FR2846675A1 - Implement for collecting and disposing of animal excreta has two arms with handles and two more forming clamp for collecting container - Google Patents

Abstract

The implement, for use with a disposable container, consists of two pivoted actuating arms (B1, B2) with handles (5) on one end and a clamp (2) on the other formed by two further arms (B3, B4) that are pivoted to one another and to the actuating arms. The clamp arms are designed to transmit and amplify the movement of the arms for the operation of closing a hinged collecting container over the excreta.

Description

ASSISTANCE DEVICE FOR PICKING UP AND DISCARDING ANIMAL DEJECTIONS

  The present invention relates to field 5 of the collection of animal excrement, in particular of

  dog excrement, on roads or sidewalks.

  The present invention relates more particularly to an aid device for collecting and throwing animal excrement, capable of being used with a collection container, said system comprising

  two actuating arms, a clamp member made up of two arms articulated relative to each other around a joint, and fixing means for fixing said arms of the clamp member with said arms d actuation.

  Numerous solutions are already known from the prior art to allow the collection of

animal droppings.

  We know in particular the solution of

  partially flip a bag over one hand and pick up the droppings with the hand protected by the bottom of the bag.

  However, the use of such a bag is repugnant to many users. It is proposed in European patent application EP0584040 a device for collecting canine excrement in a bag. The device has the form of a pair of pliers comprising a head and two handles. Said head is formed by two stirrup-shaped claws, said claws being tightened one against the other

  the other to present a closed head, and separated from each other by tightening the handles to open the head.

  Said device is inserted into a bag with the head closed. Said head is then opened to place the bag 35 on canine excrement, then closed on said canine excrement. The bag is then turned over so that

  contain the droppings and release the device.

  However, such a device has the drawback of requiring users to bend down, requiring for certain persons having a

  physical handicap a difficult effort.

  In European patent EP0523290, there is provided an aid device for receiving and disposing of solid refuse from pets, combined with a container. The apparatus comprises a frame element having at one end two actuating arms on which a pair of jaws is fixed and, at the other end, a pair of handles making it possible to move said jaws between open positions and 15 closed. Said jaws further comprise means for retaining the removable container. Said container has two symmetrical shell-shaped halves joined by a flexible hinge, said halves being adapted to receive the retaining means 20 for the jaws. Thus, the opening or closing of said container during the collection of animal waste is

  actuated by the jaws of said device.

  Said aid apparatus used for collecting solid scrap, however, offers a limited spacing, said spacing being dependent on the dimensions of said jaws. However, said device has, by its dimensions, an already relatively large size, even when said jaws are in

closed position.

  The present invention intends to remedy the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing an aid system for collecting and throwing space-saving animal excrement, offering relatively large jaw spacings while minimizing the effort of the user. To do this, the present invention is of the type described above and it is remarkable, in its broadest sense, in that said actuating arms are articulated around a joint, and in that said element forming clamp is fixed on said actuating arms so as to transfer, by amplifying, the movement of said actuating arms

  articulated to said gripper element.

  Preferably, the arms of said clamp member are fixed respectively to one of the ends

said actuating arms.

  Advantageously, said fixing means

constitute two joints.

  Advantageously, said fixing means

  are arranged in an area between said articulation and the central part of said arms of said clamp member.

  Advantageously, said clip-forming element

presents means of restraint.

  Advantageously, said means of retention are

formed of grooves.

  Advantageously, said actuating arms

  are provided with gripping means.

  The present invention also relates to a system comprising an aid device for collecting and throwing animal excrement previously described, and

a collection container.

  Preferably, said container has two substantially symmetrical parts respectively constituting a wall extended by a return element, said parts being connected to each other by connecting means allowing a rotational movement, and in that each wall comprises means for receiving respectively the arms B3, B4 of said element

forming shovel.

  Advantageously, said receiving means consist of at least one tongue fixed to said wall of said container so as to form an opening between said wall and said tongue intended to receive

  the arms of the clamp member.

