Litter and refuse retrieval device

• US 5,601,321 A
• Filed: 11/28/1994
• Issued: 02/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Four Paws Products Limited (Central Garden & Pet Company)
• Original Assignee: Four Paws Products Limited (Central Garden & Pet Company)
• Inventors: Simon, Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): KRAMER, DEAN J
• Application Number:
  US08/358,487
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 294/1.3-1.5, 294/19.1, 294/50.8, 294/55, 294/115, 294/100, 15/257.1, 15/257.6, 15/104.8
• US Class Current: 294/1.4
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/1206 for picking up excrements manure or urine pouches for animal husbandry A01K23/00
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 2001/1293 Walking cane or the like, i.e. implements allowing handling while in an upright position

Abstract

A litter and refuse retrieval device for sanitarily and single-handedly cleaning up after a pet. The device includes an outer frame having a handle at one end and outer nipples at the other end for pivotally mounting two scoops. Each scoop includes extended disk portions with holes therethrough that overlap with the disk portions of the other scoop placing the holes in alignment for insertion of the outer nipples of the outer frame. An inner control frame is carried by the outer frame and includes linkage arms having outwardly extending cylindrical portions having nipples extending therefrom for pivotally mounting the two scoops adjacent to the outer nipples. In operation, the inner control frame is squeezed by the user toward a stop potion of the outer frame, causing the scoops to pivot in opposite directions. Also provided is a spring biasing mechanism for closing the scoops after the user has released the inner control frame.

Claims

1. A refuse retrieval device comprising:

an elongated outer frame member having a handle at one end and mounting means at another end;

an elongated inner frame member carried by the outer frame member having a handle at one end and two pair of linkage arms at another end, said linkage arms integrally formed with said inner frame member;

a pair of scoop means having a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end being pivotally mounted on the mounting means, each end of the scoop means also pivotally connected to one pair of the linkage arms; and

a spring biasing mechanism connected to the inner frame member and the outer frame member for biasing the pair of scoops in a closed position.

2. The refuse retrieval device of claim 1 further comprising:

alignment means connected to the outer frame member for aligning the inner frame member with the outer frame member.

3. The refuse retrieval device of claim 1 wherein the spring biasing mechanism comprises:

a first brace connected between a first and second side of the inner frame member;

a second brace connected between a first and second side of the outer frame member; and

a pair of springs connected between the first brace and the second brace one of the springs substantially parallel to the other spring.

4. The refuse retrieval device of claim 1 wherein each of the scoop means has an extended portion at each end, each extended portion having a hole therethrough for mounting on the mounting means, the extended portions of each scoop overlappingly positioned with the extended portions of the other scoop so that the hole in each extended portion at each end of one scoop is in alignment with a corresponding hole in the extended portion at each end of the other scoop.