Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Apparatus – Forms
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-13
2001-06-12
Gravini, Stephen (Department: 3749)
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Apparatus
Forms
C034S106000, C034S239000, C248S095000, C211S013100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243967
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of bag dryers, with particular focus on a device for drying all sizes of plastic food storage bags of the type in widespread use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a significant number of prior art bag dryers; one example being U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,137 which discloses a bag dryer including a plurality of elongated dowels projecting from a pair of rectangular base portions. Other examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,237, disclosing a holder with segmented arms pivotally joined. U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,842 shows a capped-tree apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,827 discloses a plastic bag drying rack having a tree-like configuration. A dryer rack for freezer bags and similar articles is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,244. All prior art arrangements known to Applicant suffer from either being costly to manufacture and/or have other disadvantages associated with their use and storage.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved bag dryer which has advantages over the prior art bag dryers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, in simple terms, is adapted to be clamped on the horizontal portion of a spigot or spout member of a faucet associated with a sink, with the dryer structure providing a support for an inverted plastic bag, the bags having been washed or rinsed out with water and requiring drying. More specifically, the bag dryer of this invention comprises first and second substantially identical members, each being fabricated from flat, thin material. Each member has a relatively narrow longitudinally-extended central portion having top and bottom ends. A faucet or spout-engaging portion is connected to the bottom end, and a bag-engaging portion is connected to the top end of the central portion. Each central portion has at least one bracket tab extending normal or transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof The two members are pivotally assembled together in matching facing relationship by pivot means connected to said bracket tabs, to thus define a pivotal axis. Further, the two members are biased by spring means so as to be rotated about the pivotal axis so that the faucet-engaging portions thereof tend to be rotated toward one another. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the faucet engaging portions are curved to facilitate the engagement of a spigot or faucet. Further, the bag engaging portions of the dryer are preferably characterized by having a longitudinal extent at least as long as the combined longitudinal extent of the central and faucet-engaging portions, and are further characterized preferably by having a substantial transverse extent with both sides tapered to connect with the top ends of the central portions. Another feature of the preferred embodiment is to have the bag-engaging portions longitudinally curved so as to define opposed concave surfaces.
A modification of the preferred embodiment provides, for each bag-engaging portion, at least one aperture therethrough so as to reduce the weight of the device, and to accelerate the drying process.
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Gravini Stephen
Jensen Roger W.
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