Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a Continuation-In-Part application of a non-provisional application having an application Ser. No. 11/403,295 and a filing date of Apr. 12, 2006. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a waste bag dispenser, and more particularly to a pet waste bags dispenser for pet waste bags, wherein the pet waste bags dispenser comprises a pouch structure for storing the pet waste bags, such that the pet waste bags can be dispensed conveniently, and the waste bag dispenser is easy to carry around, easy to store, light in weight, easy to manufacture and has a low manufacturing cost. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     Many people around the world have pets, especially those in developed countries. And people in the developed world are known to be very conscious about health and environment, which makes pet owners very careful about not leaving behind pet wastes when walking their pets. In fact, many developed countries have laws and regulations regarding pet wastes. Pet owners can receive citations when they get caught for not cleaning up after the pets. 
     Due to an advance in technology, as well as wealth, cleaning up pet wastes has advanced from using magazine pages and newspaper to using products specifically produced for picking up pet wastes. 
     Waste bags dispensers are already available in the market. However, such dispensers are heavy and bulky, making carrying around and storing difficult. They also consist of a lot of material and parts that may not be quite necessary. Such waste of material in turn creates a waste to the environment, which is not desired by most people. 
     In view of the above drawbacks, waste bags dispensers that are easy to store, and to use, cheaper to manufacture and consist of less parts has to be provided. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     A main object of the present invention is to provide a pet waste bag dispenser for dispensing pet waste bags, comprising a pouch body having a bag cavity provided for pet waste bags to be placed therewithin, a pouch cover provided for covering the bag cavity, preventing the waste bags from falling off the waste bags dispenser, means for detachably attaching the front cover edge of the pouch cover on the front wall of the pouch body, and a bag dispenser such that the waste bags are dispensed without the pouch cover being lifted up. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a pet waste bag dispenser, wherein the bag dispenser is on a front wall of the pouch body, such that the waste bags are dispensed with or without the pouch cover being closed. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a pet waste bag dispenser, further has a pouch carrier for easy carrying around and accessing of the waste bags in the pet waste bag dispenser. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a pet waste bag dispenser, wherein the pouch carrier forms a detachable loop for looping the pet waste bag dispenser onto a desired object. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a pet waste bag dispenser, wherein the pouch body has an elastic element for the pouch body to accommodate any amount of waste bags being placed within the dispenser cavity, wherein the pouch body will expand slightly when more waste bags are placed within the dispenser cavity, and will bind the waste bags even when there are a few waste bags placed within the dispenser cavity, such that the waste bags will not move around within the waste dispenser cavity. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a pet waste bag dispenser, so as to dispense rolls of waste bags. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a pet waste bag dispenser wherein all elements of the dispenser are undetachably attached together so as to achieve all of the above objectives with no detachable parts, such that the storage and usage of the waste bags dispenser are more efficient and effective. 
     Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a pet waste bag dispenser for pet waste bag, comprising: 
     a pouch body having a front wall, a rear wall and two sidewalls to form a bag cavity for storing the waste bag therein and a top opening communicating with the bag cavity; and 
     a pouch cover, having a front cover edge, extended from the rear wall of the pouch body; 
     means for detachably attaching the front cover edge of the pouch cover on the front wall of the pouch body, wherein the pouch cover is frontwardly folded to cover the top opening of the pouch body so as to enclose the bag cavity for retaining the waste bags therein; and 
     a bag dispenser provided on the front wall of the pouch body at a position below the front cover edge of the pouch cover when the pouch cover is detachably attached on the front wall, wherein the bag dispenser is adapted for allowing the waste bags to be dispensed out of the bag cavity when the bag cavity is enclosed by the pouch cover. 
     These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the pet waste bag dispenser according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the pet waste bag dispenser according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the pet waste bag dispenser according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the pet waste bag dispenser according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of the bag roll wherein the waste bags are detachably connected. 
         FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of the bag roll wherein each bag is rolled into the bag roll with a portion overlapped with the previous and the next bags. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the top opening of the bag is made of two elastic edges. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the waste bag which can be sealed by pulling the edge through the sealing slit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, a pet waste bags dispenser for pet waste bags according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, wherein the pet waste bags dispenser comprises a pouch body  10 , a pouch cover  20 , means  30  for detachably attaching the front cover edge of the pouch cover on the wall of the pouch body, and a bag dispenser  40 . 
