BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION There are nearly forty million households with dogs in North America and the vast majority of these dogs are walked or allowed out of the household residences, generally, at least twice a day to excrete. This is usually done on public property, such as roads, sidewalks and parks. Local municipal and city by-laws and the dog owner's obligation require the dog stool to be picked-up and carried by the owner to a suitable place of disposal.

Current methods of retrieving the dog stools include use of a broom and dustpan, shovel, paper towel tissue and plastic bags - one for the hand and the other for the stool.

Scoopers are known to have long handles connected to a tray, shovel or rake for either collecting or dispersing the stool.

However, there remains a need for a dog stool scooper and retainer system which is easy to use, convenient to carry and, importantly, hygienic to the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an animal stool scooper which is easy, convenient and hygienic to use.

The present invention provides in one broad aspect a stool scooper comprising essentially a two-halved jawed container wherein the two halves are connected and biased together and define a bag-retaining chamber which is opened by squeezing a pair of

handles together against the biasing means when the jaws are opened. A significant part of the inner surface of the chamber and the jaws are lined with the sides of the bag which has its open end within the jaws such that scooping the stool by embracing the stool within the jaws collects the stool within the bag which is then tied, twisted or otherwise sealed to retain the stool therein for hygienic transport and disposal.

In an alternative aspect the jawed container has its two-halves integrally connected and formed of a resiliently flexible sheet material. In an open mode the container is relaxed, whereas squeezing of the handles effects closing of the jaws against the biasing means due to the resilient flexibility.

In its broadest aspect, the invention provides a two-halved jawed scooper for collecting and retaining animal excrement stools from the ground, comprising a first arm and a second arm opposed and connected one to the other under bias to define a bag- receiving chamber and having handle portions defining manually grippable handle means to effect operable displacement of said first arm relative to said second arm against said bias, and terminal portions defining jaw means ; and bag-retaining means for retaining a flexible bag of use partly within said chamber.

Accordingly, in one aspect the invention provides a scooper system for collecting and retaining animal excrement stools from the ground, comprising in combination a scooper comprising (a) a first member having (i) a first upper portion ; (ii) a first terminal portion extending from said first upper portion and constituting first handle means ; (iii) a first central portion ; and (iv) a first lower portion having a first outer surface and a first lip constituting a first jaw ; (b) a second member having (i) a second upper portion (ii) a second terminal portion extending from said second upper portion and constituting second handle means ; (iii) a second central portion ; and

(iv) a second lower portion having a second outer surface and a second lip constituting a second jaw, wherein ; said first and said second handle means constitute handle means of said scooper ; said first and said second lip constitute closeable jaw means of said scooper ; said first and said second central portions define a stool receiving chamber ; (c) biasing means located between said first upper portion and said second upper portion wherein said first upper portion is connected to said second upper portion such that said first member and said second member are in a cross-member arrangement wherein said jaws abut one another and said first handle means is spaced apart from said second handle means when said biasing means is in a relaxed mode ; and said jaws are spaced apart when said first handle means are operably adjacent to said second handle means against the action of said biasing means ; and (d) a flexible stool-receiving bag operably receivable by said chamber.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a scooper, as hereinbefore defined, comprising a tong-like member formed of a resiliently flexible material comprising a first arm having (i) a first portion ; (ii) a first manually grippable portion ; (iii) a first terminal portion, constituting a first jaw ; and (iv) flexible bag-retaining means a second arm having (i) a second portion ; (ii) a second manually grippable portion ; (iii) a second terminal portion constituting a second jaw ; wherein said first portion and said second portion are integrally formed such that said first arm and said second arm are opposed one to another ; said first and said second grippable portions constitute grippable handle means ; said first and said second jaws constitute jaw means such that said first jaw and said second jaw are spaced apart when said member is in a relaxed mode, but are operably butable when said handle means are squeezed against the bias due to the resilient

flexibility of said first and second portions ; and wherein said first and said second arm define a flexible bag-receiving chamber.

The scooper may be formed of any suitable material, such as a plastics material or a metal for example, aluminum or steel of a suitable thickness. The bags are preferably formed of a plastics material such as, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, but may also be formed of paper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be better understood, preferred embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a scooper and bag combination according to the invention in a closed and empty mode ; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of a scooper and bag combination according to the invention in an open mode ; Fig. 3 is diagrammatic sectional side view of a scooper and bag combination according to the embodiment of Fig. 2 in a closed, stool-containing mode ; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of an alternative connecting means in part of a scooper according to the invention ; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of part of a scooper according to the invention wherein the handle also constitutes bag-retaining means ; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of part of a scooper according to the invention wherein the central portions are constituted as a plurality of ribs ; Fig 7 is a diagrammatic representation of an alternative scooper and bag-combination according to the invention ; and wherein the same numerals denote like parts and broad- headed arrows denote the movement of members in operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to Fig. 1, this shows generally as 10 a scooper shown generally as 12 and bag 14 combination.

Scooper 12 has a pair of opposing members 16 and 18 formed of polypropylene hinged together by a pair of hinges 20,22. Members 16 and 18 at upper portions 24,26 have terminal handles 28,30, respectively, extending from upper portions 24,26, respectively. Handle 28 is formed as upstanding arms 32 joined by integrally formed horizontal member 34, and handle 30 of upstanding arms 36 and horizontal member 38.

Upstanding arms 32,36 and horizontal members 34,38 essentially oppose each other while either (a) adjacent in abutting relationship or (b) spaced apart to constitute a converging V relationship.

Members 16 and 18 have an extensive semi right-horizontal cylindrical central portion 40,42, respectively, extending from upper portions 24,26, respectively, to a lower portion 44,46, respectively. Central portions 40 and 42 have vertical side edges 48, 50, respectively, which oppose and face each other. Central portions 40 and 42 define a bag-retaining chamber 43.

Lower portions 44,46 have an acute, sharp edged terminal lip 52,54, respectively, extending the width of its respective portion, which together constitute a closeable jaw.

Central portions 40,42 at their upper parts have a pair of integrally formed hooks 55 on their inside surfaces to retain a pair of coil springs 56.

Central portion 40 on an upper part of its outer surface 58 has an open-ended integrally formed retaining clip 60. Clip 60 at an upper side is distant from surface 58 which, therewith, provides a longitudinal slit 62 through which is loosely held a bag 14 fed from a serrated roll 64 of bags 14 held in clip 60, through a longitudinal slot 66 in central portion 40.

Member 16 and 18 are hinged together to provide a somewhat cross-member but more accurately, a"Y"or inverted"Y"arrangement. Thus, with the jaws closed handles 28,30 are spaced apart to constitute the arms of the Y, while members 16,18 constitute a bloated body of the Y and are held in abutment by the biasing action of springs 56.

Manual closing of handles 28 and 30 effects opening of jaws 52,54 against the biasing action of springs 56. Release of handles 28 and 30 causes the jaws to snap shut.

With reference to Figs. 2 and 3, members 16 and 18 have jaws in the open position against the action of springs 56 by manual squeezing of handles 28,30, together.

Bag 14 has been manually pulled through chamber 43 and lips 52,54 of the jaws over the outer surfaces of members 16 and 18 to form an"inside out"sleeve punctured and retained by hooks 57.

The bag covered jaws are placed around stool 68 and handles 28,30 released to allow the jaws to snap shut over stool 68. Bag 14 is released from hooks 57 and its open end tied-off by tie 69 to seal stool 68 inside the bag. The jaws are again opened, bag 14 pulled through and torn-off roll 64 at its serrations to provide the disposable, sealed stool- containing bag and to provide a conveniently available further bag for subsequent disposition on the outside surface of scooper 12.

Fig. 4 shows an alternative hinge means for connecting members 16 and 18 together in an operably rotatable manner by action of handles 28,30.

Each of plastic members 16 and 18 at their upper portions have a plurality of integrally formed right-horizontal cylinders 70,72, respectively. Cylinders 70,72 are off- set to each other as to be fittable end-to-end in a single, right-horizontal cylindrical line.

