GB2308804A

GB2308804A - Carrying handle

Info

Publication number: GB2308804A
Application number: GB9600215A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Arthur Clayburn
Original assignee: YALLOP DAVID JOHN
Current assignee: YALLOP DAVID JOHN
Priority date: 1996-01-05
Filing date: 1996-01-05
Publication date: 1997-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 2016-01-05
Also published as: GB2308804B; GB9600215D0

Abstract

A handle or hand grip 1 for a container, such as a carrier bag having a pair of handle loops, comprises an elongate flexible tubular member 2, slit 6 longitudinally between its ends 3, 4. The tubular member 2 may be cut from a length of plastics tube of generally circular cross-section. At each end region, the slit 6 opens out into a respective notch 5. The handle or hand grip may carry indicia and have anti-slip formations thereon.

Description

HANDLE FOR CONTAINER The present invention relates to a handle for a container, for example of the type commonly known as a carrier bag, although the handle to be described hereinbelow is not intended exclusively for such use, but may be extended to other similar uses as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Many containers intended to be carried singlehandedly by a user provide hand grip or handle structures which are not particularly convenient or comfortable to grip and hold, especially when the container is heavily laden. Typical amongst such known containers is the carrier bag, which is usually made of plastics material and the two sidewalls of which, at their upper regions, are formed with respective handle loops. Although many different forms of such handle loops are known, none of them is particularly comfortable to hold and grip, and when the carrier bag is heavily laden the loops grips tend to deform into narrow strands which cut into the fingers or hand of the user carrying the bag.

Known in the art are various hand grip or handle structures intended to be attached to carrier bag handle loops in order to strengthen and make them more comfortable. Such known solutions to the problems outlined above, whilst going some way towards solving the problems, are nevertheless still uncomfortable in a user's hand because they rely on rigidity of the hand grip or handle structure. This rigidity results from the use of a rigid material of construction, and may also give rise to the further disadvantage of difficulty in attachment to, or detachment from, the carrier bag handle loops.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least substantially reduce, the disadvantages of the known art.

According to the present invention a handle or hand grip for a container comprises an elongate tubular member having a sidewall including a longitudinal slit therein extending from one end of the member to the opposite end thereof for the purpose of attaching the handle or hand grip to, or detaching it from, a container; the elongate tubular member being made of a flexible material.

Preferably the elongate tubular member is made of a flexible plastics material.

Preferably the elongate slit, at at least one end region thereof, terminates in a widening or notch for the purpose of facilitating attachment of the elongate tubular member to, or its detachment from, a container.

Preferably the elongate slit has such a widening or notch at each of its two ends.

Preferably the handle of hand grip is made from a length of plastics tube which has been notched at each of its two end regions and slit longitudinally between the apices of the notches.

Also, a surface, preferably, an outer surface, of the handle or hand grip may have indicia, such as a company trade mark and/or logo, provided thereon by any suitable means, for example, printing or embossing.

The present invention will now be further described, by way only of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a handle or hand grip for a container such as a carrier bag; Figure 2 shows a top plan view of the handle or hand grip of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a side elevational view of the handle or hand grip; and Figure 4 shows a cross section through the handle or hand grip.

With reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, a handle or hand grip, generally indicated at 1, for a container such as a carrier bag, comprises an elongate tubular body 2 of a flexible material, preferably a flexible plastics material. The handle or hand grip 1 may be formed from a length of flexible plastics tube cut transversely to provide a first end 3 and a second end 4 of the body 2. The body 2 may be of circular cross-sectional shape, as best seen in Figure 4, enclosing an inner space 7. At each end region the body 2 is cut away or notched, as at 5, to provide a pair of sloping surfaces 5', 5'' leading away from the respective end 3, 4 and towards an apex 5a. Extending between the pair of apices 5a is an elongate slit 6 through the wall of the body 2.

The provision of this elongate slit 6 enables the handle or hand grip 1 to be attached to, or detached from, a container such as a carrier bag, and the notches 5 facilitate such attachment and/or detachment. Thus, the handle loops of a carrier bag may readily be held together and, via the notches 5 and slit 6, the handle or hand grip 1 slipped thereover so that the handle loops are received within the inner space 7.

By making the handle or hand grip 1 of a flexible material it is easy and convenient to use, attach to, and/or detach from, a container, and, moreover, is very comfortable when gripped and held in the hand of a user. Thus, regardless of the weight contained within the container, the handle or hand grip 1 is able to flex, and substantially retains its outer curved shape without, therefore, cutting into the fingers of the person carrying the container.

The handle or hand grip 1 of the present invention is simple and cheap to manufacture and may be provided either separately from, or already attached to, a container such as a carrier bag.

While the handle or hand grip has been described above in relation to its currently preferred form, the scope of the present invention is not restricted thereto, but extends to all such other forms as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Also, the outer surface of the handle or hand grip may be provided with indicia thereon, for example, a company trade mark and/or logo. Such indicia may be provided on that surface, or indeed any other surface of the handle or hand grip, by any suitable means, for example, printing or embossing.

In the latter case, such embossing may be formed when the handle or hand grip is manufactured, for example, during a moulding or other forming process.

Further, the inner and/or outer surface of the handle or hand grip may be provided with anti-slip formations, such as serrations, stipples or other protuberances, to prevent the handle or grip from slipping when attached to, say, the handle loops of a carrier bag and/or to facilitate gripping by a user.

Claims

1. A handle or hand grip for a container, comprising an elongate tubular member having a sidewall including a longitudinal slit therein extending from one end of the member to the opposite end thereof for the purpose of attaching the handle or hand grip to, or detaching it from, a container; the elongate tubular member being made of a flexible material.

2. A handle or hand grip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate tubular member is of flexible plastics material.

3. A handle or hand grip as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the elongate slit, at at least one end region thereof, terminates in a widening or notch for the purpose of facilitating attachment of the elongate tubular member to, or its detachment from, a container.

4. A handle or hand grip as claimed in claim 3, wherein each end region of the elongate slit terminates in a widening or notch which is defined by a pair of latual surfaces extending from the associated end of the tubular member to a common apex, the elongate slit extending between the apices.

5. A handle or hand grip as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the elongate tubular member is of circular cross-sectional shape.

6. A handle or hand grip as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a surface of the tubular member has indicia thereon.

7. A handle or hand grip as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a surface of the tubular member has anti-slip formations thereon.

8. A container having detachably mounted thereto a handle or hand grip as claimed in any preceding claim.

9. A carrier bag having a pair of pre-formed handle loops to which a handle or hand grip according to any of claims 1 to 7 is detachably mounted.

10. A handle or hand grip for a container, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A container or carrier bag having attached thereto a handle or hand grip substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.