Abstract:
A carrier handle for insertion into a plant tray or pot includes highly flexible locking tabs at opposite ends. Each of the opposed ends includes a generally triangular tab which deflects for ease of insertion into an aperture in a tray or pot. The handle includes a center section with inwardly projecting concave indentations for defining a handhold centered for balancing the item being carried.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/584,867 filed on Oct. 23, 2006, entitled PLANT TRAY/POT HANDLE, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a flexible polymeric plant tray handle with ends which can be lockably inserted into apertures in plant trays for carrying plant trays or lockably inserted into apertures in plant pots for carrying such pots. 
         [0003]    Live plants are frequently sold in trays which comprise relatively thin polymeric rectangular members having an array of rows and columns of sections for individual starter plants. Such trays, when loaded with starter plants and soil, are difficult to handle due to their thinness and somewhat flexible nature. Typically, it requires two hands for carrying such plant trays without such trays deflecting and spilling their contents. Although some polymeric handles with locking tabs at opposite ends have been proposed for carrying a variety of items, such as drink containers and the like, as well as plant trays, they have had insertion tabs which are somewhat difficult to use. Thus, there remains a need for a carrying handle for plant trays and/or plant pots which are easy to install and yet provide the desired locking ability for coupling the handle to the tray or pot. Once installed, it is easy for the retailer and/or consumer to handle during the shelving or purchasing and transporting of such plant trays or pots. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The handle of the present invention has improved, highly flexible locking tabs at opposed ends of the handle. Further, the handle body includes laterally inwardly extending concave indentations which define finger grips for ease of carrying a tray of plants. 
         [0005]    The resultant handle, with ends which can be easily inserted into practically any shape aperture and which engages both sides of the edges of the aperture formed in a plant tray or plant pot allows the handle to withstand the weight of the contents of the tray or pot and facilitates their transportation. The polymeric handles are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use. 
         [0006]    These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a handle embodying the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged fragmentary view of one end of the handle; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the handle inserted into a plant carrying tray; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the upper side of one corner of the tray showing the end of the handle inserted into an aperture within the tray; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a fragmentary bottom perspective view of the corner of the tray shown in  FIG. 4 , showing the locking mechanism in place within the slot of the tray; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the handle mounted within slots in a flower pot. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0013]    Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a handle  10  embodying the present invention. Handle  10  has an elongated strap-like shaped body  11  with a longitudinal axis L. The handle is die cut and is substantially symmetrical about the axis L. Handle  10  has opposed locking ends  12  and  14 , which are substantially identical in shape. Between the ends, there is a central handle area  16  with indented finger grips  18  to facilitate handling of items such as a plant tray  50 , shown in  FIGS. 3-5 , or for carrying a pot  60 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0014]    The body  11  of handle  10  is made from a flexible polymeric material, such as polypropylene, high density polyethylene, or any other suitable material which is weather resistant and has sufficient strength to carry the weight of a tray of live plants or live plants in a pot. The unique geometry of the locking ends  12  and  14  facilitate the insertion of the ends of handle  10  into apertures of any configuration in a tray or pot as described in greater detail below. The body  11  of handle  10  has a length of from about 12 to 24 inches and preferably a length of about 18 inches when used in connection with trays, such as tray  50  shown in  FIGS. 3-5 . The handle can be somewhat shorter when employed with pots, such as shown in  FIG. 6 . The thickness of the handle is from about 0.015 inches to about 0.040 inches, and preferably about 0.022 inches. The width of the leg sections indicated at arrow W in  FIG. 1  can vary from about ½ to about 1 inch, with the preferable width W being about ¾ inch. In  FIG. 1 , the relative dimensions are shown in proportion with the length of one embodiment of the handle being  19  inches and the width W being ¾ inch. Handle section  16  is wider to facilitate carrying of a tray or pot utilizing handle  10 . 
         [0015]    The finger grips  18  of the center or handle section of handle  10  comprise four concave indentations extending between enlarged body sections  20  and  22 . The indentations provide a handhold allowing a user&#39;s fingers to fit within indentations  18  to help balance and carry a plant tray or heavy pot. The legs  24  and  26  extend from body sections  20  and  22  to the locking ends  12  and  14  which are substantially identical and have a geometry which allows relatively easy insertion into a variety of aperture shapes within a tray or pot but, once inserted, lockably secure the ends of handle  10  to the tray and/or pot. Inasmuch as the ends  12  and  14  are identical, only end  14  will be described in detail, it being understood that end  12  is the same. 
