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(11) | EP 2 520 720 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Packaging for collecting dog waste |
| (57) The Eco-friendly Pooper Scooper provides a solution for the problem of picking up
dog poop. The Eco-friendly Pooper Scooper replaces three different products: a dustpan, broom and bag. The box can be manufactured in different sizes in order to suit the size of the dog or the size of the dog poop. The box is made of one single component (paper, weighing 150 g/m2 or more), with a longitudinal fold line (4) folded in the middle and glued onto the finished product along the longitudinal fold line (3). Before we use the box, it needs to be assembled; this is done with the help of the fold lines (5 and 6) on the bottom of the box, which are folded inwards next to each other, closing off the bottom of the box and making sure the dog poop content stays inside the box. We then tear off the cardboard piece (7) along the perforated line and use it to push the dog poop into the opening on the top of the box, which is indicated by the inwardly folded edge (2) and outer flap (1). At the end, we close the open box with the lid (10) and throw the box along with its contents into the dog poo bin. |
[0001] My invention is the Eco-friendly Pooper Scooper. It is a box made of paper (thick paper, weighing 150 g/m2 or more); it is easy to use and, of course, also eco-friendly.
[0002] The solution that this invention provides is that people will be able to pick up the dog poop without actually touching the poop. At the same time, they will also be eco-conscious, because all components are made of paper (cardboard).
[0003] There is currently no known solution such as the one my invention provides. People usually use dog poop bags made of PVC - and there are some biodegradable poop bags available on the market, but there is no product like this Eco-friendly Pooper Scooper. Apart from bags, there are also tongs available on the market (e.g. the Nippy Pooper Scooper), but these are used in combination with PVC bags.
[0004] The disadvantage of PVC bags compared to my invention is that they are not eco-friendly. On top of that, when we use poop bags, we still have to indirectly touch the poop.
[0005] The disadvantages of tongs such as the "Nippy" (which is merely an accessory used with PVC bags) are that tongs are also made of PVC material and are thus not eco-friendly. On top of that, they can be quite complicated to use.
[0006] Some dog waste removal solutions made of paper do exist, but all these solutions are based on the principle of picking up the dog poop from top to bottom (vertically). This principle involves picking up the dog poop from top to bottom (using the bag to pick it up by hand, then there are tongs so we don't have to pick it up by hand, then there are a variety of cardboard accessories which can be used vertically or from the top to pick up or push the poop into a bag or box).
[0007] My invention (the Eco-friendly Pooper Scooper) is based on the principle of the broom and dustpan. It is used to remove dog poop from the floor or ground (horizontally). We simply use a cardboard piece (7), which serves as the broom, to push (sweep, scrape...) the dog poop into the pre-assembled paper box, which serves as the dustpan. We then close the paper box with the lid (10) and throw it into the dog poo bin.
[0008] One of the advantages of my invention is that, since it is made of paper, it is both eco-friendly and easy to use. It provides us with an elegant solution to the problem of picking up dog poop since our hands do not come in contact (directly or indirectly) with the poop. We simply use the cardboard piece (7) and the paper box, so we don't have to use our hands like we do with when using a poop bag.
[0009] Another advantage of this product is that the horizontal collection of dog poop, which works just like a broom and dustpan, makes it possible to clean up the dog poop more thoroughly as this method allows us to clean up loose and watery stools too; we simply use the cardboard piece (7) to scrape the poop into the box which is made of thick paper (weighing 150 g/m2 or more) and is coated with any type of coating, making it durable and strong enough to even hold loose and watery stools (dog poop). In addition to this, the bottom of the box has two layers, which are stuck next to each other, giving the box greater impermeability.
[0010] Another advantage of this product is that the cardboard piece (7) has a triangular notch (11) which allows us to hook the cardboard piece (7) onto the edge of the box after it has been used for the first time. This way, the cardboard piece (7) does not get dirty and, if necessary, we can take it out of the box and use it again, which means that one box can be used to pick up dog poop several times. This is particularly useful in cases when dogs need to poop more than once while on a walk.
