Abstract:
A carrying set for the easy and comfortable carrying of goods, comprising a connecting handle and some accessories able to connect to the handle a plurality of objects. A removable padding is provided for the handle, shown in different embodiments. Accessories comprise a cable set shown in different embodiments able keep tight a plurality of not hookable objects, and to permit their connection to the handle in a proper position. Also ski, package and and bottle set carrying is permitted. The handle is also built so as to permit a fast, easy and lasting printing for advertising, and it can therefore be considered a useful gadget. All parts of the device are shaped so as to permit their manufacture in plastic material, and this generates a new fastening and carrying method.

Description:
[0001]     This is a Continuation-in-part Application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/470,586 that was a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/947,701, now abandoned, which was a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/729,374, now abandoned, which was a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/973,350, now abandoned. This patent application claims priority of International Application No. PCT/IT96/00115, filed Nov. 27, 1995, which is in turn claimed priority of Italian Patent Application No. NA95A000055 filed Nov. 27, 1995, which in turn claimed priority of Italian Patent Application No. NA95A000029 filed Jun. 5, 1995.  
       CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0002]     This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/470,586, filed on Oct. 10, 2003, now abandoned. This patent application claims priority of International Application No. PCT/IT96/00115 filed Jun. 4, 1996, which, in turn claimed priority of Italian Patent Application No. NA95A000055 filed Nov. 27, 1995, which in turn claimed priority of Italian Patent Application No. NA95A000029 filed Jun. 5, 1995. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0003]     Not Applicable  
       REFERENCE TO “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
       [0004]     Not Applicable  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     This invention relates to a carrying set for carrying objects by use of a hooking handle and its accessories.  
         [0006]     In general goods are carried by means of containers, some of which are encumbering and troublesome to handle and this may be tiring for people.  
         [0007]     Moreover, for some objects a suitable carrier is often difficult to find. For this reason people going shopping carry bags, sacks, and boxes. Unfortunately, the handles of plastic bags and the strings of packages often “cut” the hands.  
         [0008]     This is an improvement patent over Stoft (WO091111368), and contains a carrying set comprising an improved carrying handle which can work in cooperation with some accessories as retaining cable sets, special padding, a bottle carrier  
       BACKGROUND ART  
       [0009]     Some hand carrying tools are known having a central handle and a connecting apparatus at each end for carrying plastic shopping containers.  
         [0010]     In some of these carrying tools the handles are made lighter by means of lateral longitudinal recesses. The longitudinal recesses create empty zones, which are not comfortable for the hands.  
         [0011]     Such a tool is disclosed in Stoft (WO9111 1368), of which the present application is an improvement. In Stoft a surface  60  is described as “writing surface” which can be attached either on the flat inner surface of a longitudinal recess, either on the external surface of an other embodiment of said handle, having no recess. Pointing attention upon the embodiment without recesses, if said “writing surface” should be a surface supported by a thick body, if attached to such a handle without recesses, should cause serious trouble to the hand of a user. That means that said “writing surface” is an attached surface supported by a very thin body as a sheet, useful only to being written upon. The same “writing surface”, if attached to the embodiment having recesses, should keep the same features, and cannot be intended as a stopper filling said recess so as to eliminate the empty zones, which are not comfortable for the hands. Said writing surface has no mechanical resistance for performing the further feature of keeping in place a padding, (which instead is a feature of the present invention). Further, the connecting apparatus of Sotft is based on the existence of an enclosing segment that contours a rigid stepped down protrusion and does not provide accessories to obtain a carrying set.  
         [0012]     Handles having generally hook-shaped connecting apparatus at each end are also known, and are provided with thin passages which prevent the shopping containers from being disengaged when put down.  
         [0013]     This means that: 
        The user must pay attention to place the shopping container handles in the thin passage.     At the moment of disconnection the user must extract the shopping container handles from the thin passage using both hands. In this cases the user, if in a hurry, can lose time in connecting or disconnecting.     said handles can carry only objects having a very thin hookable portion, as plastic shoppers.        
 
         [0017]     In some known handles (Clark, GB2218901A) there is a recess at each end which opens upwardly, provided with only one horizontal resilient retainer which, when removed, leaves only a thin passage. This has the drawback that the unraveling of thin strings cannot be prevented by this type of hooking apparatus.  
         [0018]     In some other cases the thin passage is completely closed (Ducruox, FR 201950561 A), but a two-hands maneuver is necessary for disengaging the load.  
