Patent Publication Number: US-6209596-B1

Title: Method and device for mounting a flexible bag

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a method and device to hold a flexible bag in an open manner in order to facilitate its filling. 
     Bags such as refuse bags, shopping bags etc., used for collecting and holding objects are commonly made of flexible material such as plastics, fabric, paper or other synthetics. They are normally used for holding objects either for easy transportation, storage, or disposal. The most annoying problem in using a bag made of a flexible material is to maintain it in an open manner for filling. However, it is sometimes awkward for a user to open the bag with one hand while filling it with the other. For example, when using a flexible refuse bag outdoor for collecting leaves in the fall, the flexible bag would be fluttered by the wind which makes maintaining the bag in the open condition extremely difficult. Even indoor, it is inefficient and troublesome to maintain the bag opened with one hand and to fill it with the other only free hand. 
     Many devices have been developed to alleviate the above problem. One common device is in the form of a fixed bracket designed to match the size of the bag or slightly larger. The flexible bag may be mounted by stretching its lip portion to wrap tightly over the bracket. The resilient tension of the bag material would maintain the bag in the open manner. With this device, the bracket must have a relatively larger dimension than the lip portion of the bag creating the resilient tension strong enough to hold the bag mounted in an open manner. Often times, the lip portion of the bag would be torn when the user attempts to stretch it to wrap over the bracket. Furthermore, in use, the weight of the load in the bag would simply pull the bag off from the bracket. The latter problem may be mitigated by providing a support container having a comparable size as the bag. It may be placed within the container with its lip portion again stretched and wrapped tightly around the upper opened rim portion of the container so that the container would support the weight of the load within the bag. However, the bulkiness of the container makes it difficult to be carried around. The container would occupy storage space, and the lip portion of the bag is still subject to the tearing problem. It is also difficult to remove the bag from the container for its final destination, and therefore, it limits the benefits of using flexible bags. 
     There are devices for maintaining a flexible bag in the open condition with a bracket having fasteners provided thereon. The lip portion of the bag can be secured to the bracket by the fasteners. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,469 to F. G. Ockerman, it shows a portable mounting device for a flexible bag used for collecting and disposing animal excrement. The device consists of a larger annular ring and a smaller annular ring. The smaller ring is insertable into the larger ring so that the lip portion of the flexible bag may be sandwiched between the two rings thus mounted together. Adjustable and engageable fasteners are provided between the two annular rings for maintaining the two rings tightly mounted together. Such device is not desirable for mounting a flexible bag intended for holding objects having a relatively heavy weight since the weight of the objects would pull the bag out of the mounting. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,414,575 to T. McCart shows a bag holder which consists of an annular base mounted on three supporting legs. The inner side wall of the annular base has a stepped configuration which is engageable with the similarly step configured outer side wall of a funnel shaped chute. The lip portion of a flexible bag can be sandwiched and grasped between the base of the chute so as to maintain it in the open condition. Such device would inherently damage the lip portion of the bag by the grasping action between the base and the chute. The weight of the load in the bag would also tend to pull the bag out from the mounting. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a mounting device and method to hold a flexible bag in an open condition for filling operation. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a mounting device in which the increasing weight of the load in the bag would enhance the tighter mounting force of the bag to the device. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a mounting device which is simple in construction and yet is easy to operate. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mounting device which would not cause any damage to the bag in its operation. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings in which 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation view of two engaging hoops with the inner hoop having sloping side walls, illustrating the basic concept of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevation view of two engaging hoops with both hoops having mating sloping side walls, illustrating the basic concept of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional side elevation view of the two engaging hoops of FIG. 2 with a flexible bag mounted thereto. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic side elevation view of the device of FIG. 3 turned to a 90 degree position. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic side elevation view of two engaging hoops both having curved sloping side walls engaging with each other according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevation view of the device of FIG. 5 with a flexible bag mounted thereto and with a load located inside the bag. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective exploded side elevation view showing the basic device of the present invention in the form of two circular hoops having mating side walls. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective exploded side elevation view showing two hoops, each hoop having a flat back side wall and an arcuate front side wall and an additional horizontal flange. 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective exploded front elevation view showing a preferred embodiment of the device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective side elevation view of the FIG. 9 with the inner hoop inserted into the outer binder hoop. 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective front elevation view of the device shown in FIG. 9 with a flexible bag mounted thereto. 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective exploded front elevation view of an embodiment of a portable construction of the device of the present invention in which the inner hoop and the outer binder hoop are substantially triangular in shape. 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective exploded front elevation view of the device in FIG. 12 with a flexible bag mounted thereto. 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective front elevation view of the device in FIG. 12 with the inner hoop and the outer binder hoop fitted together. 
