EP2457462A1

EP2457462A1 - Packaging handle

Info

Publication number: EP2457462A1
Application number: EP11190621A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Isao Kobayashi
Original assignee: Aiki Industry Co Ltd
Current assignee: Aiki Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 2010-11-30
Filing date: 2011-11-24
Publication date: 2012-05-30
Also published as: JP2012115435A; JP5788168B2; US20120132664A1; CN102556470A

Abstract

A packaging handle includes a grip extending in a horizontal direction, first and second descending parts bent downward and extending continuously from both ends of the grip, respectively, first and second string supports extending in a horizontal direction continuously from lower ends of the first and second descending parts, respectively, first and second hollow ascending parts upward rising continuously from the first and second string supports at positions apart from the first and second descending parts, respectively, first and second string stopping protrusions protruded in directions toward the first and second descending parts from surfaces of the first and second ascending parts, which are opposed to the first and second descending parts, respectively, first and second through holes formed vertically in the first and second string supports, respectively, and first and second insertion holes formed by opening bottoms of the first and second hollow ascending parts, respectively.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority from Japanese patent application No. 2010-267338, filed on November 30, 2010 , which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a packaging handle or a plastic handle for carrying string-corded baggage or box or for carrying a shopping bag.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

The inventor of this application has already proposed a packaging handle attached to a string or band of a corded baggage, which is fabricated by injection molding with a mold designed that its unmolding direction corresponds to up-and-down direction of the packaging handle. The packaging handle has a horizontal grip with a substantially half cylindrical shape with an upper opening and a slender center, descending sections extending downward from the both ends of the horizontal grip, string supports formed horizontally at the respective lower ends of the descending parts, and string stopping horns rising upward away from the descending parts of the string supports and inclining in the respective directions with respect to a plane passing through the center between both the descending parts (Japanese Patent No. 3598146 ) .
The packaging handle of such structure makes it possible to easily hook the string with the aid of the inclination of the string stopping horn and vertically stack multiple handles one on top of another with the aid of the inclination of the string stopping horn to reduce the volume occupied in conveyance or storage.
However, the conventional packaging handle described in Japanese Patent No. 3598146 is hard to sufficiently enhance the strength of the string stopping horn in which stress is concentrated, consequently to have a tendency to be easily broken. Specifically, a force brought about by the string acts intensively on the proximity of the string support in a transverse or oblique direction due to the inclination of the string stopping horn, resulting in not only breakage of the string supports, but also load exerted with great force on the sides of the string support and the descending part, to which the string stopping horns are inclined. Thus, measures for preventing such breakage are required. Further, such biased load is applied to the horizontal grip to cause torsion. Although the biased load is sometimes caused from the baggage, the load exerted on the packaging handle is brought about to damage the packaging handle particularly when hooking the packaging handle to the string while tilting or obliquely imparting a pushing force to the packaging handle before sufficiently plunging the string into the string stopping horns. Moreover, a PP binding band (polypropylene band) widely used in mechanical binding, which has great strength to put forth binding force, is hard to handle because a great deal of power is needed. Along with this, the packaging handle must be strengthened to resist the big power to be imposed to the binding band.
To increase the strength of the packaging handle, the necessary parts of the packaging handle have only to increase in thickness, but the thickness thereof is difficult to increase because of the characteristics of mold injection. That is, in the case that the packaging handle is formed of polypropylene by injection molding as an example, when the packaging handle has a thickness exceeding 4 mm, the injection molded handle requires plenty of time to cool, resulting in reducing productivity and possibly causing defects such as surface sink or internal void at worst.
Further, the packaging handle described in Japanese
Patent No. 3598146 has the string stopping horns inclined relative to the surface passing through the center between the descending parts, and therefore, is apt to tip over when being released in the state attached to the string, consequently to create the adverse potential for difficulties of holding the handle and causing hurt to the baggage or wrapping paper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a packaging handle having sufficient strength without making thick.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging handle capable of self-standing without tipping in the attached state to a string.
In order to attain the object described above according to the present invention, a packaging handle includes a grip extending in a horizontal direction, first and second descending parts bent downward and extending continuously from both ends of the grip, respectively, first and second string supports extending in a horizontal direction continuously from lower ends of the first and second descending parts, respectively, first and second hollow ascending parts upward rising continuously from the first and second string supports at positions apart from the first and second descending parts, respectively, first and second string stopping protrusions protruded in directions toward the first and second descending parts from surfaces of the first and second ascending parts, which are opposed to the first and second descending parts, respectively, first and second through holes formed vertically in the first and second string supports, respectively, and first and second insertion holes formed by opening bottoms of the first and second hollow ascending parts, respectively.
