Patent Abstract:
A bag holder including a main enclosure body for practically enclosing a space shaped and configured to hold bags by their handles, the space being essentially surrounded by the main enclosure body, the main enclosure body having two ends proximate to each other which are separated by a gap and a retractable clip member connected to a first one of the main enclosure body ends and being capable to extend to and engage the second end such that engagement of the clip with the second end completes the enclosure formed by the main enclosure body, wherein the clip member is selectively positioned by the user as to open or close the gap. A method of using the bag is also disclosed.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates generally to holders, and more specifically to holders for holding plastic shopping bags easily and conveniently. 
   2. Background Art 
   Plastic shopping bags have become ubiquitous to the shopping experience. Often, and especially when a shopper is leaving a grocery or department store, the shopper is required to hold a great number of bags, the number being in excess of the number of fingers for holding each bag. Moreover, as the thickness of the plastic shopping bags decreases to effect cost savings to the store, the shopper may experience an unpleasant sensation of the plastic cutting into the fingers as the plastic bag “handle,” usually just a hole in the plastic material forming the bag, bunches up and creates a sharp “edge”. When holding a number of such bags, the intense pressure on the shopper&#39;s fingers may be sharp enough to cut off the circulation of blood therein. 
   Another difficulty is experienced after the shopper has reached his or her vehicle in the parking lot, and has deposited the shopping bags into the trunk or baggage compartment. Upon arrival at the destination, the shopper must once again gather up the shopping bags by inserting the fingers through each of the bag handle holes, two for each bag, before carrying the bags to the final destination, e.g., the shopper&#39;s home. Care must be taken to ensure that each of the two handles, for each bag being transported, is engaged because lifting a bunch of bags when one is not being held, or is being held by one handle hole only, may lead to a bag falling to the ground or being emptied of its contents, and possibly the breaking of containers made of glass or plastic, and thereby requiring cleanup of the contents and broken glass. Thus, a method is needed to retain the bags in a position that would make it easy and convenient to pick them up, while ensuring that all of the bag handles are engaged so as to avoid having a bag slip from the shopper&#39;s hold or opening to disgorge its contents. 
   The prior efforts to address these problems have been by and large unsuccessful in solving these problems in an efficient and effective way. For example, some of these bag holders are open ended holder that provides for carrying bags having handles or other items. However, because the bag holder does not provide a complete enclosure, leaving a gap out of which the bag handles may escape, placing the bags when in the holder on a surface, for example the floor of a vehicle, cannot ensure that all of the bags will remain in engagement when the shopper picks up the bags to transport them from the vehicle. 
   Other attempts to solve these problems utilize a handle central portion with two hooks on the ends for engaging the bag handles. However, these bag holders have a hook end that returns to the handle, where it is held in place by the shape of the hook. The only impediment to the bag handle becoming loose and slipping out of the hook enclosure is the integrity of the plastic material comprising the holder. Because the clip portion of the plastic holder is thinner at the end which engages the handle portion, it is liable to bend when a force, such as the weight of a bag containing heavy purchases, acts against the closing force of the handle hook. Thus, a shopper would be required to confirm that all bags are engaged by the hook before picking up the handle. Moreover, the shape of this type of handle requires a balanced load on each hook on either side of the handle, otherwise the shopper will be forced to support the handle in an uneven manner. 
   What has been found lacking and what is disclosed and claimed herein is a bag holder that can provide the benefits of an easy to hold and carry bag holder which has a positive locking mechanism to hold the bags in place at all times, that moreover is easily loaded and unloaded by the shopper; and which retains the bags with the assurance that none of the handles have gone astray. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, what is disclosed and claimed herein is a bag holder comprising a main enclosure body for practically enclosing a space shaped and configured to hold bags by their handles, the space being essentially surrounded by said main enclosure body, said main enclosure body having two ends proximate to each other, said two ends being separated by a gap, a retractable clip member connected to a first one of said main enclosure body ends and being capable to extend to and engage the second end such that engagement of the clip with the second end completes the enclosure formed by the main enclosure body, wherein the clip member is selectively positioned by the user as to open or close the gap. In a method of use, the method of holding bags by their handles comprises the steps of providing an enclosure in a main enclosure body essentially enclosing a central space, and having a gap between two ends thereof, providing a retractable clip that can selectively open and close the gap between the main enclosure body ends, opening the gap by retracting the clip, placing the bag handle into the central space, returning the clip from the retracted position to a closed position in which the enclosure around the central space is secured and lifting the bags by grasping the main enclosure body and lifting. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     Accordingly, the following disclosure is to be considered with reference to the drawing figures in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an elevational plan view of a bag holder according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the bag holder body according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a detailed perspective view of the clip portion of the bag holder, shown in the open position ready to receive bags into the central space. 
