Abstract:
The present invention relates to a disposable woven fiber connectible debris carrier. The purpose of the debris carrier is to simplify the clean-up of debris associated with dry-wall and plaster demolition, outside ground work, and similar applications. The invention may protect the floor of a room or cover the ground while serving as a collection tool for construction or other debris that can then be easily carried and disposed of using the debris carrier.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to devices for the disposal of debris and more specifically it relates to a woven fiber connectible carrier for the efficient disposal of debris such as drywall and plaster.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     The transfer of residential and commercial real estate often involves improvement operations to increase the value of the property for sale or to put an older property in suitable condition for the new owner. Such improvement operations often involve the cutting, drilling or destruction of drywall or the removal of plaster-covered surfaces. Other operations include the removal of old or damaged tile and the disposal of nails and other unneeded fasteners. The creation of said debris during improvement operations requires its immediate removal.  
         [0005]     Conventional means for the disposal of improvement operation debris are well known and include such devices as garbage bags and tarpaulins. However, both approaches for the disposal of debris have proved to be messy and cumbersome. Conventional disposal bags have a sack-like structure with a closed end and an open end. The open end receives the debris and is often secured by tying the closed end into a knot, using a drawstring type device or by utilizing a tying member. This configuration requires more time and effort. First, after an appreciable accumulation of debris, improvement operations would have to cease to remove the accumulation. This process would require the efforts of more than one individual, one person to hold the bag open and another person to place the debris inside the bag. Conventional bags are then required to be discarded to a location that is remote from the worksite requiring the assistance of more than one individual. This results in a waste of both time and monetary resources. Additionally, conventional disposal bags are typically single use items and are usually discarded along with the debris.  
         [0006]     Tarpaulins or tarps are flat, sheet-like structures that are laid down to cover an entire work area and subsequently filled with debris during improvement operations. However, conventional tarps are undesirable. The use of oversized tarps to cover large work areas requires a large storage facility in which to maintain them. Moreover, large tarps cannot be filled to capacity due to the fact that it would be next to impossible to move without the assistance of a large workforce or heavy machinery.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the use of conventional debris disposal devices, the present invention provides a new and improved apparatus and method for collecting debris.  
         [0008]     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a debris collection device that does not suffer from the disadvantages mentioned heretofore.  
         [0009]     The device generally comprises a substantially flat sheet having a rectangular or square shape and further comprising a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side. The flat sheet also includes an expanding pouch member located in the center thereof. Each side of the flat sheet is substantially identical and comprises at least one handle, at least one connecting device, a lower overhang strip and an upper overhang strip.  
         [0010]     There has thus been rather broadly described the more important features of the novel device so that the detailed descript that follows will be better understood and the contribution to the field of debris removal better understood.  
         [0011]     Before explaining at least one embodiment of the novel device in detail, it is to be understood that the device is not limited in its application to the details neither of construction nor of the configurations set forth in the following description or the illustrated drawings. The novel device is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in other ways.  
         [0012]     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new and improved debris carrier that is easy to use.  
         [0013]     It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved debris carrier that is makes the improvement operation more efficient by saving the user trips to the dumpster and, therefore, money spent on labor.  
         [0014]     It is a further object of the invention to provide a new and improved debris carrier that is reusable.  
         [0015]     It is a further object of the invention to provide a new and improved debris carrier that is detachably connectible to other similar debris carriers.  
         [0016]     Still yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved debris carrier that is lightweight yet durable in construction.  
         [0017]     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved debris carrier that is easily and inexpensively manufactured.  
         [0018]     Other objects of the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attainted by its uses, reference should be made to accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]      FIG. 1  shows details of the top side of an embodiment of the elements of the woven fiber connectible debris carrier.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  shows details of the bottom side of the woven fiber connectible debris carrier of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the woven fiber connectible debris carrier of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a reduced view showing the manner in which a plurality of debris carriers of  FIG. 1  releasably connected to one another. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]     Turning now to the drawings, in which similar reference character denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS.  1  TO  3  disclose a debris carrier generally indicted at  100 . The carrier  100  includes a generally square or rectangular sheet  110  having a first peripheral edge  120 , a second peripheral edge  130  a third peripheral edge  140  and a fourth peripheral edge  150 . An expanding pouch  170  is centered within the boundaries of the rectangular sheet  110 .  
         [0024]     The sheet  110  is a broad flat structure that may be formed of any size and any desired material. For example, the sheet  110  may be made of natural or synthetic fibers or of continuous sheet material such as plastic. Preferably, the sheet  110  is made of woven plastic fiber. The sheet  110  may be of any desired size and is generally rectangular or square in shape for ease of manufacture. The sheet  110  further includes a centrally located opening  160 . The opening  160  can be any shape but is generally rectangular or square to complement the shape of the sheet  110 .  