Since the first and second through holes are formed vertically in the first and second string supports, the string supports can be increased in strength, and further, the through holes are formed respectively in the first and second hollow ascending parts with the openings in their bottoms, concentrated load can be decentrally borne by peripheral walls of the holes. Consequently, the packaging handle according to the present invention has a sufficient strength without increasing the thickness of the handle. Therefore, the packaging handle spends little time to cool even in producing the handle by injection molding and has no inconvenience such as a decrease in the productivity, increase in surface sink and generation of internal void. Besides, the handle is hollow, and therefore, irrefrangible due to the peripheral wall serving to support the string at two points. Further, the load acting diagonally can be sustained because it is decentrally borne by peripheral walls. Moreover, since parts of a metallic mold used for injection molding can penetrate the first and second through holes vertically formed respectively in the first and second string supports and can extend to the lower surfaces of the string stopping protrusions, undercut portions of the first and second string stopping protrusions can easily be molded.
It is preferred that the first and second insertion holes are formed to fit for inserting the first and second ascending parts of another packaging handle there into when stacking the packaging handles one on top of another. Thus, since a lot of the packaging handles according to the present invention can be stacked one on top of another, conveyance and storage of the packaging handles become easy and the volume occupied in conveyance or storage can be reduced.
It is also preferred that the packaging handle further includes first and second cutout openings formed in parts of walls on the sides of the first and second string supports, of the first and second insertion holes, respectively. Since the first and second string stopping protrusions of one packaging handle stacked on the other packaging handle can be inserted respectively into the first and second cutout openings, stacking of the packaging handles become easier.
It is further preferred that the first and second ascending parts are arranged in symmetrical with respect to a perpendicular plane passing through a running axis of the grip. With such symmetrical arrangement, load can be evenly borne decentrally, thereby to increase the strength and lessen twisting.
It is still further preferred that lower ends of the first and second string supports and lower ends of the first and second ascending parts have broad bottoms, respectively. The package has contact with the bottom having a wide area so as to cause no inconvenience such as harm to the surface of the package or wrapping paper. Besides, since the packaging handle attached to the string can stand by itself without tipping over even when releasing hold of hands, it becomes very easy to handle.
It is further preferred that the grip with an upper opening is provided with a longitudinal rib extending in the extending direction of the grip and a plurality of lateral ribs extending orthogonally to the extending direction of the grip.
It is further preferred that the packaging handle is entirely molded of plastic resin in one body.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an external configuration in an embodiment of a packaging handle according to the invention;
Fig. 2a is an elevational view schematically illustrating the external configuration of the single packaging handle of Fig. 1;
Fig. 2b is an elevational view schematically illustrating the external configuration of multiple packaging handles stacked on top of another;
Fig. 3 is a plan view schematically illustrating the external configuration of the packaging handle of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4a is a central sectional view schematically illustrating an internal configuration of the single packaging handle of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4b is a central sectional view schematically illustrating an internal configuration of multiple packaging handles stacked on top of another;
Fig. 5 is a enlarged bottom view schematically illustrating a part of the packaging handle of Fig. 1.
Fig. 6a is a perspective view schematically illustrating a part of a cavity metallic mold with a partially male section for molding the packaging handle of Fig. 1;
Fig. 6b is a perspective view schematically illustrating a combined packaging handle and a cavity metallic mold with a partially male section for molding the packaging handle of Fig. 1;
Fig. 6c is a perspective view schematically illustrating a part of the made-up packaging handle of Fig. 1;
Fig. 6d is a cross sectional view taken along a D-D line in Fig. 6c;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating using state of the packaging handle of Fig 1;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating using state of the packaging handle of Fig. 1;
Fig. 9a is a side view illustrating a load acting when using the packaging handle of Fig. 1;
Fig. 9b is a side view illustrating the load acting when using the packaging handle of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 9c is a side view illustrating the load acting when using the packaging handle of Fig. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in Figs. 1-5, a packaging handle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention mainly constitutes of a grip 11 formed in a substantially semi-cylindrical shape (U-shape in axial cross section) extending in a horizontal direction and having an upper opening, first and second descending parts 12a and 12b bent downward and extending continuously from both ends of the grip 11 in its running direction (axial direction) of the grip 11, first and second string supports 13a and 13b extending in a horizontal direction continuously from the lower ends of the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b, and first and second hollow ascending parts 14a and 14b upward rising continuously from the first and second string supports 13a and 13b at positions apart from the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b.
The term "horizontal direction" used in this specification means a direction parallel to the surface of a corded baggage to which the packaging handle 10 is attached, which counterparts to the running direction of the grip 11 (direction H of an arrow in Fig. 1), "upper direction" means a direction away from the surface of the corded baggage to which the packaging handle 10 is attached (direction U of an arrow in Fig. 1), "lower direction" means a direction toward the corded baggage to which the packaging handle 10 is attached, "top surface" means an upper end surface, and "bottom surface" means a lower end surface.