  The invention will be better understood using the

  description, given below for purely explanatory purposes, of an embodiment of the invention, with reference to

  appended figures: - Figure 1 illustrates a sectional view of an aid device for collecting and throwing animal excrement according to the invention in the separated position; - Figure 2 illustrates a partial perspective view of the device of Figure 1; - Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of a container used with the device of Figure 1; and Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view of the container of Figure 3 along the axis AA ', said

  container being provided with the device of FIG. 1.

  An aid device (1) for picking up and

  throwing animal excrement according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1.

  Said device (1) consists of two actuating arms Bi, B2, and a clamp-forming element (2). Said actuating arms Bi, B2 are articulated with respect to each other around an articulation A1, forming respectively on each side of said articulation A1 branches B10, B20 which can be moved apart or brought closer 1 'from each other manually and branches B11, B21 separated or brought closer to each other according to the movement of the branches B10, B20. Said clamp element (2) also consists of two arms B3, B4, said arms B3, B4 being articulated relative to each other around a

joint A2.

  Said clamp member (2) is fixed with

  said actuating arms B1, B2. More particularly, the attachment of said gripper element (2) with the actuating arms B1, B2 is carried out on said arms B3, B4 of said gripper element (2), at the free ends of said arms B11 and B21.

  The attachment of said clamp member (2) to said actuating arms B1, B2 is carried out so as to form a connection having a degree of freedom of rotation. Thus, the fixing means advantageously constitute two hinges A3, A4 allowing the opening or closing of the arms B3, B4 according to the movement of said actuating arms B1, B2, which are actuated manually via said branch B10, B20. Advantageously, said joints A3, A4

  constituting said fixing means are located on said arms B3, B4 of said clamp member (2) in a zone between said articulation A2 and the central part of said arms B3, B4, the remaining zone 30 of said arms B3, B4 constituting a zone pinch (3).

  Advantageously, the joints A1, A2, A3, A4, are formed by rivets. Of course, any other means allowing the fixing of said actuating arm B1 with said actuating arm B2, and the fixing of said clamp element (2) with said actuating arms B1, B2, while allowing movement of rotation of the elements with each other, fits in

part of this invention.

  The arms B3, B4 of said clamp element 5 (2) has a bevelled part (4) at their respective ends, allowing use with a container of

  pickup (7) presented later (see Figure 3).

  Advantageously, said branches B10, B20 respectively comprise at their free ends 10 an orifice (5) for the insertion of at least one finger. Thus, the actuating arms Bi, B2 are separated from the manual spacing of said branches B10, B20, thereby causing a spacing of the arms B3, 15 B4 of said gripper element (2), said spacing being

  transferred to said arms B3, B4 in an amplified manner.

  Figure 2 illustrates a detailed view in

  perspective of the pinching zone (3) of the arms B3, B4 20 of said clamp member (2).

  The pinching zone (3) of the arms B3, B4 of said clamp element (2) has on its upper face retaining means (6), which are formed, in this

  example of embodiment, of grooves.

  It is of course obvious that retaining means (6) can also be arranged on the inner faces of said pinching zones (3) or cover

  all or part of said pinching zones (3).

  FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a container (7) intended to be used with said aid device (1) for picking up and throwing away

  animal excrement described above.

  Said container (7) comprises two substantially symmetrical parts (8, 9), connected to each other by a central fold (11) allowing the spacing of said symmetrical parts (8, 9), and the bringing together of said parts (8, 9) until their contact corresponding to the

  closed position of said container (7).

  In the closed position, said container (7) takes substantially the form of a triangular prism. It consists of two side walls (81, 91) formed by said parts (8, 9), said walls (81, 91) being respectively extended by a return element (82, 10 92) oriented inwards, direction of said element

back (92, 82).

  In the closed position, said return elements (82, 92) of said symmetrical parts (8, 9) constitute

  the underside of said container (7).

