GB2255497A

GB2255497A - A blank for a shopping bag carrying handle

Info

Publication number: GB2255497A
Application number: GB9209890A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerald Norman Rosenthal; Douglas Thomas Kinnear
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-05-07
Filing date: 1992-05-07
Publication date: 1992-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 2012-05-07
Also published as: GB9209890D0; ZA922781B; GB2255497B

Abstract

A blank (10) (Fig 1) from which a carrying handle can be produced comprises foldable material which is centrally creased (20.1; 20.2) so that it can be folded in half along a line parallel to two opposed edges (12, 14) of the blank to form first and second panels (32; 34). A rectangular flap (22) is partly bounded by two parallel slits (24, 26) which lie inwardly of the edges (16, 18) and cross the central crease (20.1; 20.2). The remaining edges of the flap are formed by a crease (30.1; 30.2) and a slit (18) which are parallel to one another and to the edges (12, 14). Upon the blank being folded along the central creases, the panels are face-to-face. When the blank is folded along the other crease line, the flap (22) sandwiches one (32) of the panels between itself and the other panel (34). The upwardly open V-shaped gap between the panels receives the handle of a shopping bag. In an alternative construction (Fig 8) the blank is rectangular and has a pair of parallel crease lines 20. <IMAGE>

Description

A BLANK FOR A SHOPPING BAG CARRYING HANDLE THIS INVENTION relates to carrying handles for shopping bags.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a blank from which a carrying handle for a shopping bag can be produced, the blank comprising a sheet of foldable material having a first pair of opposed edges and a second pair of opposed edges which are transverse to the first pair of opposed edges, a central crease line parallel to said first pair of opposed edges, slit lines in said material bounding three sides of a flap, and a crease line forming the fourth side of the flap, two of the slits crossing said central crease line, the third slit and the crease line which forms said fourth side being parallel to said central crease line and on opposite sides thereof, and said central crease line extending from said two slits to said second edges.

In one form said central crease line extends across said blank from one of said second edges to the other of said second edges. Said central crease line can be in two parts, each of said parts extending from one of said two slits to the adjacent second edge of the blank.

Said central crease line can comprise two crease lines which are parallel to one another.

Said crease line which forms the fourth side of the flap can comprise two crease lines which are parallel to one another.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a blank from which a carrying handle for a shopping bag, can be produced, the blank comprising a sheet of foldable material which has a first pair of opposed edges and a second pair of opposed edges which are transverse to the first pair of opposed edges, and a pair of spaced apart, parallel crease lines extending from one of the edges of said first pair of opposed edges to the other of the edges of said first pair, said blank when folded along said crease lines having a first panel juxtaposed to a second panel, the portion of the material between said crease lines joining said panels to one another and being transverse to said panels.

Said material is preferably cardboard.

Whilst plain board (also known as carton) can be used it is preferred that corrugated board be used.

Corrugated board comprising three liners and two flutes is preferred.

Said two panels form an upwardly open Vshaped slot which cen receive the handles of a carrier bag, particularly a carrier bag of sheet synthetic plastics material.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a carrying handle for a shopping bag, the handle comprising a sheet of foldable material with a central crease line along which the material is folded thereby to produce two face-to-face panels, three slit lines in the material, the slit lines bounding three sides of a rectangle, two of said slit lines crossing said central crease line and the third slit line being parallel to said central crease line whereby, as the material is folded, a flap is produced which is joined along the fourth side of the rectangle to one of said panels and which protrudes from said one panel to a position beyond said central crease line, and a crease line constituting said fourth side of the rectangle, said flap being folded about said fourth crease line so that said other panel is sandwiched between said one panel and said flap.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of a blank; Figure 2 is an edge elevation of the blank of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an elevation of a blank which has been folded once; Figure 4 is an edge elevation of the blank of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an elevation of a blank which has been folded for a second time; Figure 6 is an edge elevation of the blank of Figure 5; and Figure 7 and 8 illustrates further blanks.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, the blank illustrated is generally designated 10. It comprises a sheet of foldable material such as carton, single flute corrugated board or double flute corrugated board. The blank has two opposed edges which are designated 12 and 14 and two further opposed edges which are designated 16 and 18, the edges 16 and 18 being transverse to the edges 12 and 14. Mid-way between the edges 12 and 14 there is a double crease line designated 20.1 and 20.2.

A rectangular flap designated 22 is bounded by three slit lines designated 24, 26 and 28. The slit lines 24 and 26 are parallel to one another and cross the crease lines 20.1 and 20.2. The third slit 28 intersects the slits 24 and 26 and is parallel to the crease lines 20.1 and 20.2. The fourth side of the rectangular flap 22 is constituted by two crease lines designated 30.1 and 30.2 which intersect the ends of the slits 24 and 26 which are remote from the slit 28.

