Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D33/00—Details of, or accessories for, sacks or bags
  • B65D33/16—End- or aperture-closing arrangements or devices
  • B65D33/1683—A pair of interconnecting rigid strips made of plastic material, e.g. one or both being provided with a handle or suspension means

Definitions

• Handles for bags designed for carrying products or arcticles are well known. Certain paper bags are provided with cardboard reinforcing handles secured to the paper bag by gluing or stapling. Larger paper bags are often provided with loop type carrying handles secured to reinforced areas of the paper bag by gluing or stapling.
• a carrier bag For example, insulated bags that carry hot or cold products, such as food and drink, need to be sufficiently strong so as not to tear or open while maintaining the appropriate seal on the bag to achieve the insulation effect. Handles for such a carrier bag must be sufficiently strong to support the weight contained in the bag. The handle must also be capable of remaining in a closed position so that the carrier bag is sealed while being carried and does not tear open.
• a bag handle closure device comprising a pair of opposing handle strips adapted to be attached to a bag or the like, at least one of said handle strips having a handle loop, releasable connecting means on said handle strips above the lower edge por ⁇ tions of said strips to connect said handle strips releasably together in substantially parallel relationship, characterized in that interlocking means are provided on the lower portion of each of said handle strips for retaining said handle strips to ⁇ gether at said lower portion thereby to hold the strips against opening apart when they are adjacent to each other with the interlocking means engaged.
• a carrier bag handle closure embodying the invention can effectively maintain a carrier bag in a closed condition even when relatively heavy or bulky items are carried in the carrier bag. Furthermore, the bag closure can be easy to open and close when required and be economic to manufacture.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a bag handle closure of the present invention in an open position
• Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a bag handle closure in a closed position
• Figure 5 is a cross-section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 3;
• Figure 6 is a cross-section taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3 ;
• Figure 13 is a perspective view of the opposite side of the carrier bag handle shown in Figure 10.
• the bag handle closures of the present invention are described as fixed to thermoplastic bags, but they could easily be adapted to other types of bags .
• the handle closure is preferably used in combination with a bag made of relatively thin polyethylene material.
• Handle strips 10 and 20 are also preferably poly ⁇ ethylene and are heat welded to the bag.
• tabs 26 of strip 20 are aligned above the elements 16 of strip 10 and then are slid downwardly into the slots 10c.
• the upper part of the handle portions 10 and 20 are at least slightly separated from each other at the time the tabs 26 are being seated in the slots 10c, so that the pins 14 do not enter the holes 24.
• the pins 14 are still not in the holes 24 until the pins 14 are frictionally forced into holes 24 by the user squeezing the handle portions 10, 20 towards each other, thereby sealing the bag opening (Fig ⁇ ure 2) and providing a convenient carrying handle H.
• the posi ⁇ tioning of tabs 26 in slots 10c provides a closure resistant to
• each handle strip 112 and 114 can be of various sizes and shapes depending upon the type of carrier bag 111 to which the handle 110 is attached and the anticipated contents of the carrier bag.
• each handle strip 112 and 114 can be about 16 inches (35 cms) in length, one inch (2.5 cm) in height, and about a tenth of an inch (2.5 mm) in widt .
• one of the opposing handle strips has an outer closure member and the other opposing handle strip has an inner closure member.
• the outer closure member and the inner closure member coact in a comple ⁇ mentary snap-on engagement when the carrier bag is in a closed position.
• One of the opposing handle strips 114 has an outer closure member 120.
• the outer closure member 118 and the inner closure member 120 coact in a complementary snap-on engagement when the carrier bag is in a closed position, as illustrated in Figure 3.
• SUBSTITUTE SHEET slot 130 is preferably formed by end sections 136 extending sub ⁇ stantially perpendicular to the handle strip 114.
• a crossbar 138 interconnects the end sections 136 to form an opening or slot 130 on the handle strip 114, as shown in figures 8 and 9.
• the opposing handle strip 112 has one or more tabs 132 extending from the base 134 of the handle strip 112.
• the tabs 132 on the handle strip correspond in number, size and orienta ⁇ tion with the slots 130 on the handle strip 114. Consequently, the tabs 132 slide into the slots 130 when the handle strips 112 and 114 are in the closed position.
• the curved wall 124 is first snapped off of the arcuate surface 128 to release the snap-on engagement of the inner closure member 120 and the outer closure member 118 by lifting up the small tab 142 in the center of the curved wall 124. Then, the handle strips 112 and 114 are moved laterally away from each other so that the tabs 132 are lifted out of the slot 130. Only then is the carrier bag fully opened.
• the carrier bag handle 160 has a pair of sym ⁇ metrical opposed handle strips 162, 164 capable of being attached to a carrier bag 166.
• Arcuate surfaces walls 170, 172 and 173 are preferably at the upper portion of the handle strips 162, 164 and are curved to form a groove with ribs which are il ⁇ lustrated in more detail in Figure 9, reference numbers 120, 128 and 140.
• Arcuate surfaces walls 170, 172 and 173 are provided on the handle strips 162, 164, in part, to enhance the strength of the carrier bag handle 160.
• arcuate surfaces 170, 172 and 173 increases the size and load capacity of bags incorporating a carrier bag handle of the present invention. It should be understood that the arcuate surfaces 170, 172 and 173 could be formed in other shapes and still fall within the present invention. Moreover, ⁇ the arcuate surface could be one continuous element rather than three separate curved walls as illustrated in Figures 10, 11 and 13. Providing three separate curved wall elements on each
• the carrier bag 166 is attached to the handle strips 162, 164 at a line attachment 167 above interlocking means 165 which are identical to the interlocking means shown in the ear ⁇ lier embodiments.
• the bag 166 is attached to handle strips 162, 164 by heat sealing along a line or area which extends the full length of handle strips 162, 164 above interlocking means 165.
• the bag may be fastened to the handle strips at line 167 along the length of the handle strips 162, 164 beneath curved walls 170, 172 and 173 and above interlocking means 165.
• opening 190 through handle loop 192 provides a convenient opening by which the handle or a bag incorporating the disclosed handle may be suspended. Opening 190, however, may be in any suitable shape such as a traingle or oval .

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Bag Frames (AREA)
• Purses, Travelling Bags, Baskets, Or Suitcases (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=27122053

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1986
  • 1986-11-13 EP EP86308862A patent/EP0223566A3/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1986-11-18 EP EP19860907189 patent/EP0245485A1/de active Pending
  • 1986-11-18 AU AU67335/87A patent/AU6733587A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1986-11-18 WO PCT/US1986/002470 patent/WO1987002967A1/en unknown

Patent Citations (8)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events