DESCRIPTION

The invention concerns a bag-holding device.

At present movable or fixed frames are generally used to support a waste bag, said movable or fixed frames generally comprising a supporting structure resting on the ground and a rigid circle which in turn is supported by the supporting structure and around which the edge of the bag is turned.

These frames, even though they are well known and widespread, are rather cumbersome and occupy considerable space when they are not in use.

Furthermore, said frames are either fixed on the ground or movable thanks to a plurality of sliding rollers.

In both cases, such a frame is difficult to handle with one hand only by a user who wishes to carry it along while filling a bag with the free hand that is not transporting the bag-holding frame.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, said frames provided with circles to which the edge of the bag is fixed are rigid, meaning that their diameter cannot be changed.

Said rigid circles, therefore, are not adaptable to all the possible bag sizes, so that when the bag is of a smaller size compared to the rigid circle, the edge of the bag is often attached to the circle in a partial, imprecise and unstable manner, and is likely to come off when the bag is filled exceeding a certain capacity.

In order to overcome said drawback, devices suited to open out the edge of a bag from the inside, in a substantially stable manner, have been developed and improved over the years.

These devices comprise a flexible sheet that can be elastically deformed in such a way that it can be bent and inserted in a bag, at the level of its opening, so that said flexible sheet, once having been released, tends to extend to return to its initial plane shape and thus stretches a section of the bag, keeping it open and thus easy to fill manually.

A similar device is described, for example, in the patent document US2005023417 in the name of Burns Kelson and in the patent document US3983914 in the name of Benson Kermit.

More specifically, in the patent document US6296212 in the name of Monahan Michael, a similar device with a flexible sheet is represented when positioned in such a way as to define a stretched rectilinear section on the edge of the bag, said stretched rectilinear section being suited to be placed on the ground to facilitate the collection of leaves and shrubs, and more generally to make it possible to introduce material deposited on the ground directly into the bag, with no need to collect said material from the ground.

These devices with a flexible sheet, however, pose some drawbacks.

A first drawback is related to the fact that when these devices are in the extended, fully opened flat configuration they occupy much space, mainly lengthwise.

A second drawback is related to the fact that they are relatively complicated to remove; in fact, to remove one of said devices with a flexible sheet from a bag, the user needs to compress the flexible sheet in such a way as to bend it further towards the inside but, since this operation requires that both hands are used, the bag, which is not supported in any way, is likely to fall down, with the consequent risk of scattering the waste contained therein.

A third drawback is related to the fact that said devices with a flexible sheet are useful to keep the bag open but are difficult to hold when they are positioned inside the bag.

In fact, in order to hold a similar device positioned inside a bag, it is necessary to proceed either from the outside, grasping also a part of the bag with the risk of tearing it, or from the inside, introducing a hand in the bag with the consequent risk of getting dirty.

The task of the present invention is to provide a bag-holding device that is able to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks and the limitations of the known art.

More specifically, it is one object of the invention to provide a bag-holding device with smaller overall dimensions compared to the devices with a flexible sheet known in the art.

It is another object of the invention to provide a bag-holding device that is simple to use and to remove from the bag to which it is applied.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bag-holding device that makes it possible to transport the bag to which it is applied in a simple and safe manner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bag-holding device that is practical and intuitive to use. The task and the objects described above are fulfilled by a bag-holding device according to claim 1.

Further characteristics of the bag-holding device according to claim 1 are described in the dependent claims.