The packaging handle 10 further includes first and second string stopping protrusions 15a and 15b extending in the direction toward the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b from the surfaces of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b, which are opposed to the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b, and first and second vertical through holes 16a and 16b respectively formed in the first and second string supports 13a and 13b.
The first and second hollow ascending parts 14a and 14b are open in their lower end surface to form first and second insertion holes 17a and 17b, respectively. There are formed cutout openings 18a and 18b respectively in parts of the wall surfaces of the first and second insertion holes 17a and 17b on the sides of the first and second string supports 13a and 13b.
On an inner surface of the grip 11, there are formed a plurality of lateral ribs 19 each extending orthogonally to its running direction (axial direction) and formed in a crescent shape when viewed from the axial direction and a single longitudinal center rib 20 extending along the running direction (axial direction) of the grip 11. With these lateral ribs 19 and longitudinal rib 20, the semi-cylindrical shape grip 11 is reinforced to prevent deformation caused by load and grasping force of hand. Further, with the longitudinal rib 20, flowing of resin is accelerated in injection molding. In addition, the grip 11 have a smooth and scabrous-free lower surface, so that the load is exerted uniformly on the broad area of a user's hand, to prevent the user's hand from becoming sore.
The first and second descending parts 12a and 12b are respectively bent downward and integrally extending continuously from both ends of the grip 11 relative to the running direction (axial direction). More concretely, the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b are formed such that semi-funnel-shaped side walls are continuous with the semi-cylindrical peripheral wall of the grip 11 and bent downward with their lower ends closed by pyramidal cylindrical shaped parts. The edge parts of the side walls of the respective first and second descending parts 12a and 12b are made thicker in thickness than the grip 11. This contributes to strength increase of the packaging handle against a combined force of a force due to load applied to the first and second string supports 13a and 13b and tensile stress of bending moment taking place thereat.
The first and second string supports 13a and 13b integrally extend continuously from the lower ends of the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b in the horizontal direction, respectively. More concretely, the first and second string supports 13a and 13b have top surface portions integrally extending continuously from the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b in the horizontal direction and side wall portions extending downward from the side end edges of each top surface portion. The first and second through holes 16a and 16b are formed penetrating vertically through the respective top surface portions of the first and second string supports 13a and 13b. Inner spaces of the first and second string supports 13a and 13b communicate with the first and second insertion holes 17a and 17b through the first and second cutout openings 18a and 18b.
The first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b are formed in a hollow shape and integrally extend from the first and second string supports 13a and 13b to rise upward at positions apart from the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b, respectively. More concretely, the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b integrally extend from the lower ends of the first and second string supports 13a and 13b and each of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b is formed in a pyramidal cylindrical shape to rise upward. These first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b have openings at their bottoms to form the first and second insertion holes 17a and 17b, while the tops of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b are formed in an acute shape for scooping the string. The tops of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b assume their closed state in this embodiment, but may open. The first and second string stopping protrusions 15a and 15b are formed on the side surfaces of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b at positions slightly lower from the tops thereof. The first and second string stopping protrusions 15a and 15b protrude respectively toward the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b. The stopping protrusions 15a and 15b have lower surfaces orthogonal or aslant upward or downward to the side surfaces of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b, respectively. An effect of restraining the string is heightened as the descending angle of inclination of the lower surfaces becomes acute.
The packaging handle 10 according to this embodiment, that is, the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b, the first and second string supports 13a and 13b, the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b, the first and second string stopping protrusions 15a and 15b, and the first and second through holes 16a and 16b, and the first and second cutout openings 18a and 18b are formed in a symmetrical manner with respect to the perpendicular plane passing through the axis in the longitudinal direction of the grip 11. With the symmetric structure, the load can be evenly dispersed and borne, to further enhance the strength of the handle and lessen torsion. Besides, the string is hard to break.
