WO1994013171A1

WO1994013171A1 - Hand grip

Info

Publication number: WO1994013171A1
Application number: PCT/NZ1993/000124
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Michael Condon
Original assignee: John Michael Condon
Priority date: 1992-12-10
Filing date: 1993-12-10
Publication date: 1994-06-23
Also published as: AU5661294A

Abstract

A hand grip for use with a disposable plastics shopping bags formed as a moulded plastics unit to fit within a hand has a floor and two side wall portions to define a longitudinal slot to receive the bag handle. Each side wall has projections extending laterally above the floor to continue the bag handle and diagonally opposed inclined ends to assist in engaging the bag handle. Two hand grips are able to engage together to form a compact carry pack and specially shaped projections allow the hand grips to be clipped together.

Description

HAND GRIP

This invention relates to hand grips for use with carry bags, in particular but not solely for use with disposable plastic shopping bags.

BACKGROUND A variety of reusable hand grips are available for disposable plastic shopping bags to avoid discomfort which can arise with the handles of loaded bags cutting into the hands of the carrier. Examples of such hand grips may be found in US Specification No. 4846519 and GB Specification No. 2147200. A reusable handle must satisfy a number of requirements, including being comfortable for a user, easy to engage with the handles of a disposable plastic shopping bag and retain an association with the bag once engaged. It is also preferable to provide a hand grip which can carry advertising indicia on one or more surfaces and provide the ability for two units to engage together to form a convenient compact carry pack.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hand grip for plastics disposable shopping bags which is more convenient and comfortable for a user through a superior form and function.

THE PRESENT INVENTION

Accordingly the invention consists in a hand grip for use with a flexible bag handle, said hand grip comprising an elongated body having a floor portion and two side wall portions which define a longitudinal slot to receive the bag handle, each side wall having projections near each end of the slot which extend laterally above the floor to confine the bag handle within the slot, each projection on either side wall having a corresponding projection on the other side wall.

The hand grip preferably incorporates inter-engaging protuberances that allow two hand grips to engage and be joined together to form a convenient compact carry pack. To facilitate such joining the protuberances may be formed as bifurcated protuberances with the vertical groove between the two protruding sections arranged to receive one protruding section of a joining hand grip when the hand grips are brought into engagement to form the compact carry pack. The hand grip has side walls with configurations that enable advertising indicia to be presented thereon. Further, the side walls are shaped by inclining one side wall at diametrically opposed ends of the hand grip to facilitate entry of the flexible shopping bag handles into the holding slot within the hand grip.

The invention is defined in the appended claims with preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed herebelow and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET Known equivalents of the parts and features expressly set out in the claims and disclosure of the preferred embodiment are intended to be included.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hand grip according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a slightly modified hand grip according to the present invention;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the hand grip; Figures 5 and 6 are end views of the hand grip; and

Figure 7 is an end view showing two hand grips engaged and joined together to form a compact carrying pack.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The hand grip 1 in the preferred embodiment is an integrally moulded plastic unit designed to fit within a hand and as is apparent from the drawings comprises an elongated body having a floor portion 10 curved upwardly slightly at the ends and side walls 11 and 12 also slightly curved to create a wider central portion. These form a longitudinal slot 13 which in use receives a flexible bag handle from a disposable plastic carry bag. The hand grip 1 has a smooth outer surface with rounded corners having a configuration that fits comfortably into the fingers of a user.

The side walls 11 and 12 each have two associated projections 14 and 16 and 15 and 17. The projections will generally extend in length only a short distance along the slot 13 and will be shaped to serve with the floor and side walls in defining a confining bore 18 which contains the shopping bag handle. This configuration is more clearly illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The bore has a generally rounded or oval configuration.

The side walls may converge in a direction away from the floor to form a suitably shaped retaining slot and provide the appropriate outer surface for a convenient hand engagement.

Each of the protuberances 14 to 17 in one embodiment of the invention is formed as a bifurcated protuberance with a substantially vertical groove 19 between side walls 20 and 21. The relationship in the sizes between the walls and the grooves are such that a wall of the protuberance of one hand grip will engage

SUBSTITUTE SHEET within the groove of another hand grip facilitating the inter-engagement of two grips when they are brought together to form a carry pack.

The protuberances in their associated pairs are preferably offset one from the other as this facilitates engagement of the handle of the shopping bag in the hand grip.

A modified hand grip la is illustrated in Figure 3. In this case the walls 12a and 11a are inclined together at a greater angle. The protuberances 14a and 16a and 15a and 17a are offset one from the other and are formed as a single protuberance, that is, they are not necessarily bifurcated. In this instance when two grips are brought together to join and form a convenient carry pack, the gripping action and friction grip established between the greater inclined sides is sufficient to hold the pair of grips together to form the carry pack.

The ends of the hand grip are shaped to assist engagement of the handles of the disposable shopping bag. This can conveniently be achieved by providing inclined sections 22 and 23 diametrically pposed in the sides 11 and 12 respectively. The angle of each inclination is approximately 45° from the floor 10, although other angles or curves may be used. The inclination is curved outwardly to provide a more comfortable feel and easier engagement of the shopping bag handle. By using the inclined section an abutment face on the opposite wall is exposed that facilitates a user moving the flexible handle into engagement with the hand grip and with the diagonally opposed positioning the hand grip can be applied either handed without difficulty.

A significant feature of the present invention is the provision of surfaces, particularly on the sides 11 and 12 which can conveniently carry advertising material. Another significant feature is to provide the hand grips so that they inter- engage with two hand grips providing a compact carry pack that can be held in a pocket or purse in a manner similar to a cigarette lighter. Two hand grips engaged in this manner are illustrated in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A hand grip for use with a flexible bag handle, said hand grip comprising an elongated body having a floor portion and two side wall portions which define a longitudinal slot to receive the bag handle, each side wall having projections near each end of the slot which extend laterally above the floor to confine the bag handle within the slot, each projection on either side wall having a corresponding projection on the other side wall.

2. A hand grip as claimed in claim 1 wherein the associated projections are offset slightly from one another enabling easier engagement of the handle of the shopping bag while still containing said handle once engaged.

3. A hand grip as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the protuberances facilitate joining when two hand gfips are brought into engagement with each other.

4. A hand grip as claimed in claim 3 wherein the protuberances are bifurcated, divided by a substantially vertical slot of a size to engage one wall of the bifurcated protuberance on a joining hand grip.

5. A hand grip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the floor, side walls and the lower face of the projections define a substantially complete bore within the body.

6. A hand grip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each end of the slot has one side wall longitudinally reduced and radiused to assist in placing the bag handle within the slot.

7. A hand grip as claimed in claim 6 wherein each end of the slot has an end of a respective other side wall longitudinally reduced by being longitudinally inclined and radiused with no sharp projections on end wall extremities.

8. A hand grip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the side walls converge laterally in a direction away from the floor to fit the hand and achieve a high level of user comfort over a range of differing size and shape of hands.

SUBSTITUTE SHEE^"

9. A hand grip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims when formed as an integral high impact moulded plastics unit.

10. A hand grip for use with a flexible bag handle, said hand grip being constructed arranged and operable substantially as herein described with reference to the embodiments disclosed in the accompanying drawings.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET