GB2136387A

GB2136387A - Handles for Containers

Info

Publication number: GB2136387A
Application number: GB08405289A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Ernest Wiles
Original assignee: Nacanco Ltd
Current assignee: Ball Beverage Packaging UK Ltd
Priority date: 1983-03-02
Filing date: 1984-02-29
Publication date: 1984-09-19
Also published as: GB8405289D0; GB2136387B

Abstract

A handle assembly for a container, such as a paint can, comprises a carrying handle (1), with an aperture (2) at an end thereof and a stud (10) receivable in the handle aperture (2) and attachable to the container side wall e.g. by welding, the aperture (2) and the stud (10) having corresponding and cooperable portions (7, 14) which, when the stud (10) is received in the aperture (2), cooperate with each other to retain the handle (1) in one of two or more angular predetermined orientations with respect to the stud (10) but permit the handle (1) to be pivoted between the respective orientations. Either the shank (13) or the head (11) of the stud is of such a cross section (e.g. square) that it frictionally engages with respect to the aperture which is of a different cross section (e.g. star shaped or circular). The head of the stud may be housed entirely within the aperture and covered by a snap-fit plug. The handle may be of plastics material and may include a slot (5) adjacent the aperture to increase the flexibility of the handle. The stud is inserted through the aperture before it is welded to the container. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container Handle and Stud Arrangements This invention relates to arrangements for attaching pivotable carrying handles to containers, such as paint cans, whereby the attached handles can be pivoted into and retained in desired positions with respect to their associated containers.

Known containers, such as paint cans, with carrying handles which are pivotable about the circularly cross-sectioned shanks of respective pairs of studs or rivets attaching the two ends of the handles to the containers, have a distinct disadvantage in that, because the handles are freely pivotable about their associated stud or rivet shanks of circular cross-section, the position of the handles cannot be controlled sufficiently, particularly during the manufacture of the completed container and/or during a subsequent container-filling operation. In, for instance, the filling of a paint can with such a carrying handle, the latter tends to ride up when contacting adjacent cans or nearby parts of the filling equipment, thereby obstructing the filling operation with possible spillage of paint.

Also, during the manufacture of the complete paint can itself, and after the handle has been attached thereto by means of studs or rivets of circular cross-section, the handle tends to ride up during subsequent operations, such as, postlacquering which may need to be carried out upon the can.

The present invention sets out to overcome these disadvantages associated with known containers having freely pivotable carrying handles by providing a general arrangement comprising a carrying handle, with an aperture at an end thereof to facilitate attachment of the handle to the side wall of a container, and a stud or rivet receivable in the handle aperture and attachable to the container side wall, the handle aperture and the stud or rivet having corresponding and cooperable portions which, when the stud or rivet is received in the aperture, cooperate with each other to retain the handle in one of two or more predetermined angular orientations with respect to the stud or rivet but permit the handle to be pivoted with respect thereto between respective ones of said predetermined angular orientations against a bias generated by the cooperation of said corresponding portions during such pivoting of the handle.

In a firstly preferred embodiment of the invention, the arrangement comprises a carrying handle, with an aperture at an end thereof to facilitate attachment of the handle to the side wall of a container, and a stud or rivet whose shank is receivable in the handle aperture and is attachable to the container side wall, the handle aperture and the stud or rivet shank having corresponding and cooperable portions which, when the stud or rivet shank is received in the aperture, cooperate with each other to retain the handle in one of two or more predetermined orientations with respect to the shank but permit the handle to be pivoted with respect thereto between respective ones of said predetermined angular orientations against a bias generated by the cooperation of said corresponding portions during such pivoting of the handle.

In a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the arrangement comprises a carrying handle, with an aperture at an end thereof to facilitate attachment of the handle to the side wall of a container, and a stud or rivet receivable in an aperture in the handle and attachable to the container side wall, the handle aperture and a part of the stud or rivet, other than the shank thereof, having corresponding and cooperable portions which, when the stud or rivet is received in the aperture, cooperate with each other to retain the handle in one of two or more predetermined angular orientations with respect to the stud or rivet but permit the handle to be pivoted with respect to the stud or rivet between respective ones of said predetermined angular orientations against a bias generated by the cooperation of said corresponding portions during such pivoting of the handle.

