GB2530561A

GB2530561A - Containers

Info

Publication number: GB2530561A
Application number: GB1417037.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Newhouse
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-09-26
Filing date: 2014-09-26
Publication date: 2016-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 2034-09-26
Also published as: GB201417037D0; GB2530561B

Abstract

A container 10 is formed from a sheet of web material 12, which may be waterproofed paper or card and may be folded and glued to form a hollow main body portion. The device is used to collect animal waste from the ground prior to disposal. The container may be deodorised. It comprises a series of walls 18, 20, 22 and an aperture 76 communicating with the interior of the main body; the aperture is bounded by an opening comprising four sides. A closure flap 44 extends from an edge 42 and is moveable between a first position in which tension applied to the closure flap 44 urges the second edge 42 away from a first edge 32, and a second position for closing the aperture 76. The container 10 has a pocket flap 36 forming a pocket on the exterior of the base wall 22 of the main body portion, the pocket flap 36 has a first pocket edge 34 connected to the first edge 34 of the aperture's periphery and is connected to the base wall 22 of the container 10. In use a hand may be inserted into the pocket to aid collection of the dog waste.

Description

Title: Containers

Description:

This invention relates to containers, and in particular, but without limitation, to containers suitable for use in picking up dog faeces. This invention additionally relates to a system for using the container, including in certain embodiments, a tool for the same. The disposal of dog (and other animal) faeces is a matter of environmental importance. This invention aims to address a number of pressing and/or serious environmental problems, namely: helping to stop the spread of diseases in humans and livestock; slowing the use of non-renewable resources; and alleviating some of the pressure on land fill sites caused by the use of plastic bags.

It is estimated that there are 4.5 million dogs in the UK and they are estimated to produce 1, 000 tons of faeces per day. Other domestic animals that routinely deposit faeces in public spaces, as well as other sources of noxious waste, are not included in the foregoing estimates, but it will be readily apparent that this invention can also be used for picking up waste other than dog faeces.

Dog faeces are extremely unpleasant and they provide a perfect breeding medium for bacteria, Campylobacter, Salmonella as well as more serious Toxocara canis. Another recently identified cause of disease in cattle, Neosporosis, which is a protozoan parasite that can be carried in dog waste. It is understood that if a dog eats infected meat or meat products it carries Neospora caninum which is shed as oocysts in the dog's faeces. The oocysts can survive for many months on the ground until eaten by cattle and so start the cycle again. Cattle infected by Neosporosis are three to seven times more likely to abort their calves. Estimates say this disease costs Farmers in the UK twenty-million pounds per annum and farmers, worldwide, eight hundred million.

As stated above there are around 4.5 million dogs in the UK producing 1,000 tons of faeces daily. Since the 1970s-1980s dog owners have been made aware of the dangers posed by their dog faeces and many now use plastic bags to pick up after their pets. Not only is this method very unpleasant to use (as the dog owner can feel the texture and warmth of the faeces through the bag) there is a strong chance that the dog owner will come in contact with the faeces when knotting the filled bag, or when making multiple and/or repeated attempts to scoop-up the faeces. As well as the unpleasantness of using plastic bags, their use is very damaging to the environment. Plastic bags are mostly manufactured from non-renewable petrochemicals. Whilst some dog waste bags are manufactured from biodegradable and/or renewable (e.g. cellulose-based) materials, these bags are less widely used due to cost and a lack of widespread availability, Even where bags are used, many (if not most) of them will be placed in either local authority, public bins or the dog owners own domestic bins. As such, most, if not all of the 1,000 or so tons of faeces produced per day that is picked up along with the bags will eventually finish up in land fill sites.

Internet sources say that even "biodegradable plastic" can take three to six months to decompose. That's much faster than a normal plastic bag which can possibly stay in land fill for hundreds of years. Another fact that is not generally mentioned is that biodegradable plastic dog faeces bags are not as environmentally friendly as one might think: often they are made from similar petrochemical based materials, the same as conventional plastic but with other compounds added that cause them to disintegrate gradually in the presence of either light or oxygen -neither of which are in great abundance deep in a landfill site. Also, even if such bags do biodegrade they can turn into a toxic sludge of chemicals.