         [0019]     In some other handles mechanical parts are present which require a double “two-hands” maneuver.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     Accordingly, it is an object: of the present invention to provide a carrying set using a handle for carrying objects which is comfortable, in which the engagement and disengagement with the objects is easy and able to connect also some accessories able to connect particular objects.  
         [0021]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a handle for carrying objects in which padding can be easily added, replaced or removed.  
         [0022]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a handle for carrying objects in which a removable surface is provided, which can be written or printed on.  
         [0023]     These and further objects are achieved by the handle according to the attached claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]     Further characteristics and advantages of the equipment according to the present invention will be made clearer in the description which follows of one of its possible embodiments, given as an example, but not limitative, with reference to the drawings, in which:  
         [0025]      FIG. 1  shows a hooking handle  1 A having a closure formed by two flexible opposite members.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a front view of lateral stopper element  19 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a rear view of lateral stopper element  19 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 4-4   a  are a cross-sectional view of the handle shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  shows a hooking handle  1 B, in which the closure function is performed by a separate elastic member, and which is the preferred embodiment of the connecting handle.  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  illustrates how stopper  19  holds padding  28  in place on the connecting handle.  
         [0031]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 6  and shows the detail of how padding  28  is kept in place over the lower zone  7  of handle  1 B.  
         [0032]      FIG. 8  shows how stoppers  19  can be disposed all together (for the printing of advertising) because external surface  5  is parallel to the rear perimeter  22  of stopper  19 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 9  illustrates the connecting handle of the invention being used to carry a shopping bag by hand.  
         [0034]      FIG. 10  shows the rapid insertion maneuver of the handle of a plastic shopper into the double-elasticity connecting apparatus of handle  1 B.  
         [0035]      FIG. 11  shows the rapid extraction maneuver of the handle of a plastic shopper from the double-elasticity connecting apparatus of handle  1 B.  
         [0036]      FIGS. 12,13  show two possible embodiments for the padding of  FIG. 6 .  
         [0037]      FIGS. 14,15  show a tubular padding for handle  1 B.  
         [0038]      FIGS. 16,17  show two embodiments of a sliding cable set which increases the carrying power of carrying handle.  
         [0039]      FIGS. 18,19  show the use of said sliding set  
         [0040]      FIG. 20  shows two carrying handles used in cooperation with cables for moving furniture.  
         [0041]      FIG. 21,22  show a ring-ended embodiment of carrying handle for ski carrying in cooperation with cable sets shown in FIGS.  23 , 24 , 25 , 26 .  
         [0042]     FIGS.  27 , 28 , 29  show the carrying of a bottle set by the use of a carrying handle in cooperation with a strap shaped accessory.  
         [0043]      FIG. 30  shows a method for the carrying of a bottle set tightened in a flexible element having rings 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0044]     The present invention broadly comprises carrying set with an accessorized handle for carrying objects (or connecting handle or carrying handle or hooking handle) which is operatively arranged to be connectable to objects by connecting apparatuses at each end of the handle, as shown in the embodiments  1 A,  1 B,  1 C,  1 D of FIGS.  1 , 5 , 9 , 22 , 6 .  
         [0045]     In the preferred embodiment  1 B (shown in FIGS.  5 , 10 , 11 , 14 ) the handle has at is ends two connecting apparatuses, one being the mirror image of the other one. Each connecting apparatus is able to 
        1) hook and hold the weight of a load (carrying feature)     2) retaining the hooked parts of a hooked object also when abandoned (closure feature)        
 
         [0048]     The two features are performed by different members; 
        1) carrying feature is performed by a hook shaped member internal to the apparatus (internal hook shaped protrusion  29 ,)     2) closure feature is performed by the cooperation of two elastic opposite elements that work as adjacent elastic doors (flexible tongue  4  and lower elastic protrusion  15   a ).        
 
         [0051]     This double elastic closure has two effects: 
        a) It permits to keep close the two sides of the closure     b) It permits a relevant opening space of said closure when opened, in which can be introduced wide objects, such as ropes, ( FIG. 23 ).     c) It gives a very easy maneuver for insertion of the parts of objects to be hooked and carried: it can be done by simply pulling upwards the handle against the part to be inserted ( FIG. 10 ).     d) It gives a very easy maneuver for the extraction of the hooked parts of the carried objects: simply pulling away the handle in the releasing direction ( FIG. 11 ) can do it.        
