GB2249531A - Restraining device - Google Patents

Abstract

A restraining device (1) for restraining the movement of carrier bags within a motor vehicle comprises a hook member (2) providing at least one hook (3, 4, 5, 6) to receive the handles of a carrier bag (7), and a multiplicity of leg members (8, 9, 10) extending from the hook member to support the hook member stably on a flat surface at a distance above the flat surface. When not in use the restraining device can be folded substantially flat. The device may also be used as a presentation or display stand and also as a frame for a hazard warning triangle. <IMAGE>

Description

RESTRAINING DEVICE This invention relates to a restraining device and in the preferred embodiment provides a restraining device capable of restraining a multiplicity of carrier bags against undesired movement within a motor vehicle.

It is well recognized that carrier bags loaded with groceries are unstable when placed in the load carrying area of a motor vehicle. Repeated cornering by the motor vehicle causes the bags to move and the contents to spill out. This can lead to damage to the contents, and the resulting noise and movement of the contents can be distracting to the driver of the motor vehicle.

According to one aspect of the present invention a restraining device comprises a hook member providing at least one hook to receive the handles of a carrier bag, and a multiplicity of leg members extending from the hook member to support the hook member stably on a flat surface at a distance above the flat surface, the leg members being capable of manipulation between their use configuration and a storage configuration in which the restraining device is folded substantially flat.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the hook member is provided with a multiplicity of hooks for carrying a multiplicity of carrier bags. The leg members are preferably in the form of plastics tubes which are assembled by means of push fit connections with the hook member. Alternatively, the leg members may be formed from wooden struts, or any other suitable material.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention the ends of the leg members remote from the hook member are interconnected by a base which, in use of the device, rests on the floor of the load carrying area in which the device is located. With such an arrangement, by suitably dimensioning the leg members at least one of the restrained carrier bags may be supported in part on the base, thereby holding the base in firm contact with the floor of the load carrying area and preventing movement of the restraining device.

In another particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the leg members are interconnected by base members at the ends of the leg members remote from the hook member, and the leg members are pivotally connected to the hook member such that, when in the storage configuration, the leg members lie substantially parallel to each other, and the base members lie folded between the leg members.

Preferably, each of the base members is provided with a foot, which feet support the base members above the floor of the load carrying area in which the device is located when in the use configuration. The base members may be pivotally linked together at a central connection, and each base member may be pivotably connected to a respective one of said leg members.

Means may be provided which retain the device in the storage configuration. Such retaining means may be provided by a clip or any other suitable means. The above and other features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:: Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention in the use configuration; Figure 2 shows the embodiment of Figure 1 in a storage configuration; Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention; Figures 4 and 4A show respectively in plan and side elevation a hinge member for use in constructing a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figures 5 and 5A show respectively in plan and side elevation a connector for use in producing the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 6 illustrates a hook member for use in the preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 shows a front elevation of a third embodiment of the invention in the use configuration; Figure 8 shows a side elevation of the embodiment of Figure 7 in the use configuration; Figure 9 shows a front view of the embodiment of Figure 7 in the storage configuration; and Figure 10 shows a side view of the embodiment of Figure 7 in the storage configuration.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2 there is illustrated a restraining device 1 comprising a hook member 2 defining a multiplicity of hooks 3-6. The various hooks provide means whereby the handles of a carrier bag may be supported and by way of example one typical means of supporting a single carrier bag is illustrated in broken lines at 7. The hook member is preferably formed as an injection moulding.

Three leg members 8, 9 and 10 are connected to the hook member whereby, in use, the hook member is supported on the floor of the load carrying area of a vehicle, at a height above the load carrying area compatible with use of the device to restrain conventional plastics carrier bags.

Each leg member 8-10 is in the form of a plastics tube and is conveniently secured to the hook member by means of a spigot 11 integrally moulded with the hook member and push fitted into the interior of the leg members.

The ends of the leg members 8-10 remote from the hook member are interconnected by a base 12 comprising a main cross member 13 which interconnects the ends of legs 8 and 9, and a secondary cross member 14 which interconnects the lower end of the leg 10 with the cross member 13. The cross member 13 is preferably in the form of a plastics tube and may conveniently be of the same tube stock as that used for the legs 8-10. The strut 13 may conveniently be connected to the legs 8, 9 by means of hinge members 15 as illustrated in more detail in Figures 4 and 4A. It will be noted that each hinge member 15 comprises a pair of spigots 16, which form a push fit with the interior of the strut 13, and an integrally moulded plastics hinge 17.

