Basket with an arc shaped handle

The tray (1) of the basket bears on each side at least one first engagement means (3) and the handle (2) bears at each of its ends at least one second engagement means (4), the first and second engagement means being suited to coupling so that the tray and handle become solidly and permanently locked to one another forming a single object.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention concerns a basket with arc shaped handle, more 
precisely it concerns a basket comprising an arc shaped or upturned U 
handle extending from one side to the other of the basket. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Baskets with arc shaped or upturned U handles, that we shall simply term 
"handle" herein, of the kind concerned with this application, can be made 
of various materials, but especially and traditionally of wicker, straw, 
chestnut strips, plastic strips or strings; this feature makes them a 
specially suitable product for craft-ware in countries where the cost of 
labour is low and from which these products are exported in considerable 
quantities. 
The drawback of these baskets lies in the very high transport costs owing 
to the impossibility of piling the baskets in such a way as to form 
packagings with a convenient weight/volume ratio. 
In addition to the above baskets, made of wicker, straw and other above 
mentioned material, also document U.S. Pat. No. 2,405,310 is known that 
discloses a basket handle connectable with a container. The handle is made 
of sheet material, the container is formed by fiber board and similar 
materials side walls in the form of an outer panel and an inner panel and 
therebetween connecting means in the handle and in the container are 
cooperating; the handle disclosed in said document results detachable. 
We shall conventionally term the part of the basket that holds objects--the 
tray--and the part of the basket that serves as a handle--the handle. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention obviates the above mentioned drawback and, as 
characterized in the claims, is a basket in which the tray bears at least 
a first engagement means on each opposite side, and at each of its sides 
the handle bears at least a second engagement means, the first and second 
engagement means being suited to engage rigidly so that the tray and 
handle result as being solidly and permanently locked to one another so as 
to form a single object. 
The main advantage of this basket lies in the fact that the manufacturer 
separately produces the trays and the handles for the transport of which 
any desirable number of trays will be piled onto one another into packages 
and an equal number of handles will be packaged one next to another, with 
an enormous reduction in the volumes required and, consequently, in the 
cost of transport. Each tray and each handle will be assembled in the 
importing country. 
The first engagement means is a body provided with a hollow, which body 
being held, thanks to retaining means, within a lodging formed on one side 
of the tray and the second engagement means is a pin shaped body formed by 
a first part held, thanks to retaining means, in the end of the handle and 
by a second part to be forced into the hollow of the first engagement 
means. 
Alternatively, the first engagement means in the tray is the pin shaped 
body and the second engagement means in the handle is the body provided 
with a hollow into which the first means may be forced. 
The lodging for the first engagement means is formed in the border of the 
tray. 
Alternatively, the lodging for the first engagement means is formed in the 
side of the tray.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 shows a tray 1 and handle 2 of a basket that, fastened to one 
another thanks to the engagement means foreseen, form a basket complying 
with the present invention. 
FIG. 2 shows how the tray 1 of the basket, incorporated in two 
diametrically opposite points of its upper border, bears two hollow 
engagement means 3 into which each of the pins 4b of engagement means 4 
that has part 4a firmly incorporated in the thicknesses 5 of the ends of 
handle 2 may be forced. Both engagement means 3 and 4 are of appropriate 
plastic material, but it is understood that they may be of other suitable 
materials, such as metal, wood, bamboo. 
FIG. 3 shows how each engagement means 3 in tray 1 is incorporated in a 
thickness 6 formed on the outside of the side wall. 
FIGS. 4a-4d show the detail of the two engagement means and their coupling; 
FIG. 4a shows means 3 provided with cylindric hollow 30 prepared to be 
incorporated in the tray during the production of the same, as shown in 
FIG. 8; it is understood that the upper annular part 3a serves as a base 
for the end of the handle and the lower annular part 3b serves to lock the 
means within the tray; 
FIG. 4b shows how an annular part 3i may also be foreseen in an 
intermediate position along the means 3; 
FIG. 4c shows how means 4 features the upper part 4a prepared to be 
incorporated in the end of the handle during production and the cylindric 
pin shaped lower part 4b to be sunk into the hollow 30 of means 3 and 
hence be locked therein by the plastic point 4c with an annular relief 4d, 
FIG. 4d shows the two parts 3 and 4 as coupled. 
FIGS. 5a and 5b show an alternative solution to the one illustrated in 
FIGS. 4a-4d: 
FIG. 5a shows a means 3 that bears an elastic point 3c in its lower part 
with an annular relief 3d; while towards the lower end of the internal 
hollow 30 a triangular groove 3e is formed into which the annular relief 
4d of the elastic point 4c of part 4b will engage; 
FIG. 5b shows a means 4 that bears in its upper part an elastic point 4f 
with annular relief 4g. This embodiment allows to incorporate the means 3 
and the means 4 into a corresponding hollow appropriately formed during 
the manufacturing stage, respectively in the tray and in the ends of the 
handle, or viceversa, so that the two means become unmovable in their 
seats as if they had been incorporated during the manufacturing. 
FIGS. 6 and 7 show a handle 2 with four ends, 2a and 2b for each side, each 
one incorporating an engagement means 4 that engages in a corresponding 
engagement means 3 of tray 1. 
FIG. 8, as stated with reference to FIG. 4, shows an engagement means 3 in 
detail, with its parts 3a and 3b, that has been incorporated in a 
wicker-work tray during the production. 
The way to make the retaining in the basket and the coupling of first and 
second engagement means easier, is the one represented in the figures: 
means 3 is a cylindric body with cylindric hollow 30 and means 4 is a body 
with cylindrical part 4a and pin part 4b cylindrical too which may be 
forced into the hollow 30. It is understood, however, the the shaped of 
said parts may also be not cylindrical, provided they allow the retaining 
into the basket and the necessary coupling.