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Systems and methods for a container facilitating the use and reuse of handled bags

Systems and methods for a container facilitating the use and reuse of handled bags description/claims

This application claims the benefit of the following provisional application, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety:

U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/950,448, filed Jul. 18, 2007.

1. Field

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for a container facilitating the use and reuse of handled bags, and more particularly, disposable plastic shopping bags.

2. Description of the Related Art

The ubiquitous plastic shopping bag is produced by the billions and consumes a large quantity of plastic resource and production and disposal energy. These bags typically end up in landfills and represent a squandered resource. This product provides for reuse of these bags, and other handled bags, that encourages people to conserve both by eliminating the need for purpose bought plastic trash bags and by making it easy to recycle using this containment system

Provided herein are systems and methods of a container dimensioned and detailed to provide a holding fixture for the standard range of disposable plastic shopping bags and other handled bags. The container may hold the handled bags in a secure and taut way so as to facilitate disposal into those bags without having objects drop into the cavity outside the bag.

In an aspect of the invention, a container may comprise a receptacle portion dimensioned to receive a handled bag and at least one handle flange disposed on a top edge of the receptacle to provide a holding fixture for a handle of the handled bag and to facilitate opening the bag. In an embodiment, the container may comprise at least one of plastic, wood, metal, cardboard, and paper. In an embodiment, the handled bag may be at least one of a plastic bag, a paper bag, and a fabric bag. In an embodiment, the handles of the handled bag may be at least one of integral and removably attached. In an embodiment, the container with a disposed handled bag may be useful for at least one of receiving recycling, trash, storage materials, supply materials, produce, groceries, and laundry. In an embodiment, the handle flanges may flex to engage a handle opening of the handled bag. In an example of this embodiment, the handle flanges, when released, may tension the handled bag to keep it taut in the opening of the container. In an embodiment, the container may further comprise slots in the corners of the container adjacent to the handle flanges to provide additional stretching of the material of the handled bag. In an embodiment, the container may further comprise a lid associated with the container by a hinge. In an embodiment, the container may further comprise a lid removably secured to the container.

In an aspect of the invention, a container system may comprise a receptacle portion of a container dimensioned to receive a handled bag, at least one handle flange disposed on a top edge of the receptacle portion of the container to provide a holding fixture for a handle of the handled bag and to facilitate opening the handled bag, and a containment frame dimensioned to house multiple containers and/or other receptacles. In an embodiment, the container system may further comprise a handle on the containment frame to lift the group containers disposed within the containment frame. In an embodiment, the containment frame may provide registration via its dimensioning and tolerancing so the group of containers can be well aligned visually and functionally and be stable on the ground plane. In an embodiment, the container system may further comprise a lid associated with the containment frame by a hinge. In an embodiment, the container system may further comprise a lid removably secured to the container system.

In an aspect of the invention, a molded container insert may include a continuous sheet of material molded with handle-flanges to receive the handle openings of a handled bag; a crease in the sheet of material to facilitate folding the sheet to fit within a receptacle; and a tab associated with the sheet of material for securing one edge of the material to the other edge of the material when the edges are brought in proximity to one another. In an embodiment, the container insert may further comprise slots molded into the container insert to additionally stretch the handled bag. In an embodiment, the insert may comprise at least one of plastic, wood, metal, cardboard, and paper. In an embodiment, the tab may insert into a corresponding tab insert on the opposing edge of the sheet. In an embodiment, adhesive may be disposed on the tab to adhere the tab to the opposing edge of the sheet.

In an aspect of the invention a container may include a receptacle portion dimensioned to receive a handled bag, and at least one handle flange disposed on a top edge of the receptacle to provide a holding fixture for a handle of the handled bag and to facilitate opening the bag, wherein the at least one handle flange flexes to engage a handle opening of the handled bag and when released from the flexed position, tensions the handled bag to keep it taut in the opening of the container.

In an aspect of the invention, a container system may include a receptacle portion of a container dimensioned to receive a handled bag, at least one handle flange disposed on a top edge of the receptacle portion of the container to provide a holding fixture for a handle of the handled bag and to facilitate opening the handled bag, wherein the at least one handle flange flexes to engage a handle opening of the handled bag and when released from the flexed position, tensions the handled bag to keep it taut in the opening of the container, and a containment frame dimensioned to house multiple containers in an opening of the containment frame.

In an aspect of the invention, a molded container insert may include a continuous sheet of material molded with handle-flanges to receive the handle openings of a handled bag, wherein at least one handle flange flexes to engage a handle opening of the handled bag and when released from the flexed position, tensions the handled bag to keep it taut in the opening of the container, a crease in the sheet of material to facilitate folding the sheet to fit within a receptacle, and a securing facility associated with the sheet of material for securing one edge of the material to the other edge of the material when the edges are brought in proximity to one another.

These and other systems, methods, objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings. All documents mentioned herein are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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