The strut 14 comprises a connector 18 and a short length of tubular stock 19 similar to that used for the legs 8-10. The tube 19 is connected to the leg 10 by means of a hinge member 15 as described above and is a push fit on a spigot 20 which is integrally moulded with the connector 18. Additionally, the connector 18 comprises a flat portion 21, an integral hinge 22, and a pair of jaws 23 which receive the strut 13 as a snap fit.

In use, with the restraining device assembled and configured as illustrated in Figure 1 a multiplicity of carrier bags may be restrained by hooking the handles of the bags over the hooks 3-6 provided on the hook member.

At least one carrier bag is preferably located to rest on the base 12 so as to add stability to the restraining device. Additional carrier bags may be secured as desired and as dictated by the contents thereof. It has been found that the illustrated embodiment of the invention is effective to prevent undesired movement of the carrier bags when the restraining device complete with carrier bags is located in the load space of a motor vehicle. It will be noted that the hook member 2 comprises in addition a handle 24 which may be grasped to lift the restraining device and with it all the supported carrier bags. By this means, several carrier bags may simultaneously be lifted and transported from the motor vehicle to, e.g. the kitchen of a house.

When the device illustrated in Figure 1 is not required for use a force is applied to the strut 14 in the zone of the hinge 22 and in a generally upward direction i.e. in the direction illustrated by the arrow A of Figure 1. This will result in bending of the strut 14 and movement of the leg 10 towards the plane defined by the legs 8, 9. By this means the restraining device may be moved to the folded configuration of Figure 2 in which the device is substantially flat and does not occupy an undesired amount of space within the motor vehicle.

It will be noted that in the use configuration the legs 8-10 are slightly bowed. This has been found to improve the stability of the device and increases the volume available within the space defined between the legs.

Referring now to Figure 3 there is illustrated a second embodiment of the invention in which the hook member 2, legs 8 and 9, and strut 13 are as illustrated above with reference to Figures 1 and 2. However, the leg 10 of Figure 2 has been replaced by a pair of legs 10A and lOB.

For this purpose, the single central spigot 11 of the hook member illustrated in Figure 6 can conveniently be replaced by a pair of spigots incorporating an integral hinge. The legs 10A and lOB are interconnected at the end remote from the hook member by a strut 25 and the struts 13, 25 are interconnected by a strut 26 comprising two short length of tubular stock 27, 28 interconnected by means of a hinge member 15 as described above. The strut 26 is connected to the struts 13, 25 by means of fittings 29 which incorporate integral hinges permitting the illustrated device to be moved into a flat storage configuration by applying an upward force in the direction of the arrow B to the hinge member 15.

With reference to Figures 7 to 10, a third embodiment of the invention is shown in the use configuration in Figures 7 and 8, and in the storage configuration in Figures 9 and 10. In this embodiment, the restraining device 100 comprises a hook member 102 defining two hooks 103 and 106 which provide means whereby the handles of one or more carrier bags may be supported.

Preferably, each handle is looped over the hook member 102 to rest in the slots 104, 105 formed between the hook member 102 and the hooks 103, 106 respectively, Three leg members 108, 109 and 110 are connected to the hook member such that, in use, the leg members support the hook member at a height above the load carrying area, as described with reference to the embodiment of Figure 1. The leg members 108 and 109 are pivotably connected to the hook member at divots 130 and 131 respectively, and the leg member 110 is pivotably connected to a protrusion 111 from the hook member at pivot 132.The leg members 108 and 109 are rotatable on pivots 130 and 131 respectively about axes lying perpendicular to the plane of the hook member, while the leg member 110 is rotatable on the pivot 132 about an axis lying parallel to the plane of the hook member and perpendicular to the axes of rotation of pivots 130 and 131.

The ends of the leg members 108 and 110 remote from the hook member are interconnected by a base 112. The base comprises base members 133, 134 and 135, the base members 133, 134, 135 being pivotably connected to the ends of the leg members 108, 109, 110 at pivots 136, 137 and 138 respectively. The axes of pivots 136 and 137 lie parallel to the axes of pivots 130 and 131 and the axis of pivot 138 lies parallel to the axis of pivot 132. The ends of the base members remote from the leg members are pivotably interconnected by a connector 118, base members 133, 134 and 135 being rotatably joined to the connector 118 at pivots 139, 140 and 141 respectively. The axes of pivots 139 and 140 lie parallel to the axes of pivots 130, 131, 136 and 137, while the axis of pivot 141 lies parallel to the axes of pivots 132 and 138.

