BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for securing a bag in a container. In particular, the invention is an apparatus, and a method for using the same, that is adhered to a container to maintain the bag around a rim of the container to prevent the mess and hassle that occurs when a bag falls into the container.

Trash containers come in a variety of sizes. Garbage bags also come in a variety of sizes. Using a bag that is not the same size as the container oftentimes results in a mess. Sometimes, the bag does not stay on the outside of the rim of the container, which causes garbage to be spilled on the outside portion of the bag and soiling the container. An additional mess often ensues when one has to reach inside the container full of garbage to retrieve the top of the bag. Not only do the hands get dirty, clothing may get soiled and garbage is oftentimes spilled. If the bag to be used is much larger than the container, there is a large amount of excess bag hanging outside of the container, which is unsightly and can get in the way. Even when a bag is the correct size for the trash container, the bag sometimes falls into the container when garbage is dropped in.

To combat these problems, numerous remedies have been attempted. One such remedy is to tape the trash bags to the container. This is very time-consuming, the tape is typically not reusable, and oftentimes results in ripping the bag when it is time to remove the tape to empty the container. Another attempted remedy is to tie the bag when there is an excessive amount of baggage hanging over the rim. This is sometimes a daunting task for people with arthritic conditions or for kids, whose chores often include taking out the garbage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is designed to overcome the above-identified hassles in a quick and inexpensive way. The present invention comprises a method and an apparatus for securing a trash bag in a trash container. The apparatus has a substantially flat main body having a front surface and a back surface, and having a mounting member, preferably an adhesive, on its back surface. A retaining tab extends substantially perpendicular from the front surface of the main body. There is a central membrane on the retaining tab that has a number of slits that form a number of flaps in the membrane. These flaps deform when pressed on to receive and retain the trash bag.

A trash bag is secured by mounting the apparatus to the outside wall of a container. The bag is then placed in the container and a small section of the top of the bag is pushed through the opening in the membrane formed by the slits. The bag is then fit around the entire rim of the container. Finally, more of the bag is pulled through the membrane until the bag is tight around the container. The bag is now held secure by the flaps of the membrane. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to the present invention as seen from the top front. Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a trash container having the apparatus of Figure 1 mounted to it.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a trash bag in the container.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the trash bag being secured in the container by the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the trash bag secured in the container by the apparatus of Figure 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus 10 for securing a bag in a container made according to the present invention. The apparatus 10 includes a main body 12, a retaining tab 20, a central membrane 22, and a mounting member 30 (not seen in Figure 1). The main body 12 has a front surface 14 and a back surface 16

(not seen in Figure 1). The front surface 14 of the main body 12 contains a plurality of strengthening ribs 18. As their name suggests, the strengthening ribs 18 provide additional strength to the main body 12. The main body 12 is approximately 29 mm wide, 50 mm tall, and 2 mm thick in the preferred embodiment, but these dimensions could be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The retaining tab 20 extends substantially perpendicular from the front surface 14 of the main body 12. The retaining tab 20 extends from the main body 12 across the entire width of the main body 12 and extends out approximately 27 mm. The retaining tab 20 extends from the main body 12 approximately 1/3 of the way down from the top of the main body 12. In the preferred embodiment shown, the retaining tab 20 is semi-circular, but the retaining tab 20 could also be rectangular, octagonal, or many other shapes without departing from the spirit of the invention. The retaining tab 20 is approximately 2 mm thick, which gives it some rigidity. Support members 28 are provided to support the retaining tab 20, for reasons to be described in greater detail below.

The central membrane 22 is provided on the retaining tab 20 for receiving and securing the bag. As can be seen in greater detail in Figure 5. the

central membrane 22 is a circular membrane. A plurality of slits 24 are provided on the central membrane 22 which in turn define a plurality of flaps 26. Each of the slits 24 ends in a strain relief point 25. The central membrane 22 is approximately 1 mm thick, as opposed to the 2 mm thickness of the retaining tab 20, which allows the flaps 26 to be somewhat easily deformed to receive and retain the bag. In the preferred embodiment, the central membrane 22 is made of the same material as the rest of the apparatus 10.

The slits 24 of the central membrane 22 dissect the membrane 22 into four substantially equal pie-shaped flaps 26. As can be seen in Figure 4, the flaps 26 are beveled downward toward the slits 24 at their outermost edges. The beveled edges encourage and assist the trash bag through the opening in the membrane 22 when the flaps 26 are depressed.

As can be seen in Figures 2-5, the mounting member 30 is connected to the back surface 16 of the main body 12. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the mounting member 30 is an adhesive two sided tape which is designed to adhere to numerous surfaces, such as plastic and rubber which trash containers are typically made from. It should be noted that other mounting members could also be used such as an elastic or rubber band connected to the apparatus 10 that fits around the container, or a pair of small screws attached to the apparatus 10 for fastening to the container.

In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus 10 of the present invention is an injected molded one piece unit made of plastic. A one piece injected molded unit is used in the preferred embodiment because it is inexpensive to produce. The apparatus of the present invention could be made with many other materials such as fiberglass, wood or metal without departing from the spirit of the invention. Additionally, the apparatus need not be formed from one piece or be entirely made of the same material.

Figures 6-9 illustrate a method of using the apparatus 10 of the present invention. A waste container 32 is illustrated in Figures 6-9. The waste

container 32 has a plurality of side walls 34 and a rim 36 connecting the side walls. The apparatus 10 is adhered to the outside of one of the side walls 34 of the container 32, preferably near the rim 36. A plastic bag 38 is provided and placed into the container 32. A small portion of the bag 38 is then pushed through the central membrane 22 of the retaining tab 20 by displacing the flaps

26. The displacement of the flaps 26 is made easier by having the flaps 1 mm thick. The bag 38 is then fit around the entire rim 36 of the container 32. Once this is done, more of the bag 38 is pulled through the membrane 22 until the bag

38 is tight around the rim 36 of the container 32. The bag is now secured in the container. The support members 28 are important to the design of the apparatus

10 during the steps of pushing the bag 38 through the central membrane 22 and pulling additional amounts of the bag 38 through the membrane. Without the support members 28, the retaining tab 20 could break off from the main body

12. Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.