 
         [0056]     The handle is made padding able (FIGS.  6 , 7 , 12 , 13 ) by the existence of a front and rear longitudinal recess  56 , in which a complementary-shaped element or elongated lateral element or stopper  19  can be forced. The stopper  19  keeps flat padding  28  in place, it can be printed for advertising or have an additional writing surface attached.  
         [0057]     Another kind of padding disclosed is the tubular padding of  FIGS. 14,15 .  
         [0058]     The performances of the connecting handle can be powered by the use of accessories.  
         [0059]     A hookable sliding cable set  32 , shown in the embodiments of FIGS.  16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ,  21 - 25 , which permits the handle to connecting: 
        a) Objects having no hooking zone.     b) A plurality of objects.     c) A ski pair.        
 
         [0063]     Further accessory is a strap shaped element useful for the carrying of a bottle set, shown FIGS.  27 , 28 , 29 , while in  FIG. 30  is shown a second method for the carrying of a bottle set.  
         [0064]     Adverting now to the drawings:  
         [0065]      FIG. 1  shows indicated as  1 A, a connecting handle having a closure formed in cooperation by two opposite members:  
         [0066]     The handle has a central portion  1  having two sides and two ends  17 , 18 , having a face  17   c  having a lower part  17   a  and an upper part  17   b , having a hooking apparatus  2  which is formed by two opposite ends of two protrusions (Upper protrusion or flexible tongue  4 , lower protrusion  13 )  
         [0067]     The hooking apparatus  2  has a closure that works thanks to the cooperation of two opposite flexible members 
        a) elongated flexible tongue  4  protruding from upper part  17   b  and having a tongue end  4   a , slightly curved downwards for helping insertions.     b) A lower protrusion  13  composed by a substantially horizontal corbel  10  protruding from lower part  17   a  and curving upwardly in a flexible element  15  having a thin portion  25  and an upper thickened ending  12 , having a downwards inclined surface, 6  standing close and opposite to tongue end  4   a.          
 
         [0070]     Therefore, when a hookable part of an object, (such as the straps  51  of a shopper  50 , as shown in  FIGS. 10,11  for handle  1 B) is pushed inwards to the closure, both flexible tongue  4  and flexible element  15  begin flexing and tongue end  4   a  and inclined surface  6  are moved in opposite directions. This permits t to introduce the object. After introduction elasticity brings end  4   a  and surface  6  again close to each other, to retain the object.  
         [0071]     The carrying feature is performed by lower protrusion  13 .  
         [0072]     Lower zone  7  of central portion  1  is hand-shaped; central zone  16  is a zone formed between parts  7 ,  14 , so as to form, at each front/rear side, a longitudinal recess  56  in which an elongated lateral element or stopper  19  is forced in a position that locates its external surface or external side or external face  5  substantially at the same level of the edges  26  and  27  of lower zone  7  and of upper zone  14 . A writing surface  60  can be attached on the external surface  5  of stopper  19 .  
         [0073]      FIG. 2  shows front view of lateral element or stopper  19  with attached writing surface  60 , showing a detail of its lateral part  9  rearly protruding from the edge  5   a  of its external surface  5 .  
         [0074]      FIG. 3  shows the rear view of stopper  19 , in which its rear face  5   b  has two protrusions  21  each having groove joints  20 , to be connected to tongue joints  24 , shown in FIGS.  4 , 5 , 7 .  
         [0075]     Front outline  5   a  of external surface  5  of stopper  19  protrudes rearly to form rear perimeter  22  and generates lateral part  9  of stopper  19   
         [0076]     Obviously this type of joint is an example, as any known type of joint could be used to hold the stopper in place.  
         [0077]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of handle  1 A, and shows insertion of stoppers  19  with attached writing surface  60  in longitudinal recess  56 . Rear protrusion  21  (protruding from rear face  5   b  of stopper  19 ) has groove joint  20 .  
         [0078]      FIG. 4   a  is a cross-sectional view of handle  1 A, wherein stoppers have tongue joints  21 .  