In these embodiments of the inventive arrangement, the aperture at the end of the handle, and in practical terms there will be an aperture at each end of the handle, has at least one inwardly projecting portion which is resilient.

In such a case, the handle is preferable made of a resilient plastics material, such that the resilient portion(s) is cooperable with at least one angled or corner portion of the cross-sectional profile of the shank or other part of the stud or rivet, to retain the handle in a selected one of two or more predetermined angular orientations with respect thereto. However, due to the resilience of the inwardly projecting portion of the aperture, the handle can also be pivoted with respect to the stud or rivet between respective ones of these predetermined angular orientations against the bias caused by the cooperation of the respective portions of the aperture and stud or rivet.

Alternatively, the aperture can have a generally star-shaped cross-section defined essentially by a pair of superimposed, virtual square apertures which are in different angular orientations with respect to each other. In this case, the shank of the stud or rivet can comprise a pair of spaced parallel sides which define a virtual square whose side length is just slightly less than the shortest cross-sectional dimension, namely, the side length of each of the superimposed virtual square apertures in the handle end, of the star-shaped cross-section of the aperture. Thus, in this preferred arrangement, the virtual square crosssection of the stud or rivet shank can be received in the star-shaped aperture of the handle end, with the sides of the shank parallel to respective sides of one of the virtual square apertures in the handle.When the free end of the stud or rivet shank is subsequently secured to the side of a container, such as a paint can, the handle can be pivoted with respect to the shank, such that the sides of the virtual square cross-section thereof now lie parallel to the respective sides of the other virtual square aperture in the handle end.

During such pivoting movement of the handle, the ends of each parallel side of the shank, namely, each corner of the virtual square defined by these parallel sides, snap over the respective, inwardly projecting portions provided by the troughs of the star-shaped cross- section of the aperture in the handle, due to the resilience of the material from which the handle is made. In this manner, the handle can be pivoted into selected ones of a plurality of predetermined angular orientations with respect to the stud or rivet shank.

In another preferred embodiment, this invention provides an arrangement for attaching a pivotable carrying handle to a container, such as, a paint can, which arrangement comprises a carrying handle, with an aperture at an end thereof to facilitate attachment of the handle to the side wall of a container, and a stud or rivet receivable in the handle aperture and attachable to the container side wall, the handle aperture and the stud or rivet having portions which, when the stud or rivet is received in the aperture, provide frictional engagement with each other, whereby the handle is pivotable with respect to the stud or rivet against said frictional engagement between its rest positions on either side of the container but can be retained in any angular location between said rest positions as a result of said frictional engagement.

Preferably, the handle aperture has a reduceddiameter portion with which the shank of the stud or rivet is frictionally engageable. However, any other part of the stud or rivet may be in frictional engagement with a corresponding portion of the handle aperture.

The actual form of the stud or rivet may be of any suitable shape. For instance, the legs which constitute the shank of the stud, can be pressed from a metal disc, with the remainder of the disc, which does not form part of the shank, constituting the head of the stud.

In this preferred embodiment of inventive arrangement, the stud or rivet head can be housed within the handle aperture, which is preferably of circular cross-section, and can be hidden by a suitably-shaped plug which snap-fits into the aperture to hide the otherwise exposed stud or rivet head.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, preferred embodiments of plastics carrying handle and stud arrangement, in accordance therewith and for paint cans, will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of one end of a first form of plastics carrying handle for a paint can.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the end of the handle shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the handle shown in Figures 1 and 2, on the line Ill-Ill in Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the handle end shown in Figures 1 to 3; Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of a stud for attaching the handle end of the side wall of a paint can; Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the stud shown in Figure 5; Figure 7 is an end elevational view of the stud shown in Figures 5 and 6; Figure 8 is a plan view of an end of another form of plastics can handle; Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the end of the handle shown in Figure 8; Figure 10 is a bottom plan view of a stud of a third embodiment of arrangement;; Figures 1 A and 1 B are respective side views of the stud shown in Figure 10; Figures 12 and 1 3 are respective side elevational and plan views of a plastics handle of the third embodiment of arrangement; Figure 1 4 is a sectional elevational view of one end of the handle shown in Figures 12 and 13; and Figure 1 5 is a sectional view of a plug for optional use with the third arrangement.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, a carrying handle 1 for a paint can (not shown) is made of a resilient plastics material and has, at each of its two ends (only one shown), an aperture 2 for receiving the shank of a stud for attachment to the cylindrical side wall of the can.