       FIG. 4  is a cutaway view of an alternate embodiment of the clip portion of the bag holder, shown in the open position ready to receive bags into the central space. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   A plastic bag holder  10  is shown in  FIG. 1  in the closed state, in which the main body portion  12  generally presents an essentially toroidal enclosure having a small section, referred to as an enclosure opening or gap  14 , opening to provide access through the enclosure body portion  12  to a central opening  16 . The enclosure opening  14  has a retractable spring clip  30 , that will be described in greater detail below, that completes the toroidal enclosure at the enclosure opening  14 . 
   The main body portion  12  itself is in the shape of a slightly deformed toroid including a handle section  18 , preferably made of a cushioning material to provide comfort in holding when holder  10  is supporting a heavy weight, and an oppositely disposed bag engagement section  24 , which is ideally disposed at the horizontal position directly under the middle of the handle section  18 . The bag engagement section  18  comprises a rounded trough into which a loosely held bag handle would be naturally guided by the force of gravity acting on the items held in the bag. Thus, the bag engagement point on the main body  12  is inhibited from shifting as the bag and holder are transported. 
   The handle section  18  is connected to a portion of the main body  12  that is relatively linear, and which together with the handle section  18  provides for a comfortable hold by the user, irrespective of the amount of weight in the bags on the bag holder. 
   The handle portion preferably comprises a “soft” material, such as thermoplastic elastomer, and is firmly attached to the main body  12  by gluing or other appropriate means. As will be described below, the handle section comprises two halves, a right and a left half, which are joined to each other with the main body portion halves when the bag holder is constructed. The apertures  19  will be used to provide the connection of the two halves. The handle portion  18  includes a molded hand holdable shape, when the two halves thereof have been joined together, to present a plurality of finger grooves  20  separated by ridges  22 . 
   The top portion of the main body  22  includes an outwardly facing orifice  40  adjacent to the portion including clip  30 , the orifice having therein a depressible button release  42 , which includes an actuation mechanism that is described in greater detail below, to open and close the holder by pivoting the clip  30  about an axle  32  by which the clip  30  is held in place within the holder  10 . 
   The clip  30  is shaped and configured and is held in the closed position so as to close off the enclosure opening  14 , and so to present a complete enclosure for retaining the bag handles within the bag holder  10 . That is, there is no gap present in the enclosure provided by bag holder  10  through which bag handles may escape due to pulling forces or other phenomena. This is an important feature of the invention that provides the assurance that all bag handles will be retained when the bag holder  10  and bags have been placed on a surface for later pickup as a group. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the connection mechanism for connecting the two halves  12   a  and  12   b  of the bag holder main body  12 , the two halves  12   a , 12   b  are essentially identical mirror images of each other except for the means to connect one half to the other. As seen in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 2 , one half  12   a , has an aperture  19  for receiving a prong  50  that is integrally attached to the other half  12   b . The aperture includes an inwardly extending wall  52  that terminates in an angled detent  54 . As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , there are a plurality of these connections, one each at the apertures  19 , which are preferably distributed around the main body  12 , so as to retain the two halves to each other and also to retain the other movable elements, for example clip  30  and button release  42 , in place within the main body  12 . 
   The other half  12   b  of the main body  12  also includes a corresponding detent  56  on the prong  50 , which when the two halves  12   a , 12   b  are snapped together, will cooperate, as shown, to hold the two opposed walls of each half in a connected engagement. Although it may be possible to open the two halves, for example, with a special tool that can bend back the detent  56  and  10  release the engagement of each detent pair  54 ,  56 , it should not be easy for an idle, curious or malicious person to disengage the detents so as to open the main body into its constituent two halves. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the detail of the clip  30  and the mechanism for operation of the button release  42  will be described. Both the moving parts, that is clip  30  and button release  42 , are integral elements, that is, not split into halves such as the two main body halves  12   a ,  12   b . The clip  30  is pivotable about and axle  32 , that may also comprise a detent combination  54 , 56  of  FIG. 2 , but more preferably comprises a screw that engages an enclosed inwardly extending screw threaded plastic button (not shown) disposed on the inner wall of the opposite main body half  12   b . The axle  32  extends through a hole (not shown) in a tab, integrally attached to clip  30 , that permits pivoting of the clip  30  thereabout while simultaneously avoiding contact with the end curved walls  12   c , 12   d  of the main body  12 . The tab extends into the inner recesses of the main body  12  through a slot  36  that is formed in the end walls  12   c ,  12   d  of the main body  12 , but also extends for a short distance along the outer wall portion. Preferably, the outer wall portion of the slot  36  extends to a point  37  directly adjacent the base of orifice  40  where it attaches to the main body  12 . 
   Tab  34  may be a flat portion that provides sufficient structural integrity as to be able to withstand a great amount of pressure from external forces without detaching. A metal pin or, preferably, a screw  32 , may also assist in inhibiting the detachment of the tab  34  from the main body  12 . 
