Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BAG FOR INSTALLATION ON A MOBILE CLEANING CART
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to bags used on mobile cleaning carts,
and more particularly to such a bag that is openable at a bottom end thereof
to
facilitate removal of its contents without lifting thereof through the bag's
open top.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mobile cleaning or utility carts commonly used in custodial, janitorial,
housekeeping or maid services are typically arranged to support a bag at one
or
more ends of the cart for collection of garbage, recyclables, laundry or other
materials therein. For example, a commonly used conventional cart features top
and bottom horizontal rectangular platforrns interconnected at their corners
by
vertically extending legs, the bottom platform having four corresponding wheel
carriers depending downward therefrom beneath the platforms to facilitate
rolling
motion of the cart. At one or both ends of the platforms, a pair of horizontal
arms
aligned with opposite side edges of the top platform project therefrom in an
orientation parallel thereto to support a horizontal handle extending parallel
to the
respective end edge of the top platform at a distance therefrom such that the
handle,
arms and respective platform end edge delimit a rectangular area when viewed
in
plan. Sets of hooks respectively project into this space at opposite sides
thereof
from the end edge of the top platForm and the side of the handle facing this
end edge
of the platform to support a collection bag by means of grommeted or eyelet-
equipped holes on opposite sides of the bag's open top end.
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Conventionally, these bags are either only open at the top thereof, thus
requiring manual lifting of the bag's contents by the user for removal from
the bag, or
have been additionally provided with a zipper-openable side to allow for
easier
lateral emptying of the bag's contents. A problem with the latter arrangement
however has been that as the bag becomes more full, the contents of the bag
may
tend to force open the zipper fastener used to secure the openable side of the
bag
shut until emptying of the bag is desired. Another problem with conventional
cleaning cart bags has been the ease with which some of the bags rip,
particularly at
the holes near the top of the bag from which the bag is hung during use.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved cleaning cart bag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a bag for
installation on a mobile cleaning cart, the bag having an open top end at
which the
bag is arranged for hanging support on the mobile cleaning cart and an
openable
and closable bottom end facilitating removal of contents from the bag through
said
bottom end with the top end hanging from the cart.
Preferably there is provided a bottom flap movable between open and
closed positions respectively spanning over and exposing an opening in the bag
at
the bottom end thereof.
Preferably there are provided fasteners operable to selectively close
off and open the bottom end of the bag.
Preferably there are provided cooperative fastener elements supported
on opposite ones of the bottom flap and a portion of the bag distinct from the
bottom
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flap and adjacent a bottom perimeter of the bag defining the opening therein,
the
cooperate fastener elements being selectively engageable to secure the bottom
flap
in the closed position.
Preferably the cooperative fastener elements comprise mating male
and female components of a quick release clip.
Preferably there is provided a plurality of holes formed in the bag
proximate, and at spaced positions along, an upper perimeter of the bag
defining the
open top end thereof for passage of corresponding hooks on the cleaning cart
through the holes to hang the bag on the cart.
Preferably each of the holes formed proximate the upper perimeter of
the bag is fitted with an eyelet or grommet.
Preferably there is provided a plurality of pockets defined on an
exterior of the bag.
Preferably the plurality of pockets is defined on a single side of the
bag.
Preferably the plurality of pockets is arranged in parallel columns of
pockets.
Preferably different ones of the parallel columns of pockets feature
different numbers of pockets.
Preferably the plurality of pockets comprising differently sized pockets.
The bag may comprise canvas.
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Preferably there are provided straps supported proximate the open top
end of the bag for wrapping about respective portions of the cart for hanging
of the
bag therefrom.
Preferably a first fastener component is carried on each strap and is
removably engagable with a second corresponding fastener component supported
proximate the open top end of the bag to form a closed loop around the
respective
portion of the cart.
Preferably the fastener components comprise quick release clip
elements.
The bag may be used in combination with a removable liner situated
within the bag. In this instance, the removable liner may comprise a garbage
bag.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of a cleaning cart bag with a bottom
flap thereof hanging in an open position.
Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the cleaning cart bag during
movement of the bottom flap from the open position of Figure 1 into a closed
position.
Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the cleaning cart bag installed on
a conventional cleaning cart with the bottom flap in the closed position.
Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the bag and cleaning cart of
Figure 3 as taken along line IV - IV thereof.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The figures provided herewith illustrate a cleaning cart bag 10
arranged for installation on a conventional cleaning cart 100. The cart
illustrated in
Figures 3 and 4 is of the prior art type briefly described herein above,
featuring a top
5 horizontal rectangular platform 102 aligned with and positioned over an
equally sized
bottom horizontal rectangular platform 104 by four vertically extending legs
106
interconnecting the two platforms at their aligned comers. The bottom platform
104
has four wheel carriers 108 depending downward from the corners thereof
beneath
the platforms 102, 104 to facilitate rolling motion of the cart 100. At the
illustrated
end of the platforms, a pair of horizontal arms 110 aligned with opposite side
edges
of the top platform 102 project therefrom in an orientation parallel to these
side
platform edges to support a horizontal handle 112 extending parallel to the
respective end edge 102a of the top platform 102 at a distance therefrom such
that
the handle 112, arms 110 and respective platform end edge 102a delimit a
rectangular area when viewed in plan. Sets of hooks 114, 116 respectively
project
into this space at opposite sides thereof from the end edge 102a of the top
platform
102 and the side of the handle 112 facing this end edge 102a to support the
cleaning cart collection bag 10 by means of grommeted or eyelet-equipped holes
on
opposite sides of the bag's open top end.
When unfolded and hung for use on the cart, as illustrated in Figures 3,
and 4, the bag 10 features a front wall 12, opposite rear wall 14 and opposing
side
walls 16 delimiting, and depending downward from, an open top end 18 of the
bag.
The front wall 12 and rear wall 14 feature respective sets of holes 20
extending
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therethrough just below the perimeter of the open top end 18, where as
illustrated in
the figures the bag 10 may be folded or doubled over to form a hemmed edge
18a.
Each hole 20 is fitted with a respective grommet or eyelet 20a for
reinforcement of
the bag 18 at these holes to better resist tearing when hung on the cart 100.
With
reference to Figure 4, the holes 20 of the bag's front wall 12 fit over the
cart handle's
L-shaped hooks 116, which project from the cart handle 112, first horizontally
toward
the cart's top platform 102, parallel to the arms 110 supporting the handle
112, and
then vertically upward. Similarly, the holes of the bag's rear wall 14 fit
over the cart
platform's L-shaped hooks 114, which project from the end edge 102a of the
cart's
top platform, first horizontally toward the cart's handle 112, parallel to the
arms 110
supporting the handle 112, and then vertically upward. Each hook 114, 116 thus
extends horizontally through a respective hole 20 in the bag 10 from the
respective
part of the cart 100 and then projects upward to form a stop that prevents
sliding of
the bag 18 off the hook, the hooks thus hangingly supporting the bag 10 on the
cart
100.
At the bottom end of the bag opposite the open top end 18, the walls
12, 14, 16 of the bag 10 delimit a bottom opening 24 of the bag communicating
with
the interior thereof. Connected to the rear wall 14 of the bag 10 proximate a
bottom
end of the rear wall a short distance past the perimeter of the bottom opening
24 is a
rectangular bottom flap 26. This flap 26 is sewn, along one edge 26a thereof,
to and
across the rear wall 14 of the bag 10 just outward from a respective perimeter
edge
of the bottom opening 24 so that the flap can be pivoted or folded along this
relatively permanent fastening of the flap to the bag 10. Figure 1 shows the
flap 26
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in an open position hanging downward from its connection to the rest of the
bag 10
so that the bottom opening 24 is left unobstructed, while Figure 2 iilustrates
how the
flap 26 can be bent or folded over the bottom opening 24 to span thereover
from the
rear wall 14 to the front wall 12 and also fully, or substantially fully,
between the side
walls 16 so as to conceal the bottom opening 24 and thus close off the bottom
of the
bag 10.
Proximate an end edge 26b of the bottom flap 26 opposite its
connection to the rear wall 14 of the bag 10, female halves 28 of a series of
quick
release clip connectors are carried on an exterior side of the flap, which
faces away
from the bottom opening 24 when closed thereover, by respective flexible
straps 30
spaced along this edge 26b of the flap. Respective male halves 32 of the quick
release clip connectors are similarly carried by short flexible straps 34 on
the exterior
side of the bag's front wall 12 a short distance upward therealong from the
respective perimeter edge of the bottom opening 24 defined by the front wall
12.