     The pouch body has a front wall  10 , a rear wall  11  and two sidewalls  12 , to form a bag cavity  14 . The bag cavity  14  is provided for waste bag  5  to be stored therein. The pouch body also has a top opening  15  for communicating with the bag cavity  14 , such that the waste bags can be refilled into the bag cavity  14  through the top opening  15 . 
     According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the waste bags dispenser is designed for a roll of rectangular shaped bags, such that the waste bags can easily be dispensed continuously. 
     The pouch cover  20  is provided for covering a top opening  15  of the bag cavity  14 , so as to protect the waste bags  5  placed within the bag cavity  14  through the top opening  15 , prevent the waste bags  5  from falling off the bag cavity  14 , or from damages. The pouch cover  20  is extended from the rear wall  11  of the pouch body  10 , and has a front cover edge  21 . 
     In order to ensure that the top opening  15  is to remain closed, the pet waste bag dispenser has means  30  for detachably attaching the front cover edge  21  of the pouch cover  20  on the front wall  13  of the pouch body  10 , wherein the pouch cover  20  is frontwardly folded to cover the top opening  15  of the pouch body  10  so as to enclose the bag cavity  14  and retaining the waste bags  5  therein. 
     It is worth mentioning that, the pouch cover  20  does not need to be separately formed, reducing the number of manufacturing procedures and less material will be used. Also, the means  30  ensures that the pouch cover  20  will not accidentally open up and let the waste bags  5  to spill out of the bag cavity  14 . 
     According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the means  30  comprises a first fastener  31  and a second fastener  32 , wherein the first fastener  31  is provided on the front wall  11  of the pouch body  10  above the bag dispenser, and the second fastener  32  is provided on the pouch cover  20  and is arranged to detachably fasten with the first fastener  31  such that the pouch cover  20  is retained in a closed position. Of course, the means  30  can be other connectors too, including button snap, button and hole, and other detachable adhesive means. 
     It should be noted that, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first fasteners  31  and second fasteners  32  are a pair of hook and loop fasteners respectively. 
     The bag dispenser  40  is provided for the waste bags  5  inside the bag cavity  14  to be dispensed out of the waste bags dispenser. According the preferred embodiment of the invention, the bag dispenser  40  is provided on the front wall  11  of the pouch body  10  preferably at a position below the front cover edge  21  of the pouch cover  20  when the pouch cover  20  is detachably attached on the front wall  11 . 
     The bag dispenser  40  is adapted for allowing the waste bags  5  to be dispensed out of the bag cavity  14  when the bag cavity  14  is enclosed by the pouch cover  20 , such that the waste bags  5  can be pulled out of the bag cavity  14  without having to use both hands to hold on to the waste bag dispenser or to have to open up the pouch cover  20  to reach the waste bags  5  in the bag cavity  14 , allowing a user to effortlessly utilize the waste bags  5 , when he/she might not have both hands free. 
     According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bag dispenser  40  of the waste bags dispenser contains a dispensing slit  41 , which is transversely formed on the front wall  11  of the pouch body  10  for the waste bag  5  to slide out of the bag cavity  14  through the dispensing slit  41 . 
     It should be noted that the dispensing slit  41  has a width larger than a width of the waste bag  5  in a folded manner while the waste bag is rolled to be stored in the bag cavity  14 , or else the waste bags  5  may not easily dispensed out of the bag cavity  14 . 
     It is worth mentioning that the pet waste bags dispenser, including the pouch body  10  and the pouch cover  20 , is made of a collapsible material, which enables the pet waste bag dispenser, when empty, to be easily folded, occupying less space and effectively stored inside the pocket of the user. It means that when the user stores the waste bags dispenser inside his pocket, there will be no bulging, and therefore no one can see it. 
     The pet waste bag dispenser further comprises pouch carrier  50  provided for the waste bags dispenser be carried around. The pouch carrier  50  enables the user to link the waste bags dispenser to a foreign object which allows the user to easily obtain a waste bag  5  from the waste bags dispenser without having to hold on to the pet waste bag dispenser. 
     By allowing the user to obtain a waste bag  5  from the waste bags dispenser with only one hand, without having to hold on to the waste bags dispenser, ensures that the user does not have to loose concentration in watching his or her dog wile obtaining a waste bag  5 . Imagine if a user has to hold the waste bags dispenser with both hands while trying to hold on to the leash of the dog, him or her may easily loose the leash of the dog and create hazard to both the dog and other pedestrians around. 
