Patent ID: 8313132

Claim:
A container carrier system ( 100 ) for securing and carrying at least two containers ( 50 ) comprising: (a) a handle ( 200 ) having a carrying portion ( 210 ) and at least two attachment portions ( 220 ), wherein each of the at least two attachment portions ( 220 ) include: (i) an upper leg-stop transition portion ( 223 ) joined to an upper attachment stop ( 224 ), wherein the upper attachment stop ( 224 ) has an upper attachment stop diameter ( 224 d ); and (ii) a lower attenuated attachment leg ( 226 ) joined to the upper attachment stop ( 224 ) and terminating in a lower attachment stop ( 228 ), wherein the lower attenuated attachment leg ( 226 ) has a lower attenuated attachment leg diameter ( 226 d ) and the lower attachment stop ( 228 ) has a lower attachment stop diameter ( 228 d ); (b) at least two retainer rings ( 300 ) with a single retainer ring ( 300 ) secured to a single container ( 50 ), wherein each of the at least two retainer rings ( 300 ) includes at least one handle receiver ( 320 ) for receiving and retaining a single attachment portion ( 220 ) of the handle ( 200 ), the at least one handle receiver ( 320 ) having a first resilient jaw ( 322 ) and a second resilient jaw ( 324 ) with the first resilient jaw ( 322 ) and the second resilient jaw ( 324 ) defining a receiver mouth ( 326 ) and a receiver central opening ( 328 ), wherein the first resilient jaw ( 322 ) and the second resilient jaw ( 324 ) are movable between a minimum retaining position and a maximum receiving position; (c) wherein when the first resilient jaw ( 322 ) and the second resilient jaw ( 324 ) are in the minimum retaining position, the receiver mouth ( 326 ) has a minimum receiver mouth width ( 326 w 1 ) and the receiver central opening ( 328 ) has a minimum receiver central opening diameter ( 328 d 1 ), and when the first resilient jaw ( 322 ) and the second resilient jaw ( 324 ) are in the maximum receiving position, the receiver mouth ( 326 ) has a maximum receiver mouth width ( 326 w 2 ) and the receiver central opening ( 328 ) has a maximum receiver central opening diameter ( 328 d 2 ); and (d) wherein: (i) the upper attachment stop diameter ( 224 d ) is greater than the minimum receiver central opening diameter ( 328 d 1 ) and the upper attachment stop diameter ( 224 d ) is less than or equal to the maximum receiver central opening diameter ( 328 d 2 ); (ii) the lower attenuated attachment leg diameter ( 226 d ) is less than or equal to the maximum receiver mouth width ( 326 w 2 ) and the lower attenuated attachment leg diameter ( 226 d ) is greater than the minimum receiver mouth width ( 326 w 1 ); and (iii) the lower attachment stop diameter ( 228 d ) is greater than the minimum receiver central opening diameter ( 328 d 1 ) and the maximum receiver central opening diameter ( 328 d 2 ).