GB2145993A

GB2145993A - Handle for a container

Info

Publication number: GB2145993A
Application number: GB08415814A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Edwards; Charles William Boxall
Original assignee: Superfos Packaging AS
Current assignee: Superfos Packaging AS
Priority date: 1983-09-06
Filing date: 1984-06-21
Publication date: 1985-04-11
Also published as: GB8323845D0; GB8415814D0; GB2145993B

Abstract

A handle of thermoplastics material for a container comprises a strip 10 having two holes 11 extending therethrough, two pivot pins 12 integral with the strips and projecting from one side of the strip in alignment with said holes, the pins having head ends 14 distant from the strip and base ends adjacent to the strip and being so dimensioned that the shanks 13 can pass through the holes to project from the other side of the strip, when thin webs 15 connecting the pins to the strip have been ruptured, the base ends then being fastened to the container, e.g. by welding nodes 16. Interengageable ribs 19,20 may be formed on the pins and holes to resist but not prevent rotation of the strip on the pin. To prevent undesired welding of parts together each hole is enlarged at 17 and an annular rib 18 is radially spaced from the hole. The strip is flexible and can be bent into a 11-shape. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Handle for a container and method of mounting a handle on a container This invention is concerned with a handle for a container and a method of mounting a handle on a container and more specifically with a thermoplastics material handle and a method of mounting it on a thermoplastics material container.

It is known to provide a handle in the form of a thermoplastics material strip which is fastened pivotally to a thermoplastics material container by two thermoplastics material pins which are passed through two holes in the strip and welded at opposite positions to the outside of the container. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that assembly of the pins, strip and container is time consuming and difficult.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or reduce this disadvantage.

According to the invention, a handle of thermoplastics material for a container comprises a strip having two holes opening through one side thereof and extending at least partly therethrough, two pivot pins integral with the strips and projecting from the other side thereof in alignment with said holes, the pins having head ends distant from the strip and base ends adjacent to the strip for fastening to a container and being so dimensioned that they can pass through the holes and project from both sides of the strip, and thin webs connecting the pins to the holes and supporting the pins on the strip.

By applying pressure to the projecting pins, the thin webs can be ruptured and the pins can then be caused to pass through the holes to project from the first said side of the strip so that they can be fastened to a container.

Usually, the pins will be preformed with heads having a diameter greater than that of the holes to retain the strip on the pins when the pins have been fastened to the container. However, in some cases the heads may be produced by heating the outer ends of the pins when the aforesaid pressure is applied so that the material of the outer ends softens and is deformed to produce said heads.

Preferably, the strip, pins and thin webs are in the form of an integrally moulded unit.

Preferably, a thin web of annular form is provided for each pin. However, a plurality of thin luglike webs may be provided for each pin.

Preferably, the thin webs extend between the base ends of the pins and the ends of the holes at the first said side of the strip.

The strip is preferably straight and flexible so that it can be bent into U-shape. However, it may be preformed into U-shape.

To facilitate welding of the pins to a container, projecting welding nodes are preferably provided around the base ends of the pins. To minimise risk of the pins becoming welded to the strip or the strip becoming welded to the container, the holes preferably have enlarged (e.g. chamfered) ends at the first said side of the strip and the first said side of the strip is preferably provided with projections extending around (and, desirably, radially spaced away from) the ends of the holes.

In order that the handle can be releasably held in a given position relative to a container (e.g. a downwards position), the outside of at least one pin and the inside of the corresponding hole may be provided with axially-extending ribs which, when the pin is disposed in the hole, are resiliently inter engageable to resist but not prevent rotation of the strip on the pin.

The invention also provides a method of mounting a handle as hereinbefore defined on a thermoplastics material container wherein the strip is disposed so that the pins project from the strip away from the container at opposed positions outside the container, pressure is applied to the head ends of the pins to force the adjacent parts of the strip against the container, rupture the thin webs and cause the pins to pass through the holes towards the container, and the base ends of the pins are then fastened to the container.

Preferably, pressure is applied to both pins simultaneously.

Preferably, the inner ends of the pins are fastened to the container by welding. In that case, the pressure is preferably applied by reciprocable highfrequency welding heads.

The invention further provides a container on which a handle as hereinbefore defined has been mounted by a method as herein before defined.

The following is a description, by way of example, of one embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a handle in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the handle, Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on a larger scale of one end of the handle, Figure 4 is a scrap section on line IV-IV of Fig. 3, and Figure 5 is a scrap section on line V-V of Fig. 3.

