Implement and method for picking up and removing pet excrement

• US 6,279,975 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2000
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shai Gamliel
• Original Assignee: Shai Gamliel
• Inventors: Gamliel, Shai
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer, Dean J.
• Application Number:
  US09/622,088
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 294/1.1, 294/1--, 294/55, 152/571, 152/576, 152/577, 152/579, 151/048, 248/95, 248/99, 248/100, 248/101
• US Class Current: 294/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 67/1238 Inserts or external supports, e.g. baskets, for stiffening sacks in the open condition
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/1206 for picking up excrements manure or urine pouches for animal husbandry A01K23/00

Abstract

An implement for picking up and removing pet excrement from a surface, comprising a string element, a disposable flexible sheet that my be coupled to the string element, so as to form an edge of the sheet led by the string element, the sheet being removable from the implement, and an isolation mechanism for isolating the pet excrement from the surface by way of sliding the sheet between the pet excrement and the surface while maintaining the string element in a tautly stretched configuration so long as the string element is in close contact with the surface, the isolation mechanism comprising a grip for gripping and moving the isolation mechanism by the hand of the user.

Claims

1. An implement for picking up and removing pet excrement from a surface, comprising:

a support member having two securing ends;

a tension member removably stretched at two spaced apart points thereof to said two securing ends; and

,

a disposable flexible sheet for isolating said pet excrement from said surface by sliding said sheet between the pet excrement and said surface, said sheet being permanently attached to said tension member at a leading edge of said sheet, the sheet and the tension member being removable from said support member,

wherein said securing ends provide for close contact of said tension member with said surface while said implement is held by the hand of the user and moved about.

2. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said tension member is thermally welded to said sheet.

3. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said tension member is adhered to said sheet.

4. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said sheet comprises a polymer.

5. An implement as in claim 4, wherein said polymer comprises a thermoplastic material.

6. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said sheet comprises a self-clinging wrapping nylon sheet.

7. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said sheet is apportioned from a roll of sheet, said roll comprises perforated lines apportioning said roll into easily-separable portions of sheet.

8. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said sheet being apportioned into detachable portions, each such portion comprises two plies, a first section of which plies comprises three connected edges to form a bag like section, the plies being disjoined at their second section to form a mouth section, wherein one ply of said two disjoined plies in the mouth section provides for its enfolding about said bag like section, and the other of said two disjoined plies is attached to said tension member.

9. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said support member comprises an arcuate member, across the tips of which said tension member is removably stretched.

10. An implement as in claim 9, wherein said arcuate member comprises a handle portion coupled thereto.

11. An implement as in claim 10, wherein said handle portion is removably coupled to said arcuate member.

12. An implement as in claim 9, wherein said arcuate member comprises a flexible elongated bar being substantially straight when in a non-operative mode, said bar providing for its bending by the user to form a bowed bar and so retained in its operative mode by means of attaching said tension member to the tips of said bowed bar, wherein said arcuate member in its operative mode continuously stretches said tension member when said tension member is attached to said arcuate member.

13. An implement as in claim 9, wherein said arcuate member comprises a flexible bowed bar, said bar comprises a contraction handle extending from the inner side portion of said bar parallel to the upper portion of said bar toward the intermediate portion of said bar, the handle being sized for its forcing by at least one finger of the user gripping said bar toward the upper portion of said bar, thereby temporarily contracting the bar by nearing the tips of said bar so long as said handle is forced toward said bar.

14. An implement as in claim 9, wherein said arcuate member comprises at least one laterally protruding hook element mounted at each of its tips, said tension member comprises mating openings at its ends providing for the loose assembling of said tension member on said arcuate member, when said arcuate member is temporarily forced to contract, said arcuate member stretches said tension member so assembled, when the contraction ceases.

15. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said support member comprises bipod like casing members across the free ends of which said tension member may be stretched, said casing members being hingedly connected to each other and to an elongated handle, said casing members and said elongated handle are collapsible to be aligned side by side in the stored position of said support member, said casing members extend to one direction and said elongated handle to the opposite direction when said support member is deployed in its operative mode, said casing members further comprise spacing means for keeping them apart when deployed in their operative mode.

16. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said tension member comprises two tabs at the ends thereof, said support member comprises mating notches at said securing ends allowing removable snap-fit nesting of said tabs in said notches.

