Patent Document

BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     The present disclosure relates to a container. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a container including a handle.  
         [0002]     Containers are used to carry a variety of objects. Some containers include a receptacle for receiving the objects and a handle coupled to the receptacle. The handle may be used by a person to carry the receptacle and objects located in the receptacle.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     According to the present disclosure, a container includes a receptacle and first and second handle portions coupled to the receptacle. The first and second handle portions are arranged to be coupled to one another to form a handle and are arranged to be uncoupled from one another to disassemble the handle in response to application of an uncoupling force to the container.  
         [0004]     Illustratively, the first handle portion includes a first coupler tab and an elongated first body coupled to the first coupler tab and the receptacle and the second handle portion includes a second coupler tab and an elongated second body coupled to the second coupler tab and the receptacle. The first body is formed to include a first retainer aperture and the second body is formed to include a second retainer aperture and a transition aperture. To form the handle, the first coupler tab extends through the transition aperture into the second retainer aperture and the second coupler tab extends into the first retainer aperture. When the uncoupling force is applied to the container, the first coupler tab withdraws from the second retainer aperture and the transition aperture and the second coupler tab withdraws from the first retainer aperture so that the first and second handle portions separate from one another resulting in disassembly of the handle.  
         [0005]     Additional features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a container that includes overlapping first and second handle portions coupled to one another to form a breakaway handle of the container;  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the first and second handle portions uncoupled from one another due to application of an uncoupling force to the container;  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view, with portions broken away, showing insertion of a first coupler tab of the first handle portion through a transition aperture provided in an elongated body of the second handle portion during formation of the handle;  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view, with portions broken away, showing the first coupler tab extending from the transition aperture over a transition arm included in the elongated body of the second handle portion into a second retainer aperture provided in the elongated body of the second handle portion during formation of the handle;  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view, with portions broken away, showing insertion of a second coupler tab of the second handle portion into a first retainer aperture provided in an elongated body of the first handle portion during formation of the handle;  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along lines VI-VI of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  is a plan view showing connection of the first coupler tab to the second handle portion;  
         [0014]      FIG. 8  is a plan view showing that the first coupler tab includes a head and a neck extending between the head and the elongated body of the first handle portion;  
         [0015]      FIG. 9  is a plan view showing that the transition aperture is rectangle-shaped and that the second retainer aperture is trapezoid-shaped;  
         [0016]      FIG. 10  is a plan view showing connection of the second coupler tab to the first handle portion;  
         [0017]      FIG. 11  is a plan view showing that the second coupler tab includes a head and a neck extending between the head and the elongated body of the second handle portion; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 12  is a plan view showing that the first retainer aperture of the first handle portion is trapezoid-shaped. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]     A container  10  includes a receptacle  12  having an open end portion  14  and a closed end portion  16  and a breakaway handle  18 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The handle  18  includes a first handle portion  20  and a second handle portion  22  arranged to move between a handle-formation position shown, for example, in  FIG. 1  and a handle-disassembly position shown, for example, in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0020]     The handle portions  20 ,  22  are arranged to break apart, separate, or otherwise uncouple from one another in response to a breakaway or uncoupling force F shown, for example, in  FIG. 2 . When coupled, the first and second handle portions  20 ,  22  are positioned in overlapping relation to one another, as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1 and 6 .  
         [0021]     The receptacle  12  has a bottom wall  23  and a side wall  25  that extends upwardly from the bottom wall  23  toward the open end portion  14 . The side wall  25  adjacent to the open end portion  14  is formed to include first and second lug-receiving apertures  27  and  31 , respectively, for connecting the handle portions  20 ,  22  to the receptacle  12 . Illustratively, the receptacle  12  is generally cylinder-shaped. It is within the scope of this disclosure for the receptacle  12  to have other shapes.  
         [0022]     The handle  18  includes first and second handle portions  20 ,  22 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  6 . Illustratively, each of first and second handle portions  20 ,  22  is a one-piece construction configured as an elongated flexible strip made of plastics material.  
         [0023]     The first and second handle portions  20 ,  22  are coupled to the side wall  25  for pivotable movement relative thereto, as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A first proximal end portion  60  of the first handle portion  20  includes a first lug  82  which extends through the first lug-receiving aperture  27 . A second proximal end portion  62  of the second handle portion  22  includes a second lug  88  which extends through the second lug-receiving aperture  31 .  
         [0024]     The first handle portion  20  is formed to include a first retainer aperture  28  and the second handle portion is formed to include a second retainer aperture  30 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1-5  and  7 - 12 . The first handle portion  20  extends into the second retainer aperture  30  and engages the second handle portion  22  adjacent the second retainer aperture  30  when the first and second handle portions  20 ,  22  are coupled to one another. During coupling of the first and second handle portions  20 ,  22 , handle portion  22  extends into the first retainer aperture  28  and engages the first handle portion  20  adjacent the first retainer aperture  30 .  
         [0025]     The first handle portion  20  includes a first coupler tab  24  and second handle portion  22  includes a second coupler tab  26 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 3-5 . When the first and second handle portions  20 ,  22  are coupled to one another, the first coupler tab  24  is received in the second retainer aperture  30  and a transition aperture  44  formed in the second handle portion  22  and the second coupler tab  26  is received in the first retainer aperture  28 . First coupler tab  24  provides a first distal end portion  64  of first handle portion  20 . Second coupler tab  26  provides a second distal end portion  66  of second handle portion  22 .  