An alternative to using plastics bags is to use a paper bag instead. Paper bags are generally regarded as being more environmentally friendly because they are readily biodegradable and are manufactured from sustainable material sources. Despite these advantages, however, paper bags are generally much less flexible, and tend to crinkle and crease, rather than bend, which makes them difficult and/or awkward to use in the same way as a plastics bag, that is to say, with a hand inside the bag used to grasp the faeces outside the bag, followed by turning the bag inside out to put the faeces within it. Such use is not generally possible with a paper bag due to the higher probability of the bag splitting. As such, and because paper bags cannot be easily turned inside-out, they need to be used in a different way, i.e. as a scooping device whereby the faeces are scooped straight into the interior of the bag.

However) this also presents several practical problems to the user: First) a paper bag is not sufficiently stiff to be self-supporting, and so there is a chance then when used as a scoop, that the bag will simply deform and push the faeces along the floor. In other words, the leading edge of the bag is insufficiently stiff and strong to be able to be used as a scooping device. Second) dragging the edge of a paper bag across) for example, wet grass, can lead to weakening of the paper) thereby increasing the risk of bag failure or subsequent rupture. Third, the surface of the bag that comes into contact with the floor, because the bag is not later inverted or turned inside-out, can become contaminated, which is unpleasant and presents a health and safety problem for the users and other people that encounter the bag subsequently.

As such, a genuine and long-felt need exists for an alternative to known faeces collection bags and for a solution to one or more of the above problems. This invention aims to provide a solution to one or more of the above problems and/or to provide an improved and/or alternative faeces collection container.

Various aspects of the invention are set forth in the appendent claims.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a container formed from a sheet of web material folded and glued to form a hollow main body portion comprising an end wall) a base wall) side walls and an aperture communicating with the interior of the main body portion; the aperture being bounded by a periphery comprising a first edge formed at an end of the base wall of the main body portion, a second edge opposite the first edge and side edges interconnecting the first and second edges; a closure flap extending from the second edge that is moveable between a first position in which tension applied to the closure flap urges the second edge away from the first edge) and a second position for closing the aperture; wherein the container further comprises a pocket flap arranged to form a pocket on the exterior of the base wall of the main body portion) the pocket flap comprising a first pocket edge connected to the first edge of the aperture's periphery and being otherwise connected to the base wall of the container.

Suitably, the sheet of web material is manufactured from any one or more of the group comprising: cardboard; paper; waxed cardboard; waxed paper; and a biodegradable material. As such, the container is able to readily disintegrate or rot away over time when disposed of in, say, landfill.

The sheet of web material may be coated and/or impregnated with a chemical selected to break down faeces, a disinfectant, and/or a chemical adapted to facilitate biodegradation of the web material. In one embodiment of the invention, the web material is at least partially coated, or patterned, with an adhesive layer to which granular or powdered chemicals can be applied.

The sheet of web material is folded and glued to form the hollow main body portion of the container. Suitably, therefore, the sheet of web material can be formed as a blank or net whose edges are defined by cut lines and whose folds are defined by fold lines. Adhesive strips may be applied to the web to enable the container to be formed by folding and pressing-together various parts of the net or blank to form the container, Conveniently, the pocket and/or closure flap are suitably integrally formed with the net or blank to provide a unitary container that can be folded to form the main body portion, closure flap and pocket from a single net or blank.

The first edge of the aperture's periphery may be suitable for use as a scoop such that items, such as dog faeces, can be scooped into the hollow interior portion of the container by advancing the first edge over a ground surface to scoop the item into the container. Suitably, the first edge is substantially straight.

