Bag or Treat Dispenser for Waste Collector

Abstract

A dual purpose vessel having a dispenser with a cover sleeve assembly mounted to a base. The base is fixed onto the end of a handle. Bags or treats are stored inside the dispenser and dispensed through serrated slots in the dispenser and the cover sleeve.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims one or more inventions which were disclosed in Provisional Application No. 62/099,741, filed Jan. 5, 2015, entitled "Waste Collector with Dispenser". The benefit under 35 USC .sctn.119(e) of the United States provisional application is hereby claimed, and the aforementioned application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to canisters and dispensers for pet waste disposable bags on rolls. It also relates to canisters and dispensers for small pet treats. More particularly, it pertains to an improvement to a single container that can store and dispense either bag rolls or pet treats.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] Dispensers for bags and treats add convenience when exercising a dog. This eliminates the hassle every time of having to fumble around looking for bags or forgetting to take one when taking out Rover. Also, it would be nice to have the option to have treats with you to reward Rover for his good behavior. Further, if a pooper scooper is taken along, it would be an advantage and convenient to have the device as an integral part of it. As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuous need for a new and improved fixed dispenser that addresses some of the disadvantages of tearing off bags from a roll and could also be used for dispensing pellets.

[0006] The most common device for carrying and dispensing pet waste bags and treats when exercising a dog is a simple canister. Roll bags are very common today. Typically fifteen bags of various colors and textures are link together with perforations and rolled onto a core. The canisters come in different shapes and sizes and can be carried on a leash or other convenient device. There are a few problems that can occur when dispensing bags from these canisters. First, threading the initial bag can sometimes be challenging because of the closed ended slots or openings for bag dispensing from the canister. Second, tearing a subsequent bag from the roll can also be a challenge and is more difficult with a stronger weighted bag. Properly tearing a bag off at the perforation is essential in order to keep next bag from pulling out of the canister prematurely. In most cases a bag requires two hands to tear it from the roll. This requires the bag to be pulled out of the dispenser beyond the perforation which leads to the next bag on the roll to hang out from the canister. Third, if bags need to be rewrapped onto the spool, this could also be a little cumbersome to do and many times the roll must be removed and rethreaded again. At times the canister caps fail and roll bags or treats fall out during a walk. Also the hanging clips can fail and the canisters can fall and get lost.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,452 to Pauley describes an invention for dispensing of tissue where the tearing of the tissue at the perforation is not a requirement. This device a closed ended slot that when threading a new roll could be a little tricky. Finally, the anterior cylinder is non-rotational.

[0008] PCT International Application publication WO2014/031940 to Williams describes a bag dispensing system with an outside plastic tube for the purpose of keeping the bags from sticking out. The anterior tube can rotate 360 degrees and has a disadvantage of jamming If a new bag gets pulled out too far after a bag was just torn off, the new bag hanging out could get wrapped around the inside dispenser by rotating the outside plastic tube too far. Bags would need to be removed and rethreaded to ready the device for use.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,134 to Dancy provides a dispenser with one closed end slot with an anterior sleeve. Dispensing a bag is done be squeezing the outside of the device to keep the roll still, when a bag is dispensed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A dual purpose vessel comprising a dispenser with a cover sleeve assembly mounted to a base. The base is fixed onto the end of a handle. Bags or pellets are stored inside the dispenser and dispensed through serrated slots or ports in the dispenser and the cover sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0011] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of Container/Dispenser System dispensing a bag

[0012] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of Container/Dispenser System dispensing pellets

[0013] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the invention

[0014] FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the invention

[0015] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the Cover Sleeve and Dispenser

[0016] FIG. 6a shows a front view of the Cover Sleeve and Dispenser in Home position

[0017] FIG. 6b shows a front cross sectional view of the Cover Sleeve

[0018] FIG. 7 shows the front view of the Container/Dispenser system in home position

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The Container/Dispenser System (100) is comprised of a Base (140) attached to a Dispenser (130) and a Cover Sleeve (110). The cover sleeve (110) is held into position on the dispenser (130) with cover sleeve interior upper groove (113) holding dispenser exterior upper track (133). Also, there is a cover sleeve interior lower track (114) fitting in a dispenser exterior lower groove (134).

[0020] The cover sleeve will rotate 45 degrees from home position FIG. 7. with the help of the dispenser exterior round key slot key (136) and the cover sleeve interior lower round stop tab (115). The dispenser exterior bushing (135) prevents the cover from rotating beyond the key points.

[0021] This system is fixed to a pet waste collector such as the GoGo Stik.RTM. Waste Collector from AB Innovations of Syracuse, N.Y., at the end of the handle (150). The top of the cover sleeve has a loop hanger (119) that allows the cover sleeve to be removed, replaced or rotated. It also provides the pet scooper with the ability to hang up on a wall hook.

[0022] This invention deals with a dispensing canister that will dispense standard roll bags and address these problems. As mentioned, another advantage of this canister is that it can dispense treats or pellets.

[0023] This invention provides for a device that can double for either a bag roll dispenser or a treat dispenser. The bag dispenser has improvements over the simple canister, closed ended dispensing slots. A serrated open end slot configuration on the dispenser and serrated open end slot on the cover sleeve assist in tearing a bag off and keeping the remaining bags secure. Threading of bags is simpler and easier.

