Patent Application
20240391513
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
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Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to handle grip devices and more particularly pertains to a new handle grip device for inhibiting the transmission of bacteria between a user and a handle of a shopping cart. The device includes a pair of tubular grips that are longitudinally split for positioning around a handle of a shopping cart and a rope attached between the pair of tubular grips. The tubular grips are gripped by the user and the rope inhibits the pair of tubular grips from being separated from each other.
The prior art relates to handle grip devices including a variety of handle covers for a shopping cart which includes tubular members that are positionable around the handle, layered wraps which are wrapped around the handle and a grip that extends perpendicularly from the handle. In no instance does the prior art disclose a pair of tubular grips which are positionable around the handle and a rope attached between the pair of tubular grips to inhibit the pair of tubular grips from being separated from each other.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a pair of tubular grips each being longitudinally split for positioning around a handle of a shopping cart. Each of the pair of tubular grips is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to inhibit bacteria from transferring between the handle of the shopping cart and a user's hands. A pair of cushions is each integrated into a respective one of the tubular grips to enhance comfort for the user. A rope is attached to and extends between the pair of tubular grips thereby inhibiting the pair of tubular grips from being separated from each other. The rope extends through the opening in the collar associated with each of the pair of tubular grips having the rope being bonded to the collar associated with each of the pair of tubular grips.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each of the pair of tubular grips 12 has a first end 22, a second end 24 and an outer wall 26 extending between the first end 22 and the second end 24 and each of the pair of tubular grips 12 is elongated between the first end 22 and the second end 24. The outer wall 26 of each of the pair of tubular grips 12 has a cut 28 extending between the first end 22 and the second end 24 thereby facilitating each of the pair of tubular grips 12 to be spread open. Additionally, an outer surface 30 of the outer wall 26 associated with each of the tubular grips 12 has a plurality of ovoid depressions 32 that are spaced apart from each other and are distributed in a row between the first end 22 and the second end 24. The outer surface 30 of the outer wall 26 associated with each of the tubular grips 12 has a plurality of nubs 34 distributed around a substantial circumference of the outer wall 26. Furthermore, the outer surface 30 of the outer wall 26 has a pair of intersecting ridges 36 curving around a substantial circumference of the outer wall 26 at a point located between the plurality of ovoid depressions 32 and the second end 24 of the tubular grips 12. The ovoid depressions 32, the plurality of nubs 34 and the intersecting ridges 36 enhance gripping the tubular grips 12 enhance gripping the tubular grips 12.
Each of the tubular grips 12 has a collar 38 extending away from an inside surface 40 of the tubular grips 12 at a point positioned closer to the second end 24 than the first end 22. The collar 38 is oriented such that an axis extending between the first end 22 and the second end 24 extends through an opening 42 of the collar 38. A pair of cushions 44 is integrated into a respective one of the tubular grips 12 such that each of the cushions 44 is positioned between the respective tubular grip 12 and the handle 14 of the shopping cart 16. Furthermore, each of the pair of cushions 44 is comprised of a resiliently compressible material to enhance comfort for the user 18. Each of the cushions 44 is applied to the inside surface 40 of the respective tubular grip 12; each of the cushions 44 extends between the first end 22 and the second end 24 of the respective tubular grip 12 having each of the cushions 44 completely covering the inside surface 40 of the respective tubular grip 12.
A rope 46 is attached to and extends between the pair of tubular grips 12. In this way the rope 46 inhibits the pair of tubular grips 12 from being separated from each other. The rope 46 extends through the opening 42 in the collar 38 associated with each of the pair of tubular grips 12. Furthermore, the rope 46 is bonded to the collar 38 associated with each of the pair of tubular grips 12 thereby inhibiting the rope 46 from being removed from the collar 38 associated with each of the tubular grips 12.
In use, the pair of tubular grips 12 and the rope 46 are carried with the user 18 when the user 18 is grocery shopping, for example, or any other type of shopping that involves pushing a shopping cart 16 that is available for public use. The pair of tubular grips 12 are positioned around the handle 14 of the shopping cart 16 to facilitate the user 18 to grip the pair of tubular grips 12 rather than the handle 14. In this way the user 18 does not come into contact with bacteria and other pathogens that might be located on the handle 14. Furthermore, the pair of tubular grips 12 is removed from the handle 14 when the user 18 is finished with the shopping cart 16 so the tubular grips 12 are available for future use.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