     FIG. 15 is a perspective side elevation view of the device shown in FIG.  14 . 
     FIG. 16 is a perspective top elevation view of the device shown in FIG.  14 . 
     FIG. 17 is a perspective exploded front elevation view of another embodiment of the device of the present invention in which the outer binder is a counter top having mating openings formed therein. 
     FIG. 18 is a perspective front elevation view of the device of FIG. 17 with flexible bags mounted thereto. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the several views, the basic principle of the present invention is generally shown in FIGS. 1 through 6. The basic components of the present device comprises of an inner hoop  10  having an outer side wall sloping downwardly and inwardly and an outer binder  11  in the form of a hoop having an inner side wall with a shape and size adapted to fit over the outer side wall of the inner hoop  10 . As shown in FIG. 1, the inner side wall of the outer binder  11  is substantially flat and vertical. The inner side wall of the outer binder  11  may also have a similar sloping shape as the outer side wall of the inner hoop  10  as best shown in FIG. 2 such that the inner hoop  10  and the outer binder  11  may mate intimately with each other. A flexible bag  12  may be mounted to the device as best shown in FIG. 3 with the flexible bag  12  first inserted through the inner hoop  10  and then with the bag&#39;s lip portion  13  folded over to wrap over the outer side wall of the inner hoops  10 . The outer binder  11  is then fitted over the inner hoop  10  to sandwich the bag&#39;s lip portion  13  between the inner hoop  10  and the outer binder  11 . The device would maintain the flexible bag  12  in the open manner for filling a load  14  into the bag. The weight of the load  14  will exert a pulling force downwards on the inner hoop  10  to cause it to engage tightly with the outer binder  11 . As the bag is being filled, the increasing weight of the load will correspondingly exert an increasing force to grasp the bag&#39;s lip portion more tightly between the mating inner hoop  10  and the outer binder  11 . 
     When the device is tilted to a substantially 90 degrees position as shown in FIG.  4  and FIG. 6, the weight of the load  14  in the bag  12  will pull and cause the inner hoop  10  to engage more tightly with the outer binder  11  as well as closing the opening of the bag as long as the vector of the downward force of the load falls within the combined center of gravity of the mating inner hoop and outer binder. Thus, the device with the bag mounted thereon is convenient for carrying around in a portable manner. 
     The inner hoop  10  and the outer binder  11  may have mating curved side walls as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. 
     The flexible bag  12  with or without a load therein may be removed from the device by simply separating the inner hoop  10  and outer binder  11  apart from each other and, unfolding the lip portion  13  from the inner hoop  10  to remove the bag  12  therefrom. 
     It can be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the inner hoop  10  and the outer binder  11  may have various different shapes as long as the outer side walls of the inner hoop  10  and the inner side walls of the outer binder  11  have a matching shape and size. For illustration purposes, as shown in FIG. 7, the outer side wall of the inner hoop  10  and the inner side wall of the outer binder  11  have a circular shape and similar complementary matching size so that they may engage with each other. Such circular shape device may also be mounted to a vertical supporting wall surface with mounting openings  15  and  16  provided in the side wall of the outer binder  11 . The associated large openings  17  and  18  can be formed respectively in the side wall of the inner hoop  10 . The openings  17  and  18  will be in registry with the openings  15  and  16  when the inner hoop  10  and the outer binder  11  are fitted together so as to accommodate the head of the screws or nails used for mounting the device to the vertical supporting wall surface. 