The handle comprises a straight flexible strip 10 having adjacent its ends two holes 11 opening through its under side and extending through substantially the whole thickness of the strip. Projecting from the upper side of the strip are two pivot pins 12 aligned with the holes 11. Each pivot pin 12 has a shank 13 with a diameter less than that of the hole and a length greater than the thickness of the strip and a head 14 with a diameter greater than that of the hole. The periphery of the lower or base end of each shank 13 is connected to the upper edge of the corresponding hole 11 by a thin annular web or fin 15 which extends continuously round the shank. The lower or base end of each shank 13 has a projecting annular welding node 16 around its inner part.The lower end of each hole 11 is enlarged in the form of a chamfer 17 and an annular rib 18 projects from the lower side of the strip 10 around and radially spaced from each chamfer 17 to preyent undesired welding of parts together The outside of one of the shanks 13 has a projecting axially-extending rib 19 while the inside of the associated hole 11 has two circumferentially spaced, projecting axially-extending ribs 20. The strip 10, pins 12 and fins 15 are made in one piece as an integrally moulded unit of thermoplastics material, e.g. polypropylene.

To mount the handle on a container made of thermoplastics material, the strip 10 is bent into Ushape with the pins projecting outwardly. The ends of the bent strip are disposed adjacent to the outside of the container at opposed positions. Highfrequency welding heads engage the heads 14 of the pins and move towards the container. The ends of the strip are forced against the container so that the pressure of the welding heads ruptures the webs 15 and causes the shanks 13 to move through the holes 11 into contact with the container to which they become welded. The strip 10 is thus pivotally mounted at its ends on the pins fastened to the container and cannot be displaced from the pins because of their heads 14. The rib 19 is disposed between the ribs 20.The arrangement is such that undesired upwards movement of the handle from a lower position against the side of the container is resisted by engagement of the rib 19 with a rib 20. However, owing to the resilience of the thermoplastics material, a user can move the handle into an upright position, the rib 19 passing the rib 20 as a result of elastic deformation of the material. Two ribs 20 are provided so that one of them is effective to hold down the handle regardless of which side of the container carries the ribbed shank 13.

The container on which a handle in accordance with the invention is mounted will usually be of open-topped hollow cylindrical or substantially cylindrical form, when the pins will usually be mounted at diametrically opposed positions on the container. However, containers of other forms may be used. The container may be provided with a lid, which will normally be fitted after mounting the handle and filling the container.

Claims

1. A handle of thermoplastics material for a container comprising a strip having two holes opening through one side thereof and extending at least partly therethrough, two pivot pins integral with the strips and projecting from the other side thereof in alignment with said holes, the pins having head ends distant from the strip and base ends adjacent to the strip for fastening to a container and being so dimensioned that they can pass through the holes and project from both sides of the strip, and thin webs connecting the pins to the holes and supporting the pins on the strip.

2. A handle according to claim 1 in which the pins are pre-formed with heads having a diameter greater than that of the holes.

3. A handle according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the strip, pins and thin webs are in the form of an integrally moulded unit.

4. A handle according to any preceding claim in which a thin web of annular form is provided for each pin.

5. A handle according to any preceding claim in which the thin webs extend between the base ends of the pins and the ends of the holes at the first said side of the strip.

6. A handle according to any preceding claim in which the strip is straight and flexible so that it can be bent into U-shape.

7. A handle according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which projecting welding nodes are provided around the base ends of the pins.

8. A handle according to any preceding claim in which the holes have enlarged ends at the first said side of the strip.

9. A handle according to any preceding claim in which the first said side of the strip is provided with projections extending around the ends of the holes.

10. A handle according to claim 9 in which said projections are radially spaced away from the ends of the holes.

11. A handle according to any preceding claim in which the outside of at least one pin and the inside of the corresponding hole are provided with axially-extending ribs which, when the pin is disposed in the hole, are resiliently interengageable to resist but not prevent rotation of the strip on the pin.

12. A method of mounting a handle according to any preceding claim on a thermoplastics material container wherein the strip is disposed so that the pins project from the strip away from the container at opposed positions outside the container, pressure is applied to the head ends of the pins to force the adjacent parts of the strip against the container, rupture the thin webs and cause the pins to pass through the holes towards the container, and the base ends of the pins are then fastened to the container.

13. A method according to claim 12 in which pressure is applied to both pins simultaneously.

14. A method according to claim 12 or claim 13 in which the inner ends of the pins are fastened to the container by welding.

15. A method according to claim 14 in which the pressure is applied by reciprocable high frequency welding heads.

16. A handle of thermoplastics material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. A method of mounting a handle according to any of claims 1 to 11 and 16 on a thermoplastics material container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. A container made of thermoplastics material on which a handle according to any of claims 1 to 11 and 16 has been mounted by a method according to any of claims 12 to 15 and 17.