GB2322541A - Detachable carrier bag handle - Google Patents

Abstract

The handle comprises two opposed flanges 2,3 connected by a web 4 to form a generally U-shaped handle for carrying a bag 1. One flange 2 may be extended and have a hole 7 for attachment to a strap 9. The strap 9 may be capable of adjustment via buckle 10 and is intended to fit over a person's shoulder. The handle may be used without the strap and also; be formed with a curved web portion (Figure 2); have projecting triangular rib portions to retain the bag in the handle (Figure 6) or; have contoured indentations for the user's fingers (Figure 7). The handle may be formed of plastic and/or by injection moulding and may be between 0.5 and 5 mm thick, alternatively it may be formed as a skeletal framework or be made of metal. The two flange portions may be between 15 and 50 mm apart.

Description

'1CARRIER BAG HOLDER" The present invention relates principally to the carrying and transporting of bags and similar receptacles, particularly receptacles fabricated from plastics material as provided by shops and supermarkets.

In the field of disposable plastics or paper bags it is already known that users - particularly supermarket shoppers - are hampered in their ability to carry heavy bags. The bags, which are most commonly fabricated from a plastics material, are impractical for carrying for anything other than short distances due to the transmitted weight to the hands and arms and resulting fatigue and discomfort in the joints and muscles. It is also a known fact that posture affects the ability of a user to sustain these loads. Therefore, by removing the load from the arms and hands and transmitting it to the shoulder with the correct posture, the ability and comfort in sustaining such a load will be greatly enhanced.

Once a person has left a particular shop, it is usual for them to have to carry their shopping loads on to further shops, or else to make their way to their car or public transport in order to get home. The present invention aims to provide a more comfortable way of carrying these loads, thus making the task easier. The present invention also aims to combat the pain many users feel in the hands when carrying heavy plastic bags due to the thin handles cutting into the fingers.

The aim of the present invention is to re-distribute the load from a receptacle or plastic bag to the user's shoulder through an adjustable shoulder strap worn either over the shoulder of the side carrying the bag, or diagonally across the body from the opposite shoulder. In this way, the user re-distributes the load from the hands and arms and so prevents both the resulting fatigue and the pain caused by the handles of the bag cutting into the hand. A wide strap is provided to distribute the transmitted load around the shoulder area for the user's comfort, with a shoulder pad being incorporated if found necessary.

It is a further aim of the invention to prevent or greatly reduce the cutting effect of the bag handle in the user's hand, increasing the comfort level and making the act of carrying the bag more manageable and less painful.

It is a further object of the invention to provide assistance to users with disabilities of the arms and hands which would otherwise limit their ability to lift and carry bags.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for carrying bags comprising a generally planar member bent about a first axis to form a handle member comprising first and second opposed flange portions connected by a web portion, wherein said handle member is generally U-shaped in section.

Preferably at least one of said first and second flange portions has an arcuate outer edge adapted to allow the handle of a carrier bag to be passed over the outer edge, such that the handle of the carrier bag rests on the web portion.

Preferably the web portion has a concave shape in a direction parallel to the first axis, such that the web portion forms a saddle.

Preferably said first and second flange portions are substantially parallel to each other. Preferably said first and second flange portions are spaced apart by between 15 mm and 50 mm, more preferably by between 20 mm and 30 mm, most preferably by between 24 mm and 26 mm.

Preferably said handle member is curved about a second axis which is substantially in the plane of one of said first and second flange portions and is perpendicular to the first axis.

According to one preferred embodiment at least one of said first and second flange portions is provided with one or more inwardly protruding lip portions at the edge thereof remote from said web portion. Preferably the lip portions are contoured to correspond to the grip of a person holding the device.

According to another preferred embodiment said first flange portion extends further from said web portion than said second flange portion.

Preferably said first flange portion is provided with attachment means for a strap. Preferably said attachment means comprises a hole in said first flange portion and a neck portion. Preferably said neck portion comprises a portion of said flange portion of reduced width.

Preferably said planar member is plastic, preferably between 0.5 mm and 5 mm thick, more preferably between 1 mm and 2 mm thick, most preferably approximately 1 mm thick.

Preferably said device is injection moulded.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a bag carrier comprising a device according to a first aspect of the invention and a strap adapted to fit over a person's shoulder.

Preferably said strap is connected to an attachment means of said device. Preferably said strap is adjustable in length. Preferably said strap is looped through said hole and around said neck. Preferably the planar member forming the device is approximately 2 mm thick.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.1 is a view illustrating a first embodiment of the bag holder in use; Fig.2 is a view showing front and side views of the handle member of the first embodiment; Fig.3 is a front view of the strap and buckle assembly of the first embodiment; Fig.4 is a view illustrating a second embodiment of the bag holder in use; Fig.5 is a view showing front and side views of the second embodiment; Fig.6 is a view showing an alternative arrangement of the second embodiment.

