Method for disposing waste packages such as diapers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9714138-B2
Application number	US-201314060549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2013
Priority date	Oct 30, 2009
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

Methods for facilitating hygienic storage and disposal of waste packages such as used with disposable diapers includes a housing, a rotatable member, and a bag unit having a bag frame and attached single use flexible bag. The user aligns and releasably mounts the bag frame to the housing. The rotatable member has a plurality of inwardly extending fingers. The inwardly extending fingers have a bag contact surface that operatively interacts with the single use flexible bag. A temporary seal is created by twisting a portion of the single use flexible bag with the rotatable member and the package is pushed through the twist for disposal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
aligning and releasably mounting a bag frame to a housing, wherein the bag frame has at least one alignment tab and a single use flexible bag;
providing a rotatable member having a plurality of inwardly extending fingers, the inwardly extending fingers having a bag contact surface that operatively interacts with the single use flexible bag; wherein the inwardly extending fingers curve radially downward and inward from a rotator housing to an elbow junction, from the elbow junction, the fingers curve laterally upward and inward and extend substantially horizontal to a radial distal end disposed adjacent to a midpoint location; and
providing a temporary seal by twisting a portion of the single use flexible bag with the rotatable member.

2. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises at least one recess defined to receive the at least one alignment tab to prevent the bag frame from rotating with respect to the housing.

3. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the fingers has a generally concave side edge.

4. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the fingers has a convex tip portion.

5. The method recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
pushing an item through the temporary seal of the twisted portion of the single use flexible bag.

6. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the fingers are fabricated from an elastomeric material.

7. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein the inwardly extending fingers have a first width at a midpoint location and a second width at a second location smaller than the first width, and wherein adjacent side edges of two adjacent fingers are concavely curved.

8. A method, comprising:
preventing a frame connected to a single use bag from rotating with respect to a housing of a container assembly, wherein the frame is releasably mounted to the housing;
extending the single use bag through a plurality of inwardly extending fingers of a rotatable member, the inwardly extending fingers having a first width at a midpoint location and a second width at a second location smaller than the first width, and wherein adjacent side edges of two adjacent fingers are concavely curved, and wherein each space between adjacent fingers has a greatest width at the midpoint location; and
twisting a portion of the single use bag with the fingers of the rotatable member to provide a temporary seal at the twisted portion.

9. The method recited in claim 8 , wherein the frame of the single use bag is connected to a first open end of a bag.

10. The method recited in claim 8 , further comprising:
pushing an item through the temporary seal of the twisted portion of the single use bag.

11. The method recited in claim 8 , wherein the second location is near a radial distal end of the fingers.

12. The method recited in claim 8 , wherein at least one of the spaces has a third width at a third location, and wherein the third width is less than the first width.

13. The method recited in claim 12 , wherein the second location is spaced radially inward from the midpoint location, and the third location is spaced radially outward from the midpoint location.

14. The method recited in claim 8 , wherein the inwardly extending fingers curve radially downward and inward from the rotatable member to an elbow junction, from the elbow junction, the fingers curve laterally upward and inward and extend substantially horizontal to a radial distal end disposed adjacent to a midpoint location.

15. A method, comprising:
preventing a single use bag from rotating with respect to a housing, wherein the single use bag is releasably mounted to the housing; and
twisting a portion of the single use bag with a rotatable member having a concentric main body with an aperture, and a plurality of inwardly extending fingers that curve downwardly from a proximal connection adjacent to the concentric main body to an intermediate portion, the fingers then flatten out and extend substantially horizontally from the intermediate portion to a distal portion; and
pushing an item through a temporary seal of the twisted portion of the single use bag.

16. The method recited in claim 15 , further comprising:
rotating the rotatable member a predetermined angular distance with a transmission mechanism when a lid is closed to retwist the portion of the single use bag back into the temporary seal at the twisted portion.

17. The method recited in claim 15 , wherein the inwardly extending fingers have a first width at a midpoint location and a second width at a second location smaller than the first width, and wherein adjacent side edges of two adjacent fingers are concavely curved.

Assignees

• Munchkin Inc
• Munchkin Inc

Inventors

• Dunn Steven B
• Hatherill Mark A
• Johnson Kevin D

Classifications

• B65F1/06 Primary

  with flexible inserts, e.g. bags or sacks {(B65F1/0073 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65F1/0006

  Flexible refuse receptables, e.g. bags, sacks · CPC title

• B65F2210/1675

  by twisting, e.g. of a flexible tube · CPC title

• B65B7/12

  and twisting · CPC title

• B65F2240/132

  Diapers · CPC title