Handle For Packages Or The Like

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a handle for packages or the like having a binding cord thereabout and which can be selectively locked to such binding cord to prevent separation of the handle from the package. Extending from the ends of a central longitudinal member, proportioned and contoured to fit the hand of a person, are two portions flexibly coupled thereto but limited as to their maximum flexure. Placed upon each of the extending portions is a stop member arranged to engage one end of a locking arm coupled at its other end to the extending portions. At the coupling between the locking arms and the extending portions are formed cavities to capture and engage portions of the binding cord. Additional arms cooperate with the stop members to prevent disassembly in directions transverse to and in line with the central longitudinal member.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention finds utility in the field of packaging and more particularly to the provision of a carrying handle for articles or the like having a binding cord thereabout. Similarly, handles of the type described herein could be equally well applied to various other articles such as tubes, rods, lumber, or the like, providing a provision is made for a binding cord or similar strap to be placed about such articles to be carried.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Prior art handles for carrying packages or the like having a binding cord thereabout commonly consisted of a tubular member of wood or fiber through which was passed a heavy gauge wire bent into a generally U shape at its respective ends. Some additional loops were sometimes placed in the wire ends in an effort to try to trap and hold a portion of the binding cord therein. However, in the usual instance with such prior package handles, if one placed the package on the ground and removed the forces generally applied to the carrying handle, such handles would fall off the package because of their inability to positively lock to the binding cord. Efforts were made to twist a portion of the binding cord about a single end of the package handle prior to application of the other end to another portion of the binding cord. Thus, only a single portion of the handle would be suitably restricted, still leaving the other end to be removed from the binding cord when carrying forces were removed from such handle. Further, based upon the strength of the wire used to engage the binding cord, a limited amount of weight could be supported by such package handle before the wire was deformed, due to the weight of the package being carried. Any deformance of the wire portion of the package handle again served to disengage the package handle from the binding cord of the package. The use of a wooden handle portion often provided to be a source of splinters to the hands of persons picking up such packages, and the use of a fiber material in place of such wooden handles often resulted in the destruction of such handle due to perspiration of the person carrying the package over a long period of time or the wetting of the handle, as during a rain storm.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to overcome the difficulties noted above with respect to prior art devices by providing a package handle for carrying packages or the like which has a binding cord placed thereabout and which provides for selective locking of the package handle with respect to such binding cord in such a manner that separation between such binding cord and such handle is not possible except by the specific action of the person wishing to disengage the handle from the binding cord. Extending from a central longitudinal member, proportioned and contoured to fit the hand of a person wishing to carry the package are extending tabs which have placed thereon selectively operable locking means for engagement and entrapment of a portion of the binding cord therebetween in such a manner that only the desired release of such locking means can permit the separation of the package handle from binding cords on packages or the like. The tabs extending from the central longitudinal member, attached by means of a flexible coupling, permits great flexure of the tabs with respect to the central longitudinal member. In addition, by providing tapered chamfered edges both on the tabs and on the central longitudinal member, maximum flexure of the tabs with respect to the longitudinal member may be preset and limited. Placed on each of the tabs is a stop member which is engaged by a locking arm coupled to the remote ends of the extending tabs. The locking arms are provided with a flexible coupling in such a manner as to provide a cavity between the extending tabs and the locking arms when the locking arms are folded back to overlie a portion of the extending tabs in such a manner as to engage the stop members. By providing a transverse arm at the end of each of the locking arms, separation of the locking arm with respect to the stop member may be prevented in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the handle. Further, by provision of a further stop arm on the end of the transverse arm of the locking arm, the combined action of the stop member and the stop arm prevents displacement of the locking arm in directions transverse to the longitudinal axis of the central longitudinal member and prevents unwanted unlocking from taking place during movement of the package. The locking arm may be selectively caused to engage the stop member or removed therefrom, should it be desired to remove and reuse a package handle. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved handle for packages or the like.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved handle for packages or the like having a binding cord thereabout which permits the selective locking and unlocking of such package handle with the binding cord of such packages.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved handle for packages or the like having a flexible coupling between a central longitudinal member engaged by the hand of the user and other portions thereof, such flexible coupling being limited in its maximum flexure.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved handle for packages or the like having a binding cord placed thereabout which has provision for locking said package handle to said binding cord in such a manner that the normal motion of the package, when same is being moved, cannot cause the separation of the handle with respect to said package.