The task and the objects specified above, together with the advantages that will be mentioned below, are highlighted in the description of four embodiments of the invention, which are provided by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first variant embodiment of a bag-holding device according to the invention;

- Figure 2 shows a plan view of a part of the device of Figure 1 ;

- Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a detail of the device according to the invention in its first variant embodiment;

- Figure 4 shows a part of a sectional view of the detail shown in Figure 3;

- Figure 5 shows a perspective view of another detail of the device according to the invention in its first variant embodiment;

- Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a further detail of the device according to the invention in its first variant embodiment;

- Figure 7 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the detail of Figure 5 in its assembled configuration;

- Figure 8 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the detail of Figure 6 in its assembled configuration;

- Figure 9 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the device according to the invention in a first configuration, in which it is not in use;

- Figure 10 shows the same view as that of Figure 9, with the device according to the invention in a second, intermediate configuration;

- Figure 1 1 shows the same view as those of Figures 9 and 10, with the device according to the invention in a third configuration, also considered intermediate;

- Figure 12 shows the same view as those of Figures from 9 to 11 , with the device according to the invention in a fourth configuration, in which it is in use;

- Figure 13 shows an example of utilization of the device according to the invention;

- Figure 14 shows another example of utilization of the device according to the invention;

- Figure 14a shows a detail of Figure 14;

- Figure 15 shows a perspective view of a second variant embodiment of a device according to the invention;

- Figure 16 shows a perspective exploded view of the device of Figure 15;

- Figure 17 shows a plan view of a bag-holding device according to the invention in a third variant embodiment;

- Figure 18 shows a side view of the device of Figure 17, in a configuration in which it is in use;

- Figure 19 shows the same side view as that of Figure 18 with the device according to the invention in a configuration in which it is not in use;

- Figure 20 shows a sectional view of a detail of the device shown in Figures from 17 to 19, in an intermediate configuration of use;

- Figure 21 shows a sectional view of the same detail shown in Figure 20, in a configuration in which it is in use;

- Figure 22 shows an example of utilization of the bag-holding device in its third variant embodiment;

- Figure 23 shows the bag-holding device in its third variant embodiment, in a configuration in which it is not in use and ready to be transported;

- Figure 24 shows a variant of the detail of Figure 14a;

- Figure 25 shows a variant of the detail of Figure 5;

- Figure 26 shows an accessory of the bag-holding device according to the invention;

- Figure 27 shows a schematic sectional view of a detail of a bag-holding device according to the invention, in its fourth variant embodiment, in a configuration in which it is not in use;

- Figure 28 shows a schematic sectional view of the detail of Figure 27, in a configuration in which it is in use.

With reference to the figures listed above, a bag-holding device according to the invention is represented in its first variant embodiment as a whole and indicated by the numeral 10.

Said bag-holding device 10 comprises the following:

- two elastically deformable bag-opening elements 11 and 12 with mainly bidimensional or one-dimensional extension,

- hinge means 13 configured for the relative rotation of the two elastically deformable elements 11 and 12, around a rotation axis X, between a first configuration in which they are closed like a book and not in use, with the two bag-opening elements 11 and 12 facing each other, as schematically shown in Figure 9, and a second configuration of use, in which they are wide apart and the relative rotation of said bag-opening elements 11 and 12 is prevented in at least one rotation direction, as shown by way of example in Figures 1 1 and 12.

Said second, opened out configuration must be understood as a configuration in which said elastically deformable elements 11 and 12 are in a position in which they are rotated away from each other.

The rotation axis X is to be understood, as can be seen in the figures, as an axis that is parallel to or coinciding with the intersection axis of the reference planes P1 and P2 of the elastically deformable elements 11 and 12.

The rotation axis X is parallel to both the reference planes P1 and P2 of the elastically deformable elements 11 and 12.

The geometrical term‘reference plane’ indicates the entirety of the directions of the straight lines belonging to a plane, so that planes having the same reference plane must be considered parallel.

Analogously, the rotation axis X is parallel to both the reference planes P1 and P2 of the elastically deformable elements 11 and 12.

Thanks to this rotation axis X, the device 10 according to the invention can be closed and opened like a book.

In said second, opened out configuration, the elastically deformable elements 11 and 12 are in such a mutual angular position that an opening angle W included between 90° and 220° is defined between the respective reference planes P1 and P2, visible in Figures 9 and 10, on a plane that is orthogonal to both the reference planes P1 and P2.

Said opening angle W is preferably equal to 180°.

