US20090097780A1

US20090097780A1 - Garden debris collection device

Info

Publication number: US20090097780A1
Application number: US12/157,253
Authority: US
Inventors: Geoffrey A. Chapman; Cathy Eileen Chapman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-06-08
Filing date: 2008-06-09
Publication date: 2009-04-16

Abstract

This is the Garden Debris Collection Device. It allows one person to fill a large plastic bag, unassisted, even in windy conditions. It consists of a large cylinder or other suitable shape into which a bag with a larger diameter than the cylinder is inserted and fastened about the rim. The bag inside the cylinder is filled with debris. The cylinder and bag are then lifted allowing the debris to settle. The now empty cylinder sits on the bag's bottom which has been expanded by the debris. Repeat until the bag is full. The Garden Debris Collection Device is fundamentally different from other bag filling devices. The collection bag itself controls the volume of material contained, not a device inserted into the bag, nor a device surrounding the bag. Garden Debris Collection Device controls the bag and allows it to be filled and ready to secure by conventional means.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The Garden Debris Collection Device, also referred to as the Easy-Bagger, is the subject of Provisional Patent Application No. 60/942,947, with a filing date of Jun. 8, 2007.
The invention is a Garden Debris Collection Device. It is ingenious yet very simple. It is designed to relieve the challenges involved for one user bagging leaves, clippings or other garden debris. The Garden Debris Collection Device controls the bag for the user, holding the bag open and supporting itself and the unfilled upper portion of the bag erect throughout the filling process, leaving hands free to gather and deposit debris.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Of the many gardening chores performed, the raking and disposal of fallen tree leaves and other garden debris is among the most necessary and the most despised. In performing this task one typically corrals the debris in a pile or breaks clippings or branches into smaller pieces ready for disposal. Such work is physically exerting and time consuming and can take several hours leaving one extremely fatigued when it comes to the final task of disposal. Many people dispose of the collected debris by placing it into large plastic trash bags. However the plastic bag is difficult to control. It cannot support itself and tends to fall closed, leaving one with the challenge of trying to maintain an open bag while simultaneously trying to place debris inside. While another person can help hold the bag open, such help is not always available. A common trashcan may be used to support the bag, but it is extremely difficult to remove a full bag from a trash can and the bag is often torn in the process. In addition, the trash can greatly confine the volume of a larger trash bag and does not allow the bag to fill completely. Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which one can bag yard waste in conventional plastic bags easily, working alone, without the difficulties described above. The development of the Garden Debris Collection Device fulfills this need.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART

Large plastic bags suitable for the deposit and disposal of common yard debris such as leaves, lawn clippings and other yard waste are typically available at home centers, hardware stores and other retail outlets. These bags are quite effective at retaining garden waste for disposal but the challenge for the user lies in filling them to capacity. The light weight and flexibility that render plastic debris so suitable for waste retention and disposal also make them difficult to fill by a single user, particularly in windy conditions.
Many devices have been developed with the intention of assisting the user with the filling of large plastic debris bags and these have been found wanting. Among them are:

- Devices that only hold open the mouth of a bag requiring the user to hold the mouth at some height above the ground so that debris can be deposited requiring the use of the user's hands to both hold the bag and fill it.
- Devices that scoop debris which are inefficient, difficult to fill to capacity and require some degree of physical fitness for the user. These devices are also difficult to use with uneven material such as shrubbery clippings.
- Devices that require a frame assembly are often wobbly, difficult to assemble, and often tear the bag.
- Devices into which a bag is inserted are inefficient as the volume of debris held by the bag is defined by the size of the device, not the volume of the bag. The bags are often difficult to remove and, once the bag is removed, the user is left with the task of completing the filling operation without assistance.
- Devices inserted into the bag—the volume here again is determined by size of the device, not the volume of the bag and again these are often difficult to remove and, once the bag is removed, the user is left with the task of completing the filling operation without assistance.
- Devices that are ill sized for the task. For example devices so tall that they need outside support to complete the filling operation because of their excessive height. These devices also operate poorly on uneven services such as the uneven base offered by clipped shrubbery remains.
- Devices that are ill equipped for the task, that fail to provide for adequate fastening of the bag to the upper rim in windy situations or other robust uses.

None of the above offers a completely workable solution for the single user attempting to control and fill a large plastic debris bag alone, particularly in windy conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Garden Debris Collection Device is a very simple device to use. The Garden Debris Collection Device allows one person to fill a large plastic garbage bag, unassisted, even in windy conditions. In its primary embodiment it consists of a large cylinder roughly the size of the upper third of a medium sized trash receptacle into which a debris bag with a larger diameter than the ring is inserted and fastened about the upper rim of the device. The bag inside the ring is filled with debris. The ring and bag are then lifted allowing the debris to settle, expanding the bottle of the debris bag. The now empty ring sits on the bag's expanded bottom. The user repeats until the bag is full. The Garden Debris Collection Device is designed to relieve the challenges involved for one user bagging leaves, clippings or other garden debris. The Garden Debris Collection Device holds the bag open and supports itself and the unfilled upper portion of the bag erect throughout the filling process, leaving hands free to gather and deposit debris.

SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. A: the Garden Debris Collection Device, front view, atop a full debris bag.

FIG. B: the Collection Device in elevation.

FIG. C: is a plan view.

FIG. D: is a section detail of the sidewall.

FIG. E: is the rim notch elevation detail.

FIG. F: represents a rim notch plan detail.

FIG. G: shows a number of alternative shapes for the Garden Debris Collection Device.

