Abstract:
A handle structure is held by a user to move a reacting container such as a fermentation tank. The reacting container includes a hollow container body, a cover and a plurality of cannulae penetrating through the cover for communicating the hollow container body with the external. The handle structure includes a handle member standing upright for a user to exert a holding force thereon in a working mode and drooping away from the cannulae in a resting mode; and a clutch member rotatably coupled to the handle member, and optionally rotated relative to the handle member to switch between a first mode allowing the handle member to enter the resting mode and a second mode prohibiting the handle member from entering the resting mode.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a container handle, and more particularly to a handle of a movable reactor such as a fermentation tank.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Before the fermentation process is performed in a well-conditioned reaction room, the fermentation tank as well as the fermentation broth usually needs to be sterilized first to avoid contamination of the product by undesired microorganisms. For facilitating the movement of the fermentation tank between the reaction room and the sterilization room, handles are provided on the fermentation tank for user&#39;s hands to work on.  FIGS. 1A and 1B  schematically show conventional fermentation tanks with two different handles, respectively.  
         [0003]      FIG. 1A  illustrates the arrangement of handles on the top surface of the cover  101  of the fermentation tank  10 . It is known that during the fermentation process, various inlets are required for feeding reacting and conditioning material, e.g. nutrient media, carbon, gas, energy source, etc. In addition, the fermentation conditions and products need to be monitored frequently via a sampling line for quality control. In other words, a variety of lines  102  communicating the fermentation tank  10  with the external are arranged on the cover  101  of the fermentation tank  10  and the operator has a lot of work on the cover  101 . Therefore, the handles  103  fixed uprightly on the top surface of the cover  101 , as shown in  FIG. 1A , occupy too much space and will baffle the operator&#39;s work on the cover  101 .  
         [0004]      FIG. 1B  illustrates the arrangement of bar-shaped handles mounted to side walls of the cover  111  of the fermentation tank  11 . When the fermentation tank  11  is to be moved, the handles  112  are pivoted to and stopped at the position A for the operator to exert the raising force. After the fermentation tank  11  is positioned, the handles  112  are pivoted to the position B to minimize the occupied space. Since the sterilization of the fermentation tank  11  is usually performed in a sterilization room, which is usually a high-temperature tank having a diameter only slightly larger than the diameter of the fermentation tank  11 , the pivoting operation of the handles  112  may be performed at the risk of burn.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention provides a handle having an adapted configuration for raising a container, and the configuration, after the container is settled, can be changed to vacate the operating space over the cover.  
         [0006]     A first aspect of the present invention relates to a handle structure to be held for moving a container. The handle structure comprises a base member fixed onto a surface of a container to be moved; a handle member pivotal relative to the base member; a clutch member coupled to the base member and the handle member, and optionally switched between a first mode permitting the pivoting operation of the handle member relative to the base member and a second mode prohibiting the pivoting operation of the handle member relative to the base member.  
         [0007]     Preferably, the clutch member is pivotally coupled to the base member and rotatably coupled to the handle member.  
         [0008]     In an embodiment, the clutch member is switched from the first mode to the second mode by being rotated relative to the handle member to form steric hindrance in front of the handle member in a specified direction. For example, when the handle member has an arch shape with a pillar thereof coupled to the clutch member, the specified direction is preferably a normal direction of the arch plane.  
         [0009]     In an embodiment, the clutch member and the base member are linked together with two opposite bridging plates and two connecting pins, one of the connecting pins penetrates through the bridging plates and the clutch member, and the other of the connecting pins penetrates through the bridging plates and the base member. Preferably, it is the bridging plates rotated to lie in the specified direction to form the steric hindrance in the second mode  
         [0010]     In an embodiment, the clutch member has a hollow main portion for receiving therein the pillar of the handle member and two posts supporting the hollow main portion and disposed at two opposite sides of the base member. The two posts are rotated to lie in the specified position to form the steric hindrance in the second mode.  
         [0011]     In an embodiment, the handle member droops by pivoting the clutch member relative to the base member in the first mode.  
         [0012]     In an embodiment, the handle member is allowed to be pivotally switched between a working configuration and a resting configuration when the clutch member is in the first mode and is kept in the working configuration when the clutch member is in the second mode. For example, the working configuration is that the handle member stands upright over the container and the resting configuration is that the handle member droops.  
         [0013]     Preferably, the handle member is positioned on an upper surface of a cover of the container via the base member.  
         [0014]     In an embodiment, the base member comprises a pillar portion for penetrating through a cover of the container and rendering a protrudent portion; and a confining element for attaching the pillar portion onto the cover. For example, the confining element is screw means.  