In said first variant embodiment of the invention, the hinge means 13 comprise also reversible rotation locking means 14 configured to prevent the relative rotation of the bag-opening elements 11 and 12, meaning their rotation with respect to each other, in at least one rotation direction when said bag-opening elements 11 and 12 are in the second, opened out configuration of use.

Each of the bag-opening elements 11 and 12, in the present example of embodiment, is constituted by a flexible sheet, respectively 15 and 16. The flexible sheets 15 and 16 are to be intended as elastically deformable sheets.

Said flexible sheets 15 and 16, for example, are preferably made of a plastic material.

Said flexible sheets 15 and 16, for example, are made of polypropylene.

Said flexible sheets 15 and 16 are, for example, rectangular.

Each of said flexible sheets 15 and 16 is provided with one or more lightening openings 17, 18, 19 and 20; said lightening openings 17, 18, 19, 20 make the bag-holding device 10 light and comfortable to handle.

More specifically, each of the flexible sheets 15 and 16 is provided with two first longitudinal openings 17 and 18, respectively.

Each of the flexible sheets 15 and 16 is provided with at least one transverse opening, respectively 19 and 20, for example two transverse openings 19 and 20, respectively; said second openings 19 and 20 make it easier to hold the bag-holding device 10 when this is in the configuration in which it is not in use, meaning closed like a book, with the two flexible sheets 15 and 16 arranged so that they face each other.

The bag-opening elements 11 and 12 must be intended as capable of being carried out not only as elements having mainly bidimensional extension, meaning in the shape of a sheet or plate, but also as elements having one dimensional extension, such as rods, bars or other similar elements, obviously to be intended as flexible, or elastically deformable.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of a bag-opening element 11 , while it is understood that the other bag-opening element 12, only partially represented, is identical. The hinge means 13 for the relative rotation of the two elastically deformable elements 11 and 12 around a rotation axis X comprise two butt hinges 21 and 22, a first upper butt hinge 21 and a second butt hinge 22, wherein the terms ‘upper’ and‘lower’ refer to a normal configuration of use of the bag-holding device 10, as shown, for example, in Figure 1.

Said butt hinges 21 and 22 are clearly visible in Figures 2, 7 and 8.

The butt hinges 21 and 22 are coaxial.

Each of said butt hinges 21 and 22 comprises two opposite sets of hinge rings, namely 21a and 21 b for the first butt hinge 21 , and 22a and 22b for the second butt hinge 22, clearly visible in Figure 2.

Said sets of hinge rings 21a and 22a of a first bag-opening element 11 have their hinge rings spaced from each other in the direction of the rotation axis X, in such a way that between a ring and the other it is possible to accommodate the corresponding hinge rings of the opposite set of hinge rings 21 b and 22b of the second bag-opening element 12.

The sets of hinge rings 21a, 22a, 21 b and 22b are defined at the level of a hinge edge 15a and 16a of the respective flexible sheet 15 and 16.

Each of the butt hinges 21 and 22 comprises the following:

- two opposite sets of hinge rings, respectively 21a and 21 b, and 22a and 22b, positioned in such a way that the hinge rings of the one are coaxial with the hinge rings of the other, and that the hinge rings of the one are arranged between two hinge rings of the other, excluding the terminal hinge rings,

- a pin, respectively 23 and 24, inserted coaxially in such a way that it passes through the hinge rings.

The pins 23 and 24 are clearly visible in Figures 5 and 6, respectively.

The butt hinges 21 and 22 are clearly shown in the sectional views of Figures 7 and 8, respectively.

Each of the pins 23 and 24 is provided with at least one radial projection, respectively 25 and 26, configured to be snap-fitted in a hinge ring, for example a ring of the set of hinge rings 21 b for the radial projection 25 of the first pin 23 in Figure 7, and again, for example, a ring of the set of hinge rings 22a for the radial projection 26 of the second pin 24 shown in Figure 8.

