EP1054109A1

EP1054109A1 - Box-shaped device for the collection of dog excrements within an urban environment

Info

Publication number: EP1054109A1
Application number: EP99109839A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Lapo Baldacci
Original assignee: DBD SRL
Current assignee: DBD SRL
Priority date: 1999-05-19
Filing date: 1999-05-19
Publication date: 2000-11-22

Abstract

Device for the collection of animal excrements, and in particular of dog excrements. Such device consists of a box-shaped element made of biodegradable material, preferably obtained from a cardboard blank suitably shaped and assembled, consisting of four side walls (1, 4, 202, 301) connected to an upper wall (2). The bottom surface (3) of the box-shaped element is open and co-operating with a shutter-shaped element (5), sliding from a position in which the box bottom is open, so as to allow the box to be put on the excrement (10) to be removed, to a position in which such bottom is closed, so as to seize the excrement (10) within the box itself, thus allowing its removal from the ground (9).

Description

The present invention relates to a box-shaped device for the collection of dog excrements from streets, pavements or any other urban ground.
Thanks to the more sensible attitude shown by people towards ecological problems such as environmental pollution, most countries in Europe are now dealing with pollution problems relating to the presence of dog excrements on public grounds. Just to give an example, in a metropolis like Milan there are around 80.000 dogs, which means approximately 100.000 excrements a day scattered on the city public grounds.
Several solutions have been adopted so far to control such an undesired pollution phenomenon, but the results which have been attained cannot be considered as satisfactory. For instance, people working in the field know about the existence of excrement-sucking machines, which are made up of a motorcycle provided with a sucking tube collecting excrements and sending them to a drawing trolley with a certain capacity. The problem of such a machine is that it is too expensive and that anyway it would be used by those who are in charge of the cleaning of public grounds and not by dog owners. Other known and more tested methods are for example containers equipped with shovels and automatic water closets for dogs; however, also these systems haven't proved satisfactory in practice.
Moreover, people working in the field know about the existence of disposable collection systems with reduced size and price for the removal of dog excrements from public grounds, such as traditional shovels equipped with plastic bags and portable shovels without plastic bags, the latter being obtained from punched cardboard suitably shaped, consisting of a box-shaped body formed by the successive folding of the punched cardboard till closed containers are obtained, said containers being thus more hygienic than the traditional systems such as shovels with plastic bags.
However, also this latter solution is disadvantageous being not very practical, because the shovel-aided collection for dog excrements proves to be highly inconvenient and perfectible from the hygienic point of view.
The present invention aims at providing a device for the removal of dog excrements from public grounds avoiding the disadvantages mentioned above for known systems, by means of a practical, hygienic and cheap system.
Such aim is achieved thanks to a box-shaped device for the collection of dog excrements, consisting of a cardboard blank suitably folded and substantially including four side walls connected to an upper wall, the lower or bottom surface of said box being open and co-operating with a shutter-shaped element sliding from a position where the box bottom is open, so as to allow the box to be put on the excrement to be removed, to a position where such bottom is closed so as to seize the excrement within the box itself, thus allowing its removal from the ground.
Advantageously, both the box and the shutter are made of biodegradable material, and preferably of cardboard or like. Moreover, the box is made in such a way to be easily folded by substantially reducing it to a two-dimensional configuration when it has to be carried by the user, and to be likewise easily unfolded into its three-dimensional configuration, in its working position, so that both its carrying and working are simplified.
Further aims and advantages of the present invention will be better illustrated thanks to the following detailed description, carried out as a non-limiting example of a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention, shown in the enclosed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the cardboard blank used to carry out the device according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the shutter-shaped element of the device according to the present invention;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the box-shaped device for the collection of dog excrements of the present invention in its working configuration;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention in its carrying configuration; and
Figures 5a and 5b are two side views illustrating the two working stages of the device according to the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the cardboard blank which, after being assembled in its working configuration, will get into the shape of a device for the collection of dog excrements, as will be later described. Said cardboard blank substantially consists of a surface 1, which will constitute the front wall of the device in its box-shaped configuration, to which two side strips 101 are connected, such strips being foldable along the folding lines L1 and L2 and being provided with two tabs 102, which are also foldable along the corresponding folding lines L3. Such tabs 102 are to be introduced into suitable openings 201 obtained on the surface 2 of the cardboard blank, which will constitute the upper surface of the box-shaped device. Moreover, the surface 2 includes two cardboard side strips 202, suitably shaped, which can be folded along the folding lines L4 and L5, so as to form together with the strips 301 of the open surface 3, which will constitute the lower or bottom surface of the box-shaped device, the side walls of the device itself, said strips 301 being also folded along suitable folding lines L6 and L7. Moreover, further fixing systems of the device in its working configuration are provided on the surface 2, such as the two tabs 203 which, once folded towards the inside of said surface 2, will get into touch with the back wall 4 of the device, said wall 4 being provided with two suitable strips 401 which can be folded along the folding lines L6.
As can further be observed from Figure 1, the surface 3 is sectioned in such a way that a frame 302 can be provided for the shutter 5 to slide on (see Figure 2) through suitable openings 6 and 7, respectively obtained on the surface 1 and on the surface 4 of the cardboard blank. It should be noticed that the strip 204 of the surface 2 in the form of embodiment of the present invention will be joined (for instance by gluing the two parts together) to the inner side of the surface 1, which will form the front wall of the box-shaped device, such wall being obtained by suitably folding the blank along the folding lines L8, L9, L10 and L11.
As mentioned before, Figure 2 shows the cardboard shutter 5 which will slide, when using of the device, thanks to a suitable handle 501 obtained on the shutter itself, along the direction of the arrow A, so that the open portion 502 of said shutter will be drawn outside the device, thus allowing the closing of the lower surface 3 of the device in its working configuration. It should be noticed that the shutter 5 is provided with the folding lines L12, L13, L14 and L15 whose function is to provide the carrying configuration (still to be described but visible in Figure 4) of the device.
Figure 3 shows the box-shaped device of the present invention in its working configuration: as can be seen, the cardboard blank of Figure 1 has got into said box shape, which is maintained thanks to some fixing elements such as the tab 8 fixed to the upper surface 1 and folded against the front wall 1 of the device and the two cardboard tabs 203 which can be folded within the upper surface 1. As can be further observed from Figure 3 and as mentioned before, the shutter 5 can be drawn, by means of the handle 501, along the direction of the arrow A so that it slides within the openings 6 and 7 so as to close the lower surface 3 (which is not visible in this figure) of the device.
The working configuration shown in Figure 3 has been achieved by suitably folding the device along the folding lines L8, L9, L10 and L11, said device being, prior to its use, in its carrying configuration shown in Figure 4, with the corresponding folding of the shutter 5 along the folding lines L12 and L14 provided on said shutter. Moreover, Figure 4 shows how the device according to the present invention can be easily carried, for instance within the user's pocket, thanks to its small thickness in such carrying configuration.
Figures 5a and 5b show the two working stages of the device according to the present invention, in which the first stage illustrated in Figure 5a relates to the seizure of a dog excrement 10 on any urban ground by means of said device and leaving the shutter 5 in such a position that the lower surface 3 of said device is suitably open, whereas Figure 5b shows the second working stage of the device, in which the shutter 5 is drawn along the direction of the arrow A by means of the handle 501 and, as can be observed, the shutter 5 is free to slide on a frame 302 of the lower surface 3 through the openings 6 and 7, respectively obtained on the front wall 1 and on the back wall 4 of the device.
Now the dog excrement 10 which has been seized is hygienically closed within the box-shaped device according to the present invention and said device can be thrown into a suitable litter container without any risk of environmental pollution.

