HANDLE TO A WASTE, TRANSPORT OR STORAGE CONTAINER OR THE LIKE

Abstract: Handle (1) constituting an integrated part of a waste, transport or storage container or the like (2) made of plastic material. The handle (1) comprises two principally vertically arranged beams or the like (3, 4) which preferably at their lower ends (5, 6) are connected by means of a third beam or the like (9) representing the grip of the handle (1). The third connecting beam (9) of the handle (1) is provided with principally vertically arranged internal reinforcing substantially discoid profiles (12), arranged at an interval of 5-10mm, and lacks on the base (19) and on the lower part of the side (10) facing the container (2) external wall (20). The side (10) of the third connecting beam (9) has a curved slope of 10-30 DEG to the vertical plane.

Description: HANDLE TO A WASTE, TRANSPORT OR STORAGE CONTAINER OR THE LIKE The present invention relates to an ergonomically adapted handle intended to constitute an integrated part of a waste, transport or storage container or the like made from a plastic material. The handle is especially suitable for wheeled such containers and the like. Plastic containers are most often manufactured by means of injection moulding and the handles normally constitute an integrated part of the container. Handles to various containers, receptacles and the like made of plastic materials most often have such a structural design that they are either ergonomically unfitting with for instance horizontally grips with strait surfaces, or give cause to problems in the manufacturing process. Some typical manufac¬ turing problems are undercut, need for special injection moulding devices, high material thickness with pendant cooling difficulties during and after the injection moulding. The latter also results in unnecessary high material consumption and in a prolonged processing cycle. Above problems have through the present invention been solved and a handle complying with ergonomical requirements as well as with requirements concerning rational manufacturing methods has been brought about. The handle constitutes an integrated part of a waste, transport or storage container or the like, especially wheeled such containers. The handle comprises two principally vertically arranged beams or the like, which beams at their upper or lower ends are connected by means of a third beam or the like and at their opposite ends are integrated with the container. The third connecting beam represent the grip of the handle. The grip of the handle holds internal reinforcing substantially discoid profiles and is on the base and on the lower part of the towards the container facing side is open, i.e. not covered by an external wall. The discoid profiles run in a principally vertical direction and are arranged at an interval of 5-10 mm, preferably 6-8 mm,' whereby the discoid profiles work as gripper profiles. The technical advantages of reinforcing discoid profiles as above are that these allow the third connecting beam, the grip of the handle, to hold a design involving different widths on its upper and lower parts and to hold a curved slope on the side facing the container, whereby an angle to the vertical plane of 10-30°, preferably 15-25°, is obtained. A design comprising an upper part wider than the lower part is adapted to the hand and its fingers. A grip design as according to the present invention is due to undercut unsuitable or even impracticable for injection moulding of a grip having a full external wall of even thickness. The wall thickness must then be markedly increased, which results in a prolonged processing cycle involving problems with for instance the cooling of the injection moulded material. Due to the fact that the base of the handle and that the lower part of the side of the grip facing the container lacks external wall, the disclosed design can be obtained by injection moulding without waiving for instance manufacturing conditions, stability or ergonomics, neither is speciality equipment required. Discoid reinforcement profiles/gripper profiles according to the present invention, which profiles are open and not covered by an external wall, imply furthermore that the hand and its fingers, besides above described advantages, get a better grip. Discoid profiles arranged at an interval of 5-10 mm, preferably 6-8 mm, allows the most comfortable feeling then these are gripped. The two principally vertically arranged beams of the handle are, in a preferred embodiment, of different length and the third connecting beam of the handle, the grip, is sloping at an angle to the horizontal plane of 5-45°, preferably 10-20°. The slope to the horizontal plane of the grip of the handle allows the ergonomically most correct position of the hand and its fingers. The natural position of the hand when for instance a wheeled waste container is pushed or pulled is not horizontal. Suitably, at least two handles are applied in pairs adjacent to the upper