GB2411636A

GB2411636A - Sack holder

Info

Publication number: GB2411636A
Application number: GB0404604A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Meirion Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-03-01
Filing date: 2004-03-01
Publication date: 2005-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 2024-03-01
Also published as: GB2411636B; GB0404604D0

Abstract

A holder for a sack comprises a rigid body having a peripheral wall 6 surrounding a central opening 8, the peripheral wall being shaped so as to define in an outer peripheral surface a peripheral circumferential channel 28 which is shaped and dimensioned so as to be able to receive therein a flexible tie member which, in use, fits around a sack and urges a portion of the sack into the channel for temporarily assembling together the sack and the holder. The body may be made of disposable or recyclable material. There may be plural channels 28 and at least one channel may be knurled. Holes 52,54,56,58 may be provided at each corner of the body to receive a rope or cord for suspending the holder. There may be a hand hole 50. The body interior may include a sloping portion 60 which may also extend outwardly, to facilitate filling.

Description

2411 636

N

SACK HOLDER

The present invention relates to a sack holder.

It is known to use sacks made of plastics material, sacking, paper and other material. It is also known to mount such sacks in an upright bin, typically provided with a lid, for receipt of matter. However, often it is necessary when refuse, for example, is being collected from a location remote from a bin for the refuse sack to be loosely held by the user in one hand while filling the refuse sack with refuse using the other hand. This is often difficult and time consuming because the material of the refuse sack is thin and flexible and so the opening of the refuse sack can inadvertently collapse on itself. This also restricts the usefulness of such a sack in a number of applications where refuse is to be cleared, because it restricts the reliable placing of refuse into the sack.

The present invention aims to provide a holder for a sack which renders a sack more easy to use, and thereby more labour saving. It is a further aim of the invention to provide a holder for a sack which can increase the number of applications for use of, for example, a refuse sack when held by a user for clearing refuse.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a holder for a sack which comprises a rigid polygonal body having a peripheral wall surrounding a central opening, the peripheral wall being shaped so as to define in an outer peripheral surface a peripheral circumferential channel which is shaped and dimensioned so as to be able to receive therein a flexible tie member which, in use, fits around a sack and urges a portion of the sack into the channel for temporarily assembling together the sack and the holder.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: \ Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holder for a sack in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the holder of Figure 1 when fitted with a sack in a first configuration; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the holder of Figure 1 when fitted with a sack in a second configuration; Figure 4 is a crosssection through a sack holder in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of a sack holder in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 6 is a perspective side view of a sack holder in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 7 shows a perspective view from above of the sack holder of Figure 6.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a holder 2 for a refuse sack which comprises a rigid polygonal body 4 comprising a peripheral wall 6 surrounding a central opening 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the polygonal body 4 is shown as having a square shape, but it may be rectangular, circular, oval, hexagonal or other polygonal shape (e.g. Dshaped). In the illustrated embodiment, the polygonal body 4 comprises a plurality of, in the embodiment, four contiguous wall sections 10,12,14, 16, adjacent wall sections 10,12,14,16 being joined at respective corners 18,20,22,24 of the polygonal body 4. The polygonal body 4 is sufficiently rigid so as to be able reliably to keep open an opening of a sack when fitted to the holder 2. The polygonal body 4 is typically made of a rigid plastics material, for example by injection moulding, but it may be made of a metal. The polygonal body 4 may alternatively be made of a disposable or recyclable material, for example of a paper--based material -such as papier-rnache, or other recycled or recyclable material. This is particularly suitable when the holder 2 is to be employed for collecting dangerous or dirty refuse, such as toxic medical waste, so that the holder 2 itself can be readily disposed of as well.

The wall sections 10,12,14,16 are shaped so as to define in a common outer peripheral surface 26 a peripheral circumferential channel 28. The channel 28 is shaped and dimensioned so as to be able to receive therein a flexible tie member such as a cord, rope or strap, which in use, fits over the sack, and urges the sack into the channel 28, thereby to hold it in a secure fitting so that the sack and the holder are temporarily assembled together. The tie member may be elastic. The tie member may be provided with a quick release buckle, particularly if used with a strap. Two assemblies for the holder 2 and a sack 30, which may be a refuse sack, particularly of plastics material, using a tie member 32 are shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Referring to Figure 2, in one configuration the holder 2 is fitted within the inner surface of the opening 34 of the sack 30. Then the tie member 32 is fitted around the outer surface 36 of the sack 30 surrounding the opening 34 and tightened so as to be securely engaged, together with the underlying portion of the sack 30, within the channel 28. In this way, the flexible tie member 32 securely holds together the assembly of the sack holder 2 within the opening 34 of the sack 30.

In an alternative configuration shown in Figure 3, the open end 38 of the sack 30 may be passed wholly through the central opening 8 of the holder 2 and then the outer peripheral edge 40 of the sack 30, which defines the opening 34 of the sack 30, is folded back over the outer peripheral surface 26 of the holder 2. The sack is secured on the holder 2 by disposing a flexible tie member 32 around the outside of the assembly of the sack 30 and the holder 2 so as to be held within the channel 28 in a tightened state. This configuration is particularly suitable for messy or wet loads, because the holder 2 is concealed within the sack 30 during use and so does not get soiled.