         [0015]     Alternatively, the base member comprises a pillar portion for penetrating through a cover of the container and rendering a protrudent portion; a first confining element connected to the pillar portion at a first side of the cover to prevent the pillar portion from escaping from the cover; and a second confining element connected to the pillar portion at a second side of the cover opposite to the first side after the pillar portion penetrates through the cover to prevent the pillar portion from escaping from the cover. For example, the first confining element is a flange around the pillar portion for sustaining against the cover, and the second confining element is a retaining ring for clamping the protrudent portion of the pillar portion and sustaining against the cover.  
         [0016]     In an embodiment, the pillar portion has a first traverse through hole in the protrudent portion, and the first traverse through hole is aligned with a second traverse through hole of the clutch member for concatenating the clutch member and the base member with a connecting pin penetrating through the first and second traverse through holes. By this way, the clutch member is allowed to be pivoted and transmit the handle member to pivot relative to the base portion in the first mode.  
         [0017]     In an embodiment, the handle member and the clutch member are rotatably coupled to each other with screw means.  
         [0018]     According to a second aspect of the present invention, the handle structure to be held for moving a reacting container, which comprises a hollow container body, a cover and a plurality of cannulae penetrating through the cover for communicating the hollow container body with the external, comprises a handle member standing upright for a user to exert a holding force thereon in a working mode and drooping away from the cannulae in a resting mode; and a clutch member rotatably coupled to the handle member, and optionally rotated about the handle member to switch between a first mode allowing the handle member to enter the resting mode and a second mode prohibiting the handle member from entering the resting mode.  
         [0019]     In an embodiment, the clutch member is pivotally coupled to a base member, which is fixed onto the cover, and switched from the first mode to the second mode by being rotated about the handle member to form steric hindrance in front of the handle member in a specified direction.  
         [0020]     In an embodiment, the handle member is pivoted relative to the base member to droop by pivoting the clutch member relative to the base member in the first mode.  
         [0021]     In an example, the reacting container is a fermentation tank.  
         [0022]     The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective diagram schematically showing a conventional fermentation tank with fixed handles;  
         [0024]      FIG. 1B  is a perspective diagram schematically showing another conventional fermentation tank with side bar handles;  
         [0025]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective diagram schematically showing the working configuration of a handle structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0026]      FIG. 2B  is a perspective diagram schematically showing the resting configuration of the handle structure of  FIG. 2A ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a schematic resolving diagram of the handle structure of  FIG. 2A ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a base member having penetrated through the cover;  
         [0029]      FIG. 4B  is a top plane view of the base member of  FIG. 4A ;  
         [0030]      FIG. 5  is a perspective diagram viewed from the bottom of the structure for schematically showing the coupling of the clutch member to the handle member;  
         [0031]      FIG. 6  is a perspective diagram schematically showing an enlarged view of the clutch member of the handle structure of  FIG. 2A ;  
         [0032]      FIG. 7A  is a side view of a handle structure schematically showing the handle-bending-allowing mode of the clutch member according to another embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0033]      FIG. 7B  is a side view of the handle structure of  FIG. 7A  schematically showing the handle-bending-prohibiting mode of the clutch member. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0034]     For moving a reacting container such as a fermentation tank or any other container requiring to work over the container, a configuration-changeable handle is provided according to the present invention.  
         [0035]     A fermentation tank with a handle structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . The handle structure  1  is mounted to a cover  2  of the fermentation tank. The cover  1  is used for covering a hollow tank body  3  from the external while a plurality of cannulae  4  communicate the hollow tank body  3  with the external for feeding reacting and conditioning material, e.g. nutrient media, carbon, gas, energy source, etc. into the tank body  3  or sampling products from the tank body  3 . When the fermentation tank is to be moved, for example to a sterilization room, the handle structure  1  is fixed in a working mode, i.e. stands upright over the cover  2 , so that the user can hold the handle  1  to move the tank  3 . On the other hand, when the fermentation tank is settled (not to be moved temporarily) and for example various inlets are to be introduced into the tank body  3  via the cannulae  4 , the handle structure  1  is preferably bent down or drooped, as shown in  FIG. 2B , to vacate some space over the cover  2  so as not to barrier the feeding or sampling operation.  