         [0079]      FIG. 5  shows indicated as  1 B, a connecting handle which can be considered as a handle  1 A wherein there is an internal hook shaped protrusion  29  extending upwards from the upper part of the end of said corbel  10  (which becomes a double ended corbel  10   a ). From le lower part of corbel  10   a  protrude flexible element  15   a    
         [0080]     This permits to give to flexible element  15   a  a longer and thinner thin portion  25   a  than in precedent case (thin portion  25  of  FIG. 1 ), which increases flexibility, and thus the dimension of space  11  generated during insertion and extraction maneuvers, and thus reduces maneuver efforts (as shown in  FIGS. 10,11 ).  
         [0081]     Therefore the hooking feature is performed by hook shaped protrusion  29 , while closure feature is performed by the cooperation between flexible tongue  4  and flexible element  15   a.    
         [0082]     A distance  23  permits free flexing of element  15   a    
         [0083]     Lower zone  7  of the handle is hand shaped. In the figure stopper  19  has not been shown for better show the position of protrusions  24 .  
         [0084]      FIG. 6  shows handle  1 D having a flat padding  28  kept in place, partially entering in longitudinal recess  56  that has a stepped down lower surface  30  in its lateral inner surface  48 . This permits to increase the space between surface  30  and lateral surface  9  of stopper  19 , and therefore to increase the thickness of the padding.  
         [0085]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 6  and shows the detail of how padding  28  is kept in place over the lower zone  7  of handle  1 D. The padding has holes ( 49 , see  FIGS. 12,13 ) complementary shaped to fit into protrusions  24   
         [0086]      FIG. 8  illustrates that stoppers  19  can be disposed all together for printing, since external side  5  is parallel to the opposite rear perimeter  22  of stopper  19 . Therefore indicia for advertising can be either printed on surface  5  with one only movement upon several stoppers  19  adjacently positioned, either added upon writing surface  60  before attaching it on surface  5  of stopper  19 . The shape of stoppers  19 , for the following of the design of the handle needs that a plane containing said external side  5  of said stopper and a plane containing a surface of said lateral part  9  of said stopper form an oblique angle,  
         [0087]      FIG. 9  shows the hand  52  of a user holding a connecting handle  1 B connected to the handles  51  of a plastic shopper  50 .  
         [0088]      FIG. 10  shows that the handle  51  of plastic shopper  50  can be inserted in the connecting apparatus  3  of connecting handle  1 B simply by pulling upwards the connecting handle  1 B in hooking position. That movement produces the opening in the closure as shown. In fact the pushing of the bag strap between surface  6  and tongue  4  causes the flexing of both members  4 , 15   a , and therefore end  4   a  and surface  6  move in opposite direction and a passage  11  is generated.  
         [0089]      FIG. 11  shows that the handle  51  of plastic shopper  50  can be disconnected by in the connecting apparatus  3  of connecting handle  1 B by simply pulling upwards the plastic bag.  
         [0090]     That movement produces the opening in the closure as shown  
         [0091]      FIG. 12  Shows a plane embodiment of the padding  28  of  FIG. 6   
         [0092]      FIG. 13 . Shows an embodiment of the padding  28  of  FIG. 6  that is complementary shaped to the handle.  
         [0093]      FIGS. 14,15  Show a tubular padding  28   b  for a handle  1 B. This padding is built in foamy elastic material and in threaded upon the handle, therefore taking its shape  
         [0094]      FIG. 16  shows an additional hookable sliding cable set  32  which permits to connect to the handle objects having no hooking zone or else a plurality of objects, which can be kept tightened all together also before and after the carrying. Cable set  32  comprises a loop shaped cable  39  threaded through a sliding stopper  35 . Two loops are so formed: 
        a) An upper loop  37 , above stopper  35 , useful to be connected to the handle.     b) A lower loop  33 , under stopper  35 , which can give way to a sliding loop  34  if the end  33   a  of lower loop  33  (or sliding end  33 ) is inserted into the beginning  33   b  of loop  33 , beginning that is the portion immediately under stopper  35 .          
         [0097]     Stopper  35  works as an obstacle against the sliding of end  33   a  in a loosing direction. This generates a method for easily wrapping objects and keep them tight, having the possibility of hooking them.  
         [0098]     By wrapping the inserted load  62  in sliding loop  34 , the user can keep it tight by pushing stopper  35  against end  33   a . This action makes larger the upper loop  37 , which can be hooked by a hooking tool.  
         [0099]      FIG. 17  shows a ring cable set  32   a  wherein in loop  37  a ring  40  has been inserted, performing the additional function to prevent an undesired removal of the stopper  35 , when maneuvered in releasing direction.  
