CARRYING HANDLE FOR BAGS,IN PARTICULAR REFUSE BAGS

Abstract: New carrying handle for bags, like refuse bags. Heavy loaded bags, even made of thin sheet material, may be carried with closed receiving opening by the handle, minimising the risk of the bag getting tom open. The handle has two individual receiving openings (4, 5) with smooth lower wall, through each of which a neck is led. At two opposite sides of the receiving end of the bag to be closed and carried, the bag material is taken or twisted together to form said necks, each carrying only half of the weight. The final end of each neck is introduced in a corresponding slot of the handle (6, 7), fitted with retaining or clamping means (11, 12).

Description: Carrying handle for bags, in particular refuse bags. The invention relates to a carrying handle for- bags, in particular refuse bags adapted to be. centrally position¬ ed above the bag to be carried, having a grip at the upper side of an opening for the hand, having at least one open- ing for receiving at least one bag portion twisted or put together into a neck, in which a number of holding means is provided for engaging each neck and in which the whole is lying in one plane. — Carrying handles of this type are known from the Netherlands patent application 7205892. Said publication discloses a carrying handle positioned centrally above the bag to be carried and in which the open neck of the bag after it is twisted or put together is urged with some force through the opening for the hand into a much smaller opening in which the neck remains locked as to sliding back by resilient wedges destined therefore. A number of teeth provided in- the edge of the smaller opening is pressed into the material of the bag in situ of the neck. When the bag is lifted up at the carrying handle the entire weight of the bag with its content is suspended on the teeth through the neck of the bag. Thereby the neck material is pressed forcely against the teeth and it frequently occurs that the weight of the content is too high for the resisting capaci¬ ty of the neck material so that the teeth of the carrying handle locally tear up the material. The bag becomes not only locally leaking, but is often torn up entirely so that -it may not be closed anymore. Additionally, there is the drawback, that bags which are in practice filled too much, are difficult to be closed, because only one neck stands up with a sufficient length for receiving it in the carrying handle after having been twisted or put together. According to an embodiment of the carrying handle according to said publication, slipping back of the neck out of the handle is prevented by a closing strip. However, this does not obviate the above-mentioned disadvantage, i.e. the total weight is carried by the neck on the sharp teeth. Now, the invention aims to eliminate said disadvanta ges and to provide for a simple disposable carrying handl which may carry even further filled bags with ease, pract cally without risk of tearing up of the neck. The carryin handle as described -above is characterized according to t -invention in that the grip opening is closed all around a is only adapted for inserting the hand, that at each side alongside of and/or below the opening a receiving opening is provided for one of two bag necks formed in diagonal confronting relation and that near the lower edge of each receiving opening a onesided open slot provided with hold ing means is provided for clamping the free end of the ne Owing to the described embodiment the weight of the bag wit its content is carried by two necks formed from the neck material of the bag in diagonal and confronting relation and in which the first opening through which eac neck is guided has a smooth edge without teeth, so that a the one side the load is reduced by one half and at the other side the risk of tearing up in the carrying opening is absent practically. The free end of each neck is bent by approximately 180 subsequently after inserting it through the receiving opening and is brought into the slo by which slipping back of each neck is prevented. The loa on the neck material in the slot is some factors lower than in the known construction, because the greatest part of the weight is carried already by the neck at the loca¬ tion where it is inserted through the receiving opening a is bent around the lower edge. According to a preferred embodiment the lower edge o the receiving openings for the necks of the bag is flatte ed so that local stress concentrations in the neck materi are prevented as much as possible and the risk of prelimi nary tearing up is reduced. When the carrying handle according to the invention fitted correctly, the side edges of the open bag end be¬ tween both of the necks rest against each other so that a reasonable closure of the bag is guaranteed. The position of the slots with respect to the re¬ ceiving openings for the necks influences the lockation of the free neck end in position by influence of the tensile stress in the carrying portion of the neck which can press the free end against the carrying handle. In order to take profit of this phenomenum as much as possible, a preferred embodiment is characterized in that each slot extends hori¬ zontally below the respective receiving opening. An alter¬ native embodiment in whic said self-locking ef ect is produced in a less amount, but in which the dimensions of the carrying handle may be slightly reduced and with a re¬ duced material consumption and thereby a lower cost as re¬ sult, is characterized in that each slot is positioned under the grip opening with its open side directed to the other and the closed end directed to the lower edge of the respective receiving opening, in which between both of the slots sufficient space is left for passing a bag neck twisted or put together. Finally the carrying handle may be reinforced in its plane by rein orcing ribs extending perpendicular to said plane. They may follow the entire circumference but it is ■ advantageous for the application of the carrying handle when at least the carrier surface for the hand and for both of the necks are widened. The handle is applicable as disposable article and, therefore, may be manufactured from plastic or hardboard or such material which is disintegratable or destructable. However, the handle may also be manufactured with better quality, so that after transport of a bag, it may be re- used for the transport of other bags. In doing so, one may consider in particular its application with fertilizer bags, in which a pouring spout may easily be produced by forming both of the necks not exactly diagonally opposite to each other, but leaving at the pouring side a little more cir- cumferential length of the bag opening than at the opposite side. In operation, by influence of the weight of the bag, the carrying handle will practically lie in a vertical plane. However, in mounted but unloaded condition the carrying handle will come to lie more or less horizontal on the bag by influence of the elasticity of the bag material in the necks. Thereby the stacking of bags pro¬ vided with carrying handles according to the invention i possible without damage or without the handle getting loose from its bag. By interconnecting a number of carrying handles wit tear lips they may be joined into a chain and manufactur simultaneously in for example an injection molding-die with about 5 up to 10 pieces. Such a set of carrying handles may be sold together with a package of household refuse bags. In the subsequent description of the figures, embod ments of the carrying handle according to the invention will be explained. Figure 1 shows a carrying handle according to the i vention having slots beneath the receiving openingsj Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a carry ing handle according to the invention, in which the slot are provided at the lower side of and next to the receiv openings; Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of a carrying handle according to the invention; Figure 4 shows a section taken on line TV-TV of Fig 1 with a bag neck drawn schematically therein. The Figures 1 and 2 show corresponding carrying handles, only with different location of the slot with holding teeth. The carrying handle 1 has a grip opening at the upper side defined by the grip 3. At the lefthand and righthanded side of the grip opening 2 and the grip receiving openings 4 and 5 are provided each destined fo a neck twisted or put together of the bag to be carried. According to Figure 1 the slots 6 and 7 are located be¬ neath the receiving openings 4 and 5 and according to Figure 2 alongside at the level of the flattened carrying walls 9 and 10 of the receiving openings 4 and 5. Each of the slots 6 and 7 extends approximately horizontally in operation and is provided with a number of teeth 11 and 12 by v/hich the ends of the bag necks are clamped. The materi¬ al 13 and 14 defining the open slots at the lower side should have a sufficient resistance against bending. The teeth 11 and 12 may be provided also or only at the upper side of the slot, or also in a higher number and may have smaller dimensions. It is a matter of importance that the slot is sufficiently stiff to prevent sliding away of the neck. Figure 3 shows an embodiment with a broader carrier surface 9, 10 for the necks and only one tooth or extension 11, 12 at the open end of the slot 6, 7. In this embodiment both of the necks of the bag come nearer to each other in the corners 24 and 25 of the receiving openings 4 and 5 than in using the carrying handles according to figures 1 and 2. The shape of the slot may be adapted to the location of the receiving opening. As shown in figure 4 reinforcing ridges 15, 16 and 17 may be provided, perpendicular to the plane of the carrying handle, while they increase the loadability of the handle in particular when they are provided along the lower edge 8 of the grip 3 and along the carrying edges 9 and 10 of the receiving openings 4 and 5. With reference number 18, in figure 4 a bag is schematically shown, at one side of which a neck 19 is illustrated. The neck portion 20 is in¬ serted through the receiving opening 4, whereafter the neck is bent back at 21 for sliding it with the portion 22 into the slot 6 where the neck end is locked by the teeth 11. In operation, the final end of the neck 23 is clamped be¬ tween the toothed lower edge 13, 17 of the slot and the neck end 22, 23 sliding out of the slot 6 is practically entirely absent.

