ERGONOMIC PACKAGE CONFIGURATION

Abstract: A carton has a first lateral side with a slot therein providing a hand hold disposed proximate the bottom of the carton and a second lateral side having a slot therein providing a second hand hold proximate the top of the carton so that the hand holds are substantially diagonally disposed with respect to one another. By so configuring the hand holds, a person is encouraged to bend their knees when lifting the carton as opposed to bending their back.

Description: ERGONOMIC PACKAGE CONFIGURATION Field of the Invention The present invention is directed to an ergonomic package configura¬ tion. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an ergonomic package configuration in which hand holds are located on a package to facilitate lifting the package while minimizing the risk of injury. Background of the Invention Every year, tens of thousands of back injuries debilitate workers and people in general in this country, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in lost productivity and wages, as well as considerable human misery. Many of these injuries occur when people lift cartons because they lift cartons by bending at the waist and arching their backs, rather than flexing their knees. This is because cartons are not configured to encourage people lifting the cartons to bend their knees. Rather, cartons are generally configured to encourage bending the back when lifting. Throughout American industry, in warehouses and factories and offices, as well as in doctor's offices, clinics and schools people are alerted to the danger of bending at the waist when lifting. This campaign is frustrated because items which are meant to be lifted are not ergonomically configured. iSummary of the InTentioπ It is a feature of the present invention to provide an ergonomic configu¬ ration for a package such as a carton wherein the configuration encourages the person lifting the carton to bend their knees instead of bending their back. In view of this feature, and other features, the present invention is di¬ rected to a package having top and bottom surfaces, ront and back surfaces and sides. In accordance with the present invention, the improvement com¬ prises positioning a first hand hold at the first side of the package proximate the top surface and positioning a second hand hold at the side of the package proximate the bottom of the package, whereby a person lifting the package is encouraged to bend their knees when utilizing the first and second hand holds. In accordance with a more specific aspect of the invention, the package is a box with lateral side panels and the hand holds are positioned at the lat¬ eral side panels. In accordance with a still more specific aspect of the invention, the package is a carton and the hand holds are slots disposed in lateral side panels with one slot disposed proximate the top panel of the carton and the other slot disposed proximate a bottom panel of the carton. In a still more specific aspect of the invention, the carton has front and back sides which are clearly marked with indicia and only a single slot hand hold is provided in each of the lateral side panels, both single slot hand holds being disposed substantially diagonally with respect to one another. Brief Description of the Drawings Various other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like ref¬ erence characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a prior art carton with portions shown in phantom and a person bending over at the waist to lift the prior art carton; Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 showing a person lift¬ ing the prior art carton; Figure 3 is a perspective view partially in phantom of a carton config¬ ured in accordance with the principles of the instant invention with the person approaching the carton to lift the carton; and Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the person bending his knees to lift the carton. Detailed Description Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a carton 10 configured in ac¬ cordance with the principles of the prior art. The carton includes a top sur¬ face with closing flaps 13, a bottom panel 14, a back panel 16, a front panel 18, a first lateral side panel 20 and a second lateral side panel 22. Disposed proximate top edges 24 and 26 of the prior art carton 10 are slots 30 and 32 which provide hand holds or grips for lifting the carton. With the carton 10 of Figures 1 and 2, the person 36 lifting the carton is encouraged to bend at his or her waist 38 instead of bending at the knees 39 to lift the carton. This is a frequent cause of back injury which incapaci- tates tens of thousands of people a year, a number of whom are permanently incapacitated. Aside from the human injury caused by cartons such as the carton 10, millions of dollars in productivity are lost when workers are inca¬ pacitates and are unable to function. Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, where a carton 40 configured in ac- cordance with the principles of the present invention is shown, it is seen that the carton 40 is substantially similar to the carton 10; however, the hand holds have been repositioned. In the carton 40, the first hand hold 42 is positioned proximate the lower edge 44 of the carton 40 and a second hand hold 46 is positioned proximate an upper edge 48. The edges 44 and 48 are diagonally opposed to one another and the slots 42 and 46 are in substantial diagonal op¬ position. In the illustrated embodiment, slot 42 is equidistant between the ver¬ tical edges 50 and 52 of the carton 40 and the slot 46 is equidistant between the vertical edges 54 and 56. Preferably, the slots 42 and 46 are the only two slots providing hand holds in the carton 40. This encourages the person lifting the carton 40 to use those hand holds. In order to properly orient the carton to present the slots 42 and 46 to the person lifting the carton in a way that encourages the person to lift the carton properly. Indicia 60 and 62 are provided on the back and front panels 16 and 18, respectively, of the carton so that the cartons are oriented for proper lifting. The top panel 12, which may be defined by a pair of flaps 13, also has indicia thereon to indicate that the carton 40 should rest on bottom surface 14. As is seen in Figures 3 and 4, the person 36 who now lifts the carton bends their knees 39 as opposed to bending their back 38. This is because, in order to reach the lower slot 42, the person 36 stoops and bends their knees which encourages the person to keep their back straight. Accordingly, when the carton 40 is lifted, the risk of injury is substantially reduced. Applicants have configured a carton such as the carton 40 to carry four bottles of liquid reagent, the four bottles of reagent weighing approximately 65 pounds. By having only two hand holds diagonally disposed, it has been found that, when lifting boxes of this weight, employees have consistently flexed their knees 39 instead of their backs to lift the cartons 40. Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can, using the preceding description, utilize the present invention to its fullest ex¬ tent. The preferred specific embodiments are, therefore, to be construed as merely illustrative, and not limitative of the remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever. From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascer¬ tain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.

