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US4316591A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Fixture for holding bag

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1980-01-21
•
Granted: 1982-02-23
•
Expires: 2000-01-21
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Abstract

Abstract A fixture for holding upright a plastic bag of the type used by grocery stores in packaging moist items, having a substantially rectangular base with two arms extending vertically from either side of the base. The plastic bag is placed so that its mouth folds back over the arms of the fixture. The bag may be used for disposal of wet garbage.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masao Muraoka

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 19:27
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B67/00; B65B67/12; B65B67/1222; B65B67/1227

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim 247 words
A unitary stackable fixture for holding open a bag, said fixture comprising: a base extending horizontally; a pair of arms unitary with said base and cantilevered from said base in upwardly divergent spaced relationship and terminating in upper ends to define a space above said base and between said arms into which a user places the bag in an upright position; said base and said pair of arms constituting a structure sufficiently flexible to permit the user to flex the upper ends towards each other from their original positions by application of a modest force to facilitate the user in engaging the bag to the structure by folding the top edge of the bag down over the upper ends of said arms; the structure being sufficiently elastic that when the user removes the applied modest force the arms spring back to their original positions thereby holding the bag open; said arms including generally solid walls constructed so as to contain said bag between said arms against substantial outward spread of solid matter deposited in said bag, which spread would interfere with the easy unimpeded removal of said bag from said fixture; said base not extending beyond said arms to form a stackable U-shaped structure, each of said arms including one or more lugs extending into said space between said arms to prevent excessive spreading of the arms when the fixtures are stacked by limiting the extent to which such stacked fixtures can nest one within the other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 247 words
A unitary stackable fixture for holding open a bag, said fixture comprising: a base extending horizontally; a pair of arms unitary with said base and cantilevered from said base in upwardly divergent spaced relationship and terminating in upper ends to define a space above said base and between said arms into which a user places the bag in an upright position; said base and said pair of arms constituting a structure sufficiently flexible to permit the user to flex the upper ends towards each other from their original positions by application of a modest force to facilitate the user in engaging the bag to the structure by folding the top edge of the bag down over the upper ends of said arms; the structure being sufficiently elastic that when the user removes the applied modest force the arms spring back to their original positions thereby holding the bag open; said arms including generally solid walls constructed so as to contain said bag between said arms against substantial outward spread of solid matter deposited in said bag, which spread would interfere with the easy unimpeded removal of said bag from said fixture; said base not extending beyond said arms to form a stackable U-shaped structure, each of said arms including one or more lugs extending into said space between said arms to prevent excessive spreading of the arms when the fixtures are stacked by limiting the extent to which such stacked fixtures can nest one within the other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
The fixture of claim 1 wherein said base and said pair of arms consist of a plastic.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2854790A Cited
US3441173A Cited
US3526316A Cited
US3737129A Cited
US3826455A Cited
US4248278A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1985-02-22 1985-08-24 1986-02-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1989-02-22 1989-08-24 1990-02-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1993-02-22 1993-08-24 1994-02-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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