AU2303201A - Improvements in carrying means - Google Patents

Description

Our Ref:7583730 P/00/011 Regulation 3:2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): Address for Service: Handletec Pty Ltd 51-57 Carlotta Street Artarmon New South Wales 2064 Australia DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 10, 10 Barrack Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 Improvements in carrying means ooo Invention Title: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 5020 P:XWPDOCSICABSPECI%7583730,d.do16/02/0 -1- IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRYING MEANS The present invention relates to containers and more particularly to containers having built-in handles for carrying those containers.

Existing built-in handle arrangements for containers such as cardboard cartons for kitchen and domestic appliances, "wine casks" of the bag in box variety and the like have a handle integrally formed via frangible cutouts in the top surface of the container or an added handle that normally lies flat against the outer surface of the container which can be raised to be ready for use in carrying the container.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an alternative form of built-in carrying handle which is at least in part stored internally of the container until ready to be withdrawn for use in carrying the container.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

ooeo• The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

25 In one aspect the present invention provides a container, such as a box, carton or the like provided with at least one flexible cord-like carrying handle temporarily secured to at least one inner surface of the container wherein a portion of the handle between the free ends thereof is passed adjacent a slit through a wall of the container such that by reaching inwardly of the container throughthe slit the cord can be grasped and drawn out of the container to form a looped handle with its ends constrained from removal -from--the container at opposite ends of the slit.

P.\WPDOCS CAB\SPECF\7583730..do 161M2/I -2- In a second aspect the present invention provides an arrangement of the first aspect where the slit is replaced by an elongate section of the surface of the container which is pushed inwardly of the container to form a channel along which lies the flexible cord-like handle and wherein openings into the interior of the container at opposite ends of the channel are sized to retain stops formed at respective opposite ends of the handle when the handle is withdrawn from the channel outwardly of the container to form the looped handle.

In a preferred embodiment of each aspect of the present invention there are provided at least two handles in accordance with the present invention at spaced apart locations on the container.

A further embodiment has the cord handles adhered to inner surfaces of the container, which adherence is readily overcome when the handle is gripped and hauled outwardly to form its looped shape relative to the outer surface of the container.

.o S° In a further embodiment a container is formed with only one built-in handle in accord with the present invention.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a sketch of a perspective view of an upper portion of one embodiment in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention; "Fig. 2 is the view of Fig. 1 with the looped handles formed; o.oe.i Fig. 3 is a sketch of a portion of a rectangular box or carton having handle arrangement in accordance with a first embodiment of the first aspect of the present _in_vention;_and P:\WPDOCS\CABSPEC \1%7583730. oc. ]6AO2 I -3- Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the underside of the top of a container fitted with a second embodiment of the first aspect of the invention.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a rectangular carton or container having recessed channel portions 11 along opposite parallel edges of the upper surface 12 of container Each channel 11 is fitted with a section of cord 13 which passes therealong and extends interiorally of carton 10. The extremities of each cord 13 are fitted with stops 14 which are sized so as to prevent removal of cord 13 from openings 15 at each end of channel 11.

Cord 13 can be retained in place prior to withdrawal from channel 11 by adhesive tacking on the inner surfaces of carton 15 Fig. 2 shows an arrangement of Fig. 1 where the cords 13 are withdrawn from each channel 11 to form respective looped handles 16 which can then be used to carry container 10. The arrangement of these figures shows two handles 16 which enables container 10 to "be carried between two persons or by one person alone, as appropriate depending upon the .size and weight of the contents of the carton 10. In place of a pair of looped handles 16 a single handle could be provided passing along the centre line of the upper surface 12 of carton S. °In the embodiment of Fig. 3 channels 11 are replaced by slits 17 which may be formed as open slits or by a plurality of slits with frangible zones therebetween as shown in Fig. 3 which can be broken to form a continuous slit. In this embodiment the cord 18 is positioned entirely within the carton 19. To remove cord 18 to form a looped handle, cord 18 must be grasped by reaching through the slits 17 to then be withdrawn to form a looped handle.

Cord 18 is prevented from removal from carton 19 by end stops 20 which are adapted to be held at opposite ends of slits 17 by appropriate shaping of carton 19 at those locations. An P: WPDOCSICAB\SECI\7583730.ddoc6fM)Unl -4alternative mode for preventing removal of end stops 20 from slits 17 would be to fit optional circular staples 21 at each end of each slit 17 as shown in Fig. 3. Staples 21 surround cord 18 and act as restraints against which end stops 20 abut to prevent removal of cord 18 from the container when looped handles have been formed.

Fig. 4 shows the underside or interior surface 31 of the top of a container 30 in its inverted position. In this embodiment the slits 32 are shown in dashed lines while a cord 33 extends alongside each slit 32.

Cords 33 can be withdrawn from the interior of container 30 by reaching through each slit 32 from outside container 30 and pulling the cords 33 out of the container. Each cord 33 is formed with concertinaed ends 34 which are retained in place on the undersurface 31 of the top of container 30 by being adhered to surface 31. That adherence may be by means of releasable adhesive tacking applied to surface 31 or tacking applied at a plurality of 15 locations along each portion 34 or by any one of a range of means known to the addressee.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the various aspects of the present invention as shown in these specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all S"respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

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Claims (6)

1. A container, box, carton or the like provided with at least one flexible cord-like carrying handle temporarily secured to at least one inner surface of the container wherein a portion of the handle between the ends thereof is passed adjacent a slit through a wall of the container such that by reaching inwardly of the container through the slit the handle is adapted to be grasped and drawn out of the container to form a looped handle with the ends constrained from removal from the container at opposite ends of the slit.

2. A container, box, carton or the like provided with at least one flexible cord-like carrying handle temporarily secured to at least one inner surface of the container wherein a portion of the handle between the ends thereof is fitted within an elongate recessed portion S• 15 of the container pushed inwardly of adjacent surfaces of the container to form a channel having at opposite ends an opening into the container, said openings being sized to retain ".stops on respective opposite ends of the handle when the handle is withdrawn from the channel outwardly of the container to form a looped handle. OV 0.:

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2 comprising at least two said carrying handles. s e

4. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 wherein each handle is adhered to an inner surface of the container. A container as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 3 or Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

P:\WPDOCS\CAB\SPECrI7583730.doc-162A)m -6-

6. A container as claimed in claim 2, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 16 th day of February 2001. HANDLETEC PTY LTD By Its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE o e *o