[0024] A roll of bags (121) is placed in the cylindrical dispenser (130) onto the center spindle (122) while threading the first bag edge (120) into the top of the open slot (132) in the wall of the dispenser (130). Once in position, the cylindrical cover sleeve (110) is placed into position over the dispenser (130) while guiding the threaded bag up and through the bottom end of the cover sleeve open slot (112) in the wall of the cover sleeve (110). Both the dispenser and cover sleeve slots line up and be in the home position FIG. 7, when done. The roll freely rotates in the canister and torn off at the perforation when bags are dispensed.

[0025] Tearing off a bag for use is done by pulling the bag out of the slots (132), (112) until the perforation before the next bag is seen. The cover sleeve (110) can be rotated 45 degrees clockwise or 45 degrees counter clockwise FIG. 1 and FIG. 4. from home position The cover sleeve will snap into one of these positions through the use of the cover sleeve round slot key (115) and the dispenser matching round slot (136) from home position.

[0026] When in position, a bag can be torn from the device utilizing both serrated slot edges from the cover sleeve (110) and dispenser (130). The narrow dispenser serrated slot also helps in stabilizing the bag from moving while the narrow serrated cover sleeve slot helps in the tearing of the bag off of the roll at the perforation.

[0027] As a treat dispenser FIG. 2., the dispenser is held at up at an angle that assists in the filling of the dispenser with pellets (160). The dispenser port is facing up such that a finger can block the port when filling. Once filled, the cover sleeve (110) is placed onto the dispenser (130) in the home position (FIG. 7) where both concentric slots and ports line up. The pellet dispensing position is at the home position. Both the dispenser port (131) and the cover sleeve port (111) are open to allow treats to dispense from the canister FIG. 2. When done dispensing, the cover sleeve can be rotated either 45 degrees clockwise or 45 degrees counter clockwise to close off the ports.

The Dispenser provides:

[0028] 1. A serrated open ended slot that aids in threading roll bags;

[0029] 2. A serrated slot that aids in tearing bags from a roll at the perforation in conjunction with the cover sleeve serrated slot;

[0030] 3. A port for dispensing pellets when the device is used for pellets rather than bag. The cover sleeve provides multiple advantages:

[0031] 1. The serrated open end slot allows for easy bag threading;

[0032] 2. The serrated slot assists in the tear off of a bag at the bags' perforations and works with the dispenser serrated slot;

[0033] 3. The inside tabs on either side of the port allow the cover to snap into place when rotated 45 degrees from home position either clockwise or counter clockwise. This helps to keep bags from wrapping around the inside dispenser and keeps the device from jamming The leading tab aligns and rests in the key slot on the dispenser. This keeps the cover sleeve in place while the lagging tab pinches the bag leader against the outer dispenser wall as it exits through the port;

[0034] 4. The rotating cover closes off the dispenser port if the device is used in dispensing pellets.

[0035] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.

TABLE-US-00001 List of Reference Numbers 100 Container/Dispenser System for treat dispensing system 110 Cover Sleeve 111 Cover Sleeve Port 112 Cover Sleeve Serrated Slot 113 Cover Sleeve interior upper groove 114 Cover Sleeve interior lower track 115 Cover Sleeve interior lower stop tab 119 Cover Sleeve Loop 120 Plastic Bag 121 Plastic Bag Roll 122 Roll Tapered Dowel 130 Dispenser 131 Dispenser Port 132 Dispenser Serrated Slot 133 Dispenser Exterior Upper Track 134 Dispenser Exterior Lower Groove 135 Dispenser Exterior Bushing/Track 136 Dispenser Exterior Round Slot/Key 140 Base 150 Handle 160 Pellets

Claims

1. A dispenser for mounting to a handle of a waste collector, comprising: a) a base having a mount for attaching the base to an end of the handle of the waste collector; b) a cylindrical dispenser attached to the base, having a wall enclosing an open interior and an open slot and port through the wall; and c) a cylindrical cover sleeve coaxially surrounding the cylindrical dispenser, rotatably mounted to the cylindrical dispenser, having a wall with an open slot and port; the open slot of the cylindrical dispenser and the open slot of the cylindrical cover sleeve being sized such that when the open slot and port in the wall of the cylindrical cover sleeve is rotated to align with the open slot and port in the wall of the cylindrical dispenser, objects stored in the open interior of the dispenser can be dispensed through the aligned open slots or ports of the cylindrical dispenser and the cylindrical cover sleeve.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, in which the cylindrical dispenser further comprises a spindle for holding rolls of bags, mounted in the open interior of the cylindrical dispenser.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, in which the open slot of the cylindrical dispenser is serrated.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, in which the open slot of the cylindrical cover sleeve is serrated.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, in which the cylindrical cover sleeve is mounted to the cylindrical dispenser through a cover sleeve interior upper groove fitting on a dispenser exterior upper track and a cover sleeve interior lower track fitting in a dispenser exterior lower groove.

6. The dispenser of claim 1, in which rotation of the cylindrical cover sleeve relative to the cylindrical dispenser is limited by a key slot key on the cylindrical dispenser locking in a cover sleeve stop tab.

7. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a loop hangar on the cylindrical cover sleeve.