Each pin 23 and 24 is provided with two opposite radial projections 25 and 26. The bag-holding device 10 comprises a handgrip.

More specifically, the first pin 23 belongs to a fork-shaped element 30 configured to be held by a user so that the latter can comfortably handle the bag-holding device 10.

Said fork-shaped element 30 is also provided with two lateral portions 32 and 33 and with an intermediate transverse portion 31 designed to connect the two lateral portions 32 and 33.

A first lateral portion 32 defines the pin 23.

The second lateral portion 33 defines a handgrip for a user.

Said second lateral portion 33 is constituted by a cylindrical section with mainly longitudinal extension in the direction of the axis of the cylindrical section itself. Said second lateral portion 33 is shaped in such a way that it can be coupled with a corresponding coupling seat 34, in turn provided in a wall-mounted plate 35; said application is exemplified in Figure 14.

The coupling seat 34 is defined by a C-shaped element 36 fixed to the wall- mounted plate 35.

Said wall-mounted plate 35 is shown in Figure 14a.

Figure 25 shows a variant embodiment of the fork-shaped element, indicated therein by the numeral 230.

Said fork-shaped element 230 is provided with two lateral portions 232 and 233 and an intermediate transverse portion 231 designed to connect the two lateral portions 232 and 233.

The first lateral portion 232 defines the pin 23.

The second lateral portion 233 defines a handgrip for a user.

Said second lateral portion 233 has an ergonomic shape, designed to make it easier for a user to grasp it.

In this variant embodiment, the fork-shaped element 230 comprises also two opposite holding tabs 237 and 237a, configured to prevent the bag-holding device 10 from rotating around the rotation axis X of the pin 23 when it is in the configuration of use; said rotation around the axis X, in fact, would make transport rather uncomfortable, since the second lateral holding portion 233 could rotate with respect to the rest of the bag-holding device 10.

The holding tabs 237 and 237a are shaped in such a way that they extend at the level of the first lateral portion 232 and on two opposite sides of the same first lateral portion 232.

Each of said holding tabs 237 and 237a extends beside the first lateral portion 232 and downwards with respect to the configuration of use of the bag-holding device 10, in such a way that they are superimposed to the upper edge of a corresponding bag-opening element 11 or 12 and prevent its rotation in one direction with respect to the rotation axis of the pin 23.

Since a first holding tab 237 prevents rotation in one direction and the opposite second holding tab 237a prevents rotation in the opposite direction, the bag holding device 10 cannot rotate in either direction with respect to the pin 23. Figure 24 shows a variant embodiment of the wall-mounted plate, indicated therein by the numeral 235.

Said wall-mounted plate 235 comprises a C-shaped element 236, defining the coupling seat 234 for the second lateral portion 33, or 133 as described below, or 233, of a fork-shaped element 30, or 130 as described below, or 230, and, moreover, a shaped portion 238 configured to support a roll of bags to be used.

In the present example of embodiment, said shaped portion 238 comprises two opposite curved projections 238a and 238b, which extend upwards from the wall-mounted plate 235.

In the first variant embodiment of the bag-holding device 10 according to the invention, which must be obviously considered as a non-limiting example of the invention itself, the hinge means 13 comprise also reversible rotation locking means 14.

Said reversible rotation locking means 14, clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4 and in Figures from 9 to 12, comprise an articulated joint 40 consisting of two parts 42 and 43, a first part 42 hinged with a first end 40a to a first bag-opening element 11 , and a second part 43 hinged with the second opposite end 40b to the second bag-opening element 12.

The two parts 42 and 43 of the articulated joint 40 are constrained to each other by means of a centre hinge 41.

Each of the two parts 42 and 43 is provided with an anti-rotation projection, respectively 44 and 45.

Said anti-rotation projections 44 and 45 are shaped in such a way that they meet during the relative rotation of the two parts 42 and 43 in one of the two possible rotation directions defined by the centre hinge 41.

