Abstract:
A device for clearing yard debris comprises a ring encircling a void space, a bag having a mouth disposed about the ring. The ring has a proximal end and a distal end with a handle extending from the distal end of the ring and a blade attached to the proximal end of the ring.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH   
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    This invention relates to a device for removing yard debris. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Many people want to have a yard free of grass clippings, leaves, sticks, and other debris. Some daily clear their yard of such debris with a rake and bag. However this can become very cumbersome as once the debris is in a pile the real work of bagging the debris begins. Effort must be made to manually transfer the yard debris from the pile into bags that are then carried away. This is a time consuming and often frustrating process as it is difficult to efficiently pick up the debris from the pile and drop the debris into a bag. There is a need for a device that can be used to pick up yard debris such that the filling of yard bags is not as difficult a task. 
         [0005]    The instant invention, with its multiple embodiments as disclosed within this application, fills this need. The art referred to and/or described within this application is not intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to herein is “prior art” with respect to this invention. In addition, this section should not be construed to mean that a thorough search has been made or that no other pertinent information as defined in 37 C.F.R. §1.56(a) exists. 
         [0006]    All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
         [0007]    Without limiting the scope of the invention, a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below. 
         [0008]    A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well, only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In at least one embodiment of the invention, a device for clearing yard debris can include a ring encircling a void space, a bag having a mouth disposed about the ring. The ring can have a proximal end and a distal end with a handle extending from the distal end of the ring and a blade attached to the proximal end of the ring. 
         [0010]    In at least one embodiment of the invention, the blade can have a width substantially the same as the width of the ring. 
         [0011]    In at least one embodiment of the invention, the blade is bent or has a curved portion. 
         [0012]    In at least one embodiment of the invention, a portion of the blade can be substantially parallel to the ring plane and a second portion of the blade forms an oblique angle with the ring plane. 
         [0013]    In at least one embodiment of the invention, the ring is bent into a proximal ring portion and a distal ring portion, the proximal ring portion defining a proximal ring plane and the distal ring portion defining a distal ring plane, the proximal ring plane forming an oblique angle with the distal ring plane. 
         [0014]    In at least one embodiment of the invention, the ring is substantially rectangular. 
         [0015]    In at least one embodiment of the invention, the ring and the blade are of one-piece construction. 
         [0016]    In at least one embodiment of the invention, the ring is constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, polymers, plastics, ceramic, and any combination thereof. 
         [0017]    In at least one embodiment of the invention, the mouth of the bag removably attaches to the ring. 
         [0018]    These and other embodiments which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for further understanding of the invention, its advantages and objectives obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof and the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    A detailed description of the invention is hereafter described with specific reference being made to the drawing. 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodied yard waste device. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodied yard waste device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there are described in detail herein specific preferred embodiments of the invention. This description is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated. Additionally, within this application the term “proximal end” refers to the end of the ring and/or device having the blade. The term “distal end” refers to the end of the device that is opposite the proximal end. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventive device  10 . The device  10  can have a handle  20  attached to a ring  30 . A bag  40  attached to the ring  30  is durable enough to hold yard debris. A blade  50  can extend from the ring  30 . The blade  50  can have a proximal blade end  52  that extends in a plane oblique to the plane that the ring  30  lies in. In some embodiments, a distal portion  53  of the blade is substantially parallel to the ring plane. 
         [0024]    The bag  40  can have a mouth perimeter  60 . The perimeter  60  can be constructed of the same materials as the rest of the bag  40  and/or different materials as the rest of the bag  40 . The perimeter  60  can be rigidly constructed. In some embodiments, the portion shown here as the mouth perimeter  60  is an independent piece that connects to both the ring  30  and the bag  40 . In some embodiments the bag  30  fits around the perimeter  60 . In some embodiments the ring  30  is constructed such that the mouth perimeter  60  of  FIG. 1  is instead a portion of the ring  30  and the bag  40  fits around the widened ring  30 . 
         [0025]    The bag can be constructed of cloth, paper, or plastic. It can also be constructed of netting; the netting can be constructed of cloth, paper, plastic, and/or metal. 
         [0026]    In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the transition  55  from the ring  30  is closer to the ring  30  than is shown in  FIG. 1 . It should be noted that the transition  55  can also occur further from the ring  30  than is shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-2  the bag  40  has a mouth perimeter  60  that includes outside perimeter  60 ′ and inside perimeter  60 ″. The mouth perimeter here includes straps  65  that extend from the outside perimeter  60 ′ over the ring  30  and to the inside perimeter  60 ″. The straps  65  affix the mouth perimeter  60  to the ring  30 . In some embodiments the bag is designed to be removably attached, meaning that it is designed to be quickly removed and then quickly reattached. In some embodiments; the bag is designed to be permanently attached. The bag  40  can be affixed to the mouth perimeter  60  in a number of ways. In some embodiments the bag is affixed to the perimeter  60  by adhesive, rivets, screws, hook and loop material, clamps, hook and hole, soldering, melting, and/or welding. 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-2  the distal portion  52  of the blade  50  extends at an oblique angle from the plane of the ring. The distal portion  52  can extend 1 inch to 20 inches from the transition  55 . As shown here the transition  55  occurs basically about a line; in some embodiments the transition  55  is a curve. In some embodiments the radius of the curve is between 0.05 inches and 3 inches. In some embodiments the proximal portion  52  is curved and in some embodiments the transition  55  is the beginning of a curve that ends at the proximal most end of the blade  50 . In some embodiments the transition  55  is located at the ring  30 . 
         [0029]    In some embodiments the blade  50  is adhesively affixed, screwed, clamped, soldered, and/or welded to the ring  30 . In some embodiments the blade and ring are of one piece construction. The blade  50  can have thickness of 0.05 inches to 0.25 inches. The ring can have a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 inches; in some embodiments the mouth perimeter  60  is constructed as a part of the ring  30  thereby the ring can be up to 3 or more inches thick. 
         [0030]    The ring can be constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, polymers, plastics, ceramic, and any combination thereof. 
         [0031]    The blade can be constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, polymers, plastics, ceramic, and any combination thereof. 
         [0032]    For the purposes of this disclosure, like reference numerals in the figures shall refer to like features unless otherwise indicated. 
         [0033]    The above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. This description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art. The various elements shown in the individual figures and described above may be combined or modified for combination as desired. All these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims where the term “comprising” means “including, but not limited to”. 
         [0034]    Further, the particular features presented in the dependent claims can be combined with each other in other manners within the scope of the invention such that the invention should be recognized as also specifically directed to other embodiments having any other possible combination of the features of the dependent claims. For instance, for purposes of claim publication, any dependent claim which follows should be taken as alternatively written in a multiple dependent form from all prior claims which possess all antecedents referenced in such dependent claim if such multiple dependent format is an accepted format within the jurisdiction (e.g. each claim depending directly from claim  1  should be alternatively taken as depending from all previous claims). In jurisdictions where multiple dependent claim formats are restricted, the following dependent claims should each be also taken as alternatively written in each singly dependent claim format which creates a dependency from a prior antecedent-possessing claim other than the specific claim listed in such dependent claim below. 
         [0035]    This completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto.