BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flexible polymeric plant tray handle with ends which can be lockably inserted into apertures in plant trays for carrying plant trays or lockably inserted into apertures in plant pots for carrying such pots.
Live plants are frequently sold in trays which comprise relatively thin polymeric rectangular members having an array of rows and columns of sections for individual starter plants. Such trays, when loaded with starter plants and soil, are difficult to handle due to their thinness and somewhat flexible nature. Typically, it requires two hands for carrying such plant trays without such trays deflecting and spilling their contents. Although some polymeric handles with locking tabs at opposite ends have been proposed for carrying a variety of items, such as drink containers and the like, as well as plant trays, they have had insertion tabs which are somewhat difficult to use. Thus, there remains a need for a carrying handle for plant trays and/or plant pots which are easy to install and yet provide the desired locking ability for coupling the handle to the tray or pot. Once installed, it is easy for the retailer and/or consumer to handle during the shelving or purchasing and transporting of such plant trays or pots.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The handle of the present invention has improved, highly flexible locking tabs at opposite ends of an elongated strap-like body, which allows easy insertion of the tabs into a variety of aperture shapes and sizes and provides excellent locking to the tray or pot once installed. Each of the opposed ends of the handle includes a generally triangular locking tab with a longitudinally extending slot aligned with the longitudinal axis of the handle body for allowing the triangular tab to deflect for ease of insertion into an aperture in a tray or pot. The locking ends of the handle also include a secondary tab which is spaced in alignment with the longitudinally extending slot and inwardly of the generally triangular tab. Further, the locking ends of the handle body includes laterally inwardly extending slots which define shoulders for locking engagement at the side of the tray or pot opposite the triangular tab for stabilizing the ends of the handle in its locking engagement with the tray or pot.
The resultant handle, with ends which can be easily inserted into practically any shape aperture and which engages both sides of the edges of the aperture formed in a plant tray or plant pot allows the handle to withstand the weight of the contents of the tray or pot and facilitates their transportation. The polymeric handles are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a handle embodying the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one end of the handle;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the handle inserted into a plant carrying tray;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the upper side of one corner of the tray showing the end of the handle inserted into an aperture within the tray;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary bottom perspective view of the corner of the tray shown in FIG. 4, showing the locking mechanism in place within the slot of the tray; and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the handle mounted within slots in a flower pot.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring initially to FIG. 1, there is shown a handle 10 embodying the present invention. Handle 10 has an elongated strap-like shaped body 11 with a longitudinal axis L. The handle is die cut and is substantially symmetrical about the axis L. Handle 10 has opposed locking ends 12 and 14, which are substantially identical in shape. Between the ends, there is a central handle area 16 with indented finger grips 18 to facilitate handling of items such as a plant tray 50, shown in FIGS. 3-5, or for carrying a pot 60, as shown in FIG. 6.
The body 11 of handle 10 is made from a flexible polymeric material, such as polypropylene, high density polyethylene, or any other suitable material which is weather resistant and has sufficient strength to carry the weight of a tray of live plants or live plants in a pot. The unique geometry of the locking ends 12 and 14 facilitate the insertion of the ends of handle 10 into apertures of any configuration in a tray or pot as described in greater detail below. The body 11 of handle 10 has a length of from about 12 to 24 inches and preferably a length of about 18 inches when used in connection with trays, such as tray 50 shown in FIGS. 3-5. The handle can be somewhat shorter when employed with pots, such as shown in FIG. 6. The thickness of the handle is from about 0.015 inches to about 0.040 inches, and preferably about 0.022 inches. The width of the leg sections indicated at arrow W in FIG. 1 can vary from about ½ to about 1 inch, with the preferable width W being about ¾ inch. In FIG. 1, the relative dimensions are shown in proportion with the length of one embodiment of the handle being 19 inches and the width W being ¾ inch. Handle section 16 is wider to facilitate carrying of a tray or pot utilizing handle 10.
The finger grips 18 of the center or handle section of handle 10 comprise four concave indentations extending between enlarged body sections 20 and 22. The legs 24 and 26 extend from body sections 20 and 22 to the locking ends 12 and 14 which are substantially identical and have a geometry which allows relatively easy insertion into a variety of aperture shapes within a tray or pot but, once inserted, lockably secure the ends of handle 10 to the tray and/or pot. Inasmuch as the ends 12 and 14 are identical, only end 14 will be described in detail, it being understood that end 12 is the same.