When said anti-rotation projections 44 and 45 meet, they stop the relative rotation of the two parts 42 and 43 in the same rotation direction that has brought the same anti-rotation projections 44 and 45 to meet each other.

More specifically, each anti-rotation projection 44 and 45 develops along an edge 42a and 43a of the respective part 42 and 43 that is adjacent to the centre hinge 41.

More specifically, one of said anti-rotation projections, for example a first anti rotation projection 44, is provided with a stop protrusion 46 extending towards the other part 43 of the articulated joint 40.

Said stop protrusion 46 is configured in such a way as to increase the contact surface between the anti-rotation projections 44 and 45, in order to make the entire articulated joint 40 sturdier and more resistant to bending stress when the bag-holding device 10 is in use. In the present example of embodiment, the centre hinge 41 is constituted by a portion of elastically deformable material.

More specifically, the articulated joint 40 is constituted by a single body made of a plastic material, in which the two parts 42 and 43, the centre hinge 41 and the anti-rotation projections 44 and 45 are integrated to form a single piece.

The first end 40a and the second end 40b of the articulated joint 40 have a C-shaped cross section, configured in such a way as to allow them to be coupled with a corresponding hinge portion 47 and 48 respectively defined on the articulation edge 15a and 16a of the respective flexible sheet 15 and 16 of the bag-opening elements 11 and 12.

The two parts 42 and 43 are elastically deformable.

The centre hinge 41 is elastically deformable.

The flexible sheets 15 and 16 are both provided with a recess, respectively 15b and 16b, defined at the level of the articulation edges 15a and 16a, shaped in such a way that, when the bag-holding device 10 is assembled, together they define a compartment for the articulated joint 40 of the rotation locking means 14.

The operation of the bag-holding device 10 according to the invention is schematically illustrated in Figures from 9 to 12 and exemplified in Figures 13 and 14.

Figure 9 shows a sectional view of the bag-holding device 10 in the configuration in which it is closed like a book, that is, in the configuration in which it is not in use.

In said configuration in which they are closed like a book, the two bag-opening elements 11 and 12 face each other and, similarly, so do the two parts 42 and 43 of the articulated joint 40 of the reversible rotation locking means 14.

The parts 42 and 43 of the articulated joint 40 rotate in the allowed direction, meaning the direction that makes it possible for the sides of the parts 42 and 43 not provided with the anti-rotation projections 44 and 45 to face each other. Figure 10 shows a sectional view of the bag-holding device 10 in a first intermediate configuration, between the configuration in which it is closed like a book and the configuration in which it is in use, in which the flexible sheets 15 and 16 are rotated in such a way as to be substantially coplanar, and the parts 42 and 43 of the articulated joint 40 are also rotated, but not in a configuration in which rotation is prevented, since the anti-rotation projections 44 and 45 are not yet in mutual contact.

Figure 1 1 shows a sectional view of the bag-holding device 10 in a second intermediate configuration, in which the flexible sheets 15 and 16 are still substantially coplanar, and the parts 42 and 43 of the articulated joint 40 are further rotated with respect to the first intermediate configuration illustrated in Figure 10, in such a way that the anti-rotation projections 44, with the protrusion 46, and 45 are in mutual contact; in said second intermediate configuration, the locking of the rotation of the parts 42 and 43 of the articulated joint 40 prevents rotation in the same direction also for the flexible sheets 15 and 16, that is, also for the bag-opening elements 11 and 12.

In this configuration, the articulated joint 40 serves the function of a strut, that is, a single non-articulated element, which prevents the two bag-opening elements 11 and 12 from continuing their rotation; consequently, the two bag opening elements 11 and 12 substantially operate as a single flexible sheet suited to be elastically bent in order to be inserted into a bag S.

Figure 12 shows a sectional view of the bag-holding device 10 in the configuration of use, in which the parts 42 and 43 of the articulated joint 40 cannot rotate any longer and consequently the two bag-opening elements 11 and 12 cannot rotate any longer with respect to each other according to a rotation direction F1 and F2, respectively, and therefore by continuing to push them towards each other in the directions indicated by F1 and F2 in Figure 12 it is possible to obtain the elastic bending of the two bag-opening elements 11 and 12.