This aperture 2 is located in the base wall 3 of a circular recess 4 in the end of the handle 1 and has a cross-section in the form of an eightpointed start. This star-shaped cross-section is defined by a pair of substantially identical, virtual square apertures A, B, as shown in respective dashed and chain dotted outlines in Figure 4, which are superimposed upon one another.

A transverse slot 5 is also provided in the handle end but this feature is of no real consequence as far as the inventive arrangement is concerned, except insofar as it facilitates flexing of the handle during the application of the latter to the paint can.

The close proximity of the slot 5 to the handle end, and particularly the aperture 2, permits accurate alignment of the handle with respect to a can to which it is to be applied, as well as the accurate registration of a stud shank with respect to the aperture.

Turning now to Figures 5 to 7, an electrically conductive stud 10 comprises a channel-shaped head 11 with a centrally located, circular hole 1 2.

A shank 13 of the stud 10 is provided by a pair of spaced, parallel sides 14 which are extensions of the respective sides of the head 11 and which are bent to extend downwardly therefrom. These sides 14 do not extend along the total length of the stud head 11, there being at each end thereof inwardly directed portions 1 5.

The free ends of each side 14 of the shank 13 has opposed tapered edges 1 6 and a curved edge 1 7 which together define a pair of fairly sharp points 18.

Also, the sides 14 of the shank 1 3 define a virtual square C, as shown in dashed lines in Figure 5, whose side length is just slightly less than that of each of the two virtual square apertures A and B of the star-shaped aperture 2 in the end of the handle 1.

Thus, when the shank 1 3 of the stud 10 is received in the aperture 2, the square C, of which two sides are defined by the sides 14, is placed in register with one of the square apertures A or B, the side walls 6 of the aperture 2 being tapered inwardly thereof to assist in such a receiving operation. Now, the handle 1 is in a predetermined angular orientation with respect to the shank 13 of the stud 10. Of course, a similar operation is carried out with an identical stud 10 for the star-shaped aperture at the other end of the handle, the head 1 of both studs being accommodated in the respective recesses 4 and the handle ends.

The tapered edges 16 of the shanks 13 also assist in the insertion of the shanks 13 into their respective apertures 2.

To attach the handle 1 to the paint can, the free ends of the shanks 13 of the studs 10 are preferably induction welded to respective, diametrically opposed positions on the cylindrical side wall of the can, with the handle being retained in the same predetermined angular orientation with respect to both studs. Although in this particular embodiment the studs, which are electrically conductive, are induction welded to the can, any other suitable form of attachment may also be employed.

Assuming that the virtual square C of the shank 13 of the stud 10 is in register with, say, the virtual square A of the aperture 2, then the handle 1 can be pivoted with respect to the shank, so that the virtual square C then lies in register with the other virtual square B of the aperture 2.

The handle 1 can also be retained in this other predetermined angular orientation with respect to the stud 1 0, after the snap action of the corners of the virtual square C with the respective inwardly directed projections 7, constituted by the troughs of the star-shaped cross-section of the aperture 2, during the pivoting operation.

It will be appreciated that the handle 1 can be pivoted into further predetermined orientations with respect to the stud 10, the number of such orientations being dependent upon the number, in this case 8, of points on the star-shaped crosssection of the aperture 2, subject to the limitation of the side of the can upon the pivoting of the handle.

