CONTAINER HAVING A RELEASABLE HANDLE
A container is disclosed for carrying items via a releasable handle. According to one aspect, the container is formed as an assembly including a set of interconnected structural walls defining an enclosure, a through-hole formed in the enclosure, and a handle having a fixed end and a free end for coupling with the enclosure to form a looped handle. The enclosure has a first side, an opposed second side and an interior region, where the through-hole is formed in the first side of the enclosure. The proximal end of the handle is fixed with the second side of the enclosure and the distal end of the handle is configured for releasable coupling with the first side of the enclosure via the through-hole to form the handle into the looped configuration spanning between the first side and the second side for carrying the container assembly.
Latest HALLMARK CARDS, INCORPORATED Patents:
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to portable containers. More specifically, the present invention is directed to containers having a releasable handle for improving access to an interior region of the containers while providing a secure carrying strap.
Portable containers having a top opening and corresponding handles, such as gift bags and the like, are popular devices for holding and presenting gift items to a recipient. A typical gift bag has a pair of handles that extend upwardly from the top opening of the bag and are mounted with opposed sidewalls of the bag. As one exemplary configuration, for each handle, a string or similar item is sandwiched between adjacent panels that are adhered together to form one of the sidewalls. While this type of arrangement proves to be convenient for insertion and removal of items from the bag, there are certain disadvantages. First, gift bag handles tend to be pulled away from the rest of the bag structure if items placed in the bag are too heavy. Thus, conventional handle constructions create a weak point where the handle is bonded or otherwise attached with the bag. Additionally, if a user accidentally only grasps one of the handles and lifted the container upwardly, the container could overturn due to the weight imbalance of only supporting one of the opposed sidewalls. This increases the risk of spilling out the contents held within the bag. Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a container with a top handle that is easy to use while providing convenient access to contents held within the container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA container with a releasable handle is provided for transporting items while also possessing an open top that is easily accessible without being obstructed by the handle. In one aspect, the container is formed as an assembly including a set of interconnected structural walls defining an enclosure, a through-hole formed in the enclosure, and a handle having a fixed end and a free end for coupling with the enclosure to form a looped handle. The enclosure has a first side, an opposed second side and an interior region, where the through-hole is formed in the first side of the enclosure. The proximal end of the handle is fixed with the second side of the enclosure and the distal end of the handle is configured for releasable coupling with the first side of the enclosure via the through-hole to form the handle into the looped configuration spanning between the first side and the second side for carrying the container assembly.
In another aspect, a container assembly is formed via a bag-type structure having a set of sidewalls and a grommet formed therein, a band having a fixed proximal end and a free distal end, as well as a toggle fixed with the band. The bag-type structure provides a top opening formed by the sidewalls, with the grommet formed into a first sidewall and a proximal end of the band fixed with a second sidewall of the set of sidewalls. The toggle, being fixed to the distal end of the band, has a longitudinal dimension greater than an interior diameter of the grommet such that insertion of the toggle through the grommet forms the band into a looped handle spanning between the first sidewall and the second sidewall.
The container of the present invention provides the advantage of a top opening container structure with a handle that is releasable on one end to allow large items to be placed within the interior of the container and easily formed into a looped configuration for convenient transport of the container contents. Additional advantages and novel features of the present invention will in part be set forth in the description that follows or become apparent to those who consider the attached figures or practice the invention.
In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are employed to indicate like parts in the various views:
The container of the present invention employs a releasable handle for improving access to a top opening of an enclosure formed by the container. Upon inserting items into the enclosure, the handle is easily coupled on opposed ends with the container walls to form a looped handle for transport of the container. It should be understood that although the container employing a releasable handle is shown in certain embodiments to take the form of a open top gift bag-type container, any type of container having a top opening is contemplated by and within the scope of the present invention. Additionally, because the generic construction of gift bags, boxes and the like as top opening containers is well known to those of skill in the art, the discussions herein regarding the formation of these types of containers in general from paper card stock, plastic sheeting, and the like, will be abbreviated. One practical example of container formation involves the process of cutting a particular die pattern into a flat sheet and forming fold lines to generate individual panel or sidewall sections. The panel sections are then folded together to create an enclosure, with some of the panel sections secured together (e.g., by adhering overlapping sections with one another) to maintain the structural integrity of the enclosure.
With initial reference to
With additional reference to
In the above-described configuration for the releasable handle 130, a looped configuration for the handle (depicted in
Because the band proximal end 134 is attached with a longitudinal midpoint of the toggle 138, tensioning of the band 132 induced by a user carrying the container 100 by the handle 130 does not cause rotation of the toggle 138 to where the toggle 138 could pass back through the grommet 136 in the direction opposite of insertion (as seen in
In one preferred arrangement, the band 132 has a length that prevents the band 132 from slipping off of the top opening 112 and below the sidewall upper regions 110 to a position laterally adjacent to the first pair 120 of sidewalls when the handle 130 is in the looped configuration coupling the opposed second pair 122 of sidewalls 106 together and the bag is fully opened (i.e., when the first pair of sidewalls 120 are flat and not folded along the fold lines 118 to maximize the distance between the second sidewall pair 122). Thus, if the user sets the container 100 down, and the top opening 112 of the enclosure 102 remains fully opened, the handle 130 rests upon the sidewall upper regions 110 over the top opening 112, so that the handle 130 is positioned for easy gasping for the user to pick up the container 100 again.