         [0036]     An assembling embodiment of the handle structure  1  will be illustrated hereinafter with reference to the resolving diagram of  FIG. 3  and the assembled diagrams of  FIGS. 2A, 2B  and  6 . The handle structure  1  includes a base member  20 , a clutch member  22  and a handle member  25 . The base member  20  has a pillar portion  200  penetrating through the cover  2  from the lower surface (not shown) of the cover  2 , a neck portion  201  in the middle of the pillar portion  200  and a flange portion  202  around an end of the pillar portion  200 . The base member  20  is fixed onto the upper surface  29  of the cover  2  with the flange portion  202  sustaining against the lower surface of the cover  2  and a retaining ring  21  engaging with the neck portion  201  and sustaining against the upper surface of the cover  2 , as shown in  FIG. 4A .  FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view of the base member  20  having penetrated through the cover  2 . Alternatively, the base member  20  can be fixed onto the cover  2  via screw means. It is to be noted that the base member  20 , although fixed onto the cover  2 , should be kept rotatable in the through hole of the cover  2 . In the protrudent portion  203  protruding from the upper surface  29  of the cover  2 , a traverse through hole  204  is provided. A top plane view of the base member  20  is shown in  FIG. 4B .  
         [0037]     The clutch member  22  has a hollow main portion  221  and two posts  222  supporting the hollow main portion  221 . In each of the posts  222 , a traverse through hole  223  ( FIG. 5 ) is provided. In addition, another through hole  224  is provided in the bottom of the hollow main portion  221 . For assembling the clutch member  22  with the base member  30 , the posts  222  of the clutch member  22  is sleeved on the base portion  20  with the traverse through holes  223  disposed at opposite sides of and aligned with the traverse through hole  204  of the base member  20 . A connecting pin  23  are then inserted into the through holes  223  and  204  and secured with a stopper ring  24  for concatenating the clutch member  22  and the base member  20  together while allowing the clutch member  22  to pivot about the connecting pin  23  relative to the base member  20 . The stopper  24 , for example, can be a screw hold, a retaining ring, a split pin, a key groove or any other suitable pin-retaining element.  
         [0038]     The handle member  25  for example has an arch shape, and comprises a holding portion  250  and two pillars  251 . Each of the pillars  251  has a threaded hole (not shown) at an end thereof to be aligned with the through hole  224  of one clutch member  22 . When the pillar  251  is received in the hollow main portion  221  of the clutch member  22 , the pillar  251  is fixed to the bottom of the hollow main portion  221  with screw means  26 . It is to be noted that the pillar  251  and the hollow main portion  221  should be kept rotatable relative to each other. The assembled handle structure  1  is shown in  FIGS. 2A, 2B  or  6 .  
         [0039]     For keeping the handle member  25  standing upright in the working mode, the clutch member  22  is rotated along with the base member  20  to have the posts  222  lie in the normal direction of the arch plane of the handle member  25 . By this way, the posts  222  form steric hindrance at both sides of the handle member  225  so as to prohibit the pivoting operation of the clutch member  22  and the handle member  25  about the connecting pin  23  relative to the base member. On the other hand, for allowing the handle structure to enter the resting mode, the clutch member  22  is rotated along with the base member  20  to move the posts  251  away from the bending path of the handle member  25 . Meanwhile, the handle member  25  can freely droop with the pivoting operation of the clutch member  22  about the connecting pin  23  relative to the base member  20 .  
         [0040]     A handle structure according to another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated with  FIGS. 7A and 7B . In the handle structure as shown, a base member  60  is rotatably fixed to the cover  6  of a container via a coupling member  61 . A clutch member  62  is pivotally coupled to the base member  60  via two opposite bridging plates  63  and two pins  641  and  642 . The pin  641  penetrates through the bridging plates  63  and a traverse through hole  601  of the base member  60  and the pin  642  penetrates through the bridging plates  63  and a traverse through hole  621  of the clutch member  62 . The handle member  65  is coupled to the clutch member  62  via screw means and allows the clutch member  62  to rotate therein.  FIG. 7A  illustrates a first mode of the clutch member  62 , wherein the bridging plates  63  are rotated away from the bending path of the handle member  65 . Accordingly, the handle member  65  can be transmitted to bend with the pivoting operation of the clutch member  62  about the pins  641  and/or  642  relative to the base portion  60 .  FIG. 7B  illustrates a second mode of the clutch member  65 , wherein the bridging plates  23  at one or both sides of the handle member  65  are rotated with the base member  20  to orient a specified direction as shown in  FIG. 7B , where the bending operation of the handle member  25  is hindered by the bridging plates  63 . Therefore, according to the present invention, the handle structure can be easily operated to have a working configuration like  FIG. 2A  or a resting configuration like  FIG. 2B .  
         [0041]     By using the handle structure according to the present invention in a fermentation tank or any other suitable container, the movement of the container can be easily achieved, and the operation performed over the cover can be performed smoothly. Further, by arranging the handle structure on the upper surface of the cover, the risk of burn can be minimized.  
         [0042]     While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.