EP0815769A1

EP0815769A1 - Bag support

Info

Publication number: EP0815769A1
Application number: EP97304848A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Denis Victor Paul Trice
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-07-03
Filing date: 1997-07-03
Publication date: 1998-01-07
Also published as: GB9614964D0

Abstract

A support for use when carrying goods in shopping bags or so-called carrier bags, the support comprising a U-shaped body 10 and a handle 11 slidably engaged with the body 10. The carrier bag B to be carried is attached to the support by passing its handle H through an opening 17 between opposite arms 12 of the U-shaped body. The handle 11 is then slid to a closed position, where it bridges the opening 17 between the arms 12: in this position the handle 11 is rotatably mounted at its opposite ends to cross-members 16 on respective arms 12 of the body 10, thereby allowing the body 11 and bag B to swing relative to the handle 11, when the support is in use.

Description

This invention relates to a support for use when carrying goods in a bag, and more particularly to a support for use when carrying goods in a plastics shopping bag.

Supermarkets and the like generally provide plastics shopping bags in which goods can be carried. However, a disadvantage of these so-called carrier bags is that the handles are uncomfortable to hold, especially when the shopping that is being carried is heavy.

Various hook-shaped devices have been proposed hitherto which attempt to overcome this problem, but generally they are uncomfortable to hold and suffer from the disadvantage that they become disengaged from the handles when the bags are set down, for example in order to open a door or the boot of a car.

I have now devised a support for use when carrying goods in a bag which alleviates the above-mentioned problems.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a support for use when carrying goods in a bag, the support comprising a body portion having an opening for receiving at least one handle of the bag and a handle portion which is displaceable to close the mouth of the opening in the support.

The support is more comfortable to hold than conventional bag supports because the user does not have to hold onto a hook-shaped formation. Furthermore, the mouth of the opening in the support is closed by the handle, and thus the handle of the bag does not disengage from the support when the bag is set down.

Another disadvantage of conventional bag supports is that one support is required for each bag. Thus, preferably the body is U-shaped, the handle being arranged to interconnect the opposite arms of the U-shaped body adjacent their upper ends, so as to close the mouth of the opening that extends between the arms. The U-shape of the body enables several bags to be carried at the same time.

Preferably the handle is movable relative to the body, when the mouth of the opening in the latter is closed by the handle, so that the body and bag are able to swing freely whilst the bag is being carried.

Preferably the handle is elongate, opposite ends of the handle being rotatably connected to the body, so that the body swings about the axis of the handle when the bag is being carried.

Preferably the handle is slidable across the mouth of the opening in the body.

Preferably the handle and body are formed from plastics.

Preferably means are provided to prevent the handle from being detached from the body, so that one of the pieces of the support does not become lost or separated.

An embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a carrier bag support in accordance with this invention, when opened;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the carrier bag support of Figure 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the carrier bag support of Figure 1, when closed;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the carrier bag support of Figure 1, when closed; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the support of Figure 1, when in use.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, there is shown a two-piece carrier bag support of plastics material comprising a U-shaped body 10 and a slidable handle 11 engaged with the body 10. The U-shaped body 10 comprises a pair of parallel arms 12 which extend upwardly from a curved base portion 13. The arms 12 and base portion 13 of the body 10 are I-shaped in section. The base 13 of the body 10 is formed on its inner face with a pair of outwardly-directed slots 14, which are arranged symmetrically about its centre. The slots 14 meet at a common opening 15 which is formed at the central lowermost part of base 13.

The upper ends of the arms 12 comprise cross members 16 which extend inwardly from their respective upper ends.T h e cross-members 16 lie on a common axis which extends perpendicular to the axis of their respective arms 12. An opening 17 is formed between the cross-members 16. The cross-members 16 are T-shaped in section and thus it will be appreciated that the periphery of the body 10 is bounded by a wall 18 which lies perpendicular to the plane of the body 10. A small gap 19 is formed in the wall 18 at the upper outer end of one of the arms 12.

The handle 11 comprises a circular-section plastics tube having an axially extending slot 22, so that it can be slid axially over the T-section cross-members, through the gap 19 in the boundary wall 18. A pair of radially-extending ears 20 are disposed on one end of the handle 11 on opposite sides of slot 22, in order to act as a stop which prevents the handle 11 being detached from the body 10 of the support.

Referring to Figure 5 of the drawings, a carrier bag B is attached to the support by passing its handles H through the opening 17 between the cross-members 16. The handles H of the bag are received in respective slots 14 in the base 13 of the body 10. The handle 11 of the support is then slid along the cross-members 16 to a position where its centre spans the opening 17 therebetween. In this position the handle 11 can be pushed downwardly, whereupon the cross-members 16 extend inside the handle 11, thereby allowing the latter to rotate freely about its axis.

As shown in Figure 4, the handle 11 must be rotated through substantially 180° before the support is used to carry the bag: in this position the slot 22 in the handle is facing upwardly and the lower edges of the cross-members 16 rest on its circular internal surface, thereby allowing the bag B and body 10 of the support to swing freely about the axis of the handle in use.

The support effectively forms a closed loop around the handles H of the bag B when the handle 11 of the support is slid across and locked in position. Thus, the handles H of the bag B will not become disengaged from the support when the bag is set down.

Claims

A support for use when carrying goods in a bag characterised in that the support comprises a body portion (10) having an opening (17) for receiving at least one handle of the bag and a handle portion (11) which is displaceable to close the mouth of the opening (17).
A support as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the body portion (10) is U-shaped, the handle portion (11) being arranged to interconnect the upper ends of opposite arms of the U-shaped body portion (10).
A support as claimed in claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the handle portion (11) is movable relative to the body portion (10) when in the closed position.
A support as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the handle portion (11) is elongate, opposite ends of the handle portion (11) being rotatably mounted to the body portion (10), so as to permit the body portion (10) to swing about the axis of the handle portion (10).
A support as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the handle portion (11) is slidable across the mouth of the opening (17).
A support as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the handle and body portions (10, 11) are formed of plastics.
A support as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the handle portion (11) is separate from the bag portion (10), means being provided to prevent the handle from being detached from the body.