Claims: C L A I M S 1. Carrying handle for bags, in particular refuse bags, adapted to be centrally positioned above the bag to be carried, having a grip at the upper. side of an opening for the hand, having at least one opening for receiving a least one neck of the bag twisted or put together, in whi a number of holding means is provided for engaging each neck and in which the whole lies in one plane, character¬ ized in that the grip opening (2) is closed all around an is only formed for inserting the hand, that at each side alongside of and/or beneath said opening (2) a receiving opening (4, 5) is provided for one of two bag necks (19) formed in a diagonal and confronting relation and that ne the lower edge (9, 10) of each receiving opening (4, 5) a one-sided open slot (6, 7) provided wit holding means (1 12) is provided for clamping the free end (21, 22, 23) of the neck (19, 20). 2. Carrying handle according to claim 1, characteriz in that the receiving openings (4, 5) have a flattened lower edge (9, 10) for carrying a bag neck. 3. Carrying handle according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each slot (6, 7) extends horizontally beneath the respective receiving opening (4, 5). 4. Carrying handle according to claim 1 or 2, charac terized in that each slot (6, 7) is located beneath the grip opening (2) having its open side directed to the other and the closed end directed to the lower edge (9, 1 of the respective receiving opening (4, 5) in which betwe both of the slots a sufficient space is left for passing bag neck (19-23) twisted or put together. 5. Carrying handle according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized In that reinforcing ribs (15, 16, 17) perpendicular to the plane of the carrying handle widen at least the carrying surfaces for the hand (8) and for both of the necks (9, 10). _ O PI

Inventors: SCHUURMAN L
Applicants: SCHUURMAN L
Application year: 1981
Main classification: B65D33
IPC codes: A45F5