GB2218689A - Carrying handles - Google Patents

Abstract

A one-piece carrying handle for a carton, container or other like object comprises a base (10) which is positioned on the inside of a wall of the carton, and a flexible strap (12) integral with the base at one end and having a latching tongue (14) at its free end. In use, two spaced holes are cut in the carton wall, the base (10) is inserted through one hole, and the tongued end of the strap (12) is pushed down through the other hole to latch in a hole (24) in the base. <IMAGE>

Description

CARRYING HANDLES SPECIFICATION This invention relates generally to carrying handles, and is particularly concerned with handles for use with cartons and containers to enable them more easily to be carried.

Carrying handles for cartons are known which comprise a baseplate provided with two holes, one adjacent to each end, which is positioned within the carton, and a separate handle portion which has its two ends designed to be fitted into the respective holes in the baseplate. This known carrying handle gives rise to problems of achieving registration of the two parts, and thus means that the installation of the handle cannot be carried out speedily.

It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved carrying handle for cartons, containers and like objects which avoids the problems of the aforesaid known handle and which provides other advantageous features as well. The carrying handle of the present invention is based upon a one-piece construction which facilitates registration of the handle parts when the handle is being fitted to a carton. This substantially reduces the time needed to fit the carrying handle to the carton. Additionally, the one-piece construction of the carrying handle of the present invention results in a stronger handle than heretofore. Additionally, the carrying handle of the present invention is adapted for fitting to a wide range of thicknesses of carton board.Moreover, the carrying handle of the present invention, once fitted to a carton or container, is automatically self-locking without requiring any twisting or other movements to generate the necessary integrity of the handle and carton.

The one-piece construction of the carrying handle of the present invention means that the handle is particularly well suited to be manufactured by moulding from a suitable plastics material. It is an important feature of one embodiment of carrying handle of the present invention that the handle is moulded on its side. This has particularly advantages as will be explained later.

Broadly in accordance with the present invention there is provided a one-piece carrying handle for a carton, container or other like object, the handle comprising a base portion arranged to be positioned on the inside of a carton wall, and a flexible strap portion having one end integral with the base portion and its other end adapted to be held by the base portion, thereby to lock said other end of the strap portion to the base portion.

To fit the carrying handle of the present invention all that is necessary is to make two holes, for example in the form of slots, in the carton wall at the appropriate spacing, and then to pass the handle portion through the holes in the carton wall and lock said other end of the strap portion with the base portion.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, one presently preferred embodiment of carrying handle in accordance with the invention will now be described in detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows the carrying handle of the present invention in its "closed" condition; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the handle of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the handle of Fig.

1; Fig. 4 is a side view of the handle of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a side view of the handle of Fig. 1 but with the handle in its "open" condition; and, Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c illustrate the method of fitting the handle to a carton.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the carrying handle of the present invention comprises a base portion 10 which has the general form of a rectangular plate. Integral with the base portion 10 is a handle portion, indicated generally at 12. The handle portion 12 is connected with the base portion 10 adjacent to one end of the base portion. Preferably, the one-piece handle is moulded from a suitable plastics material. The handle portion 12 is flexible and is provided at its end remote from the base portion 10 with a tongue indicated generally at 14. The tongue 14, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5, has a longer portion 16 and a shorter portion 18, the longer portion being approximately twice the length of the shorter portion in the preferred embodiment. The tongue 14 is set at an inclined angle to the stem portion 20 of the handle portion 12.

The base portion 10 of the carrying handle is provided with a hole 22 therethrough towards the end of the base portion remote from the end from which the handle portion extends. In this embodiment the hole 22 is a rectangular slot in the base portion and has a width which is slightly larger than the width of the handle portion 12, as can be seen most clearly from Fig. 2.