Claims

Device for the collection of animal excrements, and in particular of dog excrements, characterised in that it consists of a box-shaped element made of biodegradable material, preferably obtained from a cardboard blank suitably folded and assembled, consisting of four side walls (1, 4, 202, 301) connected to an upper wall (2), the bottom surface (3) of said box-shaped element being open and co-operating with a shutter-shaped element (5), sliding from a position in which the box bottom is open, so as to allow the box to be put on the excrement (10) to be removed, to a position in which said bottom is closed, so as to seize the excrement (10) within the box itself, thus allowing its removal from the ground (9).
Device according to claim 1, characterised in that it consists of a cardboard blank suitably shaped and substantially including two walls, a front wall (1) and a back wall (4), connected by means of two folding lines (L10, L11) to an upper surface (2) of said device, said upper surface (2) being provided with side strips (202), suitably shaped so as to match with the strips (301), suitably shaped, of the open lower surface (3) of said device so as to provide the two side walls of the device itself, said lower surface (3) being connected to the two walls, the front wall (1) and the back wall (2) by means of two other folding lines (L8, L9); characterised in that said open lower surface (3) is closed by means of a shutter (5) sliding along said lower surface (3) during the working stage of said device.
Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the shutter (5) slides on a frame (301) obtained on said lower surface (3) and through two openings (6, 7), respectively obtained on said front wall (1) and back wall (4) of said device.
Device according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that said shutter (5) is provided with a suitable handle obtained on the shutter itself so as to be drawn along said lower surface (3).
Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that it can get into a carrying configuration and into a working configuration to seize dog excrements on any urban ground.
Device according to claims 3 and 4, characterised in that said working configuration of said device can be obtained by folding the device from said carrying configuration along suitable folding lines (L8, L9, L10 and L11).
Device according to claims 4 and 5, characterised in that it is possible to maintain said working configuration of said device by means of suitable fixing elements (8, 203) to keep said device in the correct position.
Device according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that said shutter (5) is provided with folding lines (L12, L13, L14 and L15) in order to get into said carrying and working configurations by means of suitable folding.