Scoop Device

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to refuse pickup devices and, more particularly, to a hand-held scoop device having a disposable bag for collecting animal waste.

2. Description of the Prior Art

U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,994 illustrates a handle mounted rim for holding a disposable plastic bag. This scoop device disclosed in the patent is a readily usable sanitary scoop device for removing dog waste from lawns, sidewalks, parking strips, etc.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved scoop device for removing dog wastes.

It is another object of this invention to provide a scoop device which employs a disposable water soluble, plastic bag and which is easier to operate and carry and less expensive to manufacture than my earlier scoop device.

Basically, these objects are obtained by mounting on the end of a collapsible handle a wide flexible rim and attaching a water soluble, disposable bag to the rim preferably by elastically stretching a reverse folded lip over the wide rim. In a second form an adhesive strip assists in attaching the handle and the bag. The handle is provided with means to resist rotation of the sections of the handle when subjected to forces on the rim. Preferably the disposable bag can be folded to seal the bag when full but in a second form the bag is provided with second sealing means to close the bag when filled.

FIG. 1 is an isometric of a handle and rim of an embodiment of my scoop device shown with the handle in a collapse condition.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the scoop device shown in FIG. 1 with the handle erected.

FIG. 3 is an isometric of the scoop device shown in FIG. 1 with a bag attached to the rim.

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an isometric of a preferred embodiment of my scoop device.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary operational view illustrating two steps in attaching a bag in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section showing an attached bag and the handle-rim attachment technique in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a section along line 8--8 of FIG. 7.

As best shown in FIG. 3, one form of the scoop device includes a handle 10 having multiple sections 11, 12 and 13. As shown in FIG. 4, these sections are oval in cross section preferably by being extruded in an oval form. In the alternative, of course, the sections can be cylindrical with the ends of the sections formed into an oval configuration. Preferably, the sections are joined by a tight fitting plug 14 and an elastic shock cord holds the sections together when folded as shown in FIG. 1. The purpose of the oval cross section at the juncture is to prevent the handle sections from twisting relative to one another.

Joined to the lower end of the section 11 is a spring steel flexible rim 20. The rim has a slightly bowed lowered surface 22 which, when pressed to the ground will flatten bowing out the side surfaces of the rim bringing the bottom surface of the rim 22 in better conformance with the soil or paved surface. This makes lifting the dog wastes much easier. Attached to the rim is a disposable plastic bag 30, preferably having a sealing strip 32 which after the end of the bag is folded tightly around the rim 20 is sealed to the handle 11. In addition, a closure strip 32 is provided outside the bag so that as the bag becomes filled the bag can be removed and sealed merely by removing the guard strip from the adhesive strip 32 and squeezing the bag together.

As is readily apparent, the scoop device is employed by interconnecting the handle sections and attaching a bag over the rim. Then the rim can be slid along the ground or pavement beneath the dog waste and with a flick of the wrist much as a golf stroke the bag is flicked beneath the dog waste and deposited in the bag. It is desirable that the handle sections be relatively flexible as in a golf club shaft to enable the snapping movement of the rim since the quick acceleration force helps to slide the rim beneath the dog waste.

In a preferred form of the scoop device as shown in FIGS. 5-8, a handle 39 has sections 40, 41 and 42, connected by an elastic cord 43. Section 42 is connected to a spring rim 44 by a rivet having a bent body 46 pressed into the section 42 and bonded therein and a head 45 holding the rim onto the handle. In both embodiments the rim 44 is of a substantial width to cause the elasticity of the bag to firmly grip and be supported by the rim. The sections 40, 41 and 42 are interconnected together to resist twisting by rods 50 that are crimped out-of-round as at 50a so that a tight press fit is required to force one handle section against an adjacent handle section.

In this preferred embodiment a water soluble bag 52 has a lip 53, which is reverse folded over the rim as will be described. The bag has a perforated line 54 terminating in a hole 55 which is slid over the handle as in FIG. 3 as position A. The bag is then slid into position B (FIG. 6). In position C the bag is stretched around the rim and the closed end is pushed through the rim 44 as shown by arrow 60 until it reaches the position D shown in FIG. 7. In this position a lip 53 is formed which tightly engages the outer surface of the rim 44. To remove the bag the perforation is torn and the lip removed from the rim. Then the bag is folded to seal the opening.