Figure 4 shows a cross-section through an alternative modification of the wall sections 10,12,14,16 (taken along a line A-A as shown in Figure 1). A plurality of parallel mutually spaced channels 42,44,46,48 may be provided in the outer peripheral surface 26 of the holder 2. The channels 42,44,46,48 may be provided with shaping in the form of knurling, which tends to increase the degree of securing of the sack 30 in the respective channel 42,44,46,48 by the flexible tie member 32.

Referring back to Figure 1, one wall section 10 of the holder 2 is provided with a handle 50, in the embodiment in the form of a cavity 52 for receiving the hand of a user, to assist a user to hold the sack holder 2 manually. One or more securing holes 52,54,56,58 may be provided in the holder 2 through which rope, cord or string (not shown) may be passed and then tied in order to suspend the holder 2 from the rope, cord or string. As shown in Figure 1, such holes may be provided at each corner 18,20,22,24. The corners 18,20,22,24 may be thickened or otherwise reinforced to provide additional strength at the corners 18,20,22,24.

Another wall section 14 of the holder 2, typically the wall section 14 opposite to the wall section 10 having the handle 50, is provided with a curved or straight inclined inner surface 60 so as to constitute a scoop or chute 62 for assisting filling and/or emptying of the sack 30. Typically, the scoop or chute 62 is inclined at an angle of about 60 to 65 to the plane of the holder 2. With such a configuration, in use, if the wall section 14 is disposed adjacent the ground when collecting matter from the ground, the scoop or chute 62 is inclined at an angle of 25 to 30 to the plane of the ground. If desired, the wall section 14 may include a rearwardly extending part (not shown) which extends away from the scoop or chute 62 and, in use, is disposed within the upper part of the sack 30.

Typically, the top and bottom edges 64, 66 of the wall sections 10,12,14, 16 may be capped with outward projecting lips in order to increase the rigidity of the wall sections 10,12,14,16. The inside faces of the wall sections 10,12,14,16 are typically solid and curved so as to simplify the moulding of the holder 2.

Typically, the holder has dimensions in plan, so as to have a perimeter of about 127 cm to enable a typical plastics sack, which has a perimeter of 147 cm, easily to be secured around the holder.

When a plurality of channels 42,44,46,48 are provided, any one of the channels 42,44,46,48 may be selected, depending on the extent to which the holder 2 is to be recessed within or protrude from the opening of the sack 30. Depending on such arrangement, the handle 50 may be accessed and/or the securing holes 52,54,56,58 may be accessed. In the configuration of Figure 3, if the handle 50 is located below a channel in which the flexible tie member 32 is secured, the handle may still be accessible to a user.

As shown in the embodiment of Figure 5, the holder 2 may be provided with an elongated and widened scoop portion 68, so as to assist the introduction of, for example, refuse into the refuse sack 30 and to provide greater stability for the holder 2, particularly if the scoop portion 68 is disposed on the ground. A modified version of such a construction for the holder 2, resembling a dust pan, is shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Also as shown in Figure 5, the holder 2 may be provided with an elongated handle which may be connected to the holder 2 and may be retractable and extensible. In an alternative modification, the elongated handle may be fixed and integral with the holder 2, as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Claims

1. A holder for a sack which comprises a rigid polygonal body having a peripheral wall surrounding a central opening, the peripheral wall being shaped so as to define in an outer peripheral surface a peripheral circumferential channel which is shaped and dimensioned so as to be able to receive therein a flexible tie member which, in use, fits around a sack and urges a portion of the sack into the channel for temporarily assembling together the sack and the holder.

2. A holder according to claim 1 wherein the polygonal body comprises a plurality of contiguous wall sections.

3. A holder according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the polygonal body is made of a disposable or recyclable material.

4. A holder according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a plurality of parallel mutually spaced channels is provided in the outer peripheral surface of the holder.

5. A holder according to any foregoing claim wherein at least one channel is provided with shaping in the form of knurling.

6. A holder according to any foregoing claim wherein the polygonal body is provided with a handle.

7. A holder according to any foregoing claim wherein one or more securing holes may be provided in the holder through which rope, cord or string may be passed and then tied in order to suspend the holder.

8. A holder according to claim 7 wherein the or each of the one or more securing holes is or are provided at a respective corner disposed between respective adjacent wall sections.

9. A holder according to claim 8 wherein the corners are reinforced to provide additional strength at the corners.

10. A holder according to any foregoing claim wherein the outer peripheral wall is provided with an inclined inner surface so as to constitute a scoop or chute for assisting filling and/or emptying of the sack.

11. A holder according to claim 10 wherein the scoop or chute is inclined at an angle of about 60 to 65 to the plane of the holder.

12. A holder according to claim 10 or claim 11 wherein the outer peripheral wall is provided with an elongated and widened scoop portion.

13. A holder according to any foregoing claim wherein an elongated handle is connected to or integral with the holder.

14. A holder for a sack substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. A holder according to any foregoing claim in combination with an elongate tie member for fitting around the outer peripheral surface of the holder. l