         [0016]    As best seen in  FIG. 2 , end  14  includes a generally triangular tab  30  which has a rounded tip  32  and a longitudinally extending slit  34  extending from the tip  32  to the base  36  of tab  30 . Slit  34  is aligned with and coaxial with the longitudinal axis L of the body  11  of handle  10  and communicates with a narrowed end  42  of a secondary tab  40  having a widened end  44  joined to the body  11  of handle  10  by hinge  46 . The secondary tab  40  is substantially pear-shaped with the narrow end  42  communicating with slit  34  in tab  30 . The combination of slit  34  and secondary tab  40  allows the end  14  (and opposite end  12 ) to be folded by deflecting the flukes  31  and  33  so formed of tab  30  together with laterally extending slits  35  and  37 , which define the base  36  of tab  30  allowing such deflection. End  14  further includes lateral inwardly projecting slots  45  and  47  which defines shoulders  48  and  49  facing the base  36  of tab  30  for engaging, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the top surface of the tray and, similarly, a top surface of a pot when inserted into a pot. Tip end  42  of secondary tab  40  likewise is deflected from the plane of handle body  11  and allows additional flexibility for folding flukes  31  and  33  of tab  30  for insertion into an aperture, such as apertures  54  of tray  50  seen in  FIG. 3 . The slits  35  and  37  also include end sections  39 ,  39 ′ which extend in parallel spaced relationship with longitudinal slit  34 . The end sections  39 ,  39 ′ terminate in curved ends  43 ,  43 ′ to prevent tearing of the flukes when under load during use of the handle. This unique geometry adds to the flexibility of locking ends  12 ,  14  to allow ease of insertion of tabs  30  while at the same time providing strength to the handle. Tab  30  extends through the apertures in the tray or pot as now described to lockably insert ends  12  and  14  of the handle into the respective tray or pot with the lockable insertion mechanism best illustrated in  FIGS. 3-5  now described. 
         [0017]    Referring initially to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a tray  50  made of a relatively thin polymeric material and including, as an example, an array of nine compartments  52  for receiving live plants to be transplanted upon transportation of tray  50  utilizing handle  10 . The tray includes keyhole shaped slots or apertures  54  at diagonally opposed corners through which the locking mechanism on ends  12  and  14  of handle  10  are inserted. Other trays may have spaced-apart apertures located at different locations for receiving the locking ends  12 ,  14  of handle  10  and differently shaped apertures. The handle is attached to tray  50  by compressing the flukes  31  and  33  of tab  30  such that they overlap, as best seen in  FIG. 5  (where they remain partially overlapped after insertion), which the longitudinal slit  34 , lateral slits  35 ,  37 , and the secondary tab  40  allow. The insertion of flukes  31  and  33  allow the edges  41  ( FIG. 5 ) of base  36  of tab  30  to engage the lower surface  56  of the tray  50  surrounding aperture  54 . 
         [0018]    As seen in  FIG. 4 , the shoulders  48  and  49  of locking ends  12  and  14  engage the upper surface  58  of tray  50  to maintain the ends  12  and  14  of the handle in a locked position within the apertures  54  of tray  50 . Secondary tab  40  deflects outwardly, as seen in  FIG. 4 , to add flexibility to the deflection of tab  30  for its insertion within aperture and secondarily serves to provide an end  42  which also prevents the handle from extending further through aperture  54  than desired. The slots  45  and  47 , which define shoulders  48  and  49 , can be adjusted in width along the longitudinal axis L of body  11  for different thicknesses of the material to which the locking ends  12  and  14  are attached. When a lifting force is applied by handle  10  to ends  12  and  14 , the edges  41  of flukes  31  and  33  tend to spread apart and further lockably engage the underside of tray  50  and prevent removal of the handle  10 . 
         [0019]    In place of the keyhole-shaped slots  54  employed with the tray  50 , as an example, flat rectangular slots, such as arcuate slots  64  formed in the rim  62  of a pot  60  ( FIG. 6 ), can be employed. The locking ends  12  and  14  of handle  10  are inserted within slots  64  in the same manner with the same deflection of tab  30  for its insertion within the slots. In each application, after the insertion of tab  30  through the mounting slots, the flukes  31  and  33  subsequently resiliently return to a shape closely assimilating that shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  to allow the edges  41  of the base  36  to engage the underside of the rim  62  of the pot through which slots  64  are formed, while the shoulders  48  and  49  of the ends  12  and  14  engage the upper surface  61  of rim  62 , as seen in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0020]    By providing the longitudinally extending slot  34  in the tabs of the ends of the handle and by additionally providing laterally extending slots  45  and  47  together with the secondary tab  40 , the locking ends  12  and  14  of handle  10  can be deflected significantly to fit through practically any geometry aperture in the object to which the handle is attached. Subsequent to its deflection for insertion into the handle due to the resilient nature of the material employed, it tends to spring back to a geometry closer to that shown in  FIG. 1 , such as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , to lockably engage both the upper and lower surfaces of an object to which the handle is attached. Such construction provides an easily installed handle which serves as a carrying handle for a variety of objects and one which is made of a material which is weather resistant and, once inserted into a container such as a tray or flower pot, is not easily removed and can carry significant weight without concern for failure of the locking mechanism. 
         [0021]    It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.