (shown in the open position prior to grasping of refuse  14 ) are joined by hinge member  34  which may be a spring loaded hinge member well known in the art. Hinge member  34  substantially joins first and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  to allow displacement of first set of finger members  28  from second set of finger members  30  in a reversible manner. 
   As can be seen in  FIGS. 1–4 , first sets of finger members  28  and second sets of finger members  30  are longitudinally displaced each with respect to the other in a manner to allow the interfacing, insertion and interlacing of first set of finger members  28  between respective finger members of second set of finger members  30 . In this manner refuse  14  may be substantially encompassed by the interlaced sets of finger members  28  and  30  as is more clearly seen in  FIGS. 2  and  3 . Further, such interlacing of finger members  28 ,  30  allows for easier removal of refuse  14  from grassy areas. 
   As is seen in  FIGS. 2–3 , the first and second sets of arcuately formed finger members  28 ,  30  when in the closed position, form a cradling effect whereby the claw mechanism  26  forms a grasping structure to cradle refuse  14 . Specifically, the first and second sets of finger members  28 ,  30  cooperate with each other to provide the cradling effect of the claw mechanism  26 . In this manner, the present invention is able to grasp and cradle all types of refuse  14  from any type of base surface  16  (grass, concrete, etc.). 
   Claw mechanism  26  further includes a pair of actuating members  36  and  38 , more clearly seen in  FIG. 5 , for displacing first and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  in a manner from a closed position to an open position as previously described. Actuating members  36  and  38  are adapted to be grasped between the fingers  40  and  42  of the user&#39;s arm  18  to provide actuation of first and second sets of finger members  28  and  30 . As can be more clearly seen in  FIG. 5 , actuating member  38  may be formed in one piece formation with second set of finger members  30 . In similar fashion, actuating member  36  may be formed in one piece formation with first set of finger members  28 . Such one piece formation provides actuation of sets of finger members  28  and  30  between an open and a closed position. 
   As is seen in  FIG. 6 , hinge member  34  may be a standard spring biased hinge member which includes a torsion spring  44  wound around a central bearing shaft  46 . The hinge member further includes end extension sections  48  and  50  to bear against respective actuating members  36  and  38 . In this manner, a spring biasing force is provided to actuating members  36  and  38  to bias such in an open position or a closed position. 
   First and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  as well as actuating members  36  and  38  may be formed of a metal composition, plastic composition or some like composition not important to the inventive concept as herein described with the exception that such composition be able to withstand the forces of grasping and removal of refuse  14  from base surface  16 . 
   Prior to operation and removal of refuse  14  from base surface  16 , first and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  are positionally located external to bag  12 . Actuating members  36  and  38  forming grasping elements are internal to bag  12 . Claw mechanism  26  thus passes through bag wall  24  and is fixedly attached thereto substantially in the area of hinge member  34 . Claw mechanism  26  may be secured to bag wall  24  at the closed end thereof by heat sealing, fixed attachment by threading, or some like technique not important to the inventive concept of the invention. Thus, as is seen in  FIG. 5 , actuating members  36  and  38  are on opposing sides of bag wall  24  when taken with respect to first and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  prior to removal of refuse  14  from base surface  16 . 
   In the alternative embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the bag  12  may be sealed/attached to the claw mechanism  26  in a manner where the claw mechanism  26  is located completely external the bag  12 . Specifically, the bag wall  24  at the closed end section  22  may be attached to the claw mechanism  26  at a portion or multiple portions of the actuating members  36 ,  38 . In this manner of attachment, no part of the claw mechanism  26  passes through the closed end section  22  of the bag wall  24 . Furthermore, no portion of the claw mechanism  26  passes through any portion of the bag wall  24  of the bag  12 . Therefore, the entire claw mechanism  26  will be on one side of the bag wall  24  prior to removal of refuse  14  from the base surface  16 . After removal of refuse  14  from base surface  16 , the entire claw mechanism  26  with the refuse  14  contained therein will be contained within the bag  12 . 
   As detailed above, the bag  12  will be flexible in nature. In certain alternate embodiments such as that shown in  FIG. 7 , the bag  12  will be suitably attached to the claw mechanism  26  thereby giving the bag  12  enough slack so that a user may properly grip and operate the claw mechanism  26  without ripping/tearing bag  12 . In this manner, the bag  12  may be formed of an elastic material or any other suitable material that enhances the flexibility of the bag  12 . For example, the bag  12  may be attached to the claw mechanism  26  in a pleated manner or any other suitable manner thereby providing enough slack so that a user may more quickly and easily grip the claw mechanism  26 . 
   A string member  58  is secured to the bag  12  at the upper end of the bag  12 . The string member  58  is used to tie the bag  12  closed after waste material or refuse  14  is contained within bag  12 . 
   In overall concept, refuse system  10  is established for removal of refuse  14  from a base surface  16  and provides a method for removal in an optimally sanitary manner. 
   The method of removal of refuse  14  for final disposal includes the step of providing a bag member  12  having an internal volume  52  defining a bag interior and further defining an inner surface and outer surface of bag wall  24 . Claw mechanism  26  is provided to grasp waste material or refuse  14  and extends through the wall  24  of bag member  12  and is secured thereto by heat sealing, threading or some like technique. 
   Initially, arm  18  of the user is inserted within bag interior  52  and the user&#39;s fingers  40  and  42  grasp actuating members  36  and  38  within bag  12 . 
   First and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  are opened as is seen in  FIG. 1  to a position overlying refuse  14 . Refuse  14  is then at least partially encompassed by the opened first and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  for removal from base surface  16 . The opening of first and second sets of finger members  28  and  30  is shown in  FIG. 1  and the closed position of sets of finger members  28  and  30  are shown in  FIG. 2  subsequent to the removal of refuse  14  from base surface  16 . 
   Subsequently, bag  12  is folded over the captured refuse  14  as is shown in  FIG. 3 . As is further shown in  FIG. 4  bag member  12  containing refuse  14  may be closed and tied by string member  58 . Finally, refuse  14  is removed to a waste containment container for disposal of refuse or waste material  14 . 
   Although this invention has been described in connection with specific forms and embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that various modifications other than those discussed above may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, functionally equivalent elements may be substituted for those specifically shown and described, and in the process method steps described, particular steps may be reversed or interposed, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.