CA1100926A

CA1100926A - Frame for garbage bags

Info

Publication number: CA1100926A
Application number: CA321,434A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Ronald E. Lund
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-02-14
Filing date: 1979-02-14
Publication date: 1981-05-12

Abstract

ABSTRACT

In this invention a frame is designed to utilize free plastic grocery bags with handles as garbage bags.
The frame is a single piece and is substantially U-shaped with the projecting parallel sides each having an upper portion over which the bag handle is stretched and two lower portions on which the bag handle is supported so that the bag stays open and hangs down from the frame for use as a garbage bag. The rear member of the frame has two apertures formed by semi-circular bends which allows screws to be inserted to fasten the frame to a cabinet door.

Description

SPECII: ICATION

This invention relates to a frame especially designed to hold plastic grocery bags with handles of the kind given out by food supermarkets, for the pwrpose of using such bags as garbage bags in the home.

Food supermarkets give out at no extra cost plas-tic grocery bags with handles to hold groceries purchased by the consumer. The problem for the consumer is that plastic grocery bags work poorly as garbage bags in that the plastic bag when unsupported will not remain open or stand upright to receive garbage to be thrown in.
~:, I have found that these problems may be overcome by a single-piece frame which can be quickly and easily manufactured, and which is especially designed to force the plastic bag to remain open in an upright position ~ and thereby render it as a useful and practical garbage ; bag for the consumer.

The frame is attached to any cabinet door or other vertical surface. The handles of the plastic bag are stretched over the frame so that the open end of the bag remains open in the horizontal plane. The bag is suspended down vertically from the frame by its handles.
The shape of the frame makes it easy to mount a fresh bag in the frame and later, when the bag is full, to remove the bag from the frame.

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In drawings which illustrate embodiment~ of-the invention, Figure 1 is a front view of the frame, Figure 2 is a top plan view of the ~rame, Figure 3 is a side view of the frame, ;~

Figure 4 is an isometric view of the frame, Figure 5 ~s an isometric view of the frame with a plastic bag mounted. ;

Th~s invention provides an integral frame for holding plastic grocery bags with handles for the purpose of using such bags as garbage bags in the home, the frame comprising: a hooked member including three rear portions 1, separated by two upwardly and then downwardly depending identical portions 2, bent into a semi-circular shape to ;~
form an aperture to accommodate fastening screws, which are integral with the separated ends of the three rear portions 1, and two outwardly projecting identical portions, integral with the extreme ends of the two extreme rear portions 1, defining a U-shape opening outwardly, the two outwardly :~
projecting identical portions each comprising: an upper portion 3~ two downwardly depending portions 4 integral with each end of the upper portion 3, two lower portions 5 integral with the two downwardly depending portions 4 and projecting outwardly.

IL0~2~
The frame is fastened to any cabinet door i.e.
a kitchen counter door, or other vertical surface by means of two screws which are passed through the apertures of the semi-circular portions and screwed into the door or other vertical surface. The outwardly depending portions are therefore in the horizontal plane. The rame is now installed and is ready to use.

There are two methods to mount a pl~stic grocery bag with handles on the frame:

1. Holding one handle in each hand, move both hands toward the frame, keeping both hands inside the U-shaped recess. Then spread the hands apart over the parallel portions and hook each handle of the bag over the rear ~;
- shoulder of each handle's respective parallel partion Eirst, Then stretch each handle over the parallel portions and hook each handle of the bag over the front shoulder of each handle's respective parallel portion. The open end of the bag is therefore forced open and the bag itself will be positioned vertically below the frame. The bag is then ready for use as a garbage bag.

2. Holding one handle in each hand, move both hands toward the frame, keeping both hands outside the U-shaped recess. Then bring the hands together over the parallel portions and continue to proceed as in method 1.

For the same bag, method 2 will produce a tighter fit of the bag on the frame and therefore the frame will properly receive bags within a range of sizes. For removal, lift the handles of the bag off the frame.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A one-piece frame made of bent wire for holding plastic grocery bags with handles for the purpose of using such bags as garbage bags in the home, the frame in the mounted position on a vertical surface comprising: a horizontal member the approximate length of the open mouth of a bag with two teardrop-shaped loops formed by bends in the wire extending vertically upward to accommodate fastening screws, the teardrop-shaped loops being symmetrical about the vertical centreline, the horizontal member being mounted on the vertical mounting surface; and two identical portions formed by bends in the wire at the ends of the horizontal member first described, symmetrical about the vertical centreline first described projecting horizontally and perpendicularly from the vertical mounting surface and horizontal member first described, defining a broad U-shape in the horizontal plane when viewed from above to accommodate the open mouth of a bag, the two symmetrical outer portions substantially in the shape of a broad U-shaped handle each comprising: an upper central horizontal member long enough to stretch the loops of a bag handle, two downward vertical members formed by bends in the wire at each end of the horizontal member to allow the bag handle to slide down, and two lower horizontal members formed by bends in the wire at the lower end of the vertical members for the loops of the bag handle to rest on.

2. A frame as claimed in claim 1, except that the two parallel members are separate pieces without a connecting horizontal member and are spaced apart sufficiently such that when the handles of the bag are mounted on the parallel members, the mouth of the bag is in the open position.

3. A frame as claimed in claim 1, except that the frame is made of formed bar stock metal with holes punched out for fastening screws and sections punched out in the parallel members to provide substantially the same contour as the frame made of wire.

4. A frame as claimed in claim 3, except that the two parallel members are separate pieces without a connecting horizontal member and are spaced apart sufficiently such that when the handles of the bag are mounted on the parallel members, the mouth of the bag is in the open position.

5. A frame as claimed in claim 3 made of plastic.

6. A frame as claimed in claim 4 made of plastic.