Each of the first and second string supports 13a and 13b and each of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b have wide bottom surfaces 21a and 21b, so that the baggage has contact with the wide bottom surfaces 21a and 21b and also with the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b. Thus, no problem such as harm to the surface of the baggage or wrapping paper occurs. Besides, since the packaging handle 10 attached to the string can stand by itself without tipping over even when releasing hold of hands, it becomes very easy to handle. Namely, the packaging handle 10 hooked on the string attached to a baggage generally apts to tip over or fall down on the baggage when releasing grip on the packaging handle 10, so that the handle needs to be raised for lifting the baggage. However, the packaging handle 10 according to this embodiment, which has the wide bottom surfaces 21a and 21b, is advantageously hard to tip over. As described later, when attaching a warp string to a concave portion of the upper surface of the grip 11, the packaging handle 10 is apt to tip over more easily and, if it happens, the corded wrap string possibly come off the concave portion of the grip 11. In order to prevent such problem, it is considerable important to construct the packaging handle 10 so as to be prevented from tipping over with the bottoms 21a and 21b having large areas. Further, since the lower ends of the first and second string supports 13a and 13b and the lower ends of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b have not only large width but also substantially rectangular peripheral walls of wide inner area, the load exerted on the upper surface of the baggage can be dispersed to extremely lessen possibility of damaging wrapping paper or surface of paper case such as cardboard.
Specifically, the packaging handle 10 according to this embodiment is provided with the first and second through holes 16a and 16b piercing vertically in the first and second string supports 13a and 13b, thereby to further increase the strength of the string supports. That is, each of the first and second string supports 13a and 13b constitutes a two piece structure formed by dividing the top surface portion of a single plane into two planes and extending its sidewall portions downward from the end edge of the top surface portion. Since the two-piece structure of each string support has larger rigidity outstanding the bending moment and torsion than a one-piece structure, the string support is little deformed by large bending moment or torsion caused therein. Thus, the packaging handle 10 according to this embodiment can assure sufficient strength and improvement of molding processability without increasing its thickness.
In addition, since the packaging handle 10 of this embodiment has the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b made hollow with opening bottoms to form the first and second insertion holes 17a and 17b, it is possible to disperse the concentrated load to the peripheral walls. Therefore, the packaging handle 10 can be secured of sufficient strength without being made thick. As a result, the fabrication thereof spends little time to cool even in producing the handle by injection molding and also provides no problem such as a decrease in the productivity, increase in surface sink and generation of internal void. Besides, as also described later, the peripheral wall of each of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b is not simply formed in a U-shape in horizontal section at a position of the top surface portion of each of the first and second string supports 13a and 13b, but has rip portions 14a1 (see Figs. 6c and 6d) with convolute parts extending inward from the leading ends of the wall member formed in the U-shape. Therefore, the packaging handle 10 can have a strength enough to withstand a combined force of a force due to load applied to the first and second string supports 13a and 13b and tensile stress of bending moment taking place thereat. Also, diagonal load exerted thereon can be borne by the peripheral walls to be sufficiently withstood.
Moreover, since the packaging handle 10 according to this embodiment has the first and second through holes 16a and 16b formed vertically in the respective first and second string supports 13a and 13b, as described later, parts of a metallic mold used for injection molding can penetrate through the first and second through holes 16a and 16b and extend to the lower surfaces of the string stopping protrusions 15a and 15b. Thus, it is possible to easily mold lower surfaces (undercut portions) of the first and second string stopping protrusions 15a and 15b.
Furthermore, because the packaging handle 10 according to this embodiment has the first and second insertion holes 17a and 17b formed in the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b and the first and second cutout openings 18a and 18b formed through the walls of the first and second insertion holes 17a and 17b, a lot of the packaging handles can be stacked one on top of another. That is, as illustrated in Figs. 2b and 4b, a lot of the packaging handles can be easily stacked vertically (in up-and-down direction) one on top of another in such a manner that the grip 11, the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b, the first and second through holes 16a and 16b, the first and second cutout openings 18a and 18b and the first and second insertion holes 17a and 17b of the upper packaging handle 10 are vertically inserted into one another with the grip 11', the first and second descending parts 12a' and 12b', the first and second through holes 16a' and 16b', the first and second cutout openings 18a' and 18b' and the first and second insertion holes 17a' and 17b' of the lower packaging handle 10', respectively. As a result, the packaging handle of this embodiment can make conveyance or storage easy and diminish the volume occupied during storage. Namely, the packaging handle 10 according to this embodiment enables not only reduce costs for conveyance or storage, but also make good use of valuable space around a checkout counter in a store. In a case where the load is unsupportable only by one packaging handle, a plurality of packaging handles stacked on top of another may be used to obtain very high strength against the load because the grips, descending parts, string supports and ascending parts of the respective handles cooperate with each other against the load.
The packaging handle 10 according to this embodiment is produced by mold injection using a mold designed that its unmolding direction corresponds to a vertical direction, that is an up-and-down direction, of the packaging handle. The packaging handle can be made of any resin material which is injection-moldable and has some degree of strength, e.g. polypropylene as used extensively. The thickness at the thickest part of the packaging handle 10 is 4 mm or less. The packaging handle with such thickness spends little time to cool even in producing the handle by injection molding and has no inconvenience such as a decrease in the productivity, increase in surface sink and generation of internal void. Needless to add, the packaging handle 10 is formed to decentrally bear the load as described above, consequently to obtain sufficient strength without being made thick.
So, in this embodiment, a cavity metallic mold with a partially male section, which can mold the first and second through holes 16a and 16b vertically passing through the respective first and second string supports 13a and 13b, and the lower surfaces of the string stopping protrusions 15a and 15b is used.