The closure flap suitably comprises a self-adhesive strip so that is can be secured to another portion of the container to secure it in the second position. When in the second position, the first and second edges of the aperture's periphery may be brought together, or into contact/abutment with one another, to close-off the aperture.

S

Suitably, the closure flap is sufficiently long that when moved to the second position, it overlies at least a portion of, but preferably substantially the entire, pocket. This configuration usefully enables the exterior of the pocket, which may have been brought into contact with, say, dog faeces, during scooping of the same into the container, to be covered, thereby minimising the likelihood of subsequent contamination and the container's emission of unpleasant odours. The closure flap may be over-sized, that is so say, larger than the pocket such that its edges can wrap around and be secured to the end wall and side walls of the container, thereby completely enclosing the pocket when the closure flap is moved to the second position.

The pocket formed on the exterior of the base wall of the main body portion is suitably substantially the same size as the base wall of the container. The pocket suitably comprises an open end to enable the end of a flat, spatula-or trowel-type tool to be inserted into the pocket between the interior surface of the pocket flap and the exterior surface of the base wall of the container.

Another aspect of the invention provides a scoop device comprising a container as hereinbefore described and a tool having a blade insertable into the pocket of the container, the tool further comprising a handle extending from the blade and an abutment surface adapted, in use, to abut the end wall of the container.

The use of a tool in conjunction with the container makes the container easier to use and manipulate, and reduces the risk of a user's hand coming into contact with the ground, e.g. the ground surrounding, or adjacent, dog faeces.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a dog faeces pickup device comprising three components: a fully biodegradable container; a pickup tool; and a neutralising and absorbent elements incorporated within the container or administered after use.

Although this system is primarily designed to deal with dog waste the same principles could be applied to picking up the waste of other pets for example from cat litter trays, rabbit hutches, etc. In fact, the waste of all pets that at present finishes up in plastic bags that eventually go into land fill sites.

Embodiments of the invention shall now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a net or blank for making an embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is perspective view of a scooping system comprising a container made using the net or blank of Figure land a tool; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the scooping system of Figure 1 with the tool partially inserted; Figure 4 is perspective view of a container formed by the net or blank of Figure 1 with sachets; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 4 in a closed configuration; Figure 6 is a plan view of a net or blank for making a second embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention; Figure 7 is perspective view showing a container made using the net or blank of Figure 6 in a partially assembled state; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a container formed from the net or blank of Figure 7; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 8 in a closed configuration.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, a container 10 in accordance with the invention is made from a cut and folded blank 12 (as shown in Figure 1) of a web material, such as waxed paper, card or plastics sheet. The net or blank 12 can be folded and glued to form a box-or bag-like container for containing, in use, waste such as dog faeces, although the invention is not limited to such an application.

In Figure 1, the blank 12 comprises a number of sections that are interconnected by fold lines, which allow the blank 12 to be folded into a three-dimensional container comprising a hollow main body portion 14 and a closure flap 16.

The main body portion 14 of the container lOis formed from various parts of the blank 12, as follows. The blank 12 comprises an end wall portion 18 that forms the base of the container when closed and held upright. Side walls 20, a base wall 22 and a top wall 24 extend from the end wall portion 14 via fold lines 26. The interconnection of the end wall 18 to the side 20, base 22 and top 24 walls is important as it means that there is no glue line at the bottom of the container, which may be affected or loosened by the contents of the container 10, in use. The side walls 20 each comprise glued tabs 28 that connect to edges 30 of the base 22 and top 24 walls to define the hollow interior portion of the container 10, in use. The side walls 20 and the top wall 24 additionally comprise supplementary fold lines 32 that enable the container 10 to be folded flat, for storage and transportation purposes, when assembled.

The base wall 22 has a front edge 34, defined by a fold line the forms the scoping edge of the container 10, in use. A pocket flap 36 extends from the front edge 34 of the base wall and has glued tabs 38 on either side. The pocket flap 36 can thus be folded back over the base wall 22 and its glued tabs 38 stuck to corresponding edge portions 40 of the base wall 22 to form a pocket on the exterior of the base wall 22.