Each flexible strap is sewn to the respective portion of the bag proximate one
end of
the strap with the other free end having the respective clip connector
component
pivotally connected thereto in a known manner by threading the strap through
an
eye in the connector component and sewing it back onto itself, the flexibility
of the
strap allowing movement of the connector component relative to the bag. The
spacing of the male halves 32 across the front wall 12 of the bag 10 matches
that of
the female halves 28 so that when the flap 26 is folded over the bottom
opening 24
for closing thereof, each male half 32 aligns with a respective female half so
that
these mating halves can be engaged together. Each of the so-engaged quick
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release clips thus defines an easily releasable fastener connecting the flap
26 and
the front wall 12 of the bag 10 so that engagement of all these clips secures
the flap
26 in the closed position. It will be appreciated that releasable fasteners
other than
the illustrated quick release clip connectors, commonly used for backpacks and
fanny packs, may alternatively be applied for selective and reversible
fastening of
the bottom flap 26 into the closed position.
As shown in Figure 4, the bottom platform 104 of the illustrated
conventional cart 100 features an extension 118 projecting from the bottom
platform
104 beneath the arms 110 and handle 112 of the handle structure projecting
from
the top platform 102. The extension 118 is rectangular in plan and has its
perimeter
in general alignment with the perimeter of the handle structure defined by the
edge
surfaces of the arms 110 and handle 112 that face outwardly away from the
rectangular area bound thereby. The extension 118 thus provides a support
surface
beneath the bag 10 so that resting of the bag atop this surface avoids bearing
of a
full bag's entire weight by the cooperating hooks 114, 116 and grommeted holes
20
near the open top end 18 of the bag. During filling of the hanging bag 10, the
mating
halves of the quick release connectors are engaged between the flap 26 and the
front wall 12 of the bag 10 to keep the bottom end of the bag closed. The
locking
action of the clips and the positioning of the openable flap 26 at the bottom
of the
bag so that its opening motion is against the bottom platform extension 118
separately and together oppose unwanted opening of the bag 10 under the weight
of
its contents.
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At a short distance below the open top end 18 of the bag 10, each side
wall 16 of the bag features a first flexibie strap 36 sewn to it near a first
end of the
strap, an opposite free end of the strap having a male half 38 of another
quick
release clip connector, of the same type used for securing of the flap 26,
pivotally
connected thereto in the aforementioned known manner. A second flexible strap
40,
near one end thereof, is fixed to the same side wall 16 just beneath where the
respective first strap 36 is fixed thereto, the opposite free end of the
second strap 40
pivotally carrying a respective female half 42 of the quick release clip
connector.
With reference to Figures 3 and 4, once the empty bag 10 is hung on the cart
100 by
cooperation of the cart's hooks 114, 116 with the corresponding holes 20 near
the
upper end of the bag 10, the first strap 36 near the bag's upper end on each
side is
passed upward over the respective one of the handle-supporting arms 110 of the
cart 100 to the outer side thereof opposite the rectangular space, delimited
by the
cart's handle structure, in which the bag is hung. Here, the female half 38 of
the
connector engages with the male half 42 carried at the free end of the second
strap
40, which extends laterally outward from the bag 10 to this outer side of the
cart arm
110 therebeneath. On each side of the bag 10, with the connector halves so
coupled, the first and second straps 36, 40 cooperate therewith to form a
closed loop
fastened about the respective one of the cart's handle-supporting arms 110 so
that
the bag is not hung solely by the cart hooks 114, 116 and corresponding
grommeted
holes 20.
Just as for the securing of the bottom flap 26, it will be appreciated that
releasable fasteners other than the Illustrated quick release clip connectors,
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commonly used for backpacks and fanny packs, may alternatively be applied for
selective and reversible fastening of the first and second straps 36, 40
around the
handle-supporting arms 110 of the cart 100. Straps, ties or bands could
alternatively
be tied around the arms of the cart without requiring additional fastener
elements,
5 but the locking action of the click-together quick release clips or other
releasable
locking fasteners prevent inadvertent opening of the loops from around the
cart arms
that may be more likely to occur when relying on user-tied knots. It will also
be
appreciated that depending on the features and structure of a particular cart,
the
loops may be closed around other portions of the cart for securing of the bag
10 thereto.
