The present invention relates to handles for attachment to wired products.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Wire baskets or storage bins are commonly used for storing and carrying items. Wire baskets may be constructed to from transversely and longitudinally extending wires (e.g., formed steel wires). Some of the basket's wires may be configured to form wire handles, such as generally U-shaped handles formed by two longitudinally extending wire support members that are configured as a single wire. These wire handles may make it easier for the user to carry the wire basket. But the wire handles can also be a source of discomfort to the user especially when carrying a wire basket loaded with heavy items due to the wire handle pressing into the user's hands.
According to various aspects of the invention, there are provided various exemplary embodiments of handles that can be attached to wire-like members, such as wire members of a shelf, basket, bin, sliding tray, etc. In one exemplary embodiment, a handle generally includes at least two handle pieces that can be assembled to one another. When so assembled, the handle pieces cooperatively form a handle body outer surface and a passage therethrough for receiving at least a portion of the wire-like member.
Further aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. In addition, any one or more aspects of the invention may be implemented individually or in any combination with any one or more of the other aspects of the invention. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating exemplary embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.
According to various aspects of the invention, there are provided various exemplary embodiments of handles that can be attached to wire-like members, such as wire members of a shelf, basket, bin, sliding tray, etc. In one exemplary embodiment, a handle generally includes at least two handle pieces that can be assembled to one another. When so assembled, the handle pieces cooperatively form a handle body outer surface and a passage therethrough for receiving at least a portion of the wire-like member.
In another exemplary embodiment, a handle generally includes at least two handle pieces. Each handle piece has an outer side, an inner side, at least one portion protruding from the inner side thereof, and at least one recess for engagingly receiving the at least one protruding portion of the other handle piece. At least one protruding portion or recess has at least one catch engageable within at least one opening defined by the corresponding protruding portion or recess, whereby engagement of the catch within the opening inhibits the egress of the protruding portion from within the recess. The handle pieces, when assembled to one another with the protruding portions engaged within the recesses, cooperatively forms a handle body outer surface and a passage therethrough for receiving at least a portion of the wire-like member. The engagement of the protruding portions within the recesses can inhibit relative movement between the handle pieces to thereby attach the handle to the portion of the wire-like member within the passage.
In a further exemplary embodiment, a handle generally includes at least two handle pieces. Each handle piece has an outer side, an inner side, at least one pin protruding from the inner side thereof, and at least one recess for engagingly receiving the at least one pin of the other handle piece. At least one of the pins has a substantially circular transverse profile, and at least one of the recesses has a corresponding substantially circular transverse profile. The handle pieces, when assembled to one another with the pins engaged within the recesses, cooperatively form a handle body outer surface and a passage therethrough for receiving at least a portion of the wire-like member. The engagement of the pins within the recesses can inhibit relative movement between the handle pieces to thereby attach the handle to the portion of the wire-like member within the passage.
In an additional exemplary embodiment, a handle generally includes at least two handle pieces. Each handle piece has an outer side, an inner side, and at least one portion protruding from the inner side thereof. The handle pieces, when assembled to one another, cooperatively form a handle body outer surface and a passage therethrough for receiving at least a portion of the wire-like member. At least some of the protruding portions are configured such that, when the handle pieces are assembled to one another with the wire-like member within the passage, at least one protruding portion of one handle piece is disposed generally about a first side portion of the wire-like member and at least one protruding portion of the other handle piece is disposed generally about a second side portion of the wire-like member generally opposite the first side portion. The protruding portions can cooperatively inhibit relative movement between the handle pieces through contact with the wire-like member.
Other aspects include products (e.g., wire basket, wire ventilated shelves, wire bins, slide-type installation, sliding storage devices, sliding shelves, sliding trays, kitchen cabinetry, garage cabinetry, bathroom cabinetry, pots, pans, buckets, among other devices) having one or more of such handles, methods of using such handles, and methods of making such handles. In addition, any one or more aspects of the invention may be implemented individually or in any combination with any one or more of the other aspects of the invention. For example, one embodiment of the invention may include a wire basket (or other product) having two different handles.
Accordingly, various aspects of the invention relate to handle assemblies and the designs thereof that can be relatively easily, quickly assembled to a wire product without using any tools. Various embodiments of the handle assembly can provide a wire basket (e.g., welded, finished, painted, and/or chrome wire basket, etc.) or other wire products with a higher level of comfort, utility, and identity.
Referring now to
With continued reference to
The handle pieces 102 further comprise one or more recesses or openings 114 configured to respectively receive the corresponding protruding portions 104 of the other handle piece 602. In this particular illustrated embodiment, each handle piece 102 includes two spaced-apart slots or receiving voids 114 and two tabs or key/tongue-shaped protrusions 104 that can be engagingly received within the recesses 114. This engagement of the protrusions 104 within the slots 114 can retain the respective handle pieces 102 to each other. Accordingly, in this particular embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 thorough 5, the engagement of the protrusions 104 within the recesses 114 retains the handle 100 in an assembled condition thereby operatively trapping a wire portion between the handle pieces 102 within the passage 112. Alternative embodiments include the handle pieces having more or less than two protruding portions and slots, and/or include handle pieces having differently configured protruding portions and slots, some of which are described and shown herein.
In some embodiments, at least one of the protruding portions/tabs or the receiving voids/slots may include at least one catch (e.g., rib, projection, protrusion, ridge, detent, dimple, ramp-ups, etc.). The other of the protruding portions and the slots may include at least one opening (e.g., recess, void, cavity, slot, groove, hole, depression, etc). This opening can be configured to engagingly receive the catch when the protruding portion is engaged within the slot. Accordingly, the engagement of the catch within the opening can inhibit the egress of the protruding portion from within the slot.