The top wall 24 also terminates in an edge 42 that forms part of the peripheral edge of the opening of the container 10, in use. Extending from the top wall 24 beyond its edge 42 is a closure flap portion 44 which comprises a lid portion 46 for the container 10, and a flap portion 48. The lid portion 46 has a cut-out 50 for receiving a handle 52, as can be seen in Figure 5. The flap portion 48 has a self-adhesive surface and a dimensioned so as to wrap over and to completely cover, in use, the pocket flap portion 36 of the container 10.

Referring now to Figure 2, the container 10 has been assembled as described above and a scooping tool 60 can be used to support and manipulate the container 10. The scooping tool 60 comprises a flat blade portion 62 which is slidingly receivable in the pocket formed between the base wall 22 and the pocket flap 36. The blade 62 of the scooping tool 60 has a leading edge 64 which abuts the fold line 345 of the container internally of the pocket to render the leading edge 34 rigid. The scooping tool 60 further comprises a right-angled up stand 66 which abuts, and supports, the end wall 18 of the container 10, in use, and a handle 68. The closure flap 44 can be pulled back to hold the edge 42 of the top wall 24 apart from the leading edge 34 of the base wall 22, which action is facilitated by the up stand 66 of the scooping tool 60. In Figure 3, it can be seen how the scooping tool 60 is slideably receivable in the pocket of the container.

Although not shown in the drawings, the scoopingtool may be hinged so that it can be packed down to a smaller size for ease of transportation and storage. Further, an in-line with the "green" nature of this invention, the scooping tool 60 is preferably manufactured from recycled materials, such as recycled plastics.

Turning now to Figure 4 of the drawings, the container 10 optionally comprises sachets 70, 72 of deodorising/disinfectant/biological granules. In various embodiments, a sachet 70 can be placed inside the container 10, lying on the base wall 22, or in other embodiments, a sachet 72 can comprise a glued flap 74 that enables it to hingedly connect to the edge 42 of the aperture 76 of the container thereby forming a flap-door arrangement.

In FigureS, it can be seen how the closure flap 44 can be folded over the aperture 76 of the container 10 such that the lid portion 46 closes the aperture 76 and such that the flap portion 48 covers the base wall 22 and pocket flap portions 36 of the container 10. This effectively closes/seals the aperture and covers any contamination that may have been deposited on the exterior of the container 10 during use. By folding the flap portion 44 this, the container 10 additionally presents the handle 52 to the user, for ease of carrying etc. Operating the invention: The pickup tool 60 is inserted fully into the pocket. Whilst holding the pickup tool 60, tension is applied to the cover flap 48. This tension holds the container 10 open.

A protective strip covering the adhesive applied to the cover flap 48 is then removed and can be discarded inside the container 10. The pickup tool 60 and container 10 are then used to scoop up the faeces. With the contents safely and hygienically picked up flap 48 is folded over to cover the soiled base of the container 10. To make sure that the cover flap 48 is fully in contact with the container base 22 it can be pressed down on a clean area of ground. Using the carrying handle 52, the container and its contents can be removed from the pickup tool 60 and can be put into an appropriate bin.

If the dog walker is not within reasonable distance of a bin, the container 10 and contents can be discreetly placed away from footpaths where in a short time the neutralising and absorbent elements will make the faeces safe. This is a better solution than the present method adopted by some dog walkers of hanging filled plastic bags on trees and fences etc. A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 6 to9 of the drawings, and identical reference signs have been used to identify identical features to those previously described for each of understanding and to avoid repetition.