FIG. H: demonstrates a number of methods of fastening the bag to the upper rim.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As demonstrated in Figure A the preferred embodiment of the Garden Debris Collection Device, (8), is sized at about one quarter to one third the size of a full debris collection bag, (9), so that it will sit serviceably on a base of debris, even if the base is uneven, supported solely by that base. The Garden Debris Collection Device is acting as a support for and controller of, the upper portion of an approximately 40 to 50 gallon debris bag, (9), with the uppermost edge of the bag, (10), folded over the upper rim of the device but unfastened in this depiction.
While the exact dimensions will vary per model with the size of the debris bag or plastic liner being used, in its preferred embodiment the Garden Debris Collection Device, as depicted in Figure B and Figure C, consists of a cylindrical shape with an average size of approximately 11 to 13 inches tall and having an upper rim of approximately 22 inches in diameter. The bottom of the cylinder would taper slightly inward with an approximate diameter of 18 inches and having an approximate capacity of 12 to 15 US gallons. If made of an inexpensive, durable material such as a medium density plastic, it weighs approximately two lbs.
The upper rim of the preferred embodiment Figures B, C, D, and E (1) is folded back and reinforced, (2), in much the same manner as a conventional trash can. A number of friction grooves or retaining slots, Figures E, F, (4) (5), are molded and or cut into the upper rim through which portions of the upper edge of the debris bag may be gathered and wedged in lieu of mechanical fasteners. The bottom of these slots features a kidney shaped thickening for reinforcement (6). This upper rim also serves as a carrying handle and, along with a ridge molded into the preferred embodiment at approximately two inches below the upper rim, Figures B, D, E, (3), facilitates the retention of other debris bag fasteners such as an elastic band or a drawstring or a friction strap. The ridge can also be used to facilitate and control the height of a number of devices stacked for shipping or storage. The lower rim Figures B, D, (7), of the preferred embodiment is thickened for definition and strength.
Other workable shapes of the embodiment, Figure G, are shown in plan and include a triangle, G.i, an octagon, G.ii, a square or rectangle, G.iii, or a pentagon, G.iv. Alternative shapes for the device such as these might be desirable for different manufacturing techniques, for facilitating shipping and storage or for marketing purposes. These shapes would, of course, be roughly ‘cylinder like’ in their presentation, with the bottom rim dimension slightly smaller than the upper and of similar dimensions as those of the preferred embodiment.
Figures H.i through H.iv demonstrates a number of methods of fastening the bag to the upper rim of the preferred embodiment. Beginning with Figure A as a reference, Figure H.i, shows the debris bag folded over the upper rim and wedged into rim notches (4), as discussed in Figure C, (4). At Figure H.ii a cinched drawstring (13) is used to wedge the bag between the upper rim and the molded reinforcing ring introduced in Figures b, D and E, detail (3). Figure H, iii demonstrates the use of a flexible cord (14) to hold the bag in place. In robust conditions, commonly available spring clips (15) might be used as show in Figure H.iv.

Operation of the Preferred Embodiment

The Garden Debris Collection Device is a very simple device to use. The Garden Debris Collection Device allows one person to fill a large plastic garbage bag, unassisted, even in windy conditions. To use the device, the user first drops the bag through the Garden Debris Collection Device and fastens the uppermost edge of the bag about the circumference of the upper rim of the device employing any one of the methods detailed above. The Garden Debris Collection Device is now sitting with the bag puddled under it. Leaves or debris are then deposited by hand, rake or shovel just as if the user was putting them into a short garbage receptacle. Each time the portion of the bag that is in the Garden Debris Collection Device fills, the Garden Debris Collection Device is lifted and the collected debris expands, filling the bottom of the bag and forming a base on which the Garden Debris Collection Device rests. The user continues filling and lifting until the bag reaches any degree of desired fullness. The Garden Debris Collection Device is removed, the bag is closed and fastened by common means and the user inserts another bag and begins again.

Conclusions

The Garden Debris Collection Device is a very simple device to use and provides an ideal solution to the challenges faced bagging garden debris, even in unfavorable conditions. The Garden Debris Collection Device allows one person to fill a large plastic garbage bag, unassisted, even in windy conditions by controlling the uppermost portion of the bag and holding it in position for filling to any desired capacity. It requires no particular skill or athleticism on the part of the user. The Garden Debris Collection Device is stable and requires no support other than the base of debris on which it rests and it works with many different types of debris including leaves, lawn clippings and awkwardly shaped things such as shrubbery and tree clippings. The Garden Debris Collection Device, in its preferred embodiment, is lightweight, requires virtually no maintenance and is easy to store. It can be used with standard plastic or bio degradable bags. Re-usable bags of various materials may also be used. Bagger, in its one piece form, can be very simple and inexpensive to manufacture and it may be manufactured in a variety of materials and shapes.

Claims

1. The garden debris collection device works according to the following steps: the user drops the bag through the Garden Debris Collection Device and the top edge of the bag is clipped to the Garden Debris Collection Device using three or four simple spring clips, or a nylon friction strap, a bungee cord or friction grooves molded into the topmost rim of the Garden Debris Collection Device. The Garden Debris Collection Device is now sitting with the bag puddled under it. Leaves or debris are then deposited, just as if the user was putting them into a squat garbage receptacle. Each time the portion of the bag that is in the Garden Debris Collection Device fills, the Garden Debris Collection Device is lifted and the collected debris expands, filling the bottom of the bag and forming a base on which the Garden Debris Collection Device, which remains fastened to the top of the bag, rests. The process is repeated until the debris bag is full.