     As shown in FIG. 8, the inner hoop  10  may have a flat rear side wall  19  and a curved front side wall  20 , while the outer binder  11  may have a similar hoop shape having a corresponding flat rear side wall  21  and a curved front side wall  22 . The outer side wall of the inner hoop  10  and the inner side wall of the outer binder  11  have matching slope and size so that they may mate with each other intimately. Mounting openings  15  and  16  are provided in the flat rear side wall  21  of the outer binder  11  and associated openings  17  and  18  are formed in the flat rear side wall  19  of the inner hoop  10 . A flange  23  is formed at the top edge of the curved front side wall  20  of the inner hoop  10  and a corresponding flange  24  is also formed at the top edge of the curved front side wall of the outer binder  11 . 
     A preferred embodiment of the device of the present invention particularly suitable for mounting it to a vertical supporting wall surface is best shown in FIGS. 9,  10  and  11 . In this embodiment, the inner hoop  10  is in the form of a circular hoop having a flange  23  provided at its entire top edge. The size of the inner hoop  10  may be equal to or smaller than a conventional load collection flexible bag. Four retainer openings  25  are formed close to the lower edge  26  of the inner hoop  10 . The retainer opening  25  are spaced evenly over the side wall  20  of the inner hoop  10 . A slit opening  26  extends from each retainer opening  25  to the lower edge  26 . The outer binder  11  is in the form of a narrow hoop having a flange  24  formed at its top edge and a narrow side wall  22 . The top flange  23  of the inner hoop  10  may be wider than the top flange  24  of the outer binder  11  such that when the inner hoop  10  is fitted within the outer binder  11 , the top flange  23  extends outwards beyond the peripheral edge of the top flange  24  of the outer binder  11 . The outer side wall  20  of the inner hoop  10  is sloping downwardly and inwardly and the inner side wall  27  of the outer binder has a matching size to the outer side wall of the inner hoop  10 . The inner side wall  27  of the outer binder  11  may either have a matching complementary slope as the outer side wall  20  of the inner hoop  10  or just simply be vertical. The inner diameter of the outer binder  11  may be equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the inner hoop  10 , such that the inner hoop  10  fits easily into the outer binder  11 . An extension portion  28  is formed at the rear portion of the outer binder  11 . The extension portion  28  has a vertical rear portion  29  and mounting openings  30  and  31  are formed therein so that the device may be mounted to a vertical supporting wall in a cantilever manner. A reinforcing neck portion  32  is provided between the extension portion  28  and the outer binder  11  so as to support the weight exerted on the outer binder  11  by the load in the flexible bag mounted to device. 
     In FIG. 11 the flexible bag  12  may be mounted to the device as best shown. The flexible bag  12  is first inserted through the inner hoop  10  with its lip portion wrapping over the upper flange  23  and the outer side wall  20  of the inner hoop  10 . Sideway folded portions may be formed in the flexible bag&#39;s lip portion if the bag is larger than the diameter of the inner hoop  10 . These sideway folded portions may be slipped or poked through the slits  26  into the retaining openings  25  for temporarily holding the flexible bag mounted to the inner hoop  10 . The inner hoop  10  with the flexible bag  12  thus mounted may then be placed into the outer binder  11  until the folded over lip portion of the bag is sandwiched tightly between the mating inner hoop  10 &#39;s flange  23  and outer binder  11 &#39;s flange  24 . The bag  12  may easily be removed by simply pushing the inner hoop  10  upwards by its lower edge or by pulling its flange  23  upwards to disengage it from the outer binder  11 . 
