US 5,671,861 AGranted

Holder for supporting plastic bags

OwnerKenneth A. Hall, John R. Fischerinventors

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Abstract

A holder 20 for supporting loop-handled plastic bags 500 includes a support structure 22, two oppositely positioned cleats 28 and 30 for accepting the loop handles 506, and at least two oppositely positioned downwardly projecting fingers 36 and 40 for downwardly engaging the side portions 508 and 510 of the plastic bags 500 and thereby holding the plastic bags 500 in an open state suitable for receiving deposited items. In a preferred embodiment, cleats 28 and 30 and downwardly projecting fingers 36 and 40 are permanently connected to the mouth 26 of a wastebasket-type container 22. In an alternative embodiment, cleats 128 and 130 and downwardly projecting fingers 136 and 140 are removably connected to container mouth 126 with clips 129 and 150, and are selectively positionable along the mouth 126.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A holder for supporting a plastic bag in an open state so that items may be deposited in the bag, the plastic bag having two opposite end portions each having an integral loop handle, and two opposite side portions disposed between the end portions, said holder comprising:

a support structure;
two contrapositioned cleats connected to said support structure for accepting the loop handles;
at least two contrapositioned downwardly projecting fingers connected to said support structure for downwardly engaging the side portions and thereby holding the plastic bag in an open state;
and,
said support structure having walls having an inside surface;
said downwardly projecting fingers disposed on said inside surface of said support structure, said downwardly projecting fingers angled slightly out from said walls to facilitate placing and capturing the side portions between said downwardly projecting fingers and said walls.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.