Patent Publication Number: US-11659920-B2

Title: Grip for a wire handle

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of applicant&#39;s co-pending application Ser. No. 29/800,305 filed Jul. 20, 2021, the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to improvements in a grip for a wire handle. More particularly, the present grip for a wire handle creates a one-directional handle that can be inserted and retained on a wire handle to increase the surface area from the wire that hold a bucket or other item. 
     Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     Paint and other items are often sold in buckets with a wire handle that allows a person to lift and transport the bucket. For paint in a 5 gallon bucket the weight of the bucket and contents can be 30 to 60 pounds, with some being higher. When a person lifts the wire handle, the weight of the bucket is placed on a fairly small cross-section of the wire. If the bucket of paint is simply transferred from a desk into a shopping cart the user only holds or lifts the bucket for a short period of time. If the purchaser needs to move the paint from a vehicle to a work site the purchaser may need to carry the bucket for an extended period of time. Increasing the surface area of the handle reduced some of the stress on fingers holding the wire handle. 
     A number of patents and or publications have been made to address these issues. Exemplary examples of patents and or publication that try to address this/these problem(s) are identified and discussed below. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,894 issued on Jul. 2, 1947 to Anthony J. Laus and is titled Shopping Bag Handle. This patent discloses a handle that is designed for use in connection with the usual cord handles of shopping bags. While this patent increases the surface area of the cord the handle is not configured to be secured to a wire paint bucket handle. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,355 issued on Jan. 2, 1990 to Elizabeth W. Schulten and is titled Releasably Mounted Handle Grip for Handles. This patent discloses a releasably mountable hand grip adapted to be mounted to a handle(s) associated with a plastic bag, totebag, collapsible luggage, briefcase and the like is disclosed. The hand grip includes an elongated tubular body having an inner and outer wall and opposite open ends. Opposed curvilinear sections form flexible wing sections to expand over an associated handle wider than the width of the longitudinal opening. While this patent is for a handle grip, the grip is not configured with a one-way to keep the handle retained. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,444,558 issued on Jul. 6, 1948 to A. E. Elliott and is titled Service Handle. This patent discloses a service handle for use in carrying market bags, bundles and other articles having cord handles. Cord handles or other handles of a similar nature which are frequently employed for carrying articles of considerable weigh that tend to cut and abrade the hand of the user. While this patent distributes the load of a carrying article it is a simple sector design that can easily fall off the carrying article. 
     What is needed is a handle grip for a wire handle. The grip for a wire handle disclosed in this document provides the solution. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the grip for a wire handle to provide a handle or grip for a wire handle of a bucket. The grip enlarges the surface area of the wire handle to increase the surface area of the wire to reduce the force per square inch where the load is carried. This will reduce the stress concentration on the handle and make it easier to carry the bucket for a longer period of time. 
     It is an object of the grip for a wire handle for the handle to have a plurality of finger wells. The finger wells provide the benefit of also spreading the contact surface area over more skin surface of the user. The finger wells also provide a tactile centering mechanism for the user to ensure they are gripping the handle at a central location. The finger wells also prevent the handle from slipping off a side of the handle. The finger wells are positioned and sized to provide a comfortable grip for an average user. Four finger wells for the four fingers of a user are used, but more or less than four finger wells are contemplated. 
     It is another object of the grip for a wire handle to have two gates on opposite sides of the handle where the wire handle (from the bucket) passes through the grip. Each of the sides of the handle have opposing guide walls that center the wire within the grip. 
     It is another object of the grip for a wire handle for the grip to have a one-way lock onto the wire bucket handle. A retention angle on the wire gate is used to make the engagement one-way. This prevents the grip from being accidentally dislodged from the bucket wire. Lifting the handle on the wire will engage the handle using only the weight of a filled bucket. While a low amount of force can be applied to engage the grip onto the wire, the handle is not removed with an inverse load without destructive removal. 
     It is another object of the grip for a wire handle to snap-onto the handle. The snap action provides and audible and tactile indication that the grip has been completely engaged on to the bucket wire. The snap action both opens around the wire handle and closes around the handle. 
     It is still another object of the grip for a wire handle to utilize flexing hinge mechanism that spreads the locking teeth to open the locking teeth and engage them around the wire from the bucket. For removal of the grip the sides of the grip are forcible spread to open the locking teeth the slid the wire outside of the grip. 
     Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG.  1    shows a grip for a wire handle. 
         FIG.  2    shows a bottom plan view of the grip for a wire handle. 
         FIG.  3    shows a side sectional view taken along lines  3 - 3  from  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  4    shows a mid-sectional view taken along lines  4 - 4  from  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  5    shows a top plan view of the grip for a wire handle. 
         FIG.  6 A- 6 F  show sectional views taken along lines  6 A- 6 F from  FIG.  5   . 
         FIG.  7 A- 7 D  show end views of the grip for a wire handle with a wire transitioning into the grip for a wire handle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the drawings herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the system and method of the present invention, as represented in the drawings, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, but is merely representative of various embodiments of the invention. The illustrated embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Item Numbers and Description 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 19 wire handle 
                 20 grip for a wire handle 
               