Other objects and features of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principles of the invention and the best modes which have been contemplated for carrying them out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a handle for packages or the like constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the package handle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the package handle of FIG. 1 taken along the lines 3--3.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the package handle of FIG. 1 taken along the lines 4--4.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the package handle of FIG. 1 showing the flexure limiting details thereof.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of the handle of FIG. 1 showing the locking means in a locked position.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of a portion of the central longitudinal member of a further handle constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention.

Similar elements are given similar reference characters in each of the respective figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to FIGS. 1 to 4, there is shown a handle 10 for packages or the like having a binding cord thereabout, constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention. A central longitudinal member 12 is proportioned and contoured to generally fit the hand of a person who desires to carry the package to which the handle 10 will be attached. The handle may be generally curved, as is better seen in FIG. 3, to conform to the generally curved shape of the fingers as they are curled about the package handle central longitudinal member 12. Additionally, if desired, a series of ribs 14 may be placed upon an alternative central body portion 16 as shown in FIG. 7, the ribs 14 spaced apart by a distance approximating the separation of the fingers of the hand. These ribs 14 will help prevent the central longitudinal portion 16 from slipping with respect to the hand of the user. A series of cutouts 18 may be placed in the central longitudinal member 12 or a single long cutout placed therein in order to reduce the overall weight of the central longitudinal member 12.

Coupled at a first end of the central longitudinal member by coupling 20 is a first extending tab 22 and at the second end is a second extending tab 26 coupled at coupling 24. Mounted on each of the extending tabs 22 and 26 is a stop member 28 and 30, respectively. The details of stop member 28 can be better appreciated from FIG. 4. Stop member 28 is generally L-shaped having a portion 29 lying in a plane parallel with and spaced apart from the plane of the first extending tab 22 and a portion 31 which runs in a direction transverse to the plane of extending tab 22 coupling portion 29 to extending tab 22. The extending tab 22 is tapered as at 32 and then couples to a locking arm 34 in such a manner as to create a cavity 36 between the locking arm 34 and the tapered surface 32 of the extending tab 22. Similarly, the extending tab 26 is tapered as at 38 and coupled to a second locking arm 40 to create a second cavity 42 between the tapered surface 38, locking arm 40 and the extending tab 26. At the end of the locking arm 34 is a transverse arm 44 and a stop arm 46 which extends in a direction generally towards the cavity 36. In a similar fashion, there is a transverse arm 48 extending from the end of the locking arm 40 and a stop arm 50 extending from the end of the transverse arm 48 in a direction towards the cavity 42.

As is seen in FIG. 2, couplings 20 and 24 between the central longitudinal member 12 and the respective extending tabs 22 and 26 are undercut or chamfered such as to provide an area of reduced thickness so as to increase the flexibility of the handle 10 at these points. The chamfer on the central longitudinal member 12 adjacent the coupling 20 and the chamfer on the extending tab 22 are complementary and are so arranged that they will engage one another once the extending tab 22 has been brought to a position at approximately ninety degrees to the central longitudinal member 12, as is shown in FIG. 5. In this manner, a positive stop is provided to limit the flexing action of the extending tab 22 with respect to the central longitudinal member 12. In a similar fashion, the chamfers of the central longitudinal member 12 and extending tab 26 engage so as to limit the flexure of the extending tab 26 with respect to the central longitudinal member 12 to approximately ninety degrees as well.

In order to engage the handle 10 with the binding cord 60 of a package or the like, (not shown) the central longitudinal member 12 is brought to some acute angle with respect to the binding cord 60 to which the handle 10 is to be attached, such that the binding cord 60 is caused to move into, for example, cavity 36 between the locking arm 34 and the extending portion 26. Handle 10 is then moved to a position approximately parallel with the binding cord to which the handle 10 is to be installed to permit the binding cord to now enter the cavity 42 between the locking arm 40 and the extending tab 26. The handle 10 is now in a position to be locked. If desired, an alternative engagement procedure to that described above may be used; that is, cavity 42 may be engaged first by the binding cord 60 and then the handle 10 moved to a position whereby the binding cord enters the cavity 36. It should be noted that the binding cord 60 in either instance is caused to be passed under the central longitudinal member 12 as it engages the cavities 36 and 42.