The second embodiment of the container 100 is substantially the same as the embodiment described above except that it closes to form a bag-type container, rather than the box-type container described above. As such, the blank 120 for the second embodiment omits the lid portion 46 of the closure flap 44 previously described. Thus, as can be seen in Figure 9 of the drawings, aperture 76 is closed by bringing the leading edges 34, 42 of the base wall 22 and top wall 24 portions into contact/proximity with one another. Further modifications to the design of the blank 120 include: The provision of self-adhesive side flaps 124 on the closure flap portion 48, which) as can be seen in Figure 9, wrap around the side walls 20 and end wall 18 of the container 100 to isolate the base wall 2 and the pocket flap portion 36 from the outside. By providing self-adhesive side flaps 124, any contamination present on the exterior of the container 100 does not come into contact with the adhesive layer, thereby improving the likelihood of obtaining a good seal/connection. Of course, the provision of side flaps 124 can be in addition to, or as an alternative to, making the surface of the closure flap portion 48 itself self-adhesive. Not shown in the drawings is a removable protective layer overlying the exposed self-adhesive portions of the closure flap 48 and/or side flaps 124. This can comprise a thin sheet of waxed paper, plastics film etc. and its purpose is to inhibit inadvertent/premature sticking of the closure flap 48 to the container.

The provision of an integrally formed handle 152, which is formed by two rectangular portions 154 interposed between the top wall portion 24 and the closure flap portion 487. The rectangular handle portions 154 each comprise an aperture 15 which forms a ioop when they are glued together, thereby forming a two-layered handle which is relatively strong and easy to grasp.

The provision of an additional adhesive layer 160 disposed on the interior of the base wall portion 22, the end wall portion 18 and the top wall portion 24. This additional adhesive layer 160 is used to secure or attach deodorising/antibacterial/disinfectant granules to the interior of the container 100 thus obviating the need for the sachets 70, 72 previously described, although sachets 70, 72 may be provided as well or instead of this layer 160.

It will also be noted that the blank 120 of Figure 6 comprises various adhesive layers on one side of the blank 120 only, which facilitates the manufacture of containers 100 in accordance with the invention. The various types of adhesive are indicated by different hatching: the solid hatching being for adhesive making permanent connections between the various parts of the container 100 during forming; the dashed hatching indicating adhesive used for sticking granules to the blank 120; and the cross-hatching signifying a pressure-sensitive adhesive used to secure the closure flap 48 over the base wall 22, after use. The pressure-sensitive adhesive may be provided with a peel-away cover layer, e.g. waxed paper or plastics, to prevent inadvertentJpreniature sticking of the closure flap 48 to the container 100, in use.

Referring now to Figure 7, which shows the container 100 in a partially assembled state, it can be seen how the blank 120 can be folded and stuck to form the container 100 shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8 shows the container 100 viewed from the end wall 18 end, and it can be seen how the pocket flap portion 36 is slightly spaced from the base wall portion 22 to form a pocket 180 into which the scooping tool 0 previously described can be inserted. FigureS also shows how the closure flap 48 can be tensioned to hold the aperture 7 open, during use.

Finally, Figure 9 shows how the container 100 can be sealed by folding the closure flap 48 over the pocket flap portion 36 and the self-adhesive side tabs 124 stuck to the side walls 20 and the end wall 18 to isolate the potentially contaminated base of the container 100 from outside.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments, which are merely exemplary of the invention. For example, the shapes, materials of manufacture of the various components of the invention could be altered without necessarily departing from the scope of the invention. The container 10, 100 can be scaled, as desired, to produce containers of various sizes to suit the faeces of different breeds of dog. Suitably, the container is manufactured from fully degradable recycled materials This will be capable of retaining its integrity just long enough to allow the neutralising and absorbent elements to render the faeces harmless. Also, the use of the invention as a dog faeces retrieval tool is exemplary and the invention could equally be used for other purposes, e.g. as a dust pan or pickup tool) for retrieving spilled food in kitchens and restaurants, for retrieving clinical waste in in hospitals) etc.

