Object of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a handle for handling stackable containers that
can be vertically stacked. More particularly, said handle is accessible when the containers
are stacked and the neck to which the handle is fixed is housed entirely under the
container located immediately thereabove in the stack, and therefore concealed in
a cavity arranged in the lower base of said container arranged thereabove.
[0002] This invention also relates to a container with a vertically stackable configuration
comprising a handle that allows access to the neck of said container when stacked
under another container without having to modify the configuration of the container
so as to allow access to the handle from outside the stack.
Background of the Invention
[0003] In the industry of large-capacity containers and jugs, storage space optimization
is crucial to enable enlarging and utilizing the production stock and facilities.
One of the solutions that the industry has implemented has been to develop containers
with a geometry that allows the vertical stacking of containers. To that end, the
lower base of containers is generally provided with geometries that adapt to the upper
base and therefore allow the sequential positioning of containers one on top of another.
[0004] In certain solutions, this geometry consists of a molded cavity in the lower base
of the container that allows housing the neck and opening of the container positioned
immediately thereunder in the stack, while at the same time it allows a stable support
on the upper base of said lower container.
[0005] Additionally, said containers are usually provided with gripping elements for the
handling and transport thereof, such as handles located on and fixed to the neck of
said containers.
[0006] However, in the type of containers defined above, which have geometries housing part
of the lower container, due to requirements of optimizing the volume of each container,
the free space between containers is very small. As a result, there is very little
design freedom for the gripping elements since they have to adapt to this condition
without losing any functionality.
[0007] Modified containers are known for handling this problem, in which the handle is configured
on one side so as to allow the gripping thereof even though it is located in a stack.
[0008] When the handle is attached to the neck of the bottle, the problems identified above
become worse because said gripping elements are housed entirely inside the cavities
and are inaccessible for the user. The possibility of having access to the handle
when the containers are in the operative position stacked on top of one another is
thereby ruled out. Therefore, interaction with the stacked containers will have to
be through their side walls, which are not optimal for being handled, as said walls
are generally flexible, which represents a loss of stability and manageability in
fluid-storing containers.
[0009] Even when the handle is housed in a cavity of the lower base of the container arranged
immediately thereabove in the stack, the configuration of the container must be modified
so as to allow housing the handle, which is an element that projects from the neck.
The solutions that have been adopted either require including a very large cavity
so that the handle can take on any orientation, or else they require defining a slot
in the cavity so that the handle can be housed in a given orientation.
[0010] In either of the two solutions, the region for supporting a container on the container
immediately thereunder is considerably reduced, and in the case of the second option,
it has the drawback of having to assure the correct orientation of the handle before
stacking so that it can be located exactly in the slot that has been provided, or
the stability of the stack is otherwise jeopardized.
[0011] The gripping elements usually incorporate articulations in the connection to the
neck of the container that allow the rotation of the gripping element so that it can
have any orientation. These articulations are usually configured in the form of a
ring with tabs that allow going around the neck of the container by insertion but
prevent the ring from coming off by means of a wedging effect.
[0012] The present invention solves the problems indicated above by means of a specific
configuration of the handle that does not require any modification to the shape of
the cavity of the container intended for housing the neck of the container located
immediately thereunder during stacking, and it offers the ability to be gripped from
one side without affecting the stability of the stack.
Description of the Invention
[0013] The present invention provides a solution to the aforementioned problems by means
of a handle that allows the access to and handling of containers in stacks. The dependent
claims define preferred embodiments of the invention which include, among others,
the combination of the handle and the container where it is coupled to the handle.
[0014] A first inventive aspect is a handle for a stackable container that can be vertically
stacked by means of supporting a lower base on an upper base of the container arranged
immediately thereunder in the stack, from which upper base there emerges the neck
of
the opening of the container, wherein the
handle comprises:
[0015]
- a fixing ring adapted for being coupled to the neck of the container;
- a gripping element;
- an attachment section between the gripping element and the
fixing ring.
[0016] These elements of the handle are known in the state of the art and it is the common
way to configure a handle for a container since it is possible to use different manufacturing
techniques for the container, for example by blow molding, and for the handle, for
example by injection molding. The same occurs with the materials, i.e., the materials
of the handle can be different from the materials of the container.
[0017] The handle is configured with a fixing ring which is configured in most of the embodiments
with flexible tabs that allow the insertion but prevent it from coming off by means
of wedging.
[0018] Once this fixing ring has been inserted, most of the embodiments allow rotation of
said ring around the neck, favoring the change in orientation. While it is a desirable
feature, it is not essential for the present invention.