rim of the container. The shorter of the princi¬ pally vertically arranged beams of the handles are thereby facing each other and the grips are sloping upwards towards each other. The invention is further explained in connection with enclosed Figures 1-4 wherein - Figure 1 shows in flat drawing an embodiment of a handle according to the invention. The handle is provided with reinforcing substantially discoid profiles/gripper profiles and is shown from a side facing a container. - Figure 2 shows in flat drawing and from one short side a a wheeled waste container. The container is provided with two handles according to an embodiment of the invention. - Figure 3 shows in cutting a side view of an embodiment of a grip according to the invention. - Figure 4 shows in cutting a side view illustrating to what extent the wall thickness of the grip has to be increased when a full external wall and the same design as in figure 3 is used. Figure 1 shows from a side facing a container an embodiment of a handle 1 (Fig.2), which side 10 (Fig.3) constitutes the inner side of the handle 1. The handle 1 comprises two verti- cally arranged beams 3,4 and a third beam 9 which connects the beams 3 and 4, thereby constituting a grip to the handle. The handle 1 is furthermore provided with internal reinforcing discoid profiles 12, which profiles 12 on the lower part 11 of the inner side 10 and on the base 19 of the grip not are covered by an external wall. The beam/grip 9 is sloping to the horizontal plane at an angle 13 (Fig.2) of 15°. Figure 2 shows from one short side a wheeled waste container 2, which is provided with two handles 1 according to the same embodiment as in Figure 1. The handles 1 are placed adjacent to an upper rim 21 of the container 2. Figure 3 shows in cutting a side view of an embodiment .of a beam/grip 9 (Fig.1,2) of a handle 1 (Fig.2) according to the invention. The beam/grip 9 is wider at its upper part 18 (Fig. 1) than at its lower part 11 (Fig.l). The external wall 20 of the beam/grip 9 does not cover the base 19 or the lower part 11 of the side facing the container 2 (Fig.2). The beam/grip 9 can whereby be manufactured by injection moulding without undercut and without the requirement of speciality equipment. Figure 4 shows in cutting a beam/grip to a handle of the same design as that in Figure 3, but with an inner side 15 having a full external wall of even material thickness 16. If the grip is to be manufactured by injection moulding without undercut, the material thickness 16 of the side 15 must be increased, which is indicated by portion 17. The thus increased total material thickness will result in manufacturing problems for instance during the cooling of the injection moulded material. The invention is not limited to disclosed embodiments as these can be varied within the scope of the invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Handle (1) constituting an integrated part of a waste, transport or storage container or the like (2) made of a plastic material, which handle (1) comprises two princi¬ pally vertically arranged beams or the like (3,4) which preferably at their lower ends (5,6) are connected by means of a third beam or the like (9), which beam (9) represent the grip of the handle (1), and at their opposite ends (7,8) are integrated with the container (2) c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d i n, that the third connecting beam (9) of the handle (1) is provided with principally vertically arranged internal reinforcing substantially discoid profiles (12), which profiles (12) are arranged at an interval of 5-10 mm, preferably 6-8 mm, that the third connecting beam (9) on its base (19) and on its lower part of a side (10) facing the container (2) lacks external wall (20) and that the side (10) of the third connecting beam (9), which side (10) faces the container (2), has a curved slope of 10-30°, preferably 15-25°, to the vertical plane. 2. Handle (1) according to claim 1 c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n, that the two principally vertically arranged beams (3,4) of the handle (1) are of different length and that the third connecting beam (9) is sloping to the horizontal plane at an angel (13) of 5-45°, preferably 10-20°. 3. Handle (1) according to claim 1 or 2 c h a r a c t e ¬ r i s e d i n, that at least two handles (1) are applied in pairs, preferably adjacent to an upper rim (21) of a container (2) and that the shorter of the principally vertically arranged beams (3,4) of the handles (1) faces each other, whereby the third connecting beam (9) of the handles (1) slope towards each other upwards. 4. Handle (1) according to any of the claims 1-3 c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d i n, that the handle (1) constitutes an integrated part of a wheeled container (2).

Inventors: DUMANGE VINCENT, DUMANGE, VINCENT
Applicants: DUMANGE VINCENT, PERSTORP AB, DUMANGE, VINCENT
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B65D25
IPC codes: B65F1