         [0025]     As best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , sheet  110  further includes an expanding pouch member  170 . The expanding pouch member  1701  is a three-dimensional member having a length, a width and a height that extends downward in a direction perpendicular to a flat plane that is coincident with a plane formed by sheet  110 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , this configuration creates an open receptacle area  180 . The expanding pouch member  170  is made from flexible materials similar to that of the flat sheet, namely, natural or synthetic fibers or of continuous sheet material such as plastic. Preferably, the expanding pouch member  170  is made of woven plastic fiber. Alternatively, the expanding pouch member  170  is comprised of a reinforced material to resist puncture from sharp instruments such as nails and glass. Expanding pouch member  170  is attached to the sheet member  110  by any suitable means such as with the use of an adhesive or by stitching. These means for attaching are examples only since any suitable means known in the art can be used.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the carrier  100  further includes a dual layered strip  190  that extends just inside the entire periphery of the sheet member  110  to define a drawstring casing  195 . The dual layered strip  190  has a first longitudinal edge  200  and a second longitudinal edge  210 . Each longitudinal edge  200 ,  210  is secured to the sheet member by any means known in the art such as stitching or the use of an adhesive. Securing just the first and second edges  200 ,  210  create a pocket  220  there between. As shown in the drawings, the path of the strip  190  begins at a first corner and travels to each other corner about the periphery of the sheet member  110  until it reaches just short of its starting point at the first corner.  
         [0027]     A cord or drawstring  240  is received in the drawstring casing  195  in either open end as is known in the art and is of sufficient size to extend about the periphery of the sheet member  110  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The drawstring  240  is freely and slidably received in the drawstring casing  195  so that its movement is substantially unrestricted. Preferably, the drawstring is endless with a first portion  250  of the drawstring  240  extending past a first opening  260  of the drawstring casing  195  and a second portion  255  extending past a second opening  265  of the drawstring casing  195 . The first and second portions  250  and  255  are always accessible through their respective openings  260  and  265 . First and second portions  250  and  255  may be secured together by a fastener  108  such as a spring loaded clip  
         [0028]     As discussed above, the carrier  100  has four sides  120 ,  130 ,  140  and  150  that are substantially similar to one another. Because each side is substantially similar, only one side will be discussed for purposes of illustration. Referring to  FIG. 3  of the drawings, there is shown at least one side having a plurality of flexible elongate members  270 . The flexible elongate members  270  are essentially strings which are securely attached to sheet member  110 . Suitable means for attaching elongate members  270  include stitching, tying or the use of an adhesive. While only four elongate members  270  are shown in  FIG. 3 , it is to be understood that any number of elongate members  270  may be used.  
         [0029]     Each peripheral edge  120 ,  130 ,  140  and  150 , further includes a grab strap or handle  280 . Handle  280  is essentially a thickened piece of woven fiber in the shape of a loop. However, it is to be understood that the handle  280  can be made of other materials and have other configurations. For example, handle  280  may be made of metal or plastic and have a substantially U-shape. The handle  280  can be attached by any means such as stitching, gluing or stapling. Preferably, each handle  280  is centered along the lines of the sheet member  110  as shown in  FIG. 1 , however, the handles  280  may be positioned along various other locations of the sheet member.  
         [0030]     The debris carrier further includes upper and lower overhang members  290  and  295  that are located on each peripheral edge  120 ,  130 ,  140  and  150 . The upper overhang member  290  is a strip of material located on a first side of sheet member  110  and is attached to the sheet at an edge or close thereto. Upper overhang member  290  extends substantially the entire length of one side of the sheet member  110 . As can best be seen in  FIG. 3 , the overhang member  290  extends a distance past the edge of sheet member  110  to effectively increase the surface area of woven carrier  100 . On the opposite side of sheet member  110  is located the second overhang member. Lower overhang member  295  substantially complements the upper overhang member  290  in both material and position on sheet member  110 .  
         [0031]     In use as a single unit, a user selects a debris carrier and places it on a flat surface such as the ground or a building floor in the position as shown in  FIG. 1 . After positioning the carrier on the flat surface the user then proceeds to fill the carrier  100  with a volume of debris by placing said debris in the area of the expanding pouch member  170 . When a manageable volume of debris has been deposited on the carrier  100 , the user will grasp handles  280  and pull them toward one another to gather the debris to the center of the carrier  100 . The user then proceeds to lift the handles  280  in an upward direction causing the carrier  100  to transform from a flat member to a three-dimensional sack-like structure and allowing the debris to settle at the bottom of the expanding pouch member  170 . The user then secures the debris by pulling the ends of the drawstring  240  taut. The debris carrier  100  will can then be carried away for disposal.  
         [0032]     One can also readily recognize an additional advantage of the debris carrier  100 . As can be shown in  FIG. 4 , when it is desired to cover an area larger than that covered by a single debris carrier  100 , the user simply places a plurality of carriers  100  along a flat surface so that their respective edges are substantially in line with one another. The carrier can then be held together by tying an elongate member  270  of a first carrier  100  to a complimentary elongate member  270  of an opposing carrier. Once each elongate member  270  is removably attached to a complimentary elongate member, upper and lower overhang members  290  and  295  of each carrier  100  are made to lay flat and overlap one another. In this configuration, the overhang members  290  and  295  cover any gaps that may be present between adjacent carriers  100 . From the forgoing, it is apparent that a debris disposal system of almost unlimited size can be created by joining together any number of debris carriers  100 .  
         [0033]     The forgoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.