[0011] Another very important advantage of this product is that one single product replaces three different products: a dustpan, broom and bag. The cardboard piece (7) serves as the broom which is used to push the poop into the box, which in this case serves as the dustpan. After use, we close the open box with the lid (10) and throw the box along with its contents into the dog poo bin. This way, the box can even replace garbage bags since, if we were to use an ordinary broom and dustpan, we would also need a garbage bag to throw the dog poop into. With my invention, we no longer need any of these products (neither a broom nor a dustpan nor a bag).
[0012] Another advantage of this product is that the box can be manufactured in different sizes in order to suit the size of the dog or the size of the dog poop.
[0013] One more advantage of this product is that, since it is made of paper, it is very light and easy to carry. It also does not take up much space since it is foldable; in fact, it can even be folded several times to make it smaller so you can make it fit into your purse or pocket.
[0014] The invention will be described in the operational example and pictures, which show:
Picture 1: drawing of an open (non-assembled) box
Picture 2: drawing of a closed (assembled) box from a horizontal angle
Picture 3: drawing of a closed (assembled) box from a vertical angle
Picture 4: drawing of a closed (assembled) box with the lid closed
Picture 5: drawing or functional display of the method of collecting dog poop
[0015] The Eco-friendly Pooper Scooper is made of one single component (cardboard or thick paper, weighing 150 g/m2), with 5 folds, 3 flaps, 1 triangular notch and one piece of perforated cardboard.
[0016] The top part of the box is open with an inwardly folded edge (2) and the outer flap (1) has a round or curved shape. The top of the box is open so that, when the box is assembled, it forms an opening through which the dog poop is pushed with the help of the cardboard piece (7) as shown in Picture 5.
[0017] On the bottom of the box, there are two circular folds of the same size (5 and 6) and two rounded flaps of the same size (8 and 9), which hook together or are folded next to each other, closing off the bottom of the box and forming a double-layered bottom to make sure the dog poop remains inside the box.
[0018] Next, there are two longitudinal fold lines. The first longitudinal fold line (3) merely serves to stick the cardboard sides together. The second longitudinal fold line (4) allows us to fold the box and stick it all together.
[0019] Once we have folded along fold line 4 and attached fold line 3, and once flaps 5 and 6 have been stuck together and the cardboard piece (7) has been torn off the box, the box is fully assembled and ready for picking up dog poop, as shown in Picture 2
[0020] Dog poop is collected by holding the assembled box in one hand and the cardboard piece (7) in the other, using the cardboard piece to push the poop into the box. After use, we can hook the cardboard piece (7) onto the edge of the box with the help of the triangular notch (11) and, when necessary, take the cardboard piece (7) out of the box and use it again.
[0021] The inwardly folded edge (2) is attached to the lid (10), which is folded back during the process of collecting dog poop as shown in Picture 3 Once we have finished cleaning up the dog poop, we throw the cardboard piece (7) into the open box and close the box with the lid (10), as shown in Picture 4, and throw the box into the dog poo bin.
- The top of the box is open, with an inwardly folded edge (2), and the outer flap of any rounded forms or shape of the curve (1) at the bottom of the box are two rounded flaps of equal size (8 and 9) and two circular folds of the same size (5 and 6), which hook together, closing off the bottom of the box and forming a double-layered bottom;
- The longitudinal fold line (4) serves to fold the box down the middle and the longitudinal fold line (3) serves to stick the final product together;
- The inwardly folded edge (2) is attached to the lid (10), which serves to close the open box after use;
- The lid (10) has a piece of perforated cardboard (of any shape and size) attached to it; this cardboard piece (7) serves as a broom to collect the dog poop;
- The cardboard piece (7) has a triangular notch (11), which allows us to hook the cardboard piece (7) onto the edge of the box and use it to clean up dog poop several times.
- The box is used to pick up dog poop;
- The solution is based on the principle of the broom and dustpan, which means that the poop is collected horizontally on the ground and not vertically according to the principle of tongs;
- The box can be manufactured in different sizes in order to suit the size of the dog or the size of the dog poop;
- The box is made of thick paper (weighing 150 g/m2 or more) and is coated with any type of coating to give the product greater durability when used;
- One single product replaces three different products: the cardboard piece (7) is used as a broom to push or scrape the dog poop into the box and the rest of the box is used as a dustpan to collect the dog poop;
- After use, we close the box with the lid (10); so, the packed or closed box which was previously used to collect dog poop, also serves as a substitute for a bag.