Claims

Claims: 1. A container formed from a sheet of web material folded and glued to form a hollow main body portion comprising an end wall, a base wall, side walls and an aperture communicating with the interior of the main body portion; the aperture being bounded by a periphery comprising a first edge formed at an end of the base wall of the main body portion, a second edge opposite the first edge, and side edges interconnecting the first and second edges; a closure flap extending from the second edge that is moveable between a first position in which tension applied to the closure flap urges the second edge away from the first edge, and a second position for closing the aperture; wherein the container further comprises a pocket flap arranged to form a pocket on the exterior of the base wall of the main body portion, the pocket flap comprising a first pocket edge connected to the first edge of the aperture's periphery and being otherwise connected to the base wall of the container.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein the sheet of web material is manufactured from any one or more of the group comprising: cardboard; paper; waxed cardboard; waxed paper; and a biodegradable plastics material.
3. The container of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sheet of web material is coated and/or impregnated any one or more of the group comprising: a chemical selected to break down faeces; a disinfectant; an absorbent material; a chemical adapted to facilitate biodegradation of the web material; and an odour neutralising material.
4. The container of claim 3, wherein the web material is at least partially coated with an adhesive layer to which granular or powdered materials according to claim 2 can be adhered.
5. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the sheet of web material is formed as a blank whose edges are defined by cut lines and whose folds are defined by fold lines, the blank comprising adhesive portions to enable the container to be formed by folding and pressing-together various parts of the blank.
6. The container of claim 5, wherein the adhesive portions are disposed on one side of the blank only.
7. The container of any claims or claim 6, wherein the pocket and closure flaps are integrally formed with the blank to form a unitary container.
8. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the closure flap comprises a self-adhesive layer to enable it, in use, to be secured to another portion of the container when in the second position.
9. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the closure flap is sufficiently long that when moved to the second position) it overlies at least a portion of the pocket flap.
10. The container of claim 9, wherein the closure flap is sufficiently long that when moved to the second position, it overlies the entire pocket flap.
11. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the closure flap comprises projecting tabs that wrap around, and which can be secured to, the end wall and side walls of the container when the closure flap is moved to the second position.
12. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the pocket formed on the exterior of the base wall of the main body portion is substantially the same size as the base wall of the container.
13. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the pocket comprises an open end.
14. The container of any preceding claim, further comprising a deodorising and/or disinfectant sachet located within the main body portion.
15. The container of claim 14, wherein the sachet comprises a glued flap that enables it to hingedly connect to the edge of the aperture of the container to form a flap-door over the aperture.
1. The container of any preceding claim, further comprising a handle.
17. The container of claim 15, wherein the handle is integrally formed.
18. The container of claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the handle comprises two rectangular portions interposed between the top wall portion and the closure flap portion, each rectangular portion comprising an aperture to form a loop when the rectangular portions are glued together.
19. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the side walls and the top wall additionally comprise supplementary fold lines that enable the container to be folded flat, for storage and transportation purposes, when assembled.
20. The container of claim any preceding claim, wherein the closure flap portion additionally comprises a lid portion.
21. The container of any of claims 5 to 20, wherein the blank comprises: an end wall portion that forms the base of the container when closed and held upright; side walls, a base wall and a top wall extending from the end wall portion via fold lines; the side walls each comprising glued tabs that connect to edges of the base and top walls to define the hollow interior portion of the container, in use; the base wall comprising a front edge defined by a fold line that forms, in use, a scooping edge of the container; pocket flap portion extending from the front edge of the base wall and comprising glued tabs extending outwardly from it; the top wall terminating in an edge that forms part of the peripheral edge of the aperture of the container and extending from the top wall beyond its edge, a closure flap portion comprising a self-adhesive surface, the closure flap portion being dimensioned so as to wrap over and to completely cover, in use, the pocket flap portion of the container.
22. A scoop device comprising the container of any of claims 1 to 21 and a tool comprising a blade portion insertable into the pocket of the container.
23. The scoop device of claim 22, wherein the tool further comprises a handle.
24. The scoop device of claim 22 or claim 23, further comprising an abutment surface adapted, in use, to abut the end wall of the container.
25. A container or scoop device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.