Although it is within the scope of the present invention for the carrying handle to have a base portion which is flat and which is provided with the hole 22 therethrough, it is a preferred feature of the present invention that the base portion 10 is provided adjacent to the hole 22 with a stepped portion indicated generally at 24. The provision of this stepped portion 24 is to facilitate moulding of the carrying handle. If the carrying handle was to be moulded with the base portion in a horizontal attitude then it would be necessary to cut or punch the hole 22 through the material of the base. A simpler and preferred moulding technique is therefore used whereby the carrying handle is moulded "on its side". This means that the hole 22 can be formed as part of the moulding operation without requiring any separate cutting step, and one can also use smaller tools.

However, in order to be able to mould the hole 22 with the carrying handle on its side, it is necessary for the portion of the base 10 on one side of the slot 22 to be offset in the manner of the stepped configuration which is shown.

As will be apparent from Fig. 3 in particular, when the carrying handle is in its "closed" condition where the tongue 14 has been pushed through the hole 22, the tongue should preferably be of a sufficient length for the longer portion 16 to extend slightly beyond the associated end of the base portion 10 and for the shorter length portion 18 to overlie the base portion on its side of the hole 22. Also, in order to facilitate the threading of the tongue 14 through the hole 22, one transverse edge 26 of the hole 22 is formed as an inclined surface.

Figs. 6a to 6c illustrate how the carrying handle is fitted to a carton 30. Two holes 31, 32 are cut through the appropriate carton wall at the correct spacing to match the dimensions of the carrying handle.

Thereafter the carrying handle is fitted through the two holes 31, 32 and, being an integral one-piece construction, there is no problem over registration of the tongue 14 with the hole 22 in the base portion.

Threading of the tongue 14 down through hole 32 in the carton will automatically bring it into register with the hole 22 in the base portion. By pushing the tongue down through the base portion it will automatically lock into position, as shown in Fig. 6c, and thereafter be impossible to remove.

Claims (13)

CLAIMS:

1. A one-piece carrying handle for a carton, container or other like object, comprising a base portion arranged to be positioned on the inside of an object wall, and a flexible strap portion for use outside the object wall having one end integral with the base portion and its other end adapted to be held by the base portion, thereby to lock said other end of the strap portion to the base portion.

2. A one-piece carrying handle for a carton, container or other like object, comprising an elongate base portion and an integral handle portion, said base portion having a hole therein adjacent to one end thereof, and said handle portion comprising a flexible strap fixed to the base portion adjacent to the other end thereof and having a tongue at the free end of the strap, said tongue being insertable into said hole thereby to lock the strap to the base portion.

3. A handle according to claim 2, in which the tongue has a first part extending from the end of the strap to one side thereof and a second part extending from the end of the strap to the other side thereof.

4. A handle according to claim 3, in which said first and second parts are of unequal length.

5. A handle according to claim 4, in which the first part, which when the tongue is fitted in the hole extends towards said one end of the base portion, is approximately twice the length of said second part.

6. A handle according to claim 5, in which the first part of the tongue extends beyond the end of the base portion when fitted into said hole.

7. A handle according to any of claims 2 to 6, in which the tongue is set at an inclined angle to the strap.

8. A handle according to any of claims 2 to 7, in which said hole is a rectangular slot having a width slightly larger than the width of the strap.

9. A handle according to any of claims 2 to 8, in which the base portion is provided adjacent to said hole at one side thereof with a stepped portion depressed out of the plane of the base portion.

10. A handle according to claim 5, in which the first part of the tongue extends beyond the end of the base portion when fitted into said hole.

11. A method of fitting a one-piece carrying handle to a carton, container or other like object, which comprises the steps of making two spaced holes through a wall of the said object, inserting an elongate base portion of the handle through one of the holes to underlie the other hole, inserting a flexible strap portion of the handle down through the said other hole, and threading a tongue at the free end of the strap portion into a hole in said base portion, thereby to lock the strap portion to the base portion within the said object.

12. A one-piece carrying handle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A method of fitting a one-piece carrying handle to an object substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.