     The pouch carrier  50  comprises a carrier strap  51 , which is attached to the pouch cover  20  and a fastener element  52  provided on the carrier strap  51  in such a manner that two free ends  511  of the carrier strap  51  are detachably attached to form a carry loop for the pouch body  10  to be carried. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  of the drawings, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in order to flexibly and comfortably accommodate different amount of waste bags  5  within the bag cavity  14 , the pouch body  10  further comprises an elastic element  16 , which is provided on the pouch body  10  at the top opening  15 . The effect of having the elastic element  16  is to shrink a size of the top opening  15  for securely retaining the waste bag  5  within the bag cavity  14 . 
     Also according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elastic element  16  comprises two elastic bands  161 . The elastic bands  161  are provided along top edges  131  of the sidewalls  13  respectively, so as to substantially pull the front wall  11  and the rear wall  12  towards each other so as to form the bag cavity  14  having a trapezoid cross section. 
     Basically, when there are fewer waste bags  5  in the pouch body  10 , the flexible elastic element  16  prevents the waste bags  5  from falling out off the bag cavity  14  due to the emptiness within the bag cavity  14 . And, when there are many waste bags  5  in the pouch body  10 , the elastic element  16  expands to bind around the waste bags  5  within the pouch body  10 , such that the waste bags  5  will not ooze out of the bag cavity  14  simply because the bag cavity  14  is fuller. 
     The waste bags dispenser can be useful not only for pet&#39;s waste, but also for many other purposes. For example, the bags can be used to carry diapers or sanitary napkins. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3  of the drawings, a pet waste bags dispenser for pet waste bags according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, wherein the pet waste bags dispenser comprises a pouch body  10 ′, a pouch cover  20 ′, means  30 ′ for detachably attaching the front cover edge of the pouch cover on the wall of the pouch body, a bag dispenser  40 ′, and plurality of waste bags  5 ′. 
     The pouch body has a front wall  11 ′, a rear wall  12 ′ and two sidewalls  13 ′, to form a bag cavity  14 ′. The bag cavity  14 ′ is provided for waste bag  5 ′ to be stored therein. The pouch body  10 ′ also has a top opening  15 ′ for communicating with the bag cavity  14 ′, such that the waste bags can be refilled into the bag cavity  14 ′ through the top opening  15 ′. 
     The pouch cover  20 ′ is provided for covering a top opening  15 ′ of the bag cavity  14 ′, so as to protect the waste bags  5 ′ placed within the bag cavity  14 ′ through the top opening  15 ′, prevent the waste bags  5 ′ from falling off the bag cavity  14 ′, or from damages. The pouch cover  20 ′ is extended from the rear wall  11 ′ of the pouch body  10 ′, and has a front cover edge  21 ′. 
     The top opening  15 ′ is made of elastic material to remain closed, and is easy to be opened for refilling waste bags  5 ′. In a preferred embodiment, the top opening comprises a front edge  151 ′, a rear edge  152 ′, and two elastic sides  153 ′. During normal time the top opening is remaining closed. The two elastic sides  153 ′ shrink and pull the front edge  151 ′ and the rear edge  152 ′ towards each other by elastic force to close the pouch body  10 ′. To open the top opening  15 ′, just pull the front edge  151 ′ and the rear edge  152 ′ away from each other, and the front edge  151 ′, the rear edge  152 ′, with the elastic sides  153 ′ form an open area for the pouch body  10 ′. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , in an alternative embodiment, the top opening  15 ′ comprises two straight edges  154 ′. These two elastic edges  154 ′ are placed facing each other parallely. The ends of one elastic edge  154 ′ are connected with the ends of another elastic edge  154 ′ relatively. So in normal time these two elastic edges  154 ′ attached with each other and close the top opening  15 ′. While the elastic edges  154 ′ are made of elastic material and can be bent in a curve. When pull the two elastic edges  154 ′ away from each other, the top opening  15 ′ will be opened. And when release, the two elastic edges  154 ′ will return to the original shape and attach each other to close the top opening  15 ′ by elastic force. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the whole edge of the top opening  15 ′ is made of elastic material. During normal time, the top opening  15 ′ is closed with the edge shrinking together by elastic fore. When stretch the edge of the top opening  15 ′, the top opening  15 ′ is opened. 
     In order to ensure that the top opening  15 ′ is to remain closed, the pet waste bag dispenser has means  30 ′ for detachably attaching the front cover edge  21 ′ of the pouch cover  20 ′ on the front wall  13 ′ of the pouch body  10 ′, wherein the pouch cover  20 ′ is frontwardly folded to cover the top opening  15 ′ of the pouch body  10  so as to enclose the bag cavity  14 ′ and retaining the waste bags  5 ′ therein. 