The bag also features a series of pockets formed on the exterior side
of the bag's front wall 12. In the illustrated embodiment the pockets are
arranged in
two parallel columns extending nearly the full height of the bag's front wall
12 and
each spanning approximately half the width thereof. A relatively large first
pocket 50
spans the full height of its respective column, forming a single pocket having
a depth
equaling a substantial portion of the front wall's height. The other column
features a
bottom second pocket 52 having its bottom aligned with that of the first
pocket 50
near the bottom end of the front wall 12 and a top third pocket 54 situated
over the
bottorn second pocket 52 a short height thereabove and extending up the front
wall
12 to the same height therealong as the first pocket 50. The open top of each
of the
large first pocket 50 and the top third pocket 54 is not horizontally
oriented, the
upper edge of each of these two pockets instead sloping obliquely and
generally
linearly downward, outwardly away from a vertical centerline of the front wall
12 such
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that the open top of each of these two pockets faces not only upwardly, but
also
laterally outwardly away from the bag's midplane passing through the front and
rear
walls 12, 14 between the side walls 16. The sloping of the upper edges of
these two
pockets acts to provide a wider opening to the pocket than in a rectangular
pocket
configuration for better access to pocket contents.
In the illustrated embodiment, all the pockets are disposed on the front
side of the bag, which herein refers to the side of the bag facing away cart
platforms
102, 104 toward the handle 112. This way, all the pockets are easily
accessible
from where a user would typically be maneuvering the cart. It will be
appreciated
that additional pockets could be added on the bag's side walls and that the
number,
layout or relative sizing of the pockets could be varied. The use of multiple
pockets
allows for organized storage of different types of items by dedicating
contents of a
particular pocket to a series of the same or related object types. For
example, using
the bag in the context of hotel housekeeping, each of the three pockets could
be
dedicated to a single one of pamphlets, coffee bags and linens. Carrying
cleaning
supplies, room supplies or other materials in the pockets frees up room on the
cart's
platforms. Some carts are adapted to carry bags at both ends, in which case
the
number of bag-defined pockets can be further increased to increase the
carrying
capacity of the cart or offer improved organization or reduced clutter. The
pockets
may also be useful when sorting recyclable materials being collected and
sorted for
subsequent transportation on the cart, for example by dedicating one pocket to
aluminum cans, another to plastic bottles or containers and a#hird to glass
products.
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The novel bag described herein above may be used with or without an
interior liner, for example depending on the objects or materials being
collected
within the bag. For example, when using the bag and cart combination to
collect
garbage, a conventional plastic garbage bag may be inserted into the
collection bag
to form an interior liner. When the garbage bag is full or needs to be removed
for
other reason, the user can open the bottom flap 26 and slide or shimmy the
bottom
of the collection bag up over the garbage bag for release thereof from the
collection
bag's interior without lifting the potentially heavy garbage bag. When
collecting
laundry or other materials not necessarily requiring an interior liner, the
openable
flap allows removal from the collection bag without repeatedly reaching over
the cart
handle down into collection bag 10 from above, thereby potentially reducing
awkwardness, strain or fatigue. As an example, using a cart capable of
supporting
two collection bags, one could be used with a liner for garbage collection
with the
other used without a liner for laundry collection.
As an example, the bag may be made of polyurethane coated 1000
Denier heavy Cordura nylon with 100% nylon face and polyurethane backing to
produce a bag that is high in strength, density and hydrostatic performance;
water
repellant; UV resistant; rot and mildew resistant; and abrasion resistant.
Exemplary
dimensions of the cleaning cart collection bag are 18 inches wide, 11 inches
deep
and 35 inches high. However, it will of course be appreciated that the
dimensions
may be varied, for example to suit use with a particular cart, and that the
bag may be
made of any of a known variety of materials.
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Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein
above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made
within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit
and
scope, it is intended that all matfer contained in the accompanying
specification shall
be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
