GB2426701A

GB2426701A - Walking stick with scoop attachment

Info

Publication number: GB2426701A
Application number: GB0511296A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Raymond Beevers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-06-03
Filing date: 2005-06-03
Publication date: 2006-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2025-06-03
Also published as: GB0511296D0; GB2426701B

Abstract

A canine hygiene device 10 comprises a walking stick 12 and a scoop 16 for collecting faeces. The walking stick 12 and scoop 16 are releasably engageable with one another in first and second arrangements. In the first arrangement, the device 10 is suitable for use as a walking stick, and in the second arrangement the device 10 is suitable for collecting faeces from the ground.

Description

I

Title - pprovemens relatinQ to Canine HyQiene Devkes This invention relates to canine hygiene devices, and in particular to canine hygiene devices that are also suitable for use as a walking stick.

It is well known that dog faeces are harmful to human health, and it has long been the moral responsibility of dog walkers to clear up after their dogs when in public places, such as public parks. Indeed, in many public places in the UK, by-laws require dog walkers to clear up after their dogs, failure to comply with these by- laws being punishable with a fine.

It is possible to clear up dog faeces by simply using a plastic bag or the like.

However, many dog walkers find clearing up after their dog in this way to be particularly unpleasant. For this reason, a large number of different canine hygiene devices have been developed that facilitate the task of clearing up after a dog. One example of such a device is a so-called "pooper scooper", which is effectively a simple scoop that is used to pick up dog faeces and place it in a plastic bag. However, such devices suffer from the problem that they are relatively bulky, and are therefore cumbersome to carry whilst walking a dog.

In order to address this problem, canine hygiene devices have been developed that are intended for use as a walking stick, as well as for clearing up after a dog.

However, such devices are not completely satisfactory. In particular, such devices often include mechanisms that cause the device to be much heavier and more unwieldy than a conventional walking stick, and hence less attractive to a dog walker. In addition, such devices are generally of complex construction and therefore costly to manufacture. For these reasons, devices such as these are not in widespread use.

There has now been devised an improved canine hygiene device which overcomes or substantially mitigates the above-mentioned and/or other

disadvantages associated with the prior art.

According to the invention there is provided a canine hygiene device comprising a walking stick and a scoop for collecting faeces from the ground, the walking stick and scoop being releasably engageable with one another in first and second arrangements, the device being suitable for use as a walking stick in the first arrangement, and the device being suitable for collecting faeces from the ground in the second arrangement.

The canine hygiene device according to the invention is advantageous principally because in the first arrangement the device is suitable for use as a walking stick, and in the second arrangement the device is suitable for collecting dog faeces. In both arrangements, however, the scoop is engaged with the walking stick. The device is therefore less of an inconvenience to carry on a walk than many prior art devices, and the simple construction of the device enables it to be lighter and less cumbersome than prior art devices that are also intended for use as a walking stick. A further advantage of the present invention is that the walking stick and the scoop are able to function independently of one another, Most preferably, the walking stick forms a handle for the scoop in the second arrangement. This feature is advantageous because the user does not need to bend down during use, and the user is able to remain a certain distance from the faeces during collection.

The walking stick preferably comprises a shaft and a handle portion extending from one end of the shaft. The shaft is preferably linear in form, and the handle portion is preferably orientated at an angle to the shaft. In particular, at least part of the handle portion is preferably orientated Perpendicularly to the shaft. In one embodiment, the handle portion is generally semicircular in form.

The walking stick preferably has an effective length that enables the device to be used comfortably as a walking stick in its first arrangement. In particular, the walking stick preferably has an effective length of between 0.75m and I.20m.

The walking stick preferably includes a pair of connecting portions adapted to releasably attach to the scoop. One of the connecting portions is preferably arranged for attaching to the scoop so as to form the first arrangement, and the other connecting portion is preferably arranged for attaching to the scoop so as to form the second arrangement.

The scoop preferably comprises a connecting part for releasably attaching to the connecting portions of the walking stick, and a collecting part in which the faeces are collected from the ground. The collecting part of the scoop preferably has the general form of a conventional trowel or shovel. In particular, the collecting part preferably defines a channel in which the faeces are collected, and is preferably tapered in form. The channel may have any suitable cross-sectional shape.

However, the channel preferably has a shallow, generally V-shaped crosssection The collecting part is also preferably adapted for digging a hole in the ground so that the device may be used to bury the faeces.

The connecting part of the scoop may be releasably attachable to the connecting portions of the walking stick in any suitable manner. For instance, the scoop and walking sticks may comprise cooperating male and female connecting portions that releasably engage one another with an interference fit.