In the preferred embodiment described above, the superimposed, virtual squares A, B, which define the recesses 4 and the handle ends.

The tapered edges 1 6 of the shanks 1 3 also assist in the insertion of the shanks 13 into their respective apertures 2.

The handle 1 can also be retained in this other predetermined angular orientation with respect to the stud 10, after the snap action of the corners of the virtual square C with the respective inwardly directed projections 7, constituted by the troughs of the star-shaped cross- section of the aperture 2, during the pivoting operation.

In the preferred embodiment described above, the superimposed, virtual squares A, B, which define the aperture 2, are angularly orientated with respect to each other at respective angles of 300 and 600. However, it will also be appreciated that the aperture 2 may be defined by three or more virtual square apertures, depending upon the number of predetermined angular orientations which may be required for the handle.

Furthermore, the aperture 2 need not necessarily be defined by two or more virtual apertures of square-section but, instead, by two or more other regular geometrical shapes, such as, superimposed, virtual triangular apertures, in which case, the cross-section of the head of the associates studs would also have to be a virtual triangle.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings, a carrying handle 21 for a paint can (not shown) is again made of a resilient plastics material and has, at each of its two ends (only one shown), an aperture 22 for receiving the shank of a stud for attachment to the cylindrical side wall of the can. This aperture 22 is located in the base wall 23 of a circular recess 24 in the end of the handle 21 and has a cross-section in the form of a twelve-pointed star. This star-shaped cross section is defined by three substantially identical, virtual square apertures A', B', C' as shown in respective chain dotted outlines in Figure 8, which are superimposed upon one another.

A transverse slot (not shown) may also be provided in the handle end inwardly of the aperture 22 but again this feature is of no real consequence as far as the inventive arrangement is concerned, except insofar as it facilitates flexing of the handle during the application of the latter to the paint can.

However, the close proximity of such a slot to the handle end, and particularly the aperture 22, permits accurate alignment of the handle with respect to a cam to which it is to be applied, as well as the accurate registration of a stud shank with respect to the aperture.

The ends of the handle 21 can be secured to the can by means of studs 10 such as those described above with reference to the embodiment of arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 7.

Thus, when the head 11 of the stud 10 is received in the circular recess 24, the square defined by the sides of the head 11 is placed in register with one of the square apertures A', B' or C', the side walls at 26 of the recess 24 being tapered inwardly thereof to assist in such a receiving operation. Now, the handle 21 is in a predetermined angular orientation with respect to the head 11 of the stud 10. Of course, a similar operation is carried out with an identical stud 10 for the star-shaped aperture at the other end of the handle, with the head 11 of the other stud being accommodated in the corresponding recess 24 and the other handle end.

The tapered edges 1 6 of the shanks 1 3 also assist in the insertion of the shanks 1 3 into their respective circular apertures 22.

To attach the handle 21 to the paint can, the free ends of the shanks 13 of the studs 10 are preferably induction welded to respective, diametrically opposed positions on the cylindrical side wall of the can, with the handle being retained in the same predetermined angular orientation with respect to both studs. Although in this particular embodiment the studs, which are electrically conductive, are inducation welded to the can, any other suitable form of attachment may also be employed.

Assuming that the virtual square defined by the sides 1 9 of the stud head 11 is in register with, say, the virtual square A' of the recess 24, then the handle 21 can be pivoted through 300 with respect to the stud 10, so that the virtual square of the head 11 then lies in register with the virtual square B' of the recess 24. Similarly the handle 21 can be pivoted through a further 300, so that the virtual square of the head 11 lies in register with the virtual square C' of the recess 24.

The handle 21 can also be retained in these other predetermined angular orientations with respect to the stud 10, after the snap action of the corners of the virtual square of the head 11 with the respective inwardly directed projections 27, constituted by the corners of the troughs of the star-shaped cross-section of the recess 24, during the pivoting operations.

It will be appreciated that the handle 21 can be pivoted into further predetermined orientations with respect to the stud 10, the number of such orientations being dependent upon the number, in this case 12, of points on the star-shaped crosssection of the recess 24, subject to the limitation of the side of the can upon the pivoting of the handle.

