Curved Frame Bag Holder for Reducing Removal Effort
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bag holders often fail to maintain plastic bags open effectively during filling, leading to difficulties in collecting items like cut grass or leaves, as they may puncture or tear, and require excessive effort to remove the bag from containers due to partial vacuum formation.
Innovation Solution
A bag holder with a lower frame member and an upper frame member, both with curved surfaces conforming to specific circular radii, and vertical support members that allow the bag to be securely held open, facilitating easy filling and removal with reduced effort, and optional elastomeric pads for enhanced bag retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing bag holders are used to hold plastic bags open, then the bag can be supported during filling, but the bag may puncture or tear and require excessive effort to remove from containers due to partial vacuum formation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a curved support surface with a specific radius of curvature that matches the natural curvature of plastic bags. This curved geometry distributes the bag's weight and the load of collected material evenly across the bag surface, preventing concentrated stress points that cause punctures and tears. The curvature also facilitates smooth bag removal by reducing vacuum adhesion to container surfaces.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid frame structure is used to support the bag, then stability is improved, but the device becomes heavier and more difficult to store and ship
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a flexible support surface made from materials such as plastic, metal, or wire that can bend and conform while maintaining structural integrity. This flexible membrane supported by a minimal frame structure provides the necessary stability to hold bags open while keeping the overall weight significantly lower than traditional rigid frame constructions.
3Reliability
If the curved surface arc is too large (more than 180 degrees), then bag retention is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention specifies that the curved surface arc should be no more than 180 degrees, optimizing the balance between bag retention effectiveness and manufacturing simplicity. This parameter constraint allows the curved surface to provide sufficient support and retention while maintaining ease of fabrication from standard materials and simplifying the overall device assembly process.
Data Source
AI summary
A bag holder that has a lower frame member with a curved surface that substantially conforms to the curvature of a first circle. An upper frame member has a curved surface that substantially conforms to the curvature of a second circle, with the radii of the circles being substantially the same. First, second and third vertical support members are fixed to the upper and lower frame members. A centermost vertical support member is substantially equidistant from the other vertical support members. An elastomeric pad extends along the upper frame member and wraps around the upper frame member.