               
                   
                 21 end wall 
                 22 free upper edge 
               
               
                   
                 23 undercut(s) 
                 31 guide wall 
               
               
                   
                 32 inner gate 
                 33 outer gate 
               
               
                   
                 41 guide wall 
                 42 inner gate 
               
               
                   
                 43 outer gate 
                 50 finger divider 
               
               
                   
                 51 slot 
                 52 wall 
               
               
                   
                 53 wall 
                 54 cavity 
               
               
                   
                 90 up 
                 91 spread 
               
               
                   
                 92 return 
                 95 overlap 
               
               
                   
                 93 force 
                 96 retention angle 
               
               
                   
                 97 entry angle 
                 98 tube handle 
               
               
                   
                 99 opening 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
       FIG.  1    shows a grip for a wire handle  20 . This view shows the grip for a wire handle  20  with an elongated body oriented where a hand of a user will grasp the underside of the grip for a wire handle  20  where the fingers of the user would spread around the finger dividers  50 . In the embodiment shown there are three finger dividers  50  that are spaced to approximate the division between four fingers of a user (not shown). While three finger dividers  50  are shown and described, more than three or less than three are contemplated including having a smooth outer radius, or a ribbed outer wall. The finger dividers  50  allow for positioning the grip for a wire handle  20  within a hand and increase stability to prevent the grip for a wire handle  20  from sliding out of the hand of the user. 
     This figure also shows wire of a wire handle  19  from a paint bucket or wire handle on other apparatus that is carried. There is an opening  99  in the grip for a wire handle  20  that allows the wire handle  19  to pass into the grip for a wire handle  20  and be secured. The wire handle  19  passes through to a lower portion of the grip for a wire handle  20  to prevent rotation of the grip for a wire handle  20  while the load is being moved. Within the grip for a wire handle  20  a tube handle  98  is shown. Some wire handles  19  are sold with a small plastic tube handle  98 . The grip for a wire handle  20  is configured for the tube handle  98  to fit within the central opening of the grip for a wire handle  20 . An upper free edge  22  extends around the sides of an open cavity  54  of the grip for a wire handle  20  and connects on the end wall(s)  21  where gates create a path and a locking mechanism to retain the wire handle  19 . Under the upper free edge  22  one or a plurality of raised undercut(s)  23  are shown but could have no undercuts. These undercut(s)  23  allow a plastic grip for a wire handle  20  to be retained in an injection molding machine until it is ejected. 
     Each end wall  21  has an inner gate  32 ,  42  and an outer gate  33  that retains the wire handle  19 . The gates and function are shown and described on more detail in other figures herein. Within the gate area are also guide walls  31  and  41  that guide the wire handle through the grip for a wire handle  20 . 
