The invention relates to an auxiliary means according to the preamble of the independent claim directed thereto for the collection of pet waste, which includes a collection device, such as a shovel, a scoop or the like with a handheld handle, and a sealable enclosure for the collection device .

The collection of pet waste in urban maintained areas by the pet owner or holder is often regulated by law. The waste spreads various infectious diseases into the environment, in the worst case containing various viruses, bacteria and parasites. When the waste is spread along with the pet into indoor spaces, they may cause the transmission of disease or infection to a human. In addition, uncollected waste adversely affects the overall comfort of the environment and causes an increase in soil nutrient content .

At present, for the purpose set out above, it is customary to use, for example, a waste bag when walking a dog, in which the waste is collected and usually disposed of, for example by throwing it as such into a waste collection container .

The disadvantage of the aforementioned practice is that waste that is reusable in itself, when enclosed in a plastic bag, it must be disposed as so-called mixed waste. When e.g. biodegradable waste bags are used in this context, their handling in landfills as biodegradable waste is a practical problem as biodegradable plastic bags clog the blades of landfill machines. In particular in collection of cat waste, it is well known to use a handled scoop, which can be stored in an enclosure attached to a suitable support structure. The scoop used in the solution has a grated structure in the bottom of it, which enables lifting the cat's waste with a scoop, e.g. from the top of the cat litter, while loose litter falls out of the scoop. The mentioned solution is therefore mainly suitable for indoor purpose only.

Furthermore, the international application WO 2019/164480 presents an assistive device suitable for handling for example ice cubes, consisting of a scoop with a hand-held handle and an enclosure that can be closed with a reversible lid for storing the collection device. The enclosure can be attached to a suitable mounting surface in a horizontal or vertical position, for example by means of a separate mounting bracket. Due to its intended purpose, this solution is suitable only for so-called indoor household use.

Furthermore, the application US 2006/0214440 discloses an assistive device that is intended to be carried on when walking a pet. It includes a base part that is assembled from multiple parts and which, e.g. during a walk is hung from its first end from the wrist. At the other end of the base part there is an interior space consisting of a sheathing of the base part, at the end of which there is a short shovel-like section. The base part can be closed at one end with a rotary-locking end part, in which at the base part connected end there is an interior space formed by the sheath of the end part, and at the end of it there is also a short shovel-like part. In this context, the intention is that the waste collected with shovel-like parts can be enclosed inside the base part and transported to the garbage bin inside it.

Due to the shortness of the shovel-like parts of the aforementioned solution, collecting and sealing the waste inside the base part is a procedure that requires precision in terms of keeping hands and the assistive device clean, as unnecessary contamination may easily occur.

Despite the aforementioned solutions, there is currently no sufficient easy-to-use collection means available for collecting pet waste that would allow the collection of waste without the use of a waste bag so that the waste can be simply disposed, for example, by emptying the collection device into a composter.

The purpose of the presented auxiliary means is to provide a decisive improvement on the problems described above and thereby to raise essentially the available prior art of the field. In order to attain this objective, an auxiliary means of the invention is principally characterized by what is presented in the characterizing part of the independent claim directed thereto.

Among the main advantages of the auxiliary means of the invention are the simplicity and efficiency of its construction and assembly, as well as its use, first of all thanks to the fact that the shovel part included is large enough, allowing both the waste to be picked from the ground and its transfer on the shovel part of the collection device into the enclosure part through its opening. In this case, it is possible to collect the waste and empty the auxiliary means effortlessly, for example, for reuse in a composter.

A further advantage of the auxiliary means is that it is possible to utilize the folding handle that locks in its operating position and is connected to the shovel part, wherein the overall dimensions of the auxiliary means are minimized, but its collection device is still easy to use and has an adequately sturdy structure.

As a further preferred embodiment of the auxiliary means, it is possible to utilize a hollow handle part of the auxiliary means, wherein it is possible to store waste bags used for the collection of waste. In connection with the auxiliary means, as a further preferred embodiment, it is possible to use a battery- or accumulator-powered lighting device, which helps the collection of waste during the dark seasons.

Other preferred embodiments of the auxiliary means of the invention are presented in dependent claims directed thereto .

In the subsequent description, the invention will be illustrated in detail while referring to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. la shows a preferred embodiment of the auxiliary means of the invention, where its collection device and the enclosure are separated,

Fig. lb shows the embodiment of Fig. la with the collection device and the enclosure of the auxiliary means combined,

Fig. 1c shows the embodiment of Fig. la in its transport position, and

Figs . 2a and 2b show a preferred mode of operation of the auxiliary means of Fig. la.