Most Preferably, the connecting part of the scoop comprises a sleeve into which the tip of the walking stick may be inserted with an interference fit. This corresponds to the second arrangement, in which the walking stick functions as a handle for the SCOOp. Such a sleeve is most conveniently formed in an elastomeric material such as rubber or the like. The outer surface of the sleeve may be of any shape. Preferably the outer surface of the sleeve is configured such that it forms a handle, facilitating attachment of the Scoop in each arrangement and use of the scoop separately from the walking stick. A suitable handle shape may be approximately tubular, with a circular or rectangular cross- section. The surface may be ridged so that it is easy to grip, and there may be other ergonomic design features.

In the first arrangement, in which the device is suitable for use as a walking stick, the scoop is preferably attached to either the side of the shaft so as to be orientated generally parallel thereto, or attached to the handle portion of the walking stick. Most preferably, the scoop is attached to the handle portion of the walking stick.

The second arrangement, in which the walking stick forms a handle for the scoop, is preferably such that the scoop is attached to the tip of the shaft. Most preferably, the scoop, and more specifically the collecting portion of the scoop, is preferably orientated at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shaft in this arrangement. In particular, the collecting portion is preferably orientated at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shaft of between 30 and 60 . Such an angle facilitates the collect ion of faeces from the ground.

It is important that the scoop stays firmly in place in the second arrangement.

Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, one or more guides serve to align the scoop as the tip of the walking stick is inserted into the sleeve and prevent movement around the longitudinal axis of the stick when in use. The guide may take the form of an elongate projection aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stick, at the tip, which engages a corresponding recess or slot in the sleeve of the SCOOp. Alternatively a projection on the sleeve of the scoop may engage a recess on the tip of the walking stick. One may imagine a number of similar methods of connecting the scoop using releasably attachable connecting portions, which engage in fixed alignment. For example, the scoop and walking sticks may comprise interlocking formations, such as those that form a bayonet-type fastening, that attach the scoop and walking stick together.

Means are preferably provided to facilitate retention of the scoop on the walking stick. This is particularly easily achieved by magnetic means. For example, a magnet may be fixed at the base of the scoop sleeve and another, with opposite polarity, at the end of the walking stick tip, so that when the tip is inserted into the sleeve the magnets exert an attractive force between the stick and the scoop.

The use of guides and magnets is also beneficial in the first arrangement. In particular, for safety reasons it is preferable that the collecting part of the scoop points away from the user when attached to the handle portion of the walking stick.

The preferred angle of between 30 and 60 allows the scoop to be positioned in a safe way. The provision of a guide that cooperates with the slot in the sleeve of the scoop ensures that the scoop is always attached in this safe position.

A magnet, positioned at the end of the stick handle in order to cooperate with the magnet at the base of the scoop sleeve when the scoop is engaged with the walking stick, in the first arrangement, helps prevent the scoop being inadvertently dislodged falling from the stick and potentially being lost.

The inclusion of magnets may offer additional advantages. For instance, the walking stick may then be used to pick up or retrieve ferromagnetic objects. If the user drops their keys, for example, they can pick them up by using the magnet at the end of the shaft of the stick, without having to bend down. Similarly, if, as will commonly be the case, the collecting part of the scoop is made of ferromagnetic material, then the magnet may be used to pick up the scoop.

In the first arrangement, a protective foot is preferably releasably attached to the tip of the shaft, such that it is the foot that contacts the ground during use of the device as a walking stick. Most preferably, the foot is also adapted to releasably attach to the connecting portion of the walking stick that is free when the device is in its second arrangement. Thus, the scoop and the foot may be interchanged in transforming the device from the first to the second arrangement, or vice versa.

The foot is preferably formed from an elastomeric material, such as rubber.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a an exploded view of a canine hygiene device according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the canine hygiene device when in its walking stick arrangement; Figure 3 is a side view of the canine hygiene device when in its collecting arrangement; Figure 4 is a perspective side view of the walking stick component of the canine hygiene device; and Figure 5 is a perspective front view of the scoop component of the canine hygiene device Figures 1 to 3 show a canine hygiene device according to the invention, which is generally designated 10. The device 10 comprises three components, specifically a walking stick 12, a rubberfoot 14, and a scoop 16. The walking stick 12 and the scoop 16 may be formed from any suitably strong and durable materials, such as suitable plastics material or metal. In this embodiment, the walking stick 12 and scoop 14 are formed from metal, and the walking stick 12 is tubular in form. The walking stick 12 may alternatively be formed in wood, in the manner of a conventional walking stick.

The three components 12,14,16 of the device 10 are shown most clearly in Figure 1. The walking stick 12 is a unitary tubular member that has an elongate shaft and a curved handle portion extending from one end of the shaft. The rubber foot 14 comprises a cylindrical socket with a recess adapted to receive either of the ends of the walking stick 12 with an interference fit, and a cylindrical lower portion of greater diameter than the socket. The lower surface of the rubber foot 14 is flat and forms a ground-engaging surface when the device 10 is in its walking stick arrangement. The scoop 16 comprises a tubular connector that is adapted to receive either of the ends of the walking stick 12, and a collecting portion having the general form of a head of a conventional trowel or shovel.