     A portable embodiment of the device of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 12 through 16. In this embodiment, the inner hoop  10  and the outer binder  11  have a substantially similar triangular shape. The front side walls are substantially V-shaped such that the inner hoop  10  has two substantially flat sides  31  and  32  and an extended flat side  33  extending outwards beyond the rear opening therein so that the hoop may rest on a horizontal supporting surface thereby. Similarly, the outer binder  11  has two substantially flat sides  34  and  35  and an extended flat side  36 . Mounting openings  37 ,  38 ,  39  and  40  are formed in the extended flat side  36  of the outer binder  11  such that, if required, the device may be mounted to a vertical supporting surface. Four similarly positioned associated openings  41 ,  42 ,  43 , and  44  are formed in the extended flat side  33  of the inner hoop  10 . The openings  41 ,  42 ,  43  and  44  are relatively larger in size than the openings  37 ,  38 ,  39  and  40  respectively and are intended to accommodate the head of the screws or nails used for securing the outer hoop  11  to the vertical supporting surface. A downwardly extending dimple  45  is formed adjacent to the rear edge of the rear opening at the underside of the extended flat side  33  of the inner hoop  10  as best shown in FIGS. 12 and 16. A mating depression  46  is formed adjacent to the rear edge on the upper surface of the outer binder  11  so that the dimple  45  will engage with the depression  46  when the inner hoop  10  and the outer binder  11  are fitted together. This provision is intended to maintain the two parts held together particularly when the device is in storage or during transportation. The dimple and the depression may be formed in either the inner hoop and the outer binder  11  alternatively vice versa to provide the same purpose. 
     A plurality of transverse elongated openings  47  are formed in the flat side  34 , and similarly a plurality of transverse elongated openings  48  are formed in the flat side  35  of the outer binder  11 . Also, a plurality of short openings  49  are formed in the flat side  31  and a plurality of similar short openings  50  are formed in the flat side  32  of the inner hoop  10 . The short openings  49  will be in registry with the elongated openings  47  and the short openings  50  will be in registry with the elongated openings  48  when the inner hoop  10  and the outer binder  11  are engaged with each other so that they may be separated from engagement by inserting fingers into the elongated openings  47  and  48  and short openings  49  and  50  to slide the inner hoop and the outer binder apart from each other. 
     The size of the inner hoop  10  is preferably smaller than or equal to the size of a conventional flexible bag so that it is not necessary to over stretch the lip portion of the bag for mounting it onto the inner hoop  10  initially. 
     The side walls of the inner hoop  10  and outer binder  11  preferably are sloping about 5 to 15 degrees relative to their central axes from the front opening to the rear opening such that the device will lean backwards about 5 to 15 degrees from the vertical axis so as to provide a more stable position when it is resting on a horizontal surface by the extended side. 
     In operation, as shown in FIG. 13, a flexible bag  12  may be mounted to the device by first inserting it through the inner hoop  10  and wrapping its lip portion  13  over the outer side wall of the inner hoop  10 ; any excess lip portion of the bag  12  larger than the opening of the inner hoop  10  may be folded sideways to wrap over the hoop. The inner hoop  10  with the lip portion  13  of the bag  12  thus wrapped and folded thereon may then be inserted into the outer binder  11  with the flexible bag  12  now extending through the two engaging parts. The lip portion  13  of the bag  12  is sandwiched between the mating inner hoop  10  and the outer binder  11 . Thus, the flexible bag  12  is maintained in the open manner for the filling operation. The device with the flexible bag  12  mounted thereon may be carried with a handle  51  at the top of the outer binder  11 , or it may be set on the ground with the extended side  36  of the outer binder  11 . In this position, objects on the ground may be simply swept into the bag. A convenience opening  52  is formed in the handle  51 , as the handle has a closed front wall, for hanging the device in storage. To remove the bag  12  from the device, the user simply inserts fingers through the elongated openings  47  and  48  of the outer binder and the short openings  49  and  50  to disengage slidably the inner hoop  10  from the outer binder  11 . 
     Waste collection bags may be mounted to a counter top with the embodiment as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18. In this embodiment, binding openings  53  and  54  are formed in the counter  55  to serve as outer binders. Two inner hoops  56  and  57  having downwardly and inwardly sloping outer side walls  58  and  59  respectively are provided. Two waste collection bags  60  and  61  may then be mounted to the counter  55  in the similar manner as described above. The two bags construction is shown as an example, a single bag may be mounted in the similar manner by providing only a single binding opening in the counter top. 
     It can be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present device is simple to fabricate particularly for the portable embodiment in which the inner hoop and the outer binder are similar in general construction. With the unique construction, a plurality of the device may be conveniently stacked together for transportation or storage. 
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above. It will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.