Bag Holder

Abstract

An elongated lengthwise adjustable mounting bar is provided and includes remote end mounting structures for mounting the bar from a support surface. A pair of support fixtures are supported from the bar in predetermined spaced relation therealong and each support fixture includes an outwardly projecting bulbous portion. A plastic bag may have its open end slightly stretched and slipped over the bulbous portions for support of the bag from the support fixtures with opposite side portions of the open end of the bag disposed in closely spaced relation. A handle is clamped to the side of the open end of the bag remote from the mounting bar and may be used to pull the outer side of the bag away from the bar in order to open the top of the bag. The handle further includes a portion thereof engageable over the bar for support therefrom whereby the opposite sides of the open top of the bag may be supported in closely spaced and at least substantially fully closed position.

Description

The bag holder of the instant invention has been designed to provide a means whereby a plastic garbage or trash bag and the like may be conveniently supported from an upstanding support surface in a manner with the top of the bag in a substantially closed position and yet with a handle being supported from one side of the bag to facilitate the displacement of the handle supporting side of the bag away from the remote side in order to open the bag.

By this construction a trash bag or the like may be conveniently supported from any upstanding wall surface or from the inner surface of a cabinet door or the like with the bag in a substantially closed position and yet readily openable to receive trash or other materials therein.

The main object of this invention is to provide a holder for trash bags and the like which may be utilized to conveniently support a trash bag from an upstanding support surface.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a bag holder constructed in a manner so as to be adjustable to the size of the bag to be supported therefrom and to be further adjustable for adjustment to the wall surface area from which the bag holder is to be mounted.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a bag holder including means by which the bag supported therefrom may be secured in a substantially closed position.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a bag holder in accordance with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bag holder of the instant invention supported from the inner side of a closet door or the like and in operation supporting a plastic trash bag or the like therefrom with the bag in a closed position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but with the handle portion of the bag holder being utilized to pull the outer side of the top of the bag toward an open position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the mounting bar portion of the bag holder with the bag supporting fixtures supported therefrom and the fixture position determined pins in exploded position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a conventional plastic bag and with the bag mouth reinforcing elastic member in exploded position relative to the bag;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top plan view of the right hand end of the mounting bar illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and with portions of the bar and support fixture being broken away and illustrated in horizontal section;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the support fixtures to be supported from the right hand end of the bar illustrated in FIG. 4 and with a thickened plate portion of the support fixture being illustrated in phantom lines, a support fixture with such a thickened plate portion being supported from the left hand end of the bar illustrated in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the handle portion of the instant invention

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates an elongated mounting bar including a pair of relatively telescoped inner and outer C-shaped channel members 12 and 14. The remote ends of the channel members 12 and 14 are provided with mounting plates 16 having mounting apertures 18 formed therethrough and it may be seen from FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings that suitable fasteners 20 may be secured through the apertures 18 and utilized to secure the mounting plates 16 to the inner surface of a closet door 22. Also, from FIG. 3 of the drawings it will be noted that even the larger outer C-shaped channel member 14 is supported from the door 20 in slightly spaced relation.

A first mounting fixture referred to in general by the reference numeral 24 is provided and includes a plate portion 26 which is slidably received in the channel member 12. A shank 28 projects horizontally outwardly from the plate 26 and terminates outwardly in an upwardly angled end portion 30 having a spherical enlargement 32 on its free end. A similar support fixture is referred to in general by the reference numeral 24' and is substantially identical to the fixture 24 except that the plate portion 26' thereof is thicker than the plate portion 26. The plate portion 26' is substantially twice as thick as the plate portion 26 as may be noted from the phantom line representation thereof illustrated in FIG. 7.

With the support fixtures 24 and 24' slidably engaged with the channel members 12 and 14, a pair of stop pins 34 are secured through selected longitudinally spaced pairs of vertically aligned bores 36 and 38 formed in the channel members 12 and 14, respectively. Of course, the pins 34 limit movement of the support fixtures 24 and 24' toward each other.

The bag holder also includes an elongated flexible elastic member 36, a stiff but flexible section of tubing 38 through which the elastic member 36 is slidably received and a handle assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 40. The handle assembly 40 includes an upstanding flange 42 including a horizontally outstanding U-shaped handgrip 44 and an upper marginal horizontally and rearwardly outwardly directed flange 46 which terminates outwardly in a downturned flange 48 to define a downwardly opening channel 50 between the flange 48 and the flange 42.

The flange 42 is provided with a longitudinally extending slit 52 whose upper end is enlarged into a substantially cylindrical bore 54 extending along the upper marginal portion of the flange 42. The slit 52 divides the flange 42 into a rear flange segment 56 and a front flange segment 58 with the flange segment 56 and 58 disposed in substantially full surface-to-surface contacting relation. However, the handle 40 is constructed of stiff but somewhat resilient material such as plastic.