In the particular illustrated embodiment of
Also shown in
As shown, each handle piece 202 includes protruding portions 204 extending from an inner side 206 of the handle piece 202. The handle pieces 202 are configured to define a longitudinal passageway or opening 208 when the handle pieces 202 are assembled to one another. The handle pieces 202 when assembled can be retained over a portion of a wire member received within the longitudinal passage 208 by the one or more protruding portions 204.
In this particular illustrated embodiment, the protruding portions 204 extend inwardly from the inner sides 206 of the handle pieces 202. The protruding portions 204 include a generally curved or arcuate channel or slot 210 adapted to receive therein a portion of a wire member (e.g., wire member 252 shown in
As shown in
Accordingly, in some embodiments, the handle 200 can thus be retained in an assembled condition about a portion of wire by the engagement of the end portions 205 of the protruding portions 204 with the wire portion within the slots 210 and/or the engagement of the lip portions 212, 214. In various embodiments, the protruding portions 204 of one handle piece 202 may be configured such that they do not contact or engage the other handle piece 202, but rather engage a portion of the wire member received between the two handle pieces 202. The engagement of the lip or edge portions 212 of the handle pieces 202 can limit movement of one handle piece 202 relative to (e.g., upwards or downwards in
As shown in
In some embodiments, at least one of pin or receiving void/opening may include at least one male catch (e.g., rib, projection, protrusion, ridge, detent, dimple, ramp-ups, etc.) configured for engagement with at least one female catch feature (e.g., opening, recess, void, cavity, slot, groove, hole, depression, etc) defined by the other of the pin or receiving void/opening. This female catch feature or opening can be configured to engagingly receive the male catch when the pin is engaged within the receiving void. Accordingly, the engagement of the male catch within the female catch feature can inhibit the egress of the pin from the receiving void.
In the particular illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, the pins can include tapered or angled end portions. This tapering or angling can help or facilitate insertion of the pins into the corresponding recesses. Alternative embodiments include one or more pins without tapered or angled end portions.
In various embodiments, the pins 304 and the handle piece 302 can be integrally or monolithically formed as a single component. One exemplary implementation integrally molds the handle piece 302 and the pins 304 as a single component. Even though the pins 304 can be formed integrally with the handle piece 302, such is not required. In other embodiments, the pins may comprise discrete components that are separately engaged to the handle piece 302, for example, by press fitting, welding, threads, among other suitable methods.
In the particular illustrated embodiment of
With continued reference to
Accordingly, in some embodiments, the handle 400 can thus be retained in an assembled condition about a portion of wire by the engagement of the pins 404a within the corresponding recesses 414a, engagement of the rectangular projections 404b within the corresponding recesses 414b, the positioning of the “over center” tabs 404c generally about at least a portion of the wire member, and/or the wedging effect created by the engagement of the lip portions 412 of one handle piece 402 with the lip portions 412 of the other handle piece 402.
In addition, movement of one handle piece 402 relative to (e.g., left or right in
In various embodiments, either or both handle pieces 402 can include a relatively flat outer surface portion 438 that includes indicia thereon, such as one or more advertisements, trademarks, trade names, service marks, graphic images, graphic elements, designs, artwork, distinctive marks, identifying symbols, company logos, company contact information, text, alphanumeric characters, sports team insignias, names, monograms, photographs, among others.
In some embodiments, the outer surface portion 438 may include integrally formed (e.g., integrally molded, etched, carved, etc.) indicia thereon. Alternatively, the outer surface portion 438 may simply provide an area that is conducive for printing and/or adhesively affixing a label thereto.
In this particular embodiment, the protruding portions 504 include recessed portions 514 and key portions 516. The key portions 516 on each handle piece 502 are configured to respectively engage corresponding recessed portions 514 of the other handle piece 502. In the embodiment shown in
In this particular embodiment, the protruding portions or ribs 604 include slots 610 adapted to receive a portion of wire therein. The protruding portions 604 have detents or protuberances 614 and corresponding recesses or dimples 616. The detents 614 associated with one handle piece 602 are configured to be engagingly received within the dimples 616 of the other handle piece 602, to thereby retain the handle pieces 602 assembled to one another. When assembled to one another in this exemplary manner, the handle pieces 602 can operatively trap a wire portion therebetween.
In this particular embodiment, the protruding portions 704 generally comprise interlocking portions configured to interlock and retain the two handle pieces 702 assembled to one another. The handle pieces 702 include a channel 712 for receiving a portion of a wire therein. Each handle piece 702 includes at least one recessed interlocking portion 708, and at least one protruding interlocking portion 710. The protruding interlocking portion 710 is configured to align with and be received in the corresponding recessed interlocking portion 708.
As shown in
Continuing with this particular illustrative embodiment, each handle piece 802 includes at least one recessed interlocking portion 808 configured to be frictionally engaged within (and thus interlock) with at least one protruding interlocking portion 810 of the other handle piece 802. Accordingly, the engagement of the interlocking members 808 and 810 can thus retain the two handle pieces 802 assembled to one another such that the two handle pieces 802 can operatively trap a portion of wire within the passage 812.
Further, the particular methods of manufacture and geometries disclosed herein are exemplary in nature and are not to be considered limiting. The steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order or performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed. In addition, any one or more aspects of the invention may be implemented individually or in any combination with any one or more of the other aspects of the invention.
Certain terminology is used herein for purposes of reference only, and thus is not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “above”, and “below” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front”, “back”, “rear”, “bottom” and “side”, describe the orientation of portions of the component within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the component under discussion. Such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Similarly, the terms “first”, “second” and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.
When introducing elements or features of the present invention and the exemplary embodiments, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of such elements or features. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features other than those specifically noted.
The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.