Trash bag retaining apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11623818-B2
Application number	US-202217882234-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2022
Priority date	Dec 27, 2019
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a trash bag retaining apparatus and system that secures a trash bag inside a trash receptacle and enables a sliding motion for subsequent removal of the secured trash bag. In particular, the apparatus includes a proximal end insertable into a support arm of a trash receptacle. The distal end includes a slide stop in addition to an abutment face that abuts the support arm upon insertion of the proximal end into the support arm. The abutment face is sized and shaped to match a size and shape of the support arm. Further, the distal end also includes one or more surfaces defining an inlet, positioned between the slide stop and the abutment face, where the trash bag retaining apparatus can secure a portion of the trash bag to the support arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A trash bag retaining apparatus comprising:
a proximal end; and
a distal end comprising:
a slide stop; and
one or more surfaces defining an inlet positioned between the slide stop and the proximal end, wherein the inlet extends into a body of the trash bag retaining apparatus and is configured to receive and selectively retain an edge of a trash bag;

wherein a support arm associated with the trash bag retaining apparatus has a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape; and
wherein the inlet is sufficiently shallow such that a lateral pulling motion easily causes the edge of the trash bag to escape the inlet during removal of the trash bag from the trash bag retaining apparatus.

2. The trash bag retaining apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a sliding surface between the proximal end and the inlet, the sliding surface including an inclined surface extending inward into the inlet.

3. The trash bag retaining apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one or more surfaces defining the inlet comprises an overhang portion from the sliding surface positioned above the inlet.

4. The trash bag retaining apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the proximal end of the trash bag retaining apparatus is insertable into or over the support arm.

5. The trash bag retaining apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the uniform cross-sectional shape is circular.

6. The trash bag retaining apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the proximal end comprises the associated support arm configured to be secured to a receptacle wall.

7. The trash bag retaining apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inlet is sized and shaped to release a portion of a trash bag in response to a lateral force parallel to the proximal end.

8. A trash bag retaining system comprising:
a pair of support arms extending outward from a receptacle wall, the pair of support arms configured to hold a plurality of trash bags; and
a trash bag retaining apparatus integrated with each support arm of the pair of support arms, each trash bag retaining apparatus comprising:
a proximal end; and
a distal end comprising:
a slide stop; and
one or more surfaces defining an inlet positioned between the slide stop and the proximal end, wherein the inlet extends into a body of the trash bag retaining apparatus and is configured to receive and selectively retain an edge of a trash bag;

wherein the support arms have a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape; and
wherein the inlet is sufficiently shallow such that a lateral pulling motion easily causes the edge of the trash bag to escape the inlet during removal of the trash bag from the trash bag retaining apparatus.

9. The trash bag retaining system of claim 8 , wherein the proximal end is insertable into a support arm, the proximal end comprising an abutment face to abut the support arm upon insertion of the proximal end into the support arm, the abutment face being sized and shaped to match a size and shape of the support arm.

10. The trash bag retaining system of claim 9 , wherein the distal end comprises a sliding surface between the abutment face and the inlet, the sliding surface including an inclined surface extending inward into the inlet.

11. The trash bag retaining system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more surfaces defining the inlet comprises an overhang portion from the sliding surface positioned above the inlet.

12. The trash bag retaining system of claim 9 , wherein a size and shape of the slide stop matches the size and shape of the abutment face.

13. The trash bag retaining system of claim 9 , wherein the proximal end is fixed within the support arm such that the abutment face and the support arm maintain contact therebetween.

14. The trash bag retaining system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more surfaces defining the inlet comprises the slide stop.

15. The trash bag retaining system of claim 8 , wherein the inlet is sized and shaped to release a portion of a trash bag in response to a lateral force parallel to the proximal end.

16. The trash bag retaining system of claim 8 , wherein each of the support arms is configured as a shaft of substantially uniform dimensions substantially without protrusions or recesses to facilitate lateral sliding of a trash bag across the support arm without requiring lifting of the trash bag.

17. A trash bag retaining apparatus comprising:
a support arm including a sliding surface that extends between a first portion and a second portion of the support arm having a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape, the first portion configured to secure the support arm to a receptacle wall, and the second portion comprising:
a slide stop; and
one or more surfaces defining a break in the sliding surface to form an inlet positioned adjacent to the slide stop, at least a portion of the sliding surface overhanging the inlet, wherein the inlet is configured to receive and selectively retain an edge of a trash bag;
wherein the inlet is sufficiently shallow such that a lateral pulling motion easily causes the edge of the trash bag to escape the inlet during removal of the trash bag from the trash bag retaining apparatus.

18. The trash bag retaining apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the portion of the sliding surface overhanging the inlet comprises a portion of the sliding surface angled into the inlet.

19. The trash bag retaining apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the inlet is sized and shaped to release a portion of a trash bag in response to a lateral force parallel to the support arm.

20. The trash bag retaining apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the sliding surface is configured to interface with a portion of a trash bag, and the inlet is configured to receive the portion of the trash bag sliding into the inlet from the sliding surface.

Assignees

• Clorox Co

Inventors

• Kuhl Sarah A
• Mui Timothy P
• Shalan Reema

Classifications

• B65F1/1415 Primary

  for flexible receptables, e.g. bags, sacks · CPC title

• B65F1/062 Primary

  having means for storing or dispensing spare bags · CPC title

• B65F1/067

  with a plurality of flexible inserts · CPC title

• B65F2210/18

  Suspending means · CPC title