The crease lines 30.1 and 30.2 are parallel to one another and there is a strip 30.3 between them.

One part of each crease line 20.1 and 20.2 extends from the edge 16 to the slit 24, and the other part from the edge 18 to the slit 26.

Reference numerals 32 and 34 designate two panels which are joined to one another along the parts of the crease lines 20.1, 20.2, these part forming boundaries of the panels 32, 34. The panel 32 is further bounded by the edge 14, part of each edge 16 and 18, by the slit line 28, and by part of each slit line 24 and 26. Similarly, the panel 34 is further bounded by the edge 12, part of each edge 16 and 18, by the crease line 30.1 and by part of each slit line 24, 26.

Notches 36 and 38 are provided in the edges 16 and 18 respectively mid-way between the edges 12 and 14.

When the blank 10 is folded along the double crease lines 20.1 and 20.2, the panels 32 and 34 are brought into register with one another as best seen in Figure 4. It will be noted that, between the panels 32 and 34, there is an upwardly open V-shaped slot designated 40 in Figure 4. The flap 22 at this stage protrudes downwardly from the panel 34 and beyond the registering panels 32, 34.

The blank is then folded again along the lines 30.1 and 30.2 so that the panel 32 is sandwiched between the panel 34 and the flap 22. The strip 30.3 now forms the base of the slot 40 as best seen in Figure 6.

The carrying handle is used by inserting the strip-like handles of a carrier bag of synthetic plastics material into the slot 40 from above so that the handles are supported by the strip 30.3 between the lines 30.1 and 30.2. A handle H is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, this being the handle of a bag of sheet synthetic plastics material such as is supplied to customers by supermarkets etc for the purposes of carrying away the purchases made. The series of four circles designated F in Figure 5 indicate where the fingers of the person using the handle are positioned for carrying purposes. It will be noted that these pass below the strip 30.3. The strip 30.3 is relatively wide and this results in a comfortable grip.

It is possible to staple or glue the panels 32 and 34 to one another and to the flap 22 thereby to provide a more permanent connection between the carrying handle and the handles H. Alternatively, the panel 32 can be glued or stapled to the flap 22 but not to the panel 34.

The blank of Figure 7 is designated 42 and differs from the blank of Figure 1 in that the crease lines 20 and 30 are single lines and in that the crease line 20 extends across the flap designated 22.1. The blank of Figure 7 is folded in the same way as the blank of Figure 1.

The blank of Figure 8 is designated 44 and omits the flaps 22, 22.1 of the earlier Figures. It simply has two transverse, parallel, spaced crease lines 20.

The blanks of Figures 7 and 8 can be provided with notches equivilent to the notches 36 and 38 of Figure 1.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A blank from which a carrying handle for a shopping bag can be produced, the blank comprising a sheet of foldable material having a first pair of opposed edges and a second pair of opposed edges which are transverse to the first pair of opposed edges, a central crease line parallel to said first pair of opposed edges, slit lines in said material bounding three sides of a flap, and a crease line forming the fourth side of the flap, two of the slits crossing said central crease line, the third slit and the crease line which forms said fourth side being parallel to said central crease line and on opposite sides thereof, and said central crease line extending from said two slits to said second edges.

2. A blank as claimed in claim 1, in which said central crease line extends across said blank from one of said second edges to the other of said second edges.

3. A blank as claimed in claim 1, in which said central crease line comprises two parts, each of said parts extending from one of said two slits to the adjacent second edge of the blank.

4. A blank as claimed in claim 1, in which said central.crease line comprises two crease lines which are parallel to one another.

5. A blank as claimed in claim 1, in which said crease line forming the fourth side of the flap comprises two crease lines which are parallel to one another.

6. A blank from which a carrying handle can be produced, the blank comprising a sheet of foldable material which has a first pair of opposed edges and a second pair of opposed edges which are transverse to the first pair of opposed edges, and a pair of spaced apart, parallel crease lines extending from one of the edges of said first pair of opposed edges to the other of the edges of said first pair, said blank when folded along said crease lines having a first panel juxtaposed to a second panel, the portion of the material between said crease lines joining said panels to one another and being transverse to said panels.

7. A carrying handle for a shopping bag, the handle comprising a sheet of foldable material with a central crease line along which the material is folded thereby to produce two face-to-face panels, three slit lines in the material, the slit lines bounding three sides of a rectangle, two of said slit lines crossing said central crease line and the third slit line being parallel to said central crease line whereby, as the material is folded, a flap is produced which is joined along the fourth side of the rectangle to one of said panels and which protrudes from said one panel to a position beyond said central crease line, and a crease line constituting said fourth side of the rectangle, said flap being folded about said fourth crease line so that said other panel is sandwiched between said one panel and said flap.

8. A blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 7.

10. A blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 8.