Fig. 6a shows the mold in part, Fig. 6b shows the combined mold and packaging handle in part, Fig. 6c shows a made-up packaging handle in part, and Fig. 6d shows a cross sectional view taken along a D-D line in Fig. 6c. In these figures, reference numeral 60 denotes a section of the mold for molding the first insertion hole 17a of the first ascending part 14a, 61 denotes a section of the mold for molding the first cutout opening 18a, 62 denotes a section of the mold for molding the first through hole 16a of the first string support 13a, 63 denotes a section of the mold for molding the lower surface of the first string stopping protrusion 15a, and 14a1 denotes the rip portion formed on the peripheral wall of the first ascending part 14a, respectively.
By using such mold for molding the through hole in the string support, the string stopping protrusion having the lower surface (undercut portion) tilted at an optional angle inclusive of the horizontal direction can be formed.
If tried to form the undercut portion using a mold with a forced demolding structure, inclination of the undercut portion had to be restricted to the limited angle, and also it was difficult to form a large undercut portion itself. Therefore, it was impossible to form the string stopping protrusion capable of securely holding the string. In addition, since the lower surface of the string stopping protrusion was forcibly released or demolded from the mold while elastically deforming the string support and ascending part, these string support and ascending part could not be increased in rigidity, consequently to preclude these portions requiring the maximum strength from strengthening. However, according to the fabrication in this embodiment does not entail such disadvantages. Furthermore, the peripheral wall of each of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b is not simply formed in a U-shape in horizontal section, but has rip portions 14a1 (in the case of the first ascending part 14a) with convolute parts extending inward from the leading ends of the wall member formed in the U-shape. Therefore, the packaging handle has a strength enough to withstand a combined force of a force due to load applied to the first and second string supports 13a and 13b and tensile stress of bending moment taking place thereat.
Hereinafter, actual usage of the packaging handle 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The following usage is explained as to the packaging handle 10 hooked to a coded package, but the packaging handle according to the invention may be used as a carrier handle for a shopping bag, a plastic shopping bag and any other bag.
A first hooking method of the packaging handle 10 of this embodiment includes a step of allowing the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b of the packaging handle 10 to slip through two parallel strings 71 wound around a package 70 and a step of passing the strings 71 through the first and second string supports 13a and 13b, respectively.
A second hooking method that is suitable for mechanical binding includes a step of placing the packaging handle 10 on the package 70 and a step of winding the string 71 around the package 70 while passing the strings 71 through the first and second string supports 13a and 13b, respectively. A third hooking method includes a step of previously tying the string 71 by passing one end of the string through the first through hole 16a or the second through hole 16b in the packaging handle 10 and a step of sequentially winding the string 71 around the package 70. A fourth hooking method includes a step of placing one end of the string 71 on the first or second string support 13a or 13b, a step of fixing the one end of the string 71 by winding the string 71 twice or three times around the support, and a step of sequentially winding the string 71 around the package 70 under this state.
According to the first hooking method typically used, the top ends of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b are subjected to the tension of the string 71 in the early stage of hooking the packaging handle 10 on the string 71 wound around the package 70, resultantly applying a large bending moment and torsion force on the first and second string supports 13a and 13b particularly when the direction of the tension is the lateral direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. However, according to the packaging handle 10 of this embodiment, each of the first and second string supports 13a and 13b has the two piece structure formed by dividing the top surface portion of a single plane into two planes and extending its sidewall portions downward from the end edge of the top surface portion resulting to provide large rigidity outstanding the bending moment and torsion. Further, since each of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b has a hollow structure formed by the peripheral wall, the concentrated load can be decentrally borne by the peripheral wall. As a result, sufficient rigidity outstanding the bending moment and torsion can be ensured to cause no disadvantage such as breaking. Further, with the symmetrical arrangement of the packaging handle, load can be evenly borne decentrally, thereby to increase the strength and lessen twisting.
According to the second hooking method, the bending moment and torsion are not so much brought about to be safe from possibly breaking. In this case, according to the packaging handle 10 of this embodiment, each of the first and second string supports 13a and 13b and each of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b have wide lower end surfaces, so that the package has contact with the wide bottom surfaces 21a and 21b formed by these wide lower end surfaces and the lower end surface of each of the first and second descending parts 12a and 12b. Therefore, since the packaging handle hooked to the string can stand by itself without tip over even when releasing hold of hands, it becomes very easy to deal with. As this hooking method is aboundingly adopted in recent binding machines, the self-standing structure of the packaging handle 10 is very convenient.
According to the third hooking method, the string and packaging handle can be jointly attached to the package without the need for severally preparing the string and packaging handle and firmly tied together without using the binding machine. Besides, they can be tied at a single point to make the work of tying the package with the string easy.