By bending the bag-holding device 10 even further, it is possible to reduce its size to the extent that it can be inserted in a bag, as shown in Figures 13 and 14.

In these figures a generic bag is indicated by the letter S.

When the bag-holding device 10 is positioned inside a bag S, in proximity to its edge S1 , the user releases the bag-holding device 10 itself, in such a way that it can try to extend by adhering to a corresponding section of the internal surface of the bag S.

In this way, the section of the bag S that is in contact with the bag-holding device 10 is stretched and assumes a stable open configuration, so that the bag S is stably open and can be easily accessed by a user.

Figure 13 shows how, in the case of bags of a certain size, that is, bags whose edge S1 has such a length that it is not necessary for the ends of the device 10 to be in contact with each other or to overlap each other in the configuration of use, the bag-holding device 10 defines a section S2 of the edge S1 itself that assumes a rectilinear geometric configuration and therefore can be used to be placed on the ground and thus facilitate the collection of waste from the ground.

The presence of the fork-shaped element 30 or 130 makes the device 10 and thus also the bag S carried by the device 10 quick and easy to handle.

The bag-holding device 10 may also be provided with a wall-mounted plate 35, or 135 as described below, or 235, as described above.

Thanks to the presence of said wall-mounted plate 35, 135 or 235, the bag holding device 10, and thus the bag S, can be comfortably supported in proximity to a wall and be used by anyone needing it, exactly as a waste bin or basket of the known type, with the advantage, however, that it can be completely and easily removed after use.

Figures 15 and 16 show a second variant embodiment of the bag-holding device according to the invention, indicated by the numeral 110.

In a way which is similar to that described above with reference to the first variant embodiment, said bag-holding device 110 comprises the following:

- two elastically deformable bag-opening elements 111 and 112 with mainly bidimensional or one-dimensional extension,

- hinge means 113 configured for the relative rotation of the two elastically deformable elements 111 and 112 around a rotation axis X, between a first configuration in which they are closed like a book and not in use, with the two bag-opening elements 111 and 112 facing each other, and a second configuration of use, in which the relative rotation of said bag-opening elements 111 and 112 in at least one rotation direction is prevented.

In this second variant embodiment, too, the hinge means 113 comprise reversible rotation locking means 114 configured to prevent the relative rotation of the bag-opening elements 111 and 112 in at least one rotation direction, when said bag-opening elements 111 and 112 are in the second configuration, in which they are wide apart and in use.

In said second variant embodiment, the hinge means 113 comprise a single centre butt hinge consisting of two opposite sets of hinge rings, respectively 113a and 113b. Said two sets of hinge rings 113a and 113b, when assembled, are crossed by a single pin 123.

The pin 123 is provided with a grip rod 133 extending therefrom, which is suited to be held by a user or hooked onto a wall-mounted bracket 135, analogously to what has been described above with reference to the first variant embodiment of the bag-holding device 10.

In said second variant embodiment, the reversible rotation locking means 114 comprise an anti-rotation protrusion 170 extending from one of the two bag-opening elements 111 or 112, for example from the second bag-opening element 112, and an end-of-stroke projection 171 defined on the other bag-opening element, for example on the first bag-opening element 111 ; the end-of-stroke projection 171 is configured to allow the free end of the anti-rotation protrusion 170 to rest thereon, in such a way as to prevent the relative rotation of the two bag-opening elements 111 and 112 when these are rotated in the direction of use.

Figure 26 shows a movement accessory 80 suited to move the bag-holding device 10 and 110.

Said movement accessory 80 comprises a rod 81 in turn provided with a handle 83 at a first end 82 and with an opening 85 at the opposite second end

84.

The opening 85, for example a through slot as shown in Figure 26, allows the second lateral portion 33 or 233 of a fork-shaped element 30 or 230 to be hooked thereon.

