Animal waste removal and disposal tool

Abstract

Waste clean-up and disposal devices are disclosed for scooping-up, bagging, and disposing of pet waste in a sanitary manner. The device includes a scooper body for removably housing and protecting a flexible tubing dispensing cassette. The scooper body defines a passageway between a waste entrance opening and a waste exit opening. The cassette dispenses flexible tubing from the waste exit opening for receiving waste materials such as pet waste droppings. A blade is preferably connected to the housing for severing of the flexible tubing for disposal.

The claimed invention is: 
     
         1 . An animal waste removal and disposal device comprising:
 an elongated annular scooper body having an annular wall defining a passageway extending from a frontward waste entrance opening to a rearward waste exit opening of said scooper body, said rearward waste exit opening configured to receive and secure a pleated tubing dispensing cassette wherein said cassette has an annular cassette body defining an opening sized to closely surround and fit tightly against the annular wall of the waste exit opening; and   a handle operatively connected to an outer surface of the elongated annular wall and configured to be grasped by a user's hand to maneuver said device to scoop up waste.   
     
     
         2 . The waste removal and disposal device of  claim 1 , wherein a said annular wall is characterized as having a length sufficient to extend fully through the opening of the annular cassette body to provide a protective barrier and slippery surface between the cassette and waste moving through the passageway and exiting the waste exit opening of the device. 
     
     
         3 . The waste removal and disposal device of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of said scooper body forms a protective guard around at least a portion of said cassette to provide a barrier between said cassette and said waste when said device is maneuvered to scoop up waste from a surface. 
     
     
         4 . The waste removal and disposal device of  claim 1 , said annular wall of said waste exit opening further comprising a radially outwardly extending at least semi-annular wall transitioning to a rearwardly extending outer annular wall disposed concentric with and relative to the inner annular wall forming a U-shaped channel therebetween. 
     
     
         5 . The waste removal and disposal device of  claim 1 , wherein said annular wall of said waste exit opening comprises a top portion relative to a bottom portion, wherein said top portion forms a rearwardly extending protrusion relative to the bottom portion to provide an open passageway within tubing extending rearwardly therefrom. 
     
     
         6 . The waste removal and disposal device of  claim 1 , said waste exit opening further comprising a radially outwardly extending at least semi-annular wall transitioning to a rearwardly extending outer annular wall comprising a blade for severing said tubing. 
     
     
         7 . The waste removal and disposal device of  claim 1 , further comprising an elongated pole operatively connected to the handle. 
     
     
         8 . The waste removal and disposal device of  claim 1 , further comprising a row of tines extending forwardly from the annular scooper body at the waste entrance opening. 
     
     
         9 . The waste removal and disposal device of  claim 1 , wherein said device is of unitary construction forged from a material selected from a group consisting of plastic, resin, high-density polyethylene, rubber, and steel. 
     
     
         10 . The waste removal and disposal device of  claim 1 , wherein an outer periphery of the annular body as defined by the annular wall at the rearward waste exit opening has an outline geometrically similar to an outline of the opening of said cassette. 
     
     
         11 . The waste removal and disposal device of  claim 1 , further comprising a pleated tubing dispensing cassette having an annular shape defining an opening therethrough, wherein said cassette comprises tubular film configured to be dispensed from said cassette by a user pulling one end of said tubular film. 
     
     
         12 . A material scooping device comprising:
 an annular body configured to receive a tubing dispensing cassette, said body defining a passageway therethrough, said body having an upper surface opposite a lower surface, wherein said lower surface is configured as flat to slidingly engage an opposing external flat surface to scoop up material from said external surface;   a tubing dispensing cassette operatively connected to said annular body, said cassette comprising a length of pleated flexible tubing contained within said cassette;   a handle affixed to said annular body for maneuvering said body to scoop up said material.   
     
     
         13 . The material scooping device of  claim 12 , wherein said scooping device forms a protective guard around at least a portion of said tubing dispensing cassette to provide a barrier between said cassette and said material when said device is maneuvered to scoop up material from a surface. 
     
     
         14 . The material scooping device of  claim 12 , further comprising a blade for severing tubing. 
     
     
         15 . The material scooping device of  claim 12 , further comprising an elongated pole operatively connected to the handle. 
     
     
         16 . A waste scooper and disposal device comprising:
 a cassette for dispensing a flexible pleated tubing, said cassette comprising an annular body having a generally U-shaped housing, the annular body having an outer annular wall transitioning to a radially inwardly extending wall transitioning to an elongated inner annular wall, said elongated inner annular wall characterized as having a length sufficient to extend frontally from said housing to form a scooper at a distal end thereof, said scooper defining a waste entrance opening;   an annular flange operatively secured to the body to help retain pleated tubing in the U-shaped housing; and   a handle affixed to said cassette for maneuvering the device to scoop up said waste from a surface.   
     
     
         17 . The waste scooper and disposal device of  claim 16 , further comprising pleated tubing within said cassette. 
     
     
         18 . The waste scooper and disposal device of  claim 16 , further comprising pleated tubing within said cassette, wherein a portion of said tubing is sufficiently drawn frontally from said cassette to extend forward of said distal end scooper, wrap inwardly and backwardly through said scooper and thence extend outwardly from said device, where a knot is formed by said tubing for receiving and disposing of waste scooped up by said scooper. 
     
     
         19 . The waste scooper and disposal device of  claim 16 , said housing further comprising a blade operatively connected thereto for severing of tubing. 
     
     
         20 . The waste scooper and disposal device of  claim 16 , further comprising an elongated pole operatively connected to the handle for maneuvering said device across a ground surface while a user is in a standing position.