In this embodiment, the adjacent superimposed, virtual squares A', B', Ct which define the recess 24, are angularly orientated with respect to each other at angles of 300.

However, it will also be appreciated that the recess 24 may be defined by four or more virtual square recesses, depending upon the number of predetermined angular orientations which may be required for the handle. Furthermore, the recess 24 need not necessarily be defined by three or more virtual apertures of square-section but, instead, by two or more other regular geometrical shapes, such as, superimposed, virtual triangluar apertures, in which case, the cross- section of the head of the associated studs would also have to be a virtual triangle.

In the past, it has sometimes been necessary to firstly apply the studs or rivets to the can side wail and then apply the respective ends of the carrying handle to the studs or rivets. Also, it is to be understood that two superimposed virtual squares, or other geometrical shapes, may be provided in the recess 24, as opposed to three or more. Furthermore, the handle material can be such that the stud material destroys the peripheral shape of the star-shaped recess 24 as the handle is pivoted into each predetermined angular orientation with respect to the studs 10, whereby at least part of the periphery of the recess 24 becomes substantially smooth.

Referring to Figures 10, 11 A and 11 B of the drawings, an electrically conductive stud 30 comprises a generally disc-shaped head 31 from which has been pressed a pair of spaced, parallel legs 32. These legs 32 constitute the shank of the stud 30 and the free end of each leg 32 has opposed tapered edges 33 and a curved edge 34 which together define a pair of fairly sharp points.

Also, the legs 32 constitute two sides of a virtual square.

Referring now to Figures 1 2 to 14, a carrying handle 41 for a paint can (not shown) is made of a resilient plastics material and has, at each of its two ends, a circular aperture 42 comprising a reduced diameter portion 43 at its lower end. The radial dimension of this reduced diameter portion 43 and the virtual square, partially defined by the legs 32 of the stud 30, are such that the shank of the stud, which is also defined by the legs 32, is a friction fit within the aperture portion 43, when the stud is inserted in the aperture 42. The head of the stud 32 is thus located within an enlarged diameter portion 44 of the aperture 42. The tapered edges 33 assist in the insertion of the shank legs into the aperture 42.

To attach the handle 40 to the paint can, the free ends of the shank legs 32 of each stud 30 are preferably induction welded to respective, diametrically opposed positions of the cylindrical side wall of the paint can, with the handle extending at an angle downwardly from the studs, such that the central portion of the handle rests against the can wail. The handle is retained in this position, due to the frictional engagement between the legs 32 of each stud 30 and the side wall of the reduced diameter portion 43 of the respective apertures 42. Although in this particular embodiment the studs 30, which are electrically conductive, are inductively welded to the can, any other suitable form of attachment may also be employed.

Owing to this frictional engagement, the handle can be pivoted about the pair of diametrically opposed studs 30 and retained in any desired angular position with respect thereto.

A transverse slot 45 is also provided at each end of the handle 41, adjacent the respective circular aperture 42, although again this feature is of no real consequence so far as the inventive arrangement is concerned, except insofar as to facilitate flexing of the handle 41 during the application of the latter to the paint can. Also, the close proximity of the slot 45 to each handle end, and particularly the aperture 42, permits accurate alignment of the handle 41 with respect to a can to which it is to be applied, as well as the accurate registration of the stud 30 with respect to the aperture 42.

Furthermore, the plastics handle 41 is provided with a pair of spaced, axially extending reinforcing ribs 46.

A plug 51, as shown in Figure 15, may be used to cover the exposed head 31 of each stud 30, when the inventive arrangement is secured to the paint can. This plug 51 is provided with a radial flange 52 of generally triangular cross-section which is arranged to be snap-fitted into a correspondingly-shaped annular groove 47 formed in the wall of each aperture 42. A cap portion 53 of the plug 51 totally closes the upper end of each aperture 42, when so fitted.