By means of the rod 81 , a user can thus drag a bag S positioned with a section of its rectilinear edge S2 resting on the ground, as shown in the example of Figure 13, with no need to bend.

Figures from 17 to 23 show a third variant embodiment of a bag-holding device according to the invention, indicated as a whole by the numeral 310.

Said bag-holding device 310 comprises:

- two elastically deformable bag-opening elements 311 and 312,

- hinge means 313 configured to allow the relative rotation of the two elastically deformable bag-opening elements 311 and 312 around a rotation axis X, between a first configuration in which they are closed like a book and not in use, with the two bag-opening elements 311 and 312 facing each other, as schematically shown in Figure 19, and a second configuration in which they are wide apart and in use, exemplified in Figure 18, in which the relative rotation of said bag-opening elements 311 and 312 in at least one rotation direction is prevented.

Each of the bag-opening elements 311 and 312 is constituted by a flexible sheet 315 and 316, as described above with reference to the first variant embodiment of the bag-holding device 10.

Said flexible sheets 315 and 316 are, for example, rectangular.

Each of said flexible sheets 315 and 316 is provided with one or more lightening openings 317, 318, 319 and 320; said lightening openings 317, 318, 319, 320 make the bag-holding device 310 light and comfortable to handle. More specifically, each flexible sheet 315 and 316 is provided with three first longitudinal openings, respectively 317 and 318.

Each flexible sheet 315 and 316 is provided with a transverse opening, respectively 319 and 320, which makes it easier to hold the bag-holding device 310 when this is in the configuration in which it is not in use.

Each flexible sheet 315 and 316 comprises two opposite main sides 315a and 315b, and 316a and 316b, as well as a lateral connection side, respectively 315c and 316c; said lateral connection side 315c and 316c is the side of the sheet 315 and 316

- which is defined by the thickness of the sheet 315 and 316

- which is located at the level of the hinge means 313.

In said variant embodiment, the hinge means 313 comprise two lateral flat portions, respectively 313a and 313b, and a centre hinge 313c, clearly visible in Figures 20 and 21.

The lateral portions 313a and 313b are fixed at the level of a corresponding main side of a respective flexible sheet 315 and 316, for example to a corresponding main side 315a and 316a.

In this way, each of the lateral connection sides 315c and 316c defines an anti-rotation portion, meaning a portion configured in such a way that, when it meets the opposite anti-rotation portion, as shown in Figure 21 , they prevent the bag-opening elements 311 and 312 from rotating in one direction, that is, in the same direction that has made it possible for the lateral connection sides 315c and 316c to meet.

Even in this third variant embodiment, the hinge means 313 comprise reversible rotation locking means; said reversible rotation locking means are constituted by said lateral connection sides 315c and 316c.

In the present example of embodiment, the lateral connection sides 315c and 316c meet at the level of the free corner 315d and 316d, respectively, meaning the corner opposite the hinge means 313.

The present invention obviously includes also the variant embodiments, not illustrated herein for the sake of simplicity, in which the lateral connection sides meet in an equivalent manner at the level of another point, or of another area, of the same lateral connection sides, or meet over the entire extension of the lateral connection side.

Similarly to what has been described above with reference to the first variant embodiment, when the two bag-opening elements 311 and 312 cannot any longer rotate with respect to each other in a rotation direction F1 and F2, respectively, as shown in Figure 21 , by continuing to push them towards each other in the same rotation directions F1 and F2 it is possible to obtain the elastic bending of the two bag-opening elements 311 and 312.

In this configuration, the two bag-opening elements 311 and 312 substantially work as a single flexible sheet suited to be elastically bent in order to be inserted in a bag S.

The continued bending of the bag-holding device 310 reduces its size to the extent that it can be inserted in a bag S, as shown in Figure 22.

In this figure, a generic bag is indicated by the letter S.

In Figure 23, the bag-holding device 310, shown in its third variant embodiment, is in the configuration in which it is closed like a book and not in use.