The aforementioned forth hooking method will be explained with reference to Fig. 8. As illustrated, the method includes a step of placing the starting end 71a of the string 71 on one string support 13a or 13b, and a step of fixing the one end portion of the string 71 by winding the string 71 two or three times around the support. Thus, the starting end 71a can be firmly retained to the packaging handle 10 in the state of holding down the lower string with the upper string 71b. Then, the packaging handle 10 in this state is placed in the middle of the upper surface of the package 70, and the string 71 is sequentially wound around the package 70 in the order of the arrows A and B to entwine the string 71 with one of the ascending parts of the packaging handle 10. Then, the string 71 is wound around the package 70 in the order of the arrows C and D to entwine the string 71 with the other ascending part, the string 71 is wound around the package 70 in the order of the arrows E and F, and finally a loop 71d of the string 71 is placed with the terminal end 71c downward to hook the string 71 on the other ascending part while squeezing the string. By performing the terminal disposal three or more times, the terminal end of the string 71 is steadily retained to be prevented from unfastening even by cutting the surplus of string short. In this fourth hooking method, tying of the string 71 can be easily carried out only one time in the last by merely hanging the string on the ascending part that is a rising rod. Meanwhile, more steady tying of the string 71 can be fulfilled by again winding the string around the package 70 in the inverse order, i.e. in the order of the arrows F, E, D, C, B and A, after hanging the string 71 on the ascending part following the arrow F. This fourth hooking method enables easy working without using a binding machine, for instance, even at home, to enhance the convenience in binding of news papers and magazines. As for the string 71, various kinds of strings and straps may be used. Particularly, a strap-shaped film string made of PP (polypropylene) which is inexpensive and has been generally put widely on the market can be used favorably as the string 71 for the packaging handle 10. In this case, knotting and attaching works using the packaging handle 10 can be carried out at one time inexpensively. Since the strap-shaped PP film string is too slick to be knotted, the knotting work using this slick string has been thought difficult because double knot of the slick string easily loosens due to its slicking nature. However, according to the fourth hooking method using the packaging handle 10 of this embodiment, the string can be entwined with the ascending part at every important points and squeezed through the use of the frictional force of the string, to enable tying of the strings in an appropriate tense state. In addition, the strap-shaped PP film string has no spin and is easy to tear and reluctant to converge, but it is kept under restraint by the string supports in the respective stages according to the fourth hooking method to cover the shortcomings of the awkward PP string. Furthermore, the packaging handle 10 of this embodiment has a wide bottom 21a to steady the string for preventing the string from tipping over, this fourth hooking method is very convenient in practice.
The string 71 may be doubly wound around the package 70 as a loop, and then, wound at its middle portion passing through the string supports is useful as well. In the same way, triple or fourfold winding of the string is beneficial.
Hereinafter, relationship between the load exerted on the packaging handle 10 by the string 71 and breakage will be explained.
As shown in Fig. 9a, when a load is applied to the string 71 passing through the string support 83, the grip 81 is curved in an arched shape. As shown in Fig. 9b, as the load increases, the curvature of the grip 81 increases. Then eventually, as shown in Fig. 9c, the portion 72 connected to the string support 83 of the ascending part 84 is whitened (phenomenon of whitening by causing the material to yield the load), consequently to be broken following stretching ultimately. Also, when a force is applied to the packaging handle in a scooping manner in the state of passing only the leading end of the ascending part 84 through the string 71 in attaching the packaging handle to the string 71 wound around the package, a huge load is exerted on the portion 72. Therefore, the portion 72 in a conventional packaging handle is likely to be broken. The conventional packaging handle molded of polypropylene, which has the ascending part 84 of 6 mm in width W and 4 mm in thickness, is broken at the portion 72 under an applied weight of about 40 kg. In order to prevent this, the width W or thickness just have to be increased. However, when the width W is increased, the entire size of the packaging handle becomes large. By increasing the thickness over 4 mm, inconvenience such as surface sink or an inside void are possibly caused in injection molding as described above and the production cost becomes expensive because of elongating the molding cycle thereof. Since flexibility at this portion is required in forced demolding, sufficient strength cannot be assured.
On the contrary, according to the packaging handle of this embodiment, due to the through hole in the hollow ascending part 84, load concentrated on a connection portion between the string support 83 and the ascending part 84 can be decentrally borne by peripheral wall of the through hole. Thus, in a case of the packaging handle formed of polypropylene with the ascending part 84 having a width W of 6 mm and thickness of 4 mm, the load exerted thereon is borne at two points to stand up to a load of about 80 kg.
In actual use, the packaging handle may carry a package of about 20 kg in weight at a maximum. However, in consideration of vibration and shocks suffered during transportation and a strong force exerted in attaching the handle to the string and further a safety in view of variation in production, it is desirable to assure a yield strength to withstand a load of 50 to 60 kg. The packaging handle of this embodiment can satisfy this function without increasing the width W and thickness.
In addition, although the planar shape of the top surface portion of each of the first and second string supports 13a and 13b is rectangle in the aforementioned embodiment, it may be of trapezoid, triangle or any other shape, or a chamfered shape. Further, the first and second insertion holes 17a and 17b may be formed as through holes by opening the top surface portions of the first and second ascending parts 14a and 14b.
Many widely different embodiments of the present invention may be constructed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in the specification, except as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

