Carrier handle for plant tray/pot

• US 8,267,305 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2010
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MPS Lansing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: John Henry Company (Graeme Richard Hart, MBA)
• Inventors: Rosendall, Eric A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary
• Application Number:
  US12/882,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20110000808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 229/117.19, 229/117.23, 229/117.24, 229/117.25, 229/117.26, 220/754, 220/770, 220/776, 220/755, 220/759, 220/760, 220/768, 220/769, 220/775
• US Class Current: 229/117.19
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/2873 Straps or slings
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/52 for living plants; for growing bulbs

Abstract

A carrier handle for insertion into a plant tray or pot includes highly flexible locking tabs at opposite ends. Each of the opposed ends includes a generally triangular tab which deflects for ease of insertion into an aperture in a tray or pot. The handle includes a center section with inwardly projecting concave indentations for defining a handhold centered for balancing the item being carried.

Claims

1. A flexible polymeric handle having opposed ends for lockably inserting into apertures of one of a plant tray or pot, said handle comprising:

an elongated flat polymeric body for carrying plant trays and pots, said body having a thickness of from about 0.015 inches to about 0.040 inches so as to be flexible, said body having a longitudinal axis, said body having opposed ends;

a generally triangular locking tab at each of said opposed ends, said tab including a tip at an end of said body and a base spaced inwardly from said tip, a longitudinally extending slit extending from said tip to said base of each of said tabs to bisect said tab, and a secondary tab aligned with the longitudinal axis of said body and said longitudinal slit, said secondary tab having a wide end and a narrow end wherein said wide end is hinged to said polymeric body and said narrow end is proximate to said tip of said locking tab and communicates with said longitudinally extending slit; and

said body includes a center handle section centrally located between said opposed ends, wherein said center handle section includes a plurality of opposed spaced-apart inwardly and transversely extending concave indentations.

2. The handle as defined in claim 1 and further including a widened handle section on opposite sides of said center section.

3. The handle as defined in claim 2 wherein said handle has a length of from about 12 inches to about 24 inches.

4. The handle as defined in claim 3 wherein said handle has a length of about 18 inches.

5. The handle as defined in claim 4 wherein said handle has leg sections between said ends and said handle section with a width of from about ½

inch to about 1 inch.

6. The handle as defined in claim 5 wherein said leg sections have a width of Abut ¾

inch.

7. A flexible polymeric handle having opposed ends for lockably inserting into apertures of one of a plant tray or pot, said handle comprising:

an elongated flexible polymeric body having a longitudinal axis, said body having opposed ends;

a generally triangular locking tab at each of said opposed ends, said tab including a tip at an end of said body and a base spaced inwardly from said tip;

a longitudinally extending slit coaxial with said longitudinal axis of said body and extending from said tip to said base of each of said tabs; and

a secondary tab aligned with the longitudinal axis of said body and said longitudinal slit, said secondary tab having a wide end and a narrow end wherein said wide end is hinged to said polymeric body and said narrow end is proximate to and communicates with said longitudinally extending slit, wherein said body includes a pair of opposed laterally extending slots extending inwardly from edges of said body toward said longitudinally extending slit in alignment with the junction of said longitudinally extending slit and said narrow end of said secondary tab at each end of said body;

wherein said pair of opposed laterally extending slots define a shoulder aligned with and longitudinally spaced from said base of said generally triangular tab wherein said shoulder engages a side of a plant tray or pot opposite the triangular tab when inserted into a plant tray or pot; and

wherein said body of said handle includes a center handle section centrally located between said opposed ends, wherein said center handle section includes a plurality of opposed spaced-apart inwardly and transversely extending concave indentations.

8. The handle as defined in claim 7 and further including a widened handle section on opposite sides of said center section.

9. The handle as defined in claim 8 wherein said tabs are formed by a pair of opposed laterally extending slits which include sections which extend longitudinally toward said tip of said tab in spaced relationship to said longitudinally extending slit.

10. The handle as defined in claim 9 wherein said handle body is made of one of polypropylene and high density polyethylene.

11. The handle as defined in claim 10 wherein the thickness of said handle is from about 0.015 inches to about 0.040 inches.