Figure 2 shows the device in its walking stick arrangement. In this arrangement, the rubber foot 14 is engaged with the tip of the shaft, and the tubular connector of the scoop 16 is engaged with the free end of the curved handle portion of the walking stick 12. The scoop 16 is orientated so that the collecting portion is directed towards the walking stick 12, as shown in Figure 2, so that the device 10 is suitable for use as a walking stick.

In this arrangement, the device 10 is used in an identical manner to that of a conventional walking stick, with the user griping the curved handle portion of the walking stick 12 and the groundengagjng surface of the rubber foot 14 contacting the ground.

When it is necessary for a dog walker to clear up dog faeces, the three components 12,14,16 of the device 10 are disengaged from one another and the device 10 is assembled into its collecting arrangement, as shown in Figure 3. In particular, the rubber foot 14 is engaged with the free end of the curved handle portion of the walking stick 12, and the tubular connector of the scoop 16 is engaged with the tip of the shaft.

The user then grips the walking stick 12 and manipulates the scoop 16 so as to collect the dog faeces. The user is then able to dispose of the dog faeces appropriately. For example, the scoop 16 could firstly be used to dig a hole in the ground, and the dog faeces could then be buried in this hole. Alternatively, the dog faeces could be placed in a plastic bag for disposal in a refuse bin.

Figures 4 and 5 show the connecting portions of the stick and the scoop in more detail.

The tubular connector 18 of the scoop 16 is adapted to receive either end of the walking stick 12. Chrome steel ferrules 30a,30b are fitted to the ends of the walking stick 12. To ensure that the scoop 16 is correctly orientated, and so it does not rotate around the stick, elongate guides 22a,22b are provided on the ferrules 30a,30b A slot 20 is formed in the tubular connector 18 of the scoop 16, the slot 20 being dimensioned so as to accept the respective guide 22a,22b when an end of the stick is inserted into the tubular connector 18.

A magnet 24 is located in the base of the tubular connector 18. Further magnets 26,28, of opposite polarity to the first, are embedded in the ends of the walking stick 12, within the respective ferrules 30a,30b. When the scoop 16 is engaged with one end of the walking stick 12, in the first arrangement (Figure 2) or the second arrangement (Figure 3), the attractive force between the abutting magnets (24,28 or 24,26 respectively) retains the scoop 16 in the desired position.

Claims

Claims 1. A canine hygiene device comprising a walking stick and a scoop

for collecting faeces from the ground, the walking stick and scoop being releasably engageable with one another in first and second arrangements, the device being suitable for use as a walking stick in the first arrangement, and the device being suitable for collecting faeces from the ground in the second arrangement.
2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the walking stick comprises a shaft and handle portion extending from one end of the shaft.
3. A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the shaft is linear in form.
4. A device as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the handle portion is orientated at an angle to the shaft.
5. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the handle portion is generally semicircular in form.
6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the walking stick has an effective length of between 0.75m and I.20m.
7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the walking stick includes a pair of connecting portions adapted to releasably attach to the scoop.
8. A device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the scoop comprises a connecting part for releasably attaching to the connecting portions of the walking stick, and a collecting part in which the faeces are collected from the ground.
9. A device as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the collecting part of the scoop has the general form of a conventional trowel or shovel.
10. A device as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the connecting part of the scoop comprises a sleeve into which the handle portion of the walking stick may be inserted with an interference fit in the first arrangement.
II. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 10, wherein the connecting part of the scoop comprises a sleeve into which the tip of the walking stick may be inserted with an interference fit in the second arrangement.
12. A device as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein the sleeve is formed in an elastomeric material.
13. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 10 to 12, wherein the outer surface of the sleeve is configured such that it forms a handle.
14. A device as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the collecting portion of the scoop is orientated at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the walking stick of between 30 and 60 .
15. A device as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein one or more guides serve to align the scoop as the walking stick is inserted.
16. A device as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the one or more guides take the form of elongate projections aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the walking stick, which engage a corresponding recess or slot in the sleeve of the scoop.
17. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 10 to 16, wherein magnetic means are provided to facilitate retention of the scoop on the walking stick.
18. A device as claimed in Claim 17, wherein the magnetic means comprises a magnet fixed at the base of the scoop sleeve and another magnet, with opposite polarity, at the end of the walking stick.
19. A device as claimed in Claim 17 or 18, wherein the magnetic means comprises a magnet fixed at the base of the scoop sleeve and another magnet, with opposite polarity, at the end of the walking stick handle.
20. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 10 to 19, wherein, in the first arrangement, a protective foot is releasably attached to the tip of the walking stick, such that it is the foot that contacts the ground during use of the device as a walking stick.
21. A device as claimed in Claim 20, wherein the foot is adapted to releasably attach to the connecting portion of the walking stick that is free when the device is in the second arrangement.
22. A canine hygiene device substantially as hereinbefore described, and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5.