Advancing Colllecting Device

Abstract

An inexpensive and collapsible advancing and collecting device for leaves and other debris. The advancing collecting device includes a chute section foldable into a U-shaped configuration so as to be adjustable in diameter to accommodate varying size opening bags or containers in which the debris is to be collected. Connectable to the chute section is a planar scoop section. Leaves and debris are collected onto the planar scoop section while the chute section is inserted into the bag or container resting on the ground. The bag or container is leveraged upright by pulling up the advancing collecting device via handles in the scoop section while simultaneously advancing the debris through the chute section.

1 . An advancing collecting device comprising:
 a planar scoop section foldable along at least two lateral fold lines, the scoop section having a free terminating first end and an opposite second end; and   a chute section having a free terminating end and an opposite second send; the second ends of the scoop and chute sections being connectable to one another; the chute section being foldable along two longitudinal fold lines to form a 3-sided structure having a U-shape cross-section with an open top so as to be adjustable in diameter; the scoop section configured to remain planar when the chute section is folded into the 3-sided structure with the U-shape cross-section.   
     
     
         2 . The device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the scoop and chute sections are collapsible to a substantially planar configuration when not assembled. 
     
     
         3 . The device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the scoop section is foldable in a longitudinal direction along at least two fold lines. 
     
     
         4 . A method for using the advancing collecting device in accordance with  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 folding the chute section inward along the two longitudinal fold lines thereby forming the 3-sided structure having the U-shaped configuration adjustable to accommodate various size bag or container openings;   assembling the chute and scoop sections together while the scoop section remains planar in its unfolded state and the chute section is folded in the substantially U-shaped configuration;   placing the assembled advancing collecting device on the ground;   inserting the free terminating first end of the folded U-shaped chute into the bag or container;   pushing debris to be collected onto the advancing collecting device so that it at least partially covers the planar scoop section; and   leveraging upright the bag or container with the chute section of the advancing collecting device received therein via handles defined along the free terminating first end of the scoop section while the scoop section remains in an extended, unfolded state whereby gravity draws the debris collected onto the scoop section down through the chute section and into the bag or container.   
     
     
         5 . The method in accordance with  claim 4 , further comprising the step of reducing in size the advancing collecting device for easy removal from the bag or container by folding backwards onto itself the scoop section along at least one of the two lateral fold lines. 
     
     
         6 . The method in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein leveraging upright, without lifting, of the bag or container is achieved using the advancing collecting device. 
     
     
         7 . An advancing collecting device comprising:
 a planar scoop section comprising:
 a longitudinal section foldable along a first lateral fold line thereby dividing the longitudinal section of the planar scoop section into a lower panel and an upper panel; 
 a trapezoidal panel extending from the lower panel of the longitudinal section forming an interface therebetween that defines a second lateral fold line, the trapezoidal panel having three free mating tabs; 
   a chute section connected to the planar scoop section; the chute section comprising:
 a longitudinal section foldable in a longitudinal direction along two fold lines thereby defining three subdivided panels including a center panel sandwiched between two side panels; and 
 an angular section connected to the longitudinal section along an interface; 
   the angular section comprising:
 two angled panels extending longitudinally from the respective side panels of the chute section. 
   
     
     
         8 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein each angled panel is rectangular or square in shape. 
     
     
         9 . The device in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein inner facing side edges of the two angled panels are substantially parallel to one another and substantially align with the respective fold lines in the longitudinal section of the chute section so that the angled panels define live contiguous free terminating edges, one of which is a lateral free edge of the center panel of the longitudinal section of the chute section. 
     
     
         10 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein each angled panel is trapezoidal in shape with outer side edges in a longitudinal direction of each angled panel being non-parallel, whereas its inner facing side edges are substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         11 . The device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein at an interface with the longitudinal section of the chute section, a width in a lateral direction of each angled panel is substantially equal to a width of the respective side panel; while a lateral terminating end of each angled panel opposite the interface with the longitudinal section of the chute section has a width in a lateral direction less than the width at the interface with the longitudinal section of the chute section. 
     
     
         12 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein inner facing side edges of the two angled panels are substantially parallel to one another and substantially align with the respective fold lines in the longitudinal section of the chute section so that the angled panels define five contiguous free terminating edges, one of which is a lateral free edge of the center panel of the longitudinal section of the chute section. 
     
     
         13 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , a lateral fold line is defined at the interface between the side panels and angled panels of the chute section. 
     
     
         14 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the longitudinal section of the scoop section is substantially square or rectangular in shape with two substantially parallel side edges. 
     
     
         15 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein a width of the longitudinal section of the scoop section in a lateral direction is greater than a width of the trapezoidal panel of the scoop section at its interface therewith. 
     
     
         16 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein each of the lower and upper panels, respectively, are foldable along two fold lines in a longitudinal direction thereby defining three subdivided panels including a center panel sandwiched between two side panels. 
     
     
         17 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein terminating ends of the side panels of the longitudinal section of the scoop section have a width in a lateral direction substantially equal to a width in a lateral direction of free terminating edges of the angled panels of the chute section. 
     
     
         18 . The device in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein three contiguous free terminating edges of the five free contiguous terminating edges include: (i) the lateral free edge of the center panel of the longitudinal section of the chute section; and (ii) two parallel free terminating edges of the respective trapezoidal panels of the angular section of the chute section. 
     
     
         19 . The device in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the three contiguous free terminating edges of the chute section are connectable to complementary size tabs of the trapezoidal panel of the scoop section. 
     
     
         20 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein at least one handle is defined in the scoop section. 
     
     
         21 . The device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein at least one handle is defined in each of the upper and lower panels of the longitudinal section of the scoop section, the handles defined in each of the upper and lower panels are disposed so that when the upper and lower panels are folded along the lateral fold line along the interface therebetween the handles in each of the upper and lower panels are substantially aligned.