Turning now to FIG. 6, the locking of the locking arm 34 about a portion of binding cord 60 in the cavity 36 is shown. The locking arm 34 will be moved over the portion 29 of the stop member 28 such that the main portion of the locking arm 34 overlies the extending tab 22. Locking arm 34 is passed sufficiently over the portion 29 of stop member 28 to clear portion 29. Locking arm 34 is then pushed downwardly towards the surface of the extending tab 22 and the resilience of the coupling between the arm 34 and the extending tab 22 causes locking arm 34 to move outwardly in the direction of the arrow 54, under portion 29 and against portion 31, causing a retention of the arm 34 by means of the stop member 28. As the handle 10 is used, the stop member 28 operating in contact with the arm 34 will prevent the attempted unlocking of the arm 34 in the direction of the arrow 54. Further, the stop arm 46 will engage portion 31 of the stop member 28 and thus prevent the unlocking action of the arm 34 in a direction opposite to the arrow 54. Finally, as the handle is picked up, there will be downwardly exerted forces operating in the area of the cavity 36 which will tend to unlock the handle 10 in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the central longitudinal member 12; such unlocking is prevented by means of the transverse arm 44 which then engages the stop 28 and prevents such unwanted unlocking. The locking action is similar with respect to locking arm 40 and stop member 30 and will not be repeated.

When it is desired to separate the handle 10 from the binding cord 60 force may be applied to the locking arm 34 in a direction opposite to the arrow 54 until the arm 34 is clear of the portion 29 of the stop 28, at which time the arm 34 may be lifted in a direction transverse to the plane of the extending tab 22 until it is able to clear the height of portion 31 of the stop member 28, at which time it will then be permitted to swing due to its own resiliency in the direction of the arrow 54 of FIG. 6. The binding cord 60 may then be removed from the cavity 36 either by moving the binding cord 60 or by moving the handle 10.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes of the form and details of the devices illustrated and in their operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A handle for packages or the like having a binding cord thereabout comprising: a central longitudinal member of sufficient length to receive the hand of a person thereabout; said central longitudinal member having a first end and a second end; a first extending member coupled to said first end of said central longitudinal member and extending therefrom; a second extending member coupled to said second end of said central longitudinal member and extending therefrom; the coupling between said central longitudinal member and said first extending member and said central longitudinal member and said second extending member each being of reduced thickness permitting said first and second extending members to readily flex about their respective couplings; a chamfer at said first and second ends of said central longitudinal member adjacent said couplings; complementary chamfers on said first and second extending members adjacent their respective couplings with said central longitudinal member; the engagement of the chamfer on said central longitudinal member and the associated chamfer on said first and extending members limiting the flexure at such coupling; first selectively operable locking means coupled to said first extending member to capture and retain a portion of a binding cord between said first selectively operable locking means and said first extending member; and second selectively operable locking means coupled to said second extending member to capture and retain a portion of a binding cord between said second selectively operable locking means and said second extending member.

2. A handle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said central longitudinal member is contoured to receive the hand of a person thereabout.

3. A handle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said central longitudinal member has at least one longitudinal slot therein.

4. A handle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said first and second extending members are proportioned to position said central longitudinal member away from a package when said first and second extending members flex about their respective couplings.

5. A handle, as defined in claim 1, said first selectively operable locking means comprising: a first locking arm having a first and a second end; said first locking arm coupled at said first end thereof to the end of said first extending member remote from said first end of said central longitudinal member; a first stop member on said first extending member; said second end of said first locking arm engaging said first stop member with a portion of said first locking arm overlying sad first extending member and forming a first cavity between sad first locking arm and said first extending member for receipt and retention of a portion of a binding cord therein; said second selectively operable locking means comprising: a second locking arm having a third and a fourth end; said second locking arm coupled at said third end thereof to the end of said second extending member remote from said second end of said central longitudinal member; a second stop member on said second extending member; said fourth end of said second locking arm engaging said second stop member with a portion of said second locking arm overlying said second extending member and forming a second cavity between said second locking arm and said second extending member for receipt and retention of a portion of a binding cord therein.

6. A handle, as defined in claim 5, wherein said first locking arm has a first transverse arm at said second end thereof extending away from said first extending member and said second locking arm has a second transverse arm at said fourth end thereof extending away from said second extending member; said first and second transverse arm respectively engaging said first and second stop members to prevent separation of said first and second locking arms from said first and second stop members when subjected to forces along the longitudinal dimension of said first and second extending members.

7. A handle, as defined in claim 6, further comprising: a first stop arm coupled to said first transverse arm and extending in the direction of said second end of said first locking arm; said first stop arm and said first stop member limiting the movement of said first locking arm in directions transverse to said central longitudinal member; and a second stop arm coupled to said second transverse arm and extending in the direction of said fourth end of said second locking arm; said second stop arm and said second stop member limiting the movement of said second locking arm in directions transverse to said central longitudinal member.