[0019] The gripping area is a portion of the handle that is configured for being adapted
to the shape of the hand such that in the event of a large load, for example when
the container is a large-volume container, gripping is made as comfortable as possible.
[0020] The attachment section is a portion of the handle which establishes the connection
between the gripping element and the fixing ring.
[0021] According to the invention, the handle is characterized in that:
the attachment section comprises a sheet-like portion configured for being arranged
between the upper base of the container on which the fixing ring is fixed and the
lower base of the upper stacked container when they are stacked in the operative mode.
[0022] According to the invention, the attachment section establishes a distance between
the fixing ring and gripping element that is greater than the distance established
between the fixing ring and the support area without a handle between the upper base
and the lower base of the stacked containers in order to leave the handle accessible
for the user after stacking.
[0023] The dimensions of the handle according to the invention allow said handle to be accessible
for a user when the containers are stacked on top of one another in the operative
mode. In other words, the handle is accessible as a result of the length of the attachment
section, with this being greater than the distance established between the fixing
ring and the support area without the handle between the upper base and the lower
base of the stacked containers. Therefore, each handle will provide individual access
to its corresponding container, despite being located in an intermediate segment of
the stack.
[0024] According to the invention, the container does not require being modified so as to
allow access to the gripping element after stacking. If the containers do not have
a handle, the lower base has a support region configured for being adapted to the
upper surface of the container, where a support region which receives the lower support
base of the container located thereabove in the stack can likewise be identified in
the upper part.
[0025] These two regions can be two surfaces that are not necessarily flat, or they can
even have ribs and cavities. The best support is established when the surfaces are
essentially complementary to one another to assure the greatest contact. In this case,
the inclusion of a resistant element located on one side and interposed between the
two surfaces, that is, the support surface of the upper container and the upper surface
of the lower container on which the former is supported, leads to an inadequate seating
and the stack being tilted.
[0026] In contrast, the invention establishes a sheet-like portion configured for being
located between these two surfaces that are intended for resting one on top of the
other, such that it does not modify the separation therebetween except for the thickness
of the sheet section, which results in stack stability being unchanged.
[0027] The distance prerequisite of this attachment section assures that the thicker gripping
element remains outside the support surfaces without affecting the stack, and it furthermore
allows the user to access it in order to grip same.
[0028] According to an embodiment, the handle allows acting on the lower base of the container
which is located immediately thereabove in the stack, exerting an upward, lever-like
force that will be applied by the attachment section to said lower base to make it
easier to remove the desired container.
[0029] The geometry of the handle, with one or more sheet-like portions along the attachment
section connecting the gripping element and the fixing ring, allows it to adapt to
the stacking interface between two containers without compromising stability of the
supports of said stack or increasing the volume for coupling the cavity of the base
of the upper container and the neck and opening of the lower container.
[0030] In a particular embodiment, the fixing ring has a plurality of oblique insertion
tabs or flanges for retaining the handle after its insertion on the opening of the
container.
[0031] Advantageously, these flanges allow optimal coupling between the handle and the neck
of the container, where they fold with the movement for insertion of the handle on
the neck of the container inserting externally the fixing ring.
[0032] The flanges fix the handle to the neck of the container, showing certain resistance
due to the wedging thereof in the direction of removal of the handle with respect
to the neck of the container. Therefore, said flanges retain the handle in a fixed
position, making removal impossible when the handle supports the weight of the container
in service.
[0033] In a particular embodiment, the gripping element comprises a flexible attachment
between the attachment section and the fixing ring so as to allow, after bending,
an essentially transverse position between the attachment section together with the
gripping element and the fixing ring when said handle is being used to carry the container.
[0034] This flexibility in the attachment between the fixing ring and the attachment section
allows the relative movement between both without requiring articulations or engaging
elements, thereby making the adaptation and transition of the handle between operative
states easier.
[0035] Furthermore, the flexibility of the attachment allows operating also when moving
the container from one place to another suspended by the gripping element under the
weight of the load, where the flexibility of the attachment allows the change in angle
of said gripping element with respect to the fixing ring until reaching the vertical
position which corresponds with the direction of gravity.
[0036] In a particular embodiment, the attachment section is configured with at least two
connecting elements, parallel to one another, located between the fixing ring and
the gripping element, with each connecting element arranged on either side of the
fixing ring and on either side of the gripping element. The attachment section is
thereby lightened and maintains resistance as if it were a continuous element.
[0037] In a particular embodiment, each connecting element comprises a sheet-like portion
and both are connected by a second transverse sheet-like portion also configured for
being arranged between the upper base of the container on which the fixing ring is
fixed and the lower base of the upper stacked container when they are stacked in the
operative mode. This portion allows for a complementary configuration of the cavity
assuring that the stacked container arranged thereabove is in engagement, increasing
stability thereof.