       FIG.  2    shows a bottom plan view of the grip for a wire handle  20 ,  FIG.  3    shows a side sectional view taken along lines  3 - 3  from  FIG.  2    with the free upper edge  22  and  FIG.  4    shows a mid-sectional view taken along lines  4 - 4  from  FIG.  2   . These figures show the retaining features that retain the wire handle within the grip for a wire handle  20  and the flexing mechanism that allows the retaining mechanism to open and close around the wire.  FIG.  2    is the portion of the grip for a wire handle  20 . From this figure slots  51  are shown that allow for the retaining features to hinge, flex or open for the wire to pass into the grip for a wire handle  20 . While the slots  51  are shown as linear features, they may be curved or not necessary in some embodiments. From  FIG.  3    the different wall  52  at the finger divider(s)  50  and wall  53  thicknesses are shown between the portion in the hand of the user and the side areas where the wall  53  may be thinner to allow for the gates to flex open and return to their normal position where the wire is retained in the opening  99 . 
     From  FIG.  3   , each side of the grip for a wire handle  20  has end walls  21  with the wall  53  thickness. One side has an outer gate  33 ,  43  and the opposing side has an inner gate  32 ,  42 . While the figure shows gates on each side, it is contemplated that the grip for a wire handle  20  could be constructed with a gate on only one side of the grip for a wire handle  20 . From  FIG.  4    the guide walls  31  and  41  are shown parallel to the opening  99 . 
       FIG.  5    shows a top plan view of the grip for a wire handle  20  and  FIG.  6 A- 6 F  show sectional views taken along lines  6 A- 6 F from  FIG.  5   . From the end view,  FIG.  6 A  shows the end wall  21  with the opening  99  on the bottom portion of this view. The outer gate  33  is shown on the end wall  21  with a portion of the inner gate  32  being visible. At the center top of this view the entry angle  97  where a wire is inserted is shown. This entry angle  97  is between 10 degrees and 170 degrees and provides a ramp to spread the outer gate  33  and the inner gate  32  to let the wire pass into the opening  99 . 
     In  FIG.  6 B  the retention angle  96  on the outer gate  33  is shown the retention angle  96  is between 10 degrees and 90 degrees. The retention angle holds the wire (not shown) within the opening  99 . There is also a slight overlap  95  between the inner gate and the outer gate to assist in retaining the wire within the opening  99 . In  FIG.  6 C  the guide walls  31  are shown outside of the outer gate and the inner gate  32 . In  FIG.  6 D  the opposing retention angle of the inner gate  32  is shown. In the preferred embodiment the retention angles of the inner gate and the outer gates are the same, but they could be different angles. The opposing end wall  21  of the grip for a wire handle  20  is shown. In  FIG.  6 E  the cross-section is through the gates and the inner gate  42  of the opposing side is visible. This figure also shows a different version and location of the slot  51  in the wall  52 . In  FIG.  6 F  the view is opposite of  FIG.  6 E  showing the inner gate  32 . 
       FIG.  7 A- 7 D  show end views of the grip for a wire handle  20  with a wire transitioning into the grip for a wire handle  19 . In  FIG.  7 A  the wire handle  19  is shown entering into the grip for a wire handle  20 . The up force  90  from lifting the grip for a wire handle  20  into the wire handle  19  presses into the entry angle  97  to spread the outer gate  33  and the inner gate  32 . In  FIG.  7 B  the grip for a wire handle  20  is shown spread  91  where the wire handle  19  is forced down and clears the edges of the outer gate  33  and the inner gate  32 . 
     If  FIG.  7 C  the end of the grip for a wire handle  20  spring back and return  92  to their normal position, thereby retaining the wire handle  19  within the grip for a wire handle  20 . In  FIG.  7 D  the wire handle  19  is retained and the retention angle  96  of the inner gate and the outer gate prevent the wire handle from being returned  92  out of the grip for a wire handle  20  unless the side walls of the grip for a wire handle  20  are manually spread to a condition shown in  FIG.  7 B . 
     Thus, specific embodiments of a grip for a wire handle have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. 
     SEQUENCE LISTING 
     Not Applicable.