A packaging handle comprising:
a grip extending in a horizontal direction;

first and second descending parts bent downward and extending continuously from both ends of said grip, respectively;

first and second string supports extending in a horizontal direction continuously from lower ends of said first and second descending parts, respectively;

first and second hollow ascending parts upward rising continuously from said first and second string supports at positions apart from said first and second descending parts, respectively;

first and second string stopping protrusions protruded in directions toward said first and second descending parts from surfaces of said first and second ascending parts, which are opposed to said first and second descending parts, respectively;

first and second through holes formed vertically in said first and second string supports, respectively; and

first and second insertion holes formed by opening bottoms of said first and second hollow ascending parts, respectively.
The packaging handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second insertion holes are formed to fit for inserting the first and second ascending parts of another packaging handle there into when stacking the packaging handles one on top of another.
The packaging handle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the packaging handle further comprises first and second cutout openings formed in parts of walls on the sides of said first and second string supports, of said first and second insertion holes, respectively.
The packaging handle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said first and second ascending parts are arranged in symmetrical with respect to a perpendicular plane passing through a running axis of said grip.
The packaging handle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein lower ends of said first and second string supports and lower ends of said first and second ascending parts have broad bottoms, respectively.
The packaging handle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said grip with an upper opening is provided with a longitudinal rib extending in the extending direction of said grip and a plurality of lateral ribs extending orthogonally to the extending direction of said grip.
The packaging handle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said packaging handle is entirely molded of plastic resin in one body.