As best seen in FIG. 2, end 14 includes a generally triangular tab 30 which has a rounded tip 32 and a longitudinally extending slit 34 extending from the tip 32 to the base 36 of tab 30. Slit 34 is aligned with and coaxial with the longitudinal axis L of the body 11 of handle 10 and communicates with a narrowed end 42 of a secondary tab 40 having a widened end 44 joined to the body 11 of handle 10 by hinge 46. The secondary tab 40 is substantially pear-shaped with the narrow end 42 communicating with slit 34 in tab 30. The combination of slit 34 and secondary tab 40 allows the end 14 (and opposite end 12) to be folded by deflecting the flukes 31 and 33 so formed of tab 30 together with laterally extending slits 35 and 37, which define the base 36 of tab 30 allowing such deflection. End 14 further includes lateral inwardly projecting slots 45 and 47 which defines shoulders 48 and 49 facing the base 36 of tab 30 for engaging, as shown in FIG. 4, the top surface of the tray and, similarly, a top surface of a pot when inserted into a pot. Tip end 42 of secondary tab 40 likewise is deflected from the plane of handle body 11 and allows additional flexibility for folding flukes 31 and 33 of tab 30 for insertion into an aperture, such as apertures 54 of tray 50 seen in FIG. 3. The slits 35 and 37 also include end sections 39, 39′ which extend in parallel spaced relationship with longitudinal slit 34. The end sections 39, 39′ terminate in curved ends 43, 43′ to prevent tearing of the flukes when under load during use of the handle. This unique geometry adds to the flexibility of locking ends 12, 14 to allow ease of insertion of tabs 30 while at the same time providing strength to the handle. Tab 30 extends through the apertures in the tray or pot as now described to lockably insert ends 12 and 14 of the handle into the respective tray or pot with the lockable insertion mechanism best illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 now described.
Referring initially to FIG. 3, there is shown a tray 50 made of a relatively thin polymeric material and including, as an example, an array of nine compartments 52 for receiving live plants to be transplanted upon transportation of tray 50 utilizing handle 10. The tray includes keyhole shaped slots or apertures 54 at diagonally opposed corners through which the locking mechanism on ends 12 and 14 of handle 10 are inserted. Other trays may have spaced-apart apertures located at different locations for receiving the locking ends 12, 14 of handle 10 and differently shaped apertures. The handle is attached to tray 50 by compressing the flukes 31 and 33 of tab 30 such that they overlap, as best seen in FIG. 5 (where they remain partially overlapped after insertion), which the longitudinal slit 34, lateral slits 35, 37, and the secondary tab 40 allow. The insertion of flukes 31 and 33 allow the edges 41 (FIG. 5) of base 36 of tab 30 to engage the lower surface 56 of the tray 50 surrounding aperture 54.
As seen in FIG. 4, the shoulders 48 and 49 of locking ends 12 and 14 engage the upper surface 58 of tray 50 to maintain the ends 12 and 14 of the handle in a locked position within the apertures 54 of tray 50. Secondary tab 40 deflects outwardly, as seen in FIG. 4, to add flexibility to the deflection of tab 30 for its insertion within aperture and secondarily serves to provide an end 42 which also prevents the handle from extending further through aperture 54 than desired. The slots 45 and 47, which define shoulders 48 and 49, can be adjusted in width along the longitudinal axis L of body 11 for different thicknesses of the material to which the locking ends 12 and 14 are attached. When a lifting force is applied by handle 10 to ends 12 and 14, the edges 41 of flukes 31 and 33 tend to spread apart and further lockably engage the underside of tray 50 and prevent removal of the handle 10.
In place of the keyhole-shaped slots 54 employed with the tray 50, as an example, flat rectangular slots, such as arcuate slots 64 formed in the rim 62 of a pot 60 (FIG. 6), can be employed. The locking ends 12 and 14 of handle 10 are inserted within slots 64 in the same manner with the same deflection of tab 30 for its insertion within the slots. In each application, after the insertion of tab 30 through the mounting slots, the flukes 31 and 33 subsequently resiliently return to a shape closely assimilating that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to allow the edges 41 of the base 36 to engage the underside of the rim 62 of the pot through which slots 64 are formed, while the shoulders 48 and 49 of the ends 12 and 14 engage the upper surface 61 of rim 62, as seen in FIG. 6.
By providing the longitudinally extending slot 34 in the tabs of the ends of the handle and by additionally providing laterally extending slots 45 and 47 together with the secondary tab 40, the locking ends 12 and 14 of handle 10 can be deflected significantly to fit through practically any geometry aperture in the object to which the handle is attached. Subsequent to its deflection for insertion into the handle due to the resilient nature of the material employed, it tends to spring back to a geometry closer to that shown in FIG. 1, such as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, to lockably engage both the upper and lower surfaces of an object to which the handle is attached. Such construction provides an easily installed handle which serves as a carrying handle for a variety of objects and one which is made of a material which is weather resistant and, once inserted into a container such as a tray or flower pot, is not easily removed and can carry significant weight without concern for failure of the locking mechanism.
It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Patent Grant
7857197
