Animal Feces Collection and Disposal Apparatus

• US 20090152884A1
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Dog LLC
• Original Assignee: Smart Dog LLC
• Inventors: Ruscil, Monica, Ruscil, Andrew E., Blyskal, Philip J., Hawley, Edward T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,854,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 294/1.500
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 23/005 Manure or urine collecting devices used independently from the animal, i.e. not worn by the animal but operated by a person
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 7/12 Load carriers, e.g. hooks, slings, harness, gloves, modified for load carrying

Abstract

An animal waste collection system (10) designed for sanitary use consists of a hollow shaft (14), handle (12), light (70), a pair of resilient, curved arms (22, 24) and a plurality if self sealing bags (40). The operator of the device (10) initially loads a plastic bag (40) onto arms (22, 24) before walking the dog. When the animal shows signs of excreting, the bag (40) is placed under the rear of the animal to intercept the feces. Once the animal is finished excreting, the operator partially retracts the arms (22, 24), closing the bag (40), and walks to a disposal receptacle where the arms (22, 24) are then fully retracted and the sealed bag (40) is released.

Claims

1. An animal waste collecting apparatus (10) comprising:

a substantially hollow shaft (14) having a first and a second end;

a slider (16) mounted on said shaft; and

,

a first (22) and second (24) arm receivable in said shaft (14),

wherein movement of said slider (16) from said first end towards said second end of said hollow shaft (14) extends said arms (22,24) from said second end so that said arms (22,24) can engage a receptacle (40) for intercepting said animal waste.

2. The apparatus (10) of claim 1 wherein said first and second arms (22,24) are made of a resilient material that changes shape as it extends out of said hollow shaft (14).

3. The apparatus (10) of claim 2 wherein said arms (22,24) when fully extended from said shaft (14) are curved in opposite directions towards each other.

4. The apparatus (10) of claim 3 wherein said receptacle (40) comprises a bag having an opening (44) for receiving said animal waste, said bag further having a first arm channel (46) and a second (48) arm channel on opposite sides of said bag opening (44) each channel (46,48) having a first and a second aperture (50, 52, 54, 56) respectively for receiving said first and second arms (22, 24) when said arms (22, 24) are extended from said hollow shaft (14).

5. The apparatus (10) of claim 4 wherein said bag (62, 40) includes adhesive on the inside of said opening (44) so that as said arms (22, 24) are withdrawn from said bag (40), said opening automatically (44) seals itself and said bag (40) is released from said apparatus (10) for easy disposal.

6. The apparatus (10) of claim 5 wherein said first and second arms (22,24) when extended have a curved, generally “

C”

shape and wherein said C shaped arms (22, 24) face in opposite directions so as to hold the bag (40) open when the arms (22, 24) are extended.

7. The apparatus (10) of claim 6 further comprising:

lighting means (70) located at the said second end of said shaft (14) for selectively illuminating said bag (40).

8. The apparatus (10) of claim 7 further comprising:

a handle (12) located at said first end of said shaft (14) for gripping said shaft (14).

9. The apparatus (10) of claim 8 wherein said lightening means (70) comprises an LED.

10. The apparatus (10) of claim 9 further comprising:

a battery connected to said LED (70); and

,

a switch means (74) connected to said battery and said LED (70) for selectively turning said LED (70) on and off.

11. The apparatus (10) of claim 10 wherein said first (22) and second (24) arms each have a first end and a second free end and wherein said first ends are connected together and the arms are formed from a single, continuous piece of resilient plastic.

12. The apparatus (10) of claim 11 wherein said second, free ends of the first (22) and second (24) arms each have tips that flare away from each other.

13. The apparatus (10) of claim 12 wherein said shaft (14) has a long central axis and said extended arms (22, 24) lie is a plane that is at an angle A with respect to said axis so that said bag (40) may be positioned more naturally when intercepting said animal waste.

14. The apparatus (10) of claim 13 wherein said angle A lies in the range of 5-15 degrees.

15. The apparatus (10) of claim 14 wherein said plastic material comprising said first (22) and second (24) arms is a combination of Delrin®

mixed with glass in the 10-25% range.

16. The apparatus (10) of claim 15 wherein when said first (22) and second (24) arms are extended from said shaft (14) they form an oval opening for the bag (40) having a size of approximately 5 inches by 7 inches.

17. The apparatus (10) of claim 16 further comprising:

a plug tip (20) that fits in the second end of said hollow shaft (14), said plug tip (20) including a first (36) and a second (38) aperture therein for slideably receiving said first (22) and second (24) arms respectively.

18. The apparatus (10) of claim 17 wherein said LED switch (74) is located in said handle (12).

19. The apparatus (10) of claim 18 further comprising;

Hook means (80) attached to said plug tip (20) to assist in holding said bag (40) as said arms (22 and 24) are threaded into said first arm channel (46) and said second arm channel (48), respectively.