Plant tray/pot handle

• US 7,857,197 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• 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 E
• Application Number:
  US11/584,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20080093242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 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 handle includes highly flexible locking tabs at opposite ends. Each of the opposed ends includes a generally triangular tab with a longitudinally extending slit aligned with the longitudinal axis of the handle for allowing the triangular tab to deflect for ease of insertion into an aperture in a tray or pot. The handle ends also include a secondary locking tab which is spaced in alignment with the longitudinally extending slit inwardly of the generally triangular tab. The locking ends include inwardly extending slots which define shoulders which engage a side of the tray or pot opposite the triangular tab for stabilizing the end of the handle in its locking engagement with the tray or pot.

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 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 extending from said tip to said base of each of said tabs to bisect 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 said tip of said locking tab and communicates with said longitudinally extending slit.

2. The handle has defined in claim 1 wherein each longitudinally extending slit is coaxial with said longitudinal axis of said body.

3. The handle as defined in claim 2 wherein said body includes a pair of opposed laterally extending cuts 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.

4. 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; and

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.

5. The handle as defined in claim 4 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.

6. The handle as defined in claim 5 wherein said handle body is made of one of polypropylene and high density polyethylene.

7. The handle as defined in claim 6 wherein the thickness of said handle is from about 0.015 inches to about 0.040 inches.

8. The handle as defined in claim 7 wherein said handle has a length of from about 12 inches to about 24 inches.

9. The handle as defined in claim 8 wherein said handle has a length of about 18 inches.

10. The handle as defined in claim 9 wherein said handle body includes a center handle section between said opposed ends.

11. The handle as defined in claim 10 wherein said handle section includes opposed inwardly extending concave indentations.

12. The handle as defined in claim 11 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.

13. The handle as defined in claim 12 wherein said leg sections have a width of about ¾

inch.

14. 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 and opposed locking ends;

wherein each of said locking ends is defined in part by a generally triangular tab, said tab including a pair of flukes defined, in part, by a pair of spaced slits extending from a base of said tab toward said tip in spaced relationship to said longitudinal axis of said body;

a longitudinally extending slit extending between said slits from said tip to said base of each of said tabs to bisect said tabs; and

a pear-shaped tab having an axis aligned with said longitudinally extending slit, said pear-shaped 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 such that said pear-shaped tab deflects from the plane of said body and improves the flexibility of said tab for insertion into an aperture of a plant tray or pot for locking said locking ends of said handle to a plant tray or pot.

15. The handle has defined in claim 14 wherein each longitudinally extending slit is coaxial with said longitudinal axis of said body.

16. The handle as defined in claim 15 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.

17. 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 and opposed locking ends;

wherein each of said locking ends is defined in part by a generally triangular tab, said tab including a pair of flukes defined, in part, by a pair of spaced slits extending from a base of said tab toward said tip in spaced relationship to said longitudinal axis of said body;

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

a pear-shaped tab having an axis aligned with said longitudinally extending slit, said pear-shaped 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 such that said pear-shaped tab deflects from the plane of said body and improves the flexibility of said tab for insertion into an aperture of a plant tray or pot for locking said locking ends of said handle to a plant tray or pot, 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; and

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.

18. 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 elongated, generally pear-shaped 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 communicates with said longitudinally extending slit, and 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.

19. The handle as defined in claim 18 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 slot.