End of cylinders 70,72 has a protrusion 74 and a complimentary mating recess 76 receiving an adjacent protrusion 74 of an adjacent cylinder 70 or 72 as the case may be.

Protrusion 74 is of such shape and size as to be"snapped-fit"forced into adjacent recess 76 under the resiliently flexible nature of the plastics material, while allowing for rotatable movement within recess 76, when the handles are squeezed and released.

With reference to Fig. 5, handle 80 of central portion of member 16 is open at one end 82 to receive a role of plastic bags 64 which are sequentially fed through slot 84 between hinges 86,88, to chamber 43, as required.

With reference to Fig. 6, this shows central portions of members 16 and 18 to be constituted as vertical, curved rib members 90, which define chamber 43.

In a further embodiment, interspersed right horizontal cylinders may comprise each cylinder having a central aperture co-axial with its adjacent neighbour and through which apertures is an elongate cylindrical member retaining cylinders co-axially aligned, and held together by means of a clip, pin or other terminal holding means.

Clearly, some of the aforesaid features may also be suitably combined in alternative embodiments. For example, the plurality of cylinders may not extend fully across the width of the retainer, but wherein only a single cylinder be fixedly disposed on a retaining rod at each end and that rod also constitutes the bag roll-retaining means.

The advantage of having members 16 and 18 being identical in preferred embodiments is that only a single thermoplastics material-forming mold would be required in manufacture.

In an alternative embodiment, bag 14 may be fed from roll 64 into chamber 43 through a narrow longitudinal slot defined by the upper edges of members 16 and 18, provided clearance from spring 56 is made. In a further embodiment, roll 64 may be retained within an upper part of chamber 43, for example, by an integrally formed inner clip at an upper inner surface of one of members 16 or 18.

In a further embodiment, the metal coil springs 56 may be substituted with biasing means, such as, for example, at least one elongated rubber member.

The lips of the jaws are, preferably, reasonably sharp to effect close contact.

However, in a less preferred embodiment, the lips may overlap one another to some extent.

With reference to Fig. 7, this shows an open-ended, tong-like scooper 80 formed of a resiliently flexible steel foil having a pair of wide arms 82 and 84, integrally formed at an upper portion 86 and which defines a bag-retaining chamber 87. Arms 82 and 84 terminate at their ends 88 and 90, respectively, remote from portion 86. Each of ends 88 and 90 has a lip 92 and 94, respectively, perpendicular to the vertical plane of arms 82 and 84. Lips 92 and 94 are opposed and spaced apart about 5 - 8 cm from each other when scooper 80 is in a relaxed mode and constitute a pair of jaws. Arms 82 and 84 are approximately 15 - 20 cm wide and 20 cm high.

Arms 82 and 84 have a central portion 96 and 98, respectively, which define finger gripping areas, at which arms 82 and 84 may be manually squeezed together against the bias due to the resiliently flexibility of the material of the scooper. Such action results in jaws 92 and 94 closing together. Relaxation of the gripping action causes the jaws to open and scooper 80 to attain its relaxed mode.

Portion 86 has a slot 100 extending substantially the width of scooper 80 through which is sequentially fed bags 102 into chamber 87, from a roll 104 help by clip 106 to arm 82.

Arms 82 and 84 have a plurality of bag-holding hooks 108 to receive portions of bag 102 which are manually fed through cavity 87 and partially out through jaws 92 and 94.

Thus, in operation, scooper 80 holding a bag 102 in its inverted open portion in chamber 87 and fixed to hooks 108 is in its relaxed mode and is positioned around a stool 110. Scooper 80 is squeezed at portions 96 and 98 to scoop up stool 110. Bag 102 is released from hooks 108 and tied at its end before jaws 92 and 94 are opened by relaxation of arms 92 and 94 as hereinbefore described.

Although this disclosure has described and illustrated certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to those particular embodiments. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments which are functional or mechanical equivalents of the specific embodiments and features that have been described and illustrated.