Figures 27 and 28 schematically show a fourth variant embodiment of a bag holding device according to the invention, indicated as a whole by the numeral

410.

Said bag-holding device 410 comprises the following:

- two elastically deformable bag-opening elements 411 and 412,

- hinge means 413 configured for the relative rotation of the two elastically deformable elements 411 and 412 around a rotation axis, between a first configuration in which they are closed like a book and not in use, with the two bag-opening elements 411 and 412 facing each other, and a second configuration in which they are wide apart and in use, exemplified in Figure 28, in which the relative rotation of said bag-opening elements 411 and 412 in at least one rotation direction is prevented.

Each of the bag-opening elements 411 and 412 is constituted by a flexible sheet 415 and 416, as described with reference to the first variant embodiment of the bag-holding device 10.

Said flexible sheets 415 and 416 are, for example, rectangular.

In said variant embodiment, the hinge means 413 comprise a flexible strip 480 comprising two lateral fixing portions, respectively 480a and 480b, and a centre bending portion 413c.

Analogously to what has been explained with reference to the third variant embodiment of the bag-holding device 310 according to the invention, the lateral portions 413a are 413b are fixed at the level of a main side 415a and 416a of a respective flexible sheet 415 and 416, wherein the main sides 415a and 416a are to be intended as defined in the same way that has been illustrated above with reference to the third variant embodiment of the bag holding device 310.

The lateral portions 413a and 413b are fixed to the corresponding main side 415a and 416a through a gluing operation or by means of an adhesive previously placed on the flexible strip 480 itself.

In this way, the lateral connection sides 415c and 416c define an anti-rotation portion and when they meet, as shown in Figure 28, they prevent the bag opening elements 411 and 412 from rotating in one direction, that is, in the same direction that has made it possible for the lateral connection sides 415c and 416c to meet; the lateral connection sides 415c and 416c are to be intended as defined as described above with reference to the third variant embodiment of the bag-holding device 310.

In said fourth variant embodiment, too, the hinge means 413 comprise reversible rotation locking means; said reversible rotation locking means are constituted by said lateral connection sides 415c and 416c.

The flexible strip 480 comprises, for example, one or more layers of fabric made of a plastic material.

Said fabric made of a plastic material can be constituted, for example and not exclusively, by a plastic fabric for seats and sunbeds.

Alternatively, said flexible strip 480 comprises one or more layers of linen tape. It is understood that the flexible strip 480 can also be made with other fabrics, or non-woven fabrics, or with other similar and equivalent materials. In practice, it has been shown that the invention fulfils the set task and objects. More specifically, the invention provides a bag-holding device with smaller overall dimensions compared to the devices provided with a flexible sheet known in the art, since in the folded configuration, in which it is not in use, the space it occupies substantially corresponds just to that occupied by the two bag-opening elements facing each other.

Moreover, the invention provides a bag-holding device that is simple to use and to remove from the bag to which it is applied.

Furthermore, the invention provides a bag-holding device that makes it possible to transport the bag to which it is applied in a simple and safe manner. Again, the invention provides a bag-holding device that is practical and intuitive to use, adaptable to bags of different sizes, differently from the bag-holding waste bins of the known type.

Furthermore, the invention provides a bag-holding device that can be used both to keep a bag in the vertical position and to carry a bag that lies on the ground, in a substantially horizontal position, in order to make it easier to fill it. The invention designed in this way can undergo several modifications and be carried out in several variants, all of which fall within the scope of the innovative concept introduced herein; furthermore, all the details and parts can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, any components and any materials can be used, provided that they are compatible with the intended use of the invention, and the invention can have any size and any shape, too, depending on the needs and the state of the art.

In the cases where the characteristics and technical solutions mentioned in any of the claims are followed by reference signs, said reference signs are to be understood as used for the exclusive purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims, and consequently said reference signs are not intended to limit in any way the interpretation of any element identified by said reference signs by way of example.