The object of the invention is an auxiliary means for the collection of pet waste, which includes a collection device 1, comprising of a collection part la, such as a shovel, scoop or the like, and a resealable enclosure 2 for the collection part la, wherein the auxiliary means is intended to be carried-on, e.g. when walking the pet, in such a way that the waste collected with the collection part la of collection device 1 can be sealed inside the enclosure 2. With reference to Fig. la, the shovel part la of the collecting device 1 is in longitudinal direction essentially of equal length with the open interior of housing part 2. In addition, a base part lb connected to the shovel part la closes an opening 2a of the otherwise closed enclosure part 2 when inserting the collection device 1 inside the enclosure part 2.

Thanks to the large enough shovel part la, it is easy to collect the waste, whereupon the waste is effortlessly moved further into the enclosure part 2 through it's opening 2a for temporary storage of the waste.

As a further preferred embodiment of the auxiliary means of the invention, it has means 4 for collapsing/f olding of the handle part 1c of the collection device 1, wherein the means 4 are arranged by an articulation 4a joining the handle part 1c of the collection part 1 to the base part lb through an articulated arm Ibl . With particular reference to Fig. 1c, the said articulation 4a is arranged to allow the handle part 1c to be folded against the back surface 2b of enclosure part 2 in a standby or transport position of the auxiliary means.

As a further preferred embodiment, it includes restraining means 5 for locking the collecting part 1 inside its enclosure part 2 in the standby or transport position of the auxiliary means. With particular reference to Fig. la, the aforementioned restraining organs 5 are arranged by a form lock 5a between the outer edge of the base part lb and the inner edge of the opening 2a of the enclosure part 2a, whereupon the opposite inner surfaces of enclosure part 2 have projections that lock into recesses on the opposite sides of the outer edge of the base lb.

In addition to the above, it is also possible to arrange the restraining means 5 by means of a form lock between the handle part 1c, folded against the back surface 2b of the enclosure part 2b, and the back surface of the enclosure part 2b, which is not, however, further specified in the attached figures.

In this context, as a further preferred embodiment, with particular reference to Fig. 1c, the restraining means 5 are also arranged to lock the handle part 1c into its operating position with a form lock 5b as presented in Figs . la and lb .

The aforementioned form-locks 5a, 5b of the restraining means 5 are preferably arranged by snap-fit locking arrangements. Snap-fit locking refers to the interlocking of interconnected parts enabled by elasticity, ductility or "deformability" of the parts' materials.

As a further preferred embodiment of the auxiliary means, its handle part 1c is arranged to be hollow, for example, to store one or more empty waste bags inside it.

As a further preferred practical embodiment, the auxiliary means is equipped with a battery- or accumulator-powered lighting means, which significantly helps the collection of waste in twilight conditions. However, the lighting means is not shown in more detail in the enclosed Figures.

Furthermore, with particular reference to the preferred embodiment presented in Figures la to 1c, the auxiliary means is equipped with a hanging means 7, such as a hook, hanger or the like, to attach the auxiliary means in a free-hanging way on the clothing, accessory or equipment of the person using the auxiliary means.

With particular reference to the preferred embodiment presented in Figures 2a and 2b, the auxiliary means is equipped with attachment means 8, such as a male-female fixing arrangement or the like, to secure the auxiliary means immovably to the accessory or equipment of the person using the auxiliary means. In that case, the auxiliary means can be attached by sliding its socket into, for example, a coupling part fastened on the surface of the dog's extendable reel leash by screwing, gluing or by self-adhesive fastening.

The auxiliary means of the invention is made of essentially rigid bamboo, metal, plastic, wood material and/or the like, wherein, as a further preferred embodiment, it is made of recyclable or biodegradable plastic-based material using practically inexpensive methods, for example injection molding technology.

It is clear that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described or explained above, but can be modified in many different ways within the framework of the basic idea of the invention by using, for example, the embodiments described in the accompanying drawings implemented in structurally different ways. Thus, it is possible, for example, to implement the handle part to be collapsible for adjusting the length according to so-called telescope principle etc. The auxiliary means can also be equipped with different assistive and safety devices, such as reflectors, personal defense sprays, first aid equipment or the like. Also, implementations shown in the accompanying drawings can be done with structures, profiles and appearances that differ from those presented in order to realize the same basic purpose of the invention. The components of the auxiliary means of the invention can be made of a wide variety of materials, using a wide variety of manufacturing techniques, in addition to the aforementioned materials, e.g. from any plastic or composite material suitable for the purpose, or from bio-based, recyclable or biodegradable synthetic or organic materials such as cellulose, etc. Furthermore, the manufacturing materials can be coated with antibacterial and/or dirtrepellent coatings to facilitate cleaning. In addition, it is clear that it is also possible to use the auxiliary means in relation to its enclosure part in a way that differs from the accompanying drawings, as a hanging or attached in place to clothing, accessory or equipment of the person using the auxiliary means, or alternatively attached to a wearable accessory for pet, such as a harness