The container 100 of the present invention provides the advantage of a gift container structure with a handle 130 that is releasable on one end to allow large items (even items having an outer peripheral dimension almost equal to the inner peripheral dimension of the container) to be placed within the interior of the container 100 and easily formed into a looped configuration for convenient transport of the container contents. By having a single handle structure, the container 100 is easier to grasp than some types of two handled containers. Further, by use of the grommet and toggle arrangement, a strong connection is made between the handle structure and the enclosure, reducing the tendency of handle failure with standard gift bag handles.
Since certain changes may be made in the above invention without departing from the scope hereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the following claims are to cover certain generic and specific features described herein.
Claims
1. An open top container assembly, comprising:
- a set of interconnected structural walls forming an enclosure having a first side, an opposed second side, and an interior region;
- a through-hole formed in the first side of the enclosure and extending to the interior region; and
- a handle having a proximal end fixed with the second side of the enclosure and a free distal end configured for releasable coupling with the first side of the enclosure via the through-hole to form a looped handle spanning between the first side and the second side for carrying the container assembly.
2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
- a grommet mounted in the through-hole of the enclosure first side; and
- a toggle fixed to the free distal end of the handle, the toggle having a longitudinal dimension greater than an interior diameter of the grommet such that insertion of the toggle through the grommet forms the looped handle.
3. The container assembly of claim 2, further comprising;
- an additional through-hole formed in the second side of the enclosure and extending to the interior region; and
- an additional grommet mounted in additional through-hole, wherein the proximate end of the handle is fixed to an interior face of the second side of the enclosure enabling the handle to be extended through the additional grommet.
4. The container assembly of claim 2, wherein the handle is formed to be flexible in nature and the toggle is formed to be rigid in nature.
5. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle is formed with a particular length such that upon releasably coupling the free distal end with the first side of the enclosure and positioning the enclosure in a fully opened position, the handle cannot be extended laterally around the set of structural walls and is forced to extend over the interior region.
6. A container assembly, comprising:
- a bag-type structure having a set of sidewalls and a top opening;
- a grommet formed into a first sidewall of the sidewalls;
- a band having a proximate end fixed to a second sidewall of the sidewalls and a distal end; and
- a toggle fixed to the distal end of the band, the toggle having a longitudinal dimension greater than an interior diameter of the grommet such that insertion of the toggle through the grommet forms the band into a looped handle spanning between the first sidewall and the second sidewall.
7. The container assembly of claim 6, further comprising an additional grommet formed into the second sidewall of the sidewalls, wherein the proximate end of the band is fixed to an interior side of the second sidewall enabling the band to be extended through the additional grommet.
8. The container assembly of claim 6, wherein the band is formed to be flexible in nature and the toggle is formed to be rigid in nature.
9. The container assembly of claim 6, wherein the handle is formed with a particular length such that upon forming the looped handle and positioning the enclosure in a fully opened position, the handle cannot be extended laterally around the set of sidewalls and is forced to extend over the top opening.
10. An open top container assembly, comprising:
- a set of interconnected structural walls forming an enclosure having a first side, an opposed second side, and an interior region;
- a grommet formed into the first side of the enclosure and extending to the interior region; and
- a band having a proximate end fixed to the second side of the enclosure and a distal end; and
- a toggle fixed to the distal end of the band, the toggle having a longitudinal dimension greater than an interior diameter of the grommet such that insertion of the toggle through the grommet forms the band into a looped handle spanning between the first and second sides of the enclosure.
11. The container assembly of claim 10, further comprising an additional grommet formed into the second side of the enclosure, wherein the proximate end of the band is fixed to an interior face of the second side enabling the band to be extended through the additional grommet.
12. The container assembly of claim 10, wherein the band is formed to be flexible in nature and the toggle is formed to be rigid in nature.
13. The container assembly of claim 10, wherein the band is formed with a particular length such that upon forming the looped handle and positioning the enclosure in a fully opened position, the handle cannot be extended laterally around the set of structural walls and is forced to extend over the interior region.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 30, 2007
Publication Date: Oct 2, 2008
Applicant: HALLMARK CARDS, INCORPORATED (Kansas City, MO)
Inventors: Ann Elizabeth Welke (Overland Park, KS), Fern Judith Sandhouse (Roeland Park, KS), Stacey Annette Bishop (Kansas City, MO), Chelsea Hunziker (Prairie Village, KS)
Application Number: 11/694,417
International Classification: B65D 33/06 (20060101);