BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a hand-grip in accordance with the present invention shown as it would be used in carrying the handles of a plastic bag, which is shown in phantom;
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the hand-grip of FIG. 1 in a closed configuration;
FIG. 3 is a back elevational view of the hand-grip of FIG. 1 in a closed configuration;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hand-grip of FIG. 1 in a closed configuration;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the hand-grip of FIG. 1 in an open configuration;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the hand-grip of FIG. 1 in an open configuration showing the two half portions being connected by an integral hinge;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the hand-grip of FIG. 1 from the side in a closed configuration showing the exterior back, and interior top, front and bottom of the hand-grip; and
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the hand-grip of FIG. 1 from the side in a closed configuration showing the exterior front, and interior back and bottom of the hand-grip.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
It is understood that the present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and does not limit the invention to the illustrated embodiments. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodiment of a hand-grip 10 in accordance with the present invention in a closed position or configuration, as it would be used with the handles of a typical plastic shopping bag. The hand-grip provides a generally tubular body defining a longitudinal passageway 12 in which the handles of a shopping bag are held. Preferably, the hand-grip is dimensioned to fit within an average adult's hand. Thus, for example, hand-grip 10 is 9.0 centimeters in length and 1.8 centimeters in width, though it could be in the range of 7.0-11.0 centimeters length and 1.4-2.6 centimeters in width, or it could have other dimensions that would enable the hand-grip to be held in a user's hand, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art.
Referring to FIGS. 2-8, hand-grip 10 comprises a closure member such as semitubular upper half portion 20 and a base member such as semitubular lower half portion 22, and the upper and lower half portions are hingedly connected to each other by a longitudinal integral hinge 26 along a first closure edge such as back edge 30 and a first base edge such as back edge 32. The term “semitube” is used herein to refer to a partial tube that results from a longitudinal section through a hollow elongate body, and the term “semitubular” to refer to a body having characteristics of such partial tube. The upper half portion 20 defines a longitudinal, semicylindrical closure channel 33 and the lower half portion 22 defines a longitudinal, semicylindrical base channel 35. The integral hinge 26 enables the two half portions 20 and 22 to articulate relative to each other about a longitudinal axis indicated by crease line 27 between a closed position or configuration as shown in FIG. 4 and an open position or configuration as shown in FIG. 5.
In the preferred embodiment, hand-grip 10 is made of injection molded thermoplastic, such a Polypropylene (PP) or Polyethylene (PE), and it is molded as one unit with the upper half connected to the lower half by the integral hinge, in which case the hinge comprises a pliable band of thermoplastic material connecting the two halves and being of a thickness that enables the band of material to bend along a longitudinal crease 27 repeatedly without breaking. Such hinge is commonly referred to in the plastic molding industry as a “living hinge”. For example, in an embodiment of the hand-grip 10 molded from PP or PE, the thickness of the walls of the upper and lower halves could be in the range of 3-5 mm to provide a desired rigidity to the hand-grip, and the hinge could be in the range of 0.4-0.5 mm to provide the desired pliability to the hinge. However, it will be appreciated that the present invention may be practiced using other material and thicknesses.
Manufacture of the hand-grip by thermoplastic injection molding is preferable since it is efficient and cost effective, especially in an automated environment using multi-cavity molds. However, it will be appreciated that the present invention may be manufactured using other materials and methods that provide the desired rigidity to the hand-grip, and in some embodiments of the invention, the hinge may be a moveable joint or mechanism that connects the upper and lower halves in a manner so as to enable them to articulate relative to each other as described herein.
A second closure edge such as front edge 36 and a second base edge such as front edge 38 are provided with a releasable latching mechanism that enables the two front edges 36 and 38 to be latched together when the hand-grip 10 is placed in the closed configuration to maintain the device in this closed configuration until unlatched by the user. The latching mechanism prevents the hand-grip 10 from becoming unintentionally separated from the plastic bag handles during use when the bag or bags is set down. Such unintentional separation is undesirable for the case where the user sets down the bags for only a short time and intends to pick them up again, for example, after placing the bags in a car trunk during a shopping trip and then carrying the bags from the car to the home.
