Apparatus to secure the mouth of a bag open for sliding debris into the bag

Abstract

An apparatus to hold the mouth of a bag open to facilitate sliding debris into a bag being a pair of a loops, each having at least one straight side, that mate together with the open edge of the bag between them.

1 . An apparatus for holding the mouth of a flexible bag open, the apparatus comprising: 
 a generally rigid self supporting first member forming a continuous loop, the loop having at least one substantially straight segment;    a second member; and    wherein one member of the first and second members has a slot formed therein, the slot extending substantially a length of the one member and being adapted to matingly receive the other member of the first and second members therein along substantially the entire periphery of the other member in a generally parallel orientation to each other with an entire periphery of the flexible bag proximate the mouth sandwiched therebetween; and    wherein the slot encloses a substantial portion of the other member.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first member and the second member have complimentary cross sections that snapidly lock together to secure the portion of the bag sandwiched therebetween.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one side of the first member has one of a concave and convex cross section.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first member is generally rectangular in cross section and the second member has the slot formed therein, wherein the slot is adapted to wholly enclose at least one side of the first member and cover at least majority portions of two other sides of the first member.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second member further includes one or more hook members, the hook members being adapted to latch against the first member.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second member forms a continuous loop.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the second member comprises a generally flexible material.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the second member comprises a generally rigid but resilient material.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a support structure adapted to orientate and hold the apparatus in a generally vertical orientation.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the support structure comprises at least one from the group of a leg, a foot and a spike.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a footplate, the footplate being attached to the apparatus proximate the straight segment.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a handle member.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the second member comprises a length of generally flexible material, the length of generally flexible material being generally equal to a perimeter length of the first member.  
   
   
       14 . An apparatus to hold the mouth of a flexible bag open, the apparatus comprising: 
 a support loop comprising a generally rigid self supporting material, the support loop having at least one straight segment and a generally rectangular cross section; and    a retaining loop comprising a generally rigid and resilient material, the retainer loop having a generally C-shaped cross section defining a slot, the slot being sized to tightly receive the support loop with substantially the entire periphery of a portion of the flexible bag proximate the mouth wrapped around the support loop;    wherein a least one side of the support loop is completely enclosed by the retainer loop and a majority of at least two other sides of the support loop are covered by the retaining loop.    
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein at least two sides of the support loop are substantially completely covered by the retaining loop.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein at least one side of the support loop is one of concave or convex and at least one interior side of the slot corresponding to the at least one side of the support loop is the other of the concave and convex.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the support loop has at least one of a protrusion and a depression formed on at least one side thereof; and wherein at least one interior side of the slot has the other of at least one of the protrusion and the depression, the other of the protrusion and the depression corresponding to said at least one of a protrusion and a depression.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one protrusion comprises a ridge, the ridge extending circumferentially around at least a portion of the support loop, and the depression comprises a groove, the groove extending circumferentially around at least a portion of the retaining loop.  
   
   
       19 . An apparatus to hold the mouth of a flexible bag open, the apparatus comprising: 
 a support member, the support member comprising a self-supporting loop of substantially rigid material and having a generally concave outer peripheral surface; and    a retaining member, the retaining member comprising a looped band that is adapted to be received in the concave outer peripheral surface to bias a portion of the flexible bag sandwiched therebetween against the support member.    
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the looped band comprises a flexible and resilient material.