         [0100]      FIG. 18  shows an electric wire  56  kept tight by a cable set  32 .  
         [0101]      FIG. 19  shows a group of encumbering objects (a chair  54 , first  53  and second  55  piece of a big shore umbrella) kept tight by two cable sets  32  and hooked to connecting handle  1 B.  
         [0102]      FIG. 20  shows two users  57 , 57   a  moving a sofa  59  by using two connecting handles  1 B connected by ropes  60 , 61  passed under sofa  59 .  
         [0103]      FIG. 21, 22  show a handle  1 C wherein the connecting apparatus consists of two ring-shaped bodies  84 , 84   a  located at each end of the handle to be connected by snap hooks  86  of cable set  32   c  or  32   d . This handle is particularly useful to the carrying of skis, in cooperation with special cable sets  32   c  or  32   d  that are able to tight skis and to remain blocked on them. For the use of skis often includes rough situations, it has been seen that a hooking handle could in some situations get detached, while the connection between a ring shaped body and a snap hook can better resist.  
         [0104]      FIG. 23  shows an embodiment  32   c  of a ski holding cable set similar to cable set  32  of  FIG. 16 , but further comprising a snap hook  86   a  and one elongated friction blocking element  70 . Snap hook  86   a  threads cable  39  in correspondence of upper loop  37  and has a ring  86   a  or a hole that permits this threading. Elongated friction blocking element  70  has two ends and first  71   a  of said two ends is engaged to said beginning  33   b  of said lower loop  33 .  
         [0105]     This is possible because friction element  70  is a tubular element threading a loop shaped cable  72  coming out from first end  71   a  in shape of a loop and engaging beginning  33   b , and coming out from second end  71   b  of friction element  70  connected to a knot  73  (or to an equivalent obstacle to the sliding inwards to the tubular element).  
         [0106]     It so is possible to keep a ski pair blocked in said sliding set  32   c  thanks to the fact that the friction element  70  is compressed and blocked between skis when said skis  92 , 93  tightened by said sliding set. This prevents the sliding of cable set  32   c  in length direction, which is the problem of any ski holder.  
         [0107]      FIG. 24  shows a second embodiment  32  d of a ski holding cable set. It differs from set  32   c  because the friction element  70   a  cannot move downwards when cable set extending t free ( FIG. 26 ), and because it has a elongated handy part  75  for better maneuver the cable set  32   d . Friction element  70   a  is kept in place close to the beginning of lower loop  33  because lower loop  33  is divided in two retaining areas  78 , 78   a  by retainer  77 . Loop  72  of friction element  70   a  engages area  78  and keeps in place friction element  70   a . Loop  72  of friction element has connector  74  that secures end  75   a  of elongated handy element  75 . This makes possible an easier maneuver for the insertion/extraction of friction element from its position between skis.  
         [0108]      FIG. 25  is a cross sectional view of a ski pair blocked in cable set  32   d    
         [0109]      FIGS. 27, 28 ,  29  show how it is possible the carrying of a bottle set  64  by the use of a simple strap shaped element  63  used for the carrying of a bottle set  64  in cooperation with a carrying handle  1 B.  
         [0110]     Strap shaped element  63  has two ends  67 , 67   a  and a ring shaped element  66 , 66   a  at each end.  
         [0111]     It so is possible to include said strap shaped element  63  in the space  68  between bottle set  64  and its handle  65  and then to connect each of ring shaped elements  66 , 66   a  to each of ends  3 , 3   a  of carrying handle  1 B. Bottle set  64  is so connected to carrying handle  1 B thanks to strap shaped element  63 .  
         [0112]      FIGS. 30,31  show a method for packaging and the carrying of a package The method consists in providing the package with two ring shaped elements. In this example the package is epresented by a bottle set  64   a , useful when the weight of is relevant. Bottle set is packaged wrapped in a flexible element  64   b  in which are threaded two ring shaped bodies  64   c ,  64   d , useful to be hooked by carrying handle  1 B  
         [0113]     All elements of the carrying set disclosed can be built in plastic material, such as Nylon and the like, permitting the production of very inexpensive carrying tools having great utility.  
         [0114]     Having described the invention and its advantages, one can see that it is based on the use of several parts and that each part can have different embodiments and be used in different combinations. This gives to this new carrying equipment a great extent of uses, of which the devices described in the figures are only some examples. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not only by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.