     It is worth mentioning that, the pouch cover  20 ′ does not need to be separately formed, reducing the number of manufacturing procedures and less material will be used. Also, the means  30 ′ ensures that the pouch cover  20 ′ will not accidentally open up and let the waste bags  5 ′ to spill out of the bag cavity  14 ′. 
     According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the means  30 ′ comprises a first fastener  31 ′ and a second fastener  32 ′, wherein the first fastener  31 ′ is provided on the front wall  11 ′ of the pouch body  10 ′ above the bag dispenser, and the second fastener  32 ′ is provided on the pouch cover  20 ′ and is arranged to detachably fasten with the first fastener  31 ′ such that the pouch cover  20 ′ is retained in a closed position. Of course, the means  30 ′ can be other connectors too, including button snap, button and hole, and other detachable adhesive means. 
     It should be noted that, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first fasteners  31 ′ and second fasteners  32 ′ are a pair of hook and loop fasteners respectively. 
     The bag dispenser  40 ′ is provided for the waste bags  5 ′ inside the bag cavity  14 ′ to be dispensed out of the waste bags dispenser. According the preferred embodiment of the invention, the bag dispenser  40 ′ is provided on the front wall  11 ′ of the pouch body  10  preferably at a position below the front cover edge  21 ′ of the pouch cover  20 ′ when the pouch cover  20 ′ is detachably attached on the front wall  11 ′. 
     The bag dispenser  40 ′ is adapted for allowing the waste bags  5 ′ to be dispensed out of the bag cavity  14 ′ when the bag cavity  14  is enclosed by the pouch cover  20 ′, such that the waste bags  5 ′ can be pulled out of the bag cavity  14 ′ without having to use both hands to hold on to the waste bag dispenser or to have to open up the pouch cover  20 ′ to reach the waste bags  5 ′ in the bag cavity  14 ′, allowing a user to effortlessly utilize the waste bags  5 ′, when he/she might not have both hands free. 
     According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bag dispenser  40 ′ of the waste bags dispenser contains a dispensing slit  41 ′, which is transversely formed on the front wall  11 ′ of the pouch body  10 ′ for the waste bag  5 ′ to slide out of the bag cavity  14 ′ through the dispensing slit  41 ′. The bag dispenser  40 ′ also comprises a front edge  42 ′ and a back edge  43 ′ along the dispensing slit  41 ′ and form the dispensing slit  41 ′ wherein the front edge  42 ′ and the back edge  43 ′ are overlapped in such a manner the front edge  42 ′ covers the back edge  43 ′. As a result, the dispensing slit  41 ′ does not expose the waste bags  5 ′ inside the pouch body  10 ′ directly to the air. First, the overlapped edges prevent dirt, water or other unwanted stuff entering into the pouch body  10 ′; second, the overlapped edges fold the waste bags when it is pulling out, this increases the friction force and prevent more waste bags being pulled out, and keep a portion of the next waste bag  5 ′ remaining in the slit  41 ‘for the user’s convenience to pull out next time, other wise the next waste bag  5 ′ can be rolled back into to pouch body  10 ′, or pulled out together with the previous waste bag  5 ′. 
     It should be noted that the dispensing slit  41 ′ has a width larger than a width of the waste bag  5 ′ in a folded manner while the waste bag is rolled to be stored in the bag cavity  14 , or else the waste bags  5 ′ may not easily dispensed out of the bag cavity  14 ′. 
     It is worth mentioning that the pet waste bags dispenser, including the pouch body  10 ′ and the pouch cover  20 ′, is made of a collapsible material, which enables the pet waste bag dispenser, when empty, to be easily folded, occupying less space and effectively stored inside the pocket of the user. It means that when the user stores the waste bags dispenser inside his pocket, there will be no bulging, and therefore no one can see it. 
     The pet waste bag dispenser further comprises pouch carrier  50 ′ provided for the waste bags dispenser be carried around. The pouch carrier  50 ′ enables the user to link the waste bags dispenser to a foreign object which allows the user to easily obtain a waste bag  5 ′ from the waste bags dispenser without having to hold on to the pet waste bag dispenser. 
     By allowing the user to obtain a waste bag  5 ′ from the waste bags dispenser with only one hand, without having to hold on to the waste bags dispenser, ensures that the user does not have to loose concentration in watching his or her dog wile obtaining a waste bag  5 ′. Imagine if a user has to hold the waste bags dispenser with both hands while trying to hold on to the leash of the dog, him or her may easily loose the leash of the dog and create hazard to both the dog and other pedestrians around. 