  The side walls (81, 91) of said container carry means for receiving (10) said device (1) described above, and more particularly the areas of

  pinching (3) of said clamp element (2).

  Said receiving means consist of at least two tabs (10) fixed respectively on each wall (8, 9) of said container (7) so as to form an opening (12) in the direction of the central fold (11), said opening (12) allowing the insertion of the nip (3) of said clamp element (2) of said device (1), the insertion of said nip (3) in the opening (12) being made more easy by

  bevelled part (4) of said pinching zone (3).

  Thus, said container (7), in the closed position, is disposed in the space formed between the arms B3, 30 B4 of said gripper element (2) when the latter

  are separated from each other. The pinching zones (3) of the arms B3 and B4 of the clamp element (2) are at the same time inserted into the tongues fixed on each of the walls (8, 9) by the opening (12) formed between said tongue (10) and said wall (8, 9).

  Thus, the opening or closing of said container (7) during the collection of animal excrement is actuated by said gripper element (2) of said

device (1).

  Advantageously, said collection container (7) also has walls arranged at the front and at the rear of said container, so as to obtain a fully closed container, thus ensuring a

  secure transport of collected animal excrement.

  Advantageously, said container (2) is

  made of biodegradable material.

  Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view of the

  wall (82) of the container (7) provided with the aid device (1) 15 for collecting and disposing of animal excrement.

  Said tongue (10) is fixed to the wall (81) of said container (7) so that an opening (12) between said wall (82) and said tongue (10) is formed. Said tab (10) must have a

  opening (12) large enough to allow passage of said gripping area (3) of said clamp member (2), but also close enough to said wall (82) to hold said gripping area (3) of said member in place forming clamp.

  The invention is described in the foregoing to

  as an example. It is understood that a person skilled in the art is able to carry out different variants of the invention without departing from the scope of the patent.

Claims (10)

  1. Device (1) for collecting and throwing animal excrement, capable of being used with a collection container (7), said system (1) comprising: - two actuating arms B1 and B2, - a clamp element (2) consisting of two arms B3 and B4 articulated with respect to each other 10 around an articulation A2, and - fixing means for fixing said arms B3 and B4 of said clamp element ( 2) with said actuating arms B1 and B2 respectively, characterized in that said actuating arms B1 and B2 are articulated around a   articulation A1, and in that said gripper element (2) is fixed on said actuating arms B1 and B2 so as to transfer, by amplifying, the movement of said actuating arms B1 and B2 articulated to said gripper element 20 ( 2).   2. Device (1) according to claim 1,   characterized in that the arms B3 and B4 of said clamp member (2) are fixed respectively to one of the ends of said actuating arms B1 and B2.   3. Device (1) according to claim 1   or claim 2, characterized in that said fixing means constitute two joints A3 and A4.   4. Device (1) according to any one of   Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said fixing means are arranged in an area between   said joint A2 and the central part of said arms B3 and B4.   5. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said   clamp element (2) has retaining means (6). 6. Device (1) according to claim 10 above, characterized in that said retaining means (6) are formed of grooves.   7. Device (1) according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that said 15 actuating arms B1 and B2 are provided with means for grip (5).   8. System comprising a device (1)   assistance in collecting and disposing of animal waste 20 according to any one of the preceding claims, and a collection container (7).   9. System according to claim 8, characterized in that said container (7) has two substantially symmetrical parts (8, 9) constituting respectively a wall (81, 91) extended by a return element (82, 92), said parts (8, 9) being connected to each other by connecting means allowing a rotational movement, and in that each wall (81, 91) 30 comprises means for receiving the arms respectively   B3, B4 of said clamp member (2).   10. System according to claim 9, characterized in that said receiving means (10) consist of at least one tongue fixed on said   wall (81, 91) of said container (7) so as to form an opening (12) between said wall (81, 91) and said tongue intended to receive the arms B3, B4 of the clamp element (2).