It will be appreciated that the cooperable portions of the stud and handle apertures which provide the bias against rotation of the handle between the respective angular orientations with respect to the stud may be of any other suitable form. For instance, the cross-section of the relevant part of the handle aperture and/or stud or rivet could be elliptical, thereby providing frictional resistance to rotation of the handle.

In any event, the inventive arrangement provides a means of reducing by one step the assembly of a paint can with a pivotable carrying handle, in that the ends of the handle can be aligned at diametrically opposed positions with respect to the cylindrical side wall of the can, with the subsequent insertion of the stud or rivet shanks and simultaneous induction welding of these to the can side wall. In the past, it has sometimes been necessary to firstly apply the studs or rivets to the can side wall and then apply the respective ends of the carrying handle to the studs or rivets.

Claims

1. Handle and stud or rivet arrangement for a container, comprising a carrying handle, with an aperture at an end thereof to facilitate attachment of the handle to the side wall of a container, and a stud or rivet receivable in the handle aperture and attachable to the container side wall, the handle aperture and the stud or rivet having corresponding and cooperable portions which, when the stud or rivet is received in the aperture, cooperate with each other to retain the handle in one of two or more predetermined angular orientations with respect to the stud or rivet but permit the handle to be pivoted with respect thereto between respective ones of said predetermined angular orientations against a bias generated by the cooperation of said corresponding portions during such pivoting of the handle.

2. Handle and stud or rivet arrangement for a container, comprising a carrying handle, with an aperture at an end thereof to facilitate attachment of the handle to the side wall of a container, and a stud or rivet whose shank is receiveable in the handle aperture and is attachable to the container side wall, the handle aperture and the stud or rivet shank having corresponding and cooperable portions which, when the stud or rivet shank is received in the aperture, cooperate with each other to retain the handle in one of two or more predetermined orientations with respect to the shank but permit the handle to be pivoted with respect thereto between respective ones of said predetermined angular orientations against a bias generated by the cooperation of said corresponding portions during such pivoting of the handle.

3. Handle and stud or rivet arrangement for a container, comprising a carrying handle, with an aperture at an end thereof to facilitate attachment of the handle to the side wall of a container, and a stud or rivet receivable in the aperture in the handle and attachable to the container side wail, the handle aperture and a part of the stud or rivet, other than the shank thereof, having corresponding and cooperable portions which, when the stud or rivet is received in the aperture, cooperate with each other to retain the handle in one of two or more predetermined angular orientations with respect to the stud or rivet but permit the handle to be pivoted with respect to the stud or rivet between respective ones of said predetermined angular orientations against a bias generated by the cooperation of said corresponding portions during such pivoting of the handle,

4.An arrangement according to claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the handle aperture has a generally star-shaped cross-section defined essentially by a pair of superimposed, virtual square apertures which are in different angular orientations with respect to each other.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the stud or rivet comprises a pair of spaced parallel sides which define a virtual square whose side length is just slightly less than the side length of each of the superimposed virtual square apertures defining the star-shaped crosssectional aperture in the handle.

6. Handle and stud or rivet arrangement for a container, comprising a carrying handle, with an aperture at an end thereof to facilitate attachment of the handle to the side wall of a container, and a stud or rivet receivable in the handle aperture and attachable to the container side wall, the handle aperture and the stud or rivet having portions which, when the stud or rivet is received in the aperture, provide frictional engagement with each other, whereby the handle is pivotable with respect to the stud or rivet against said frictional engagement between its rest positions on either side of the container but can be retained in any angular location between said rest positions as a result of said frictional engagement.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the handle aperture has a reduced diameter portion with which the shank of the stud or rivet is frictionally engageable.

8. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the shank of the stud or rivet is constituted by a pair of legs pressed from the metal disc, with the remainder of the disc constituting the stud or rivet head.

9. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the stud or rivet head can be housed within the handle aperture.

10. An arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the stud or rivet head, when housed within the handle aperture, can be covered with a plug snap-fitted into the aperture.

11. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the handle is flexible.

12. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the handle is of a plastics material.

13. A handle and stud arrangement for a container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 4. A container incorporating an arrangement according to any preceding claim.