     The pouch carrier  50 ′ comprises a carrier strap  51 ′, which is attached to the pouch cover  20 ′ and a fastener element  52 ′ provided on the carrier strap  51 ′ in such a manner that two free ends  511 ′ of the carrier strap  51 ′ are detachably attached to form a carry loop for the pouch body  10 ′ to be carried. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  of the drawings, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in order to flexibly and comfortably accommodate different amount of waste bags  5 ′ within the bag cavity  14 ′, the pouch body  10 ′ further comprises an elastic element  16 ′, which is provided on the pouch body  10 ′ at the top opening  15 ′. The effect of having the elastic element  16 ′ is to shrink a size of the top opening  15 ′ for securely retaining the waste bag  5 ′ within the bag cavity  14 ′. 
     Also according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elastic element  16 ′ comprises two elastic bands  161 ′. The elastic bands  161 ′ are provided along top edges  131 ′ of the sidewalls  13 ′ respectively, so as to substantially pull the front wall  11 ′ and the rear wall  12 ′ towards each other so as to form the bag cavity  14 ′ having a trapezoid cross section. 
     Basically, when there are fewer waste bags  5 ′ in the pouch body  10 ′, the flexible elastic element  16 ′ prevents the waste bags  5 ′ from falling out off the bag cavity  14 ′ due to the emptiness within the bag cavity  14 ′. And, when there are many waste bags  5 ′ in the pouch body  10 ′, the elastic element  16 ′ expands to bind around the waste bags  5 ′ within the pouch body  10 ′, such that the waste bags  5 ′ will not ooze out of the bag cavity  14 ′ simply because the bag cavity  14 ′ is fuller. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the waste bags are installed inside the pouch body  10 ′ in a predetermined manner for the sake of easy pulling out continuously. In the first embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 5A , all the waste bags are detachably connected continuously, and are rolled together into a bag roll  51 ′. The bag roll  51 ′ is transversely stored in the bag cavity  14 ′ with the roll axes parallel to the dispensing slit  41 ′. The end of the rolling bags is slid out of the pouch body  10 ′ thought the dispensing slit  41 ′, so the user can reach the waste bag without opening the pouch body  10 ′. Since the waste bags  5 ′ are detachably connected, when one waste bag  5 ′ is pulled out, a portion of the bag roll  51 ′ is pulled out accordingly. When the waste bag  5 ′ is detached, a portion of the end of the bag roll  51 ′ remains outside of the pouch body  10 ′ though the dispensing slit  41 ′, so next time, the next waste bag  5 ′ will be easy to pull out. In the preferred embodiment, the waste bags  5 ′ are prefabricated in a continuous sheet, the connection of every two bags are pre-punched or half cut so the waste bags can be detached from the sheet. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5B , in the second embodiment, the waste bags  5 ′ are rolled into a bag roll  52 ′ wherein each bag is rolled into the bag roll with a portion overlapped with the previous and the next bags. So when one waste bag  5 ′ is pulled out from the dispensing slit  41 ′, a portion of the next bag is pulled out too, and the bag roll  52 ′ is rolled inside the bag cavity  14 ′ accordingly. 
     In order to smaller the width of the waste bags to save space, all bags are tree-folded. So in both embodiments, the width of the bag roll is one third of the real width of the waste bags. 
     Each waste bag  5 ′ further comprises an opening  53 ′, a bag wall  54 ′, and a sealing slit  55 ′ for sealing the waste bag  5 ′ easily. Referring to  FIG. 6 , the sealing slit  55 ′ is cut in U-shape on the bag wall  54 ′ near the opening  53 ′ of the waste bag  5 ′. The upper edge  551 ′ of the sealing slit  55 ′ can be lift up to make a through hole on the bag wall  53 ′. When the waste bag  5 ′ needs to be sealed, the edge of the opening  53 ′ which is opposite to the sealing slit  55 ′ is pulled through the sealing slit  55 ′ from one side to another, then the opening  53 ′ of the waste bag  5 ′ is squeezed and sealed. The sealing slit  55 ′ holds the edge of the opening  53 ′ for fastening. In this way, no other fasteners, such as rubber band, thread, or clamps are needed for sealing the waste bag  5 ′. 
     One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting. 
     It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. It embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Technology Category: 7