The base members 133, 134, and 135 extend beyond the pivots 136, 137 and 138 to form respective feet 142, 143 and 144 for the device. The feet 142 and 143 are angled downwardly with respect to the main portion of the base members 133 and 134, such that the base 112 of the device is tilted backwards at a slight angle when erected in the use configuration and placed on the floor of the load carrying area.

In the use configuration, the base members 133 and 134 lie in a straight line access the connector 118 between pivots 136 and 137, and base member 135 extends from the connector 118 perpendicular to base members 133 and 134.

When the device illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 is not required for use a generally upward force is applied to the connector in the direction of arrow C, as shown in Figure 8. This results in pivoting of the base members about pivots 136, 137 and 138 towards the respective leg members to which they are connected, and consequent pivoting of the leg members about pivots 130, 131 and 132 towards each other, such that leg members 108 and 109 move within a plane to lie substantially parallel with each other, and leg member 110 moves towards the plane defined by legs 108 and 109 until leg member 110 lies substantially parallel with legs 108 and 109. By this means the restraining device may be moved to the folded storage configuration of Figures 9 and 10.

A clip may be provided to hold the device in the storage configuration. In particular the clip may be adapted to hold base member 135 against leg member 110.

The clip may, for example, be a snap fit between the end 145 (see Figure 10) of base member 135 and a lug (not shown) on leg member 110.

The preferred way to release the device from the storage configuration and manipulate it into the erected use configuration is by applying a force to the foot 144 in the direction of arrow D as shown in Figure 10.

The pivots used in this embodiment of the invention are preferably provided by flat flexible hinges or by pivot pins, but any other suitable means may be used.

It is envisaged that such a device as shown in any of the illustrated embodiments may also be used as a frame for a hazard warning triangle, or the like, such as may be used to warn road users of a vehicle breakdown. For example, a fabric warning sign may conveniently be carried in the vehicle, such that it may be stretched over the erected frame in the event of an emergency and then set up at the side of the road.

Whilst the invention has been described with particular reference to specific embodiments of the invention it will be appreciated that many other embodiments of the invention are possible. In particular, the invention is not limited to the particular forms of legs or base illustrated, and the hook member may be formed with more or with fewer hooks as desired.

other uses of such a framework are also envisaged. For example, if a protrusion were provided at the same height on each leg member 8 and 9, or 108 and 109, the framework could be used as a presentation or display stand.

Claims (12)

1. A restraining device comprises a hook member providing at least one hook to receive the handles of a carrier bag, and a multiplicity of leg members extending from the hook member to support the hook member stably on a flat surface at a distance above the flat surface, the leg members being capable of manipulation between their use configuration and a storage configuration in which the restraining device is folded substantially flat.

2. A restraining device according to claim 1, wherein the hook member is provided with a multiplicity of hooks for carrying a multiplicity of carrier bags.

3. A restraining device according to claims 1 or claim 2, wherein the leg members are in the form of plastics tubes which are assembled by means of push fit connections with the hook member.

4. A restraining device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the leg members are formed from wooden struts.

5. A restraining device according to any preceding claim wherein the ends of the leg members remote from the hook member are interconnected by a base which, in use of the device, rests on the floor of the load carrying area in which the device is located.

6. A restraining device according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein, the leg members are interconnected by base members at the ends of the leg members remote from the hook member, and the leg members are pivotally connected to the hook member such that, when in the storage configuration, the leg members lie substantially parallel to each other, and the base members lie folded between the leg members.

7. A restraining device according to claim 6, wherein each of the base members is provided with a foot to support the base members above the floor of the load carrying area in which the device is located when in the use configuration.

8. A restraining device according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein each base member is pivotably connected to a respective one of said leg members.

9. A restraining device according to claim 8, wherein said base members are pivotably linked together at a central connection.

10. A restraining device according to any preceding claim, wherein means are provided for retaining the device in the storage configuration.

11. A restraining device according to an preceding claim, which is additionally adapted to support a display sign.

12. A restraining device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.