         [0026]     The first handle portion  20  includes an elongated first body  32  and the second handle portion  22  includes an elongated second body  34 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  6 ,  9 , and  12 . The first body  32  is formed to include the first retainer aperture  28  and includes a first end portion  78  coupled to the first lug  82  and an opposite second end portion  80  coupled to the first coupler tab  24  for coupling of the first body  32  to the receptacle  12 . The second body  34  is formed to include the second retainer aperture  30  and the transition aperture  44  and includes a first end portion  84  coupled to the second lug  88  and an opposite second end portion  86  coupled to the second coupler tab  26  for coupling of the second body  34  to the receptacle  12 . The transition aperture  44  is located between the second retainer aperture  30  and the second coupler tab  26 . A transition arm  46  included in second body  34  is located between the second retainer aperture  30  and the transition aperture  44 .  
         [0027]     The first coupler tab  24  includes a first head  36  and a first neck  38 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 3, 4 , and  6 - 8 . The first head  36  includes a convex peripheral edge  102  to facilitate insertion of the first head  36  through apertures  30 ,  44 . The first neck  38  is located between the first head  36  and the first body  32  and has a width that is narrower than the first head  36  and the first body  32 . The first neck  38  includes spaced-apart concave side edges  68  connecting the first body  32  and the peripheral edge  102  of the first head  36 .  
         [0028]     The second coupler tab  26  includes a second head  40  and a second neck  42 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 5, 10 , and  11 . The second head  40  includes a convex peripheral edge  104  to facilitate insertion of the second head  40  through aperture  28 . The second neck  42  is located between the second head  40  and the second body  34  and has a width narrower than the second head  40  and the second body  34 . The second neck  42  includes spaced-apart convex side edges  70  connecting the second body  34  and the second head  40 . Each side edge  70  includes a vertex  72 , a first side edge portion  74  extending laterally outward from the vertex  72  to the second body  34 , and a second side edge portion  76  extending laterally outward from the vertex  72  to the peripheral edge  104  of the second head  40 .  
         [0029]     The first retainer aperture  28  is trapezoid-shaped to facilitate insertion and withdrawal of second head  40  through aperture  28  during formation of handle  18  and retention of second head  40  in aperture  28  upon formation of handle  18 , as shown, for example, in  FIG. 12 . The first body  32  includes a first longer edge  48 , a first shorter edge  50  parallel to the first longer edge  48 , and a pair of non-parallel first side edges  52  connecting the first longer edge  48  and the first shorter edge  50 . The first longer edge  48 , the first shorter edge, and the pair of first side edges  52  cooperate to define the trapezoid shape of the first retainer aperture  28 . The first longer edge  48  is located between the first shorter edge  50  and the first coupler tab  24 .  
         [0030]     The second retainer aperture  30  is trapezoid-shaped to facilitate insertion and withdrawal of first head  36  through aperture  30  during formation of handle  18  and retention of second head  36  in aperture  30  upon formation of handle  18 , as shown, for example, in  FIG. 9 . The second body  34  includes a second longer edge  54 , a second shorter edge  56  parallel to the second longer edge  54 , and a pair of non-parallel second side edges  58  connecting the second longer edge  54  and the second shorter edge  56 . The second longer edge  54 , the second shorter edge  56 , and the pair of non-parallel second side edges  58  cooperate to define the trapezoid shaped of the second retainer aperture  30 . The second longer edge  54  is located between the second shorter edge  56  and the second coupler tab  26 .  
         [0031]     The transition aperture  44  is rectangle-shaped, as shown, for example, in  FIG. 9 . The rectangle shape of aperture  44  facilitates insertion of first coupler tab  24  therethrough.  
         [0032]     During formation of handle  18 , the first coupler tab  24  is moved through the transition aperture  44  over the transition arm  46  into the second retainer aperture  30  and the second coupler tab  26  is moved into the first retainer aperture  28 , as suggested, for example, in  FIGS. 3-5 . In the handle-formation position, the second body  32  overlies the first body  34 , the first neck  38  extends from the transition aperture  44  over the transition arm  46  to the second retainer aperture  30 , the first head  36  extends through the second retainer aperture  30  so that the peripheral edge  102  engages side edges  58  to retain first coupler tab  24  in place, and the second head  40  extends through the first retainer aperture  28  so that the peripheral edge  104  engages side edges  52  to retain second coupler tab  26  in place.  
         [0033]     Handle portions  20 ,  22  are moved from the handle-formation position to the handle-disassembly position in response to application of the uncoupling force F to container  10 . The uncoupling force F may be applied to one or more of first handle portion  20 , second handle portion  22 , and receptacle  12  to cause separation of handle portions  20 ,  22  from one another. The first coupler tab  24  is withdrawn from the second retainer aperture  30  and the transition aperture  44  so that the first coupler tab  24  is not positioned in apertures  30 ,  44  when the first handle portion  20  assumes the handle-disassembly position. The second coupler tab  26  is withdrawn from the first retainer aperture  28  so that the second coupler tab  26  is not positioned in aperture  28  when the second handle portion  22  assumes the handle-disassembly position.

Technology Category: 7