In operation, after the spacing between the support fixtures 24 and 24' has been determined by proper positioning of the pins 34 subsequent to the mounting bar 10 being mounted on the door 22, the free ends of the elastic member 36 are knotted together to form an elastic loop of a size slightly smaller than the size of the open upper end of the plastic bag 60 to be supported from the mounting bar 10. Then, the open upper end of the bag 60 is inserted upwardly through the loop defined by the elastic member 36 and the upper marginal portion of the open upper end of the bag 60 projecting above the elastic loop is turned outwardly and downwardly over the elastic loop 36. Then, the opposite side edge portions of the bag 60 are looped over the enlargements 32 and 32' so as to support the bag 60 from the support fixtures 24.

Of course, the tube 38 is disposed on the loop of the elastic member 36 and reinforces the central portion of the outer side of the bag which is then forced upwardly into the slit 52 and into the bore 54.

With the bag 60 supported from the fixtures 24 and 24' in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the handle 40, which clampingly engages the center portion of the outer side of the bag 60, may be inwardly displaced and engaged downwardly over the central portion of the mounting bar 10. Thus, the bag 60 is supported with its upper end in a substantially closed position.

However, when it is desired to place material into the bag 60, the handle 40 is elevated from the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings and then displaced forwardly to the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings with the upper end of the bag 60 disposed in an open condition.

Inasmuch as the opposite ends of the tube 38 project outwardly beyond the opposite ends of the bore 54, further support of the upper end of the bag 60 in an open position when the handle is positioned as illustrated in FIG. 2 is afforded.

Of course, inasmuch as the handle 40 is clampingly engaged with the upper marginal portion of the outer side of the bag 60, when the bag is partially full or nearly full and the handle 40 is positioned as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, at least a reasonable portion of the load of material within the bag 40 is supported from the handle and the handle 40 is in turn supported from the mounting bar. Therefore, the entire weight of the contents of the bag 60 is not dependent upon the engagement of the opposite ends of the bag 60 with the enlargements 32 and 32'.

If it is desired, the elastic member 36 may be made endless in the form of a loop. Of course, if a loop type elastic member is provided it will be adaptable to only a small selection of different size bags whereas when the elongated member 36 is provided it may be suitably tied to form substantially any size loop and therefore may be utilized in conjunction with substantially any size bag.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A bag support including an elongated mounting bar for mounting in generally horizontal position, a pair of support fixtures supported from said bar at points spaced longitudinally therealong and adapted to have the upper corners of a bag supportingly engaged therewith, elastic loop means for disposition about the upper end portion of said bag and over which the upper end marginal portions of the bag may be folded, a stiff but somewhat flexible elongated sleeve disposed about one side portion of said loop means, a horizontally elongated handle removably laterally engageable with said sleeve for support of the latter from said handle, said handle being of a length appreciably less than the length of said sleeve whereby the opposite ends of the sleeve project endwise outwardly of the opposite ends of said handle when the latter is engaged with said sleeve, said handle including means for laterally releasably engaging said bar intermediate said support fixtures for support of said handle, and thus said sleeve, from said bar.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bar includes relatively extendable opposite end portions, each of said opposite end portions including mounting means for securement to an upstanding support surface.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said fixtures are supported from said bar for adjustable positioning therealong, said fixtures and bar including coacting means operative to adjustably limit shifting movement of each of said fixtures relative to said bar toward the other fixture.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support fixtures include knob portions supported in outstanding relation relative to one side of said bar over which said corners are engageable.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said fixtures are supported from said bar for adjustable positioning therealong, said fixtures and bar including coacting means operative to adjustably limit shifting movement of each of said fixtures relative to said bar toward the other fixture.

6. A bag support including an elongated mounting bar for mounting in generally horizontal position, a pair of support fixtures supported from said bar at points spaced longitudinally therealong and adapted to have the upper corners of a bag supportingly engaged therewith, an elongated handle member including means for supporting engagement with the mid-portion of one of the upper marginal portions of one of the sides of said bag extending between said corners, said handle and said bar including coacting portions releasably engageable with each other for releasable support of said handle from a portion of said bar spaced generally centrally intermediate said support fixtures, elastic loop means for disposition about the upper end portion of said bag and over which the upper end marginal portions of the bag may be folded, said means for supporting engagement with said bag including means for engaging said bag on opposite sides of the adjacent portion of said loop, a stiff but somewhat flexible elongated sleeve disposed about the portion of said loop adjacent said handle and over which said handle is removably engaged with both ends of said sleeve projecting endwise outwardly from opposite ends of the handle for stiffening the marginal portions of said bag engaged by and adjacent said handle, said means on said handle for supporting engagement with said bag comprises a pair of side-by-side depending portions of said handle defining an area therebetween in which the supported portion of said bag is removably receivable, the upper portion of the area defined between said depending portions being in the form of a substantially cylindrical passage through which the portion of said bag folded over said sleeve is receivable.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said fixtures are supported from said bar for adjustable positioning therealong, said fixtures and bar including coacting means operative to adjustably limit shifting movement of each of said fixtures relative to said bar toward the other fixture.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said bar includes relatively extendable opposite end portions, each of said opposite end portions including mounting means for securement to an upstanding support surface.