Dog Droppings Catcher Apparatus

1. FIELD

The subject invention is in the field of clothing and wearable equipment intended to retain liquids and/or solids excreted by humans and animals. In particular it is in the field of such equipment designed for uses with dogs and, still more particularly, for use in retaining the feces of dogs.

2. PRIOR ART

The U.S. patents listed here are a sampling of the wide range of prior art in the particular field of the subject invention.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,786,787, 4,510,887 3,817,217, 4,537,153 4,444,152, 4,969,419

U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,153 in particular, with 41 claims, 15 references cited and 119 figures, discloses a wide variety of prior art. Nevertheless, no device or apparatus for catching animal droppings, dog droppings in particular, is known to us, the inventors of the subject catcher, to have achieved widespread use and commercial success. We believe that in order for such a catcher to achieve such success it must be inexpensive, easy to use, and relatively inconspicuous when in use. The low cost would require that much of the catcher be disposable. Accordingly, the objectives of the subject invention are provision of a dog droppings catcher which has the noted features considered essential to widespread use and commercial success of the catcher.

The subject invention is a dog droppings catcher apparatus. It comprises a plastic bag and, for use on dogs with an upstanding tail, one belt. For use on dogs with very short and/or hanging tails, a lanyard is used to help retain the catcher in place. In its unused condition the bag is flat, rectangular in planform and openable across one of the short sides of the rectangle, this side being termed the open end. Viewing the bag lying flat and with the open end to the right, the sides of the bag are joined at the top and bottom edges and at the closed end and there is a first hole through the bag (both sides) near the upper right hand corner and a second near the lower right hand corner. At the top edge of the bag (in this view) and near the closed end there is a notch which results in a hole which straddles the top edge of the bag. At the lower edge of the bag, near the closed end, there is a small hole through both sides of the bag. Lastly, there is a long, relatively narrow cut-out extending from the open end, parallel to the bottom of the bag with the lower edge of the cut-out as far away from the hole in the lower right hand corner as the hole itself is from the lower edge of the bag. This cut-out is approximately half the length of the bag and results in a folded tie strap with the second round hole near its end. This notch also allows the sides of the bag to be separated and laid over a dog's back with the dog's tail through the upper hole straddling the top edge of the bag and with the strap between the dog's hind legs. The belt is threaded through the holes near the end of the tiestrap and through the holes at the top of the bag and then fastened around the dog's waist to hold the back portion of the bag in place against the dog's rear. In some instances with dogs having no tail or a non-erect tail the lanyard strap may be attached through the first circular holes in the bag or to the waist belt and attached to the dog's collar. The bag, or catcher, is now in place and will catch droppings while allowing urine to escape through the small holes at the bottom of the bag near the back end of the bag.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the subject catcher, as it appears after being manufactured.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the catcher ready to be put in place.

FIG. 3 illustrates the apparatus in place on a dog with an upstanding tail.

FIG. 4 illustrates the apparatus in place on a dog with a hanging tail.

The basic component of the subject apparatus is made of a plastic bag similar to those dispensed from rolls in grocery stores in the United States. The bag has two sides and is modified as shown in FIG. 1. In this drawing of bag 10, end 11 is the closed end and end 12 is the open end. The modifications include: (1) holes 13 and 13' cut through both sides of the bag near the open end and top edge 14 of the bag; (2) notch 15 cut into edge 14 near the closed end of the bag; (3) small holes 16 and 16' in lower edge 17 of the bag near the closed end; (4) holes 18 and 18' cut through the sides of the bag near the open end and edge 17; and (5) a cut-out 19 cut through both sides from the open end, parallel to the bottom edge with bottom edge 20 of the cut-out located so that holes 18 and 18' are at the free end 21 of and essentially centered in the width W of folded tie strap 22 formed by the cutting of cut-out 19. Alternate to notch 15 is a diagonal cut 15 indicated by a phantom line, which also forms a hole at the juncture of the top edge and closed end of the bag. Depth D of cut-out 19 is in the range of 1/2 to 3/4 of the length L of the bag with 5/8 preferred. Corner 23 may be contoured generally as indicated by the phantom line. The width W of cut-out 19 is in the range of 0 to 1.5 inches with 1 inch preferred. Corners 24 and 25 are radiused to inhibit tearing of the plastic. The end of the notch may be a portion of a circle with a diameter greater than the width of the notch.

FIG. 2 illustrates the bag in its general conformation when in place on a dog, with numbering the same as in FIG. 1. End 12 is opened and belt 26 is passed through the holes 18 and 18' in strap 22 and through holes 13 and 13'. Patches 27 and 28 of hook and loop fastening material at ends 29 and 30 respectively of the belt serve to fasten the belt around the dog's waist with folded strap 22 between the dog's hind legs.

FIG. 3 illustrates the apparatus in place on a dog 33 with an upstanding tail 34 extending through notch 15 which, because it straddles the top edge of the bag, forms a hole. In some instances a portion of the bag material over the dog's back and at the open end may be tucked under the belt to help retain the bag. Preferably this portion is held in place by passing the belt through holes 13 and 13'.

FIG. 4 illustrates the apparatus in place on a dog 35 with a hanging tail 36. Lanyard 37 may be used with such dogs if the tail tends to displace the bag rather than tend to hold it in place. The lanyard is fastened into holes 13 and 13' or to the belt and attached to the dog's collar 38, using any of a variety of well known fastening techniques.

In use on male dogs the apparatus catches droppings only. On female dogs it catches droppings and urine but the urine drains from holes 16 and 16'. The apparatus components are to be made available in varieties of sizes and colors and transparencies to best suit the wide variety of sizes and colors of dogs and to enhance inconspicuousness.

It is considered to be understandable from this description that the subject invention meets its objectives. It provides a dog droppings catcher apparatus which is inexpensive, easy to use and relatively inconspicuous in use. Ease and economy of use are based on the simplicity of the apparatus, the disposability of the bag and re-use of the waist belt.

It is also considered to be understood that while certain embodiments of the invention are described herein, other embodiments and modifications of those described are possible within the scope of the invention which is limited only by the attached claims.