Claims: HAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. An ergonomic package configuration for a package having a top, a bottom, and front and back surfaces, as well as sides, the improvement comprising: a first hand hold on a first side adjacent the top of the package, and a second hand hold on the second side adjacent the bottom of the package, whereby a person lifting the package is encouraged to flex their knees upon lifting the package instead of bending their back. 2. The package of claim 1, wherein there are only two hand holds for gripping and lifting the package. 3. The package of claim 2, wherein there are indicia identifying the front and back of the package. 4. The package of claim 3, wherein there is indicia indicating the top of the package. 5. An ergonomic box configuration, wherein the box includes a top surface, a back surface and a front surface, as well as a pair of lateral side surfaces, the improvement comprising: a first hand hold positioned on a first side surface proximate the bottom of the box, and a second hand hold positioned on the second side surface proxi¬ mate the top of the box, whereby the person lifting the box is encouraged to flex their knees when lifting the box instead of bending their back. 6. The box of claim 5, wherein the hand holds are equidistant from vertical edges of the box. 7. The box of claim 6, wherein there are only two hand holds on the box. 8. The box of claim 7, wherein indicia are provided identifying the front and rear surfaces of the box. 9. An ergonomic carton configuration, wherein the carton has a top panel, a bottom panel, a back panel, a front panel and first and second lateral side panels, the improvement comprising: a slot formed in the first side panel proximate a bottom edge of the carton to provide a first hand hold, and a slot configured in the second lateral side of the carton proximate an upper edge thereof, diagonally disposed with respect to the lower edge whereby a person gripping the hand holds is encouraged to lift the carton by flexing their knees as opposed to lifting the carton by bending their back. 10. The carton of claim 9, wherein there are only two slots in the car¬ ton, with the panels other than the lateral side panels being free of slots. 11. The carton of claim 10, wherein the slots are disposed equidistant from the vertical edges of the carton. 12. The carton of claim 11, wherein there are indicia defining the front and back panels of the carton. 13. The carton of claim 12, wherein there is indicia defining the top of the carton.

Inventors: JONES RICHARD M, PARRELLA ANDREW M, JONES, RICHARD, M., PARRELLA, ANDREW, M.
Applicants: MERCK PATENT GMBH
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B65D5
IPC codes: B65D5