Referring to figures 1 to 3, a first embodiment of the present invention consists of a handle member 1 attached to an adjustable shoulder strap 9 forming a loop and joined by a buckle 10. The adjustability of the strap 9 and buckle 10 arrangement allows for variations in the users' anatomical size and shape and their preference for how it should be positioned for comfort and convenience.

The handle member 1 is formed from an injection moulded plastics material of two millimetres gauge thickness forming a component approximately the size of an adult hand and radially contoured in two planes for rigidity, comfort and feel. The front flange 3 and rear flange 2 of handle member 1 form a web portion 4 which is generally U-shaped in section and is approximately twenty four millimetres wide. Rear flange 2 has been extended upwards to provide an attachment point 7 for the shoulder strap 9. The attachment point 7 consists of a thirty millimetre diameter hole through which the shoulder strap 9 is passed and looped to secure.

Typically, the handle member can be 2mm thick.

The shoulder strap 9 is formed from a woven polypropylene or similar material which is strong enough to support the envisaged maximum load of approximately fifteen kilograms. The material is also flexible enough to form a loop for attachment to the handle member 1 and yielding enough to offer optimum comfort to the user. The strap has a maximum length of approximately one hundred and seventy centimetres to allow diagonal use across the body.

The second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. This second embodiment has no provision for the attachment of a shoulder strap, and the rear flange 12 is of equal height to the front flange 13. Thus, the shaped handle member 11 protects the hand of the user, allowing comfortable carrying of a shopping bag.

The handle member 11 of the second embodiment differs from the handle member 1 of the first embodiment in that the attachment point 7 on the rear flange 2 of handle member 1 is not a feature of handle member 11.

As mentioned above, the rear flange 12 of handle member 11 is the same size as the front flange 13 and is contoured to mirror the contours of the front flange 13. The lack of an attachment point 7 and strap 9 means that the material thickness of the handle member 11 can be reduced to approximately 50% of handle member 1 as there is no shoulder strap or related load to support, and therefore the component strength can be reduced. Typically the handle member of this second embodiment can be lmm thick.

An alternative arrangement of the second embodiment, as seen in Fig.6, can be produced by the provision of triangular ribs 14 on the inner faces of the front and rear flanges 12,13 of the handle member 11. The shaping of the ribs 14 allows a shopping bag handle to be lowered within the handle member 11 and retained by the ribs 14, while allowing the bag handle to be readily removed when the bag is lifted.

As seen in Fig. 7, the web portion 4 may be provided with a series of undulations 15 corresponding to the grip of the person using the handle.

The various embodiments of the handle members may be simulated as a skeleton framework from a plastics material or metal from which to attach the shoulder strap. The framework performs an identical or similar function to the embodiments formed from a solid plastics material, but weighs less as there is not as much material used to produce the handle member.

The handle member 1 may also be worn round the waist like a holster for similar applications.

These and other modifications and improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (20)

1. A device for carrying bags comprising a generally planar member bent about a first axis to form a handle member comprising first and second opposed flange portions connected by a web portion, wherein said handle member is generally U-shaped in section.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second flange portions has an arcuate outer edge adapted to allow the handle of a carrier bag to be passed over said outer edge, such that the handle of said carrier bag rests on said web portion.

3. A device as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said web portion has a concave shape in a direction parallel to said first axis, such that said web portion forms a saddle.

4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said first and second flange portions are substantially parallel to each other.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said first and second flange portions are spaced apart by between 15mm and 50mm.

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said handle member is curved about a second axis which is substantially in the plane of one of said first and second flange portions and is perpendicular to said first axis.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said planar member is plastic.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said planar member is between 0.5mm and 5mm thick.

9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said device is injection moulded.

10. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said first and second flange portions is provided with one or more inwardly protruding rib portions at the edge thereof remote from said web portion.

11. A device as claimed in Claim 10, wherein said rib portions comprise substantially triangular planar portions and extend in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the flange portions.

12. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the rib is contoured with undulations which correspond to the grip of a person holding the device.

13. A further embodiment of a device as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 12, wherein said first flange portion extends further from said web portion than said second flange portion.

14. A device as claimed in Claim 13, wherein said first flange portion is provided with attachment means for a strap.

15. A device as claimed in Claim 14, wherein said attachment means comprises a hole in said first flange portion and a neck portion.

16. A device as claimed in Claim 15, wherein said neck portion comprises a portion of said flange portion of reduced width.

17. A bag carrier comprising a device according to any one of Claims 13 to 16 and a strap adapted to fit over a person's shoulder.

18. A bag carrier as claimed in Claim 17, wherein said strap is connected to an attachment means of said device.

19. A bag carrier as claimed in either of Claims 17 and 18, wherein said strap is adjustable in length.

20. A bag carrier as claimed in any of Claims 17 to 19 wherein said strap is looped through said hole and around said neck.