With particular reference to FIGS. 5-6, the releasable latching mechanism in the illustrated embodiment comprises an elongate flange 40 that extends along an internal side of front edge 38 of lower half portion 22 and a corresponding and complimentary recess 42 provided in an internal side of front edge 36 of upper half portion 20 for receiving the flange 40 therein. The flange 40 is approximately one half of the thickness of the front edge 38 and it is coplanar with the front wall portion 39 that is adjacent the front edge 38 of the lower half. The recess 42 is defined in front edge 36 of the upper half by side wall portions 43 and 44, ledge 46 and internal face 48. The depth and thickness of recess 42 is complimentary to the height and thickness of flange 40 such that the flange is closely received within the recess, and the front edges 36 and 38 of the upper and lower halves respectively abut each other when the hand-grip is in the closed configuration. Midway on the outer surface 50 of the flange is provided a semicylindrical tab 52, and at a corresponding location on the face 48 of the upper half, adjacent to ledge 46, is provided a complimentary shaped indentation 54 that receives tab 52 and acts as a catch for the tab when the flange 40 is within the recess 42 in the closed configuration of the device. A cam face 56 if provided midway on front edge 36 to facilitate the insertion of the tab 52 into indentation 54 during the act of closing the device, whereby the rounded surfaces of tab 52 function as cam followers when coming into contact with cam face 56, causing the tab (hence the flange) to deflect inward and allow the tab to clear front edge 36.
With reference to FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, in order to facilitate the unlatching of the two halves by the user and to enable the device to be opened into its open configuration, the outer face 60 of the front wall of the lower half portion 22 has a concave depression 62 which provides a grip for the user's thumb of one hand, and the outer face 66 of the front wall of the upper half portion 20 has a truncated convex protrusion 68 which provides a grip for the user's thumb of the other hand, thereby providing means by which the user can pry the two halves apart. By pressing inward on concave depression 62 to deflect the front wall of the lower half 22 inward to enable tab 52 to clear indentation 54, and at the same time by prying upward on convex protrusion 68, the front edge of the upper half may be unlatched from the front edge of lower half, and the device articulated into its open configuration.
With reference to FIGS. 6-8, the inside surface 70 of the bottom wall 71 of the lower half 22 is provided with parallel longitudinal ribs 74 that are recessed into the bottom wall. The ribs 74 provide strength and rigidity to the bottom wall, which takes the brunt of the weight of the bags transmitted through the bag handles, while enabling less material to be used in the bottom wall for reduced overall weight and material costs of the device.
In order to reduce the stressing of the plastic bag handles by the bottom wall during use of the device in conjunction with heavily laden bags, the inside wall portions 75, 76 adjacent the openings on the bottom wall 71 are angled downward. As well, the circumferential edges 77 and 79 around the openings are beveled. The outer surface 80 of the lower half 22 is also ergonomically shaped to conform to an average user's hand for added comfort.
To use the hand-grip 10, a user grips the device with both hands and positions a thumb in the concave depression 62 and a thumb on the convex protrusion 68. The user then presses inward on the concave depression 62 to deflect the front wall 61 of the lower half 22 inward, enabling tab 52 to clear indentation 54, and at the same time pries upward on convex protrusion 68 to unlatch the upper half from the lower half. With the device in the open configuration, the user then places the device around the handles of one or more shopping bags (or any other like handle) in a manner that the handles are located within the base channel 35 defined by the lower half 22. The user then articulates the upper half 20 towards the lower half 22, and upon contact between the respective front edges, presses the two halves together until the tab 52 of flange 40 snaps into the indentation 54. In the closed configuration, the upper half interferes with, blocks or encloses the base channel, and the hand-grip is thereby securely attached to the handles of the shopping bags (or the like) and is ready to be used in carrying the bags. Prior to lifting the bags using the hand-grip, the user rotates the hand-grip so that the bag handles are located with base channel 35 of the lower half. This may not be necessary at all times, but since the lower half is reinforced with ribs 74, it is more suited to withstanding heavier loads. To remove the hand-grip, the user opens the device as described above so that the upper half is clear of the base channel and then removes the shopping bag handles from the device.
While the above description and illustrations constitute preferred or alternate embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated that numerous variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
Patent Application
20080061574