   The clip  30  further includes a hook attachment  38 , including a detent  39 , for attaching the clip  30  to the opposed end of the main body  12 . A corresponding protrusion  21 , disposed in the inner surface of the opposed end walls  12   e ,  12   f , provides for a secure connection to the clip  30  as shown in  FIG. 1 , which connection can only be disengaged by depression of the release button  42 . 
   The release button releasably engages the end of the tab  34  inside of the main body  12  at an extension having a tab portion furthest from the clip  30  and on the opposite side of axle  32 . That extension portion (not shown) acts as a lever that upon depression by the release button  42 , causes the tab  34  and the clip  30  to pivot about axle  32 . Ideally, the initial disengagement of the hook  39  from the protrusion  21  is in the outward direction, and thus clears the protrusion when it is pivoted. Additionally, an appropriate mechanism (not shown) within the release button assembly acts to block the pivot action of clip  30  unless the release button  42  is depressed. The release button assembly includes a spring (not shown) that biases the release button  42  in the position shown in  FIG. 1 , that is, in the position where the clip  30  is engaged with the other end of the main body  12 , and the wall  31  of clip  30  is flush with the end walls  12   e , 12   f.    
   The materials utilized for the main body portion  12 , the clip  30  and button  42 , are hard plastics, such as ABS or Derlin, which retain their integrity. As described above, the handle portion  18  providing for a more comfortable handle to the shopper comprises a different material, such as thermoplastic elastomer or polyurethane rubber. The axle  32  may be metallic, such as steel, and the spring (not shown) may also be made of spring steel, which can retain its elasticity for a great number of uses. 
   Assembly of the bag holder  10  proceeds in a very simple and straight forward manner. The spring and other movable parts are placed into one main body half, either  12   a  or  12   b , and the second half is snapped into place by aligning the prongs  50  with apertures  19 , going around the complete body  12  to ensure that each of the detent pairs  54 ,  56  engage each other and lock the main body into a connected unitary piece. Then the screw  34  is inserted into the aperture adjacent the orifice  40  and screwed into the opposing button, completing the assembly procedure. Testing of the operation by depressing the release button  42  provides an assurance of workability of the bag holder  10 . 
   To use the bag holder  10 , the shopper brings the bag holder on a shopping expedition, conveniently storing the bag holder in a coat pocket, purse or glove compartment of a vehicle. After proceeding through the checkout counter, the shopper uses the bag holder  10  by depressing the release button  42 , thereby opening up the enclosure opening  14  by retracting the clip  30 , and placing the bag handles into the enclosure  16  by inserting the open end of the main body  12  through both handles of each bag. 
   Although the most beneficial use of the bag holder  10  is with the ubiquitous plastic shopping bags, all types of bags, with or without protruding handles, may be held by the bag holder of this invention. In any case, one or more bags, of the same or of different types, may be retained within the enclosure  16 , and the shopper then lifts the bags together in one bunch by grasping the handle section  18  and carrying the bags to a vehicle or to the shopper&#39;s ultimate destination. If placed on the floor or in the trunk of the vehicle, the bag holder will retain the bags in control of the bag holder, so that when reaching the destination, the shopper need only lift the bag holder  10 , which will also pickup all of the bags that were resting on the floor or the trunk, without necessitating to ensure that each bag handle is being held. 
   With reference to  FIG. 4 , an alternative embodiment of the clip is shown. Rather than a pivotable clip  30  that pivots about an axis  32 , described above, the clip  132  can span the gap  14  between the ends  112   a  and  112   b  of the alternative embodiment of the holder  110 . An outwardly extending pin  120 , which is either connected to or integral with the clip  130 , extends through a slot  136  in the outer peripheral wall of the main enclosure body  112 . 
   To open the gap for insertion of bag handles into the gap  14 , the shopper merely retracts the pin  120  toward the right through the slot  136 , which also slides the clip  130  into the walls defining the body  112 . After the bags have been inserted, the shopper releases the pin  120 , which is biased in the direction of the arrow by a spring  132  so as to close the gap  14 , and thereby enclosing the bag handles within the enclosure of the bag holder  110 . 
   The clip  130  and the pin  120  may comprise metal or hard plastic, or one may be plastic and the other metal. The use of the bag holder  110  follows the steps of that of the holder  10 , except instead of a button release, there is a sliding clip release actuated by the shopper in pulling back the pin  132  with a thumb. 
   This invention is described and illustrated in several preferred embodiments but modification, alterations, substitutions and other changes may be contemplated for those having skill in the art. For example, rather than the attachment combination of the pairs of detents  54 ,  56 , a screw attachment may be utilized at each aperture  19 . Although the release mechanism describes a button  42  that is easily depressed by a single hand motion, so as to leave the other hand free to add bags being retained by the holder  10 , a lever or pin can be used to retract the clip  30  from the opening  14 . Accordingly, the above disclosure and illustration are to be considered exemplary only, and not limiting, the invention being only limited by the following claims and equivalents thereof.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1