Abstract:
The handle clasp includes a handle, a bag connection segment, and a head for clasping to the handle. The handle portion has a lone, unitary slot in the longitudinal direction of the clasp and another opening located at a terminating end of the lone, unitary slot.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Improvements have been made to the device shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,622 and to the device shown and described in PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2003/013909. The teachings of such patent and of such application are incorporated herein by reference.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY  
         [0002]    A handle clasp for carrying grocery bags will decrease “cutting” sensations on the hand of the user, allow the user to more easily grasp several bags at once, and reduce tumbling and spillage of the bags during transport. The handle clasp includes a handle, a bag connection segment, and a head for clasping to the handle. The handle portion has a lone, unitary slot in the longitudinal direction of the clasp and another opening located at a terminating end of the lone, unitary slot.  
           [0003]    Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to any particular individual features disclosed, but include combinations of features distinguished from the prior art in their structures and functions. Features of the invention have been broadly described so that the detailed descriptions that follow may be better understood, and in order that the contributions of this invention to the arts may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects of the invention described below. These may be included in the subject matter of the claims to this invention. Those skilled in the art that have the benefit of this invention, its teachings, and suggestions will appreciate that the conceptions of this disclosure may be used as a creative basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out and practicing the present invention. The claims of this invention are to be read to include any legally equivalent devices or methods which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
           [0004]    The present invention recognizes, addresses and meets the previously-mentioned preferences or objectives in its various possible embodiments and equivalents thereof. To one of skill in this art who has the benefit of this invention&#39;s realizations, teachings, disclosures, and suggestions, other purposes and advantages will be appreciated from the following description and the accompanying drawings. The detail in the description is not intended to thwart this patent&#39;s object to claim this invention no matter how others may later disguise it by variations in form or additions of further improvements. These descriptions illustrate certain preferred embodiments and are not to be used to improperly limit the scope of the invention which may have other equally effective or legally equivalent embodiments. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an unconnected and extended handle clasp.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 2 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0007]    Referring to FIG. 1, the handle clasp  10  generally has a body/handle portion  20 , a neck (hanger segment for bags or other devices)  40  and a head  60 . The body/handle portion  20  has a lone, unitary slit or a slot  21  (the use of the term “slot” herein for convenience is intended to refer to either a slit or a slot) in the longitudinal direction of the clasp  10 . The slot  21  preferably terminates in a circular or rounded aperture or opening  14 . Slot  21  defines a narrow gap of, for example, from one to six millimeters, although the width of the gap could be greater or smaller. The length of the gap is preferably slightly longer than the longest dimension of the head  60 . It is critical for the width of the gap of slot  21  to be sufficient for insertion of the head  60  through the slot  21  and rounded aperture  14 , and sufficient for clasping/retaining the head  60  through the slot  21  in the body/handle portion  20 . Accordingly, such width is somewhat dependent upon the thickness of the handle clasp  10 , whether on not the cross section of the handle clasp  10  is flat or curved (with, e.g., a thirty to fifty millimeter radius), the rigidity of the material used to make the handle clasp  10 , the design weight of the bags/device to be toted with by the user via the handle clasp  10 , and the size of the rounded aperture  14 . For example, if the handle clasp  10  is made of a rigid material, then the slot  21  must be wide enough for insertion of the head  60  through the slot  21 . Similarly, if the material is flexible, then the width of the gap in the slot  21  could be negligible. One type of material which may be used is a high density polyethylene known as EXXONMOBIL HDPE (HMA 016) made by ExxonMobil having a flexural modulus of 920 MPa and a tensile yield of twenty-three MPa. Different colors and transparencies of materials may be used. The rounded or circular aperture  14  is located toward an end of the clasp  10  opposite from the end where the head  60  is located. The rounded or circular aperture  14  provides pliability to the slot  21  for insertion of the head  60  through the slot  21 , prevents tearing and, therefore, adds extra protection to the handle clasp  10  and to the user. The rounded or circular aperture  14  could be ovular, semi-circular, etc.  
         [0008]    Referring to FIG. 2, the handle clasp  110  generally has a body/handle portion  120 , a neck (hanger segment for bags or other devices)  140  and a head  160 . The body/handle portion  120  has a slit or a slot  121  in the longitudinal direction of the clasp  110 , and a transverse slot or opening  114 . The transverse slot  114  preferably intersects the slot  121  at or near one end of the slot  121  proximate the midpoint of the transverse slot  114 . Slot  121  and transverse slot  114  each define a narrow gap of, for example, from one to six millimeters, although the width of the gap could be greater or smaller. It is critical for the width of such gap to be sufficient for insertion of the head  160  through the slot  121  and/or transverse slot  114 , and sufficient for clasping/retaining the head  160  through the slot  121  in the body/handle portion  120 . The length of transverse slot  114  is less than the longest dimension of the head  160 .  
         [0009]    Preferably, the width of the rounded aperture  14  (and the length of transverse slot  114 ) is greater than the width of the neck  40  (or  140 ) but less than the longest dimension of head  60  or ( 160 ).  
         [0010]    The gap defined by the slot  121  does not necessarily need to be the same as the gap defined by the transverse slot  114 . The transverse slot  114  could have configurations other than as shown. It could, for example, be “U” or “V” shaped.  
         [0011]    All exterior corners  17  and edges  12  may be rounded. An aperture  14  or transverse slot  114  could be placed proximate both ends of the respective slot  21  or  121 .  
         [0012]    Therefore, it is seen that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends set forth. Certain changes can be made in the subject matter without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention. It is realized that changes are possible within the scope of this invention and it is further intended that each element or step recited in any claims is to be understood as referring to all equivalent elements or steps. The claims are intended to cover the invention as broadly as legally possible in whatever form it may be utilized.