17. An implement as in claim 16, wherein each of said tabs comprises a tapered portion attached to an end of said tension member, said tapered portion protruding downwardly from said support member and touching said surface when said implement is held in an operational position.

18. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said tension member comprises a polymer.

19. An implement as in claim 18, wherein said polymer comprises a thermoplastic material.

20. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said tension member comprises a metallic wire.

21. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said tension member comprises a strip.

22. An implement as in claim 21, wherein said strip comprises a longitudinally non-elastic and transversely flexible material.

23. An implement as in claim 1, wherein said tension member comprises a toughened material.

24. An implement for picking up and removing pet excrement from a surface, comprising:

a disposable flexible sheet for isolating said pet excrement from said surface by sliding said sheet between the pet excrement and said surface, said sheet being removable from said implement;

grip means in the form of an elongated hollow tubular body having an apertured end and being so sized to be comfortably held by a human hand, said tubular body being adapted for containing a roll of said sheet wherein an end of said sheet may be unrolled and drawn out through said apertured end;

a support member comprising two forwardly extending securing arms coupled to said tubular body and along which said sheet may be expanded, said securing arms comprise spikes, which spikes being spaced apart at a distance corresponding to the width of said sheet; and

,

a tension member stretched between distal ends of said securing arms at a distance from said spikes adequate for containing pet excrement,

wherein a drawn out portion of said sheet may be pierced once at its sides by said spikes, stretched from said spikes to said tension member, folded about said tension member, stretched back toward said spikes, and pierced again by said spikes to form a two ply extension of said sheet stretched between said spikes and said tension member, and wherein said securing arms provide for close contact of said tension member with said surface while said implement is held by the hand of the user and moved about.

25. An implement as in claim 24, wherein said support member comprises a rigid strap curving around said tubular body so as to snugly engage said tubular body in a friction tight engagement, and wherein said securing arms are firmly attached to said strap.

26. An implement as in claim 24, wherein said apertured end of said tubular body comprises a lid having a threaded sleeve adapted to its screwing in a mating threaded end portion of said tubular body, said lid further comprises a centrally apertured extension through which said sheet may be passed in a contracted manner, said extension being externally threaded and adapted to its partial or full closure by an internally threaded compatible cap member.

27. An implement as in claim 24, wherein said spikes comprise a pair of cone shaped spikes having their base mounted on said securing arms, correspondingly and a groove is cut around each of said spikes at a distance from its peak.

28. An implement as in claim 24, wherein said spikes comprise two pairs of spikes, wherein one pair protrudes upwards and the other pair protrudes downwards.

29. An implement for picking up and removing pet excrement from a surface, comprising:

a support member having two securing ends;

a tension strip removably stretched at two spaced apart points thereof to said two securing ends; and

,

a disposable flexible sheet for isolating said pet excrement from said surface by sliding said sheet between the pet excrement and said surface, said sheet attached to said tension strip at leading edge of said sheet, the sheet and the tension strip being removable from said support member,

wherein said securing ends provide for close contact of said tension strip with said surface while said implement is held by the hand of the user and moved about.

30. An implement as in claim 29, wherein said tension strip is permanently attached to said sheet.

31. An implement as in claim 29, wherein said tension strip comprises a longitudinally non-elastic and transversely flexible material.

32. An implement as in claim 29, wherein said tension strip comprises a toughened material.

33. A method for picking up and removing pet excrement from a surface, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a flexible sheet;

(b) permanently coupling said sheet to a stretched tension member so as to form a leading edge of said sheet;

(c) moving said tension member with said sheet coupled thereto toward the excrement to be picked up, while keeping said tension member in close contact with said surface;

(d) slipping said sheet between the excrement and said surface by moving said tension member between the pet excrement and said surface, so as to isolate the excrement from said surface, by said sheet there between;

(e) wrapping the excrement by said sheet; and

(f) removing said sheet wrapping the excrement and disposing thereof.

34. A method for picking up and removing pet excrement from a surface, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a flexible sheet;

(b) coupling said sheet to a stretched tension strip so as to form a leading edge of said sheet;

(c) moving said tension strip with said sheet coupled thereto toward the excrement to be picked up, while keeping said tension strip in close contact with said surface;

(d) slipping said sheet between the excrement and said surface by moving said tension strip between the pet excrement and said surface, so as to isolate the excrement from said surface, by said sheet there between;

(e) wrapping the excrement by said sheet; and

(f) removing said sheet wrapping the excrement and disposing thereof.