[0038] Advantageously, the second sheet-like portion connecting both connecting elements
will provide the connecting element and gripping element assembly, which is responsible
for transmitting the force exerted on the gripping element to the fixing ring, with
greater dimensional stability and stiffness. Likewise, as occurs with the sheet-like
portions described above, this geometry will allow the second sheet-like portion to
adapt to the stacking interface between two containers without compromising the stability
of the supports of said stack or increasing the volume generated between the cavity
of the base of the upper container and the neck and the opening of the lower container.
[0039] In a second inventive aspect, the invention provides the combination established
by a container and a handle according to the first inventive aspect, wherein the container
comprises:
- a lower base,
- an upper base from which there emerges a neck with an opening for accessing the inside
of the container,
wherein
- the lower base is configured for being supported on the upper base of the container
arranged immediately thereunder when it is stacked in a stack in the operative mode,
- the lower base has a cavity for housing the neck and the opening of the container
arranged immediately thereunder when it is stacked in a stack in the operative mode,
- the fixing ring of the handle is fixed to the neck of the container, and
- wherein the gripping element is spaced from the support area between the upper base
and the lower base of two consecutively stacked containers in order to leave the handle
accessible for the user after stacking.
[0040] In a particular embodiment, the second transverse sheet-like portion comprises a
transverse prolongation that enters the cavity of the container arranged immediately
thereabove to act as a retention between consecutively stacked containers.
[0041] Advantageously, this transverse prolongation will be supported on the inner face
of the cavity of the lower base of the container immediately thereabove in the stack,
providing greater stability to the support and preventing possible relative sliding
between containers in the stack.
Description of the Drawings
[0042] These and other features and advantages of the invention will become clearer based
on the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment given solely by way
of illustrative and non-limiting example in reference to the attached drawings.
Figure 1 shows a plan view of an embodiment of the handle according to the invention.
Figure 2 shows a side view of an embodiment of the handle according to the invention.
Figure 3 shows a front view of an embodiment of a container without the handle coupled
thereto.
Figure 4 shows a side view of a stack of two containers with a handle according to
the invention arranged between both.
Detailed Description of the Invention
[0043] Figures 1 and 2 schematically show the configuration of the elements that are part
of the handle (1) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0044] This embodiment shows a fixing ring (1.1) comprising a plurality of oblique flanges
(1.1.1) projecting into the annular space for fixing and retaining the handle (1)
with respect to the neck (2.3) of a container (2) once it has been inserted on the
neck (2.3) of said container (2).
[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the neck of the container (2) has a downwardly wedged perimetral
projection (2.3.1). The minimum diameter observed in Figure 1 defined by the ends
of the oblique flanges (1.1.1) is smaller than the outer diameter of the perimetral
projection (2.3.1).
[0046] During the insertion of the fixing ring (1.1) on the neck (2.3) of the container
(2), the oblique flanges (1.1.1) clear the perimetral projection (2.3.1) by bending,
and therefore increasing the diameter defined by the ends thereof. When the oblique
flanges (1.1.1) clear the perimetral projection (2.3.1), said flanges (1.1.1) elastically
recover their initial configuration by again reducing the diameter and preventing
them from coming off, therefore assuring the fixing.
[0047] This fixing does not prevent rotation, so the fixing ring (1.1) according to this
embodiment allows orienting the handle (1) in the desired direction.
[0048] An attachment section (1.2) is likewise shown, and in this particular embodiment
it is made up of two connecting elements (1.2.2, 1.2.3) located on both sides of the
fixing ring (1.1). Said connecting elements (1.2.2, 1.2.3) are connected by one of
their ends to the fixing ring (1.1) by means of respective flexible attachments (1.2.5,
1.2.6) so as to allow bending when the handle (1) is grabbed, which allows going from
an almost horizontal position such as the one shown in Figure 2 to a vertical position
imposed by the weight of the container.
[0049] The connecting elements (1.2.2, 1.2.3) are attached at the other end to a gripping
element (1.3), and they further comprise respective sheet-like portions (1.2.1) along
their body which, when the containers (2) are stacked in the operative mode, will
be arranged between the upper base (2.2) of the container (2) from which there emerges
the neck (2.3) where the handle (1) is located and the lower base (2.1) of the container
(2) stacked immediately thereabove.
[0050] The shape of the sheet-like portions (1.2.1) is not necessarily flat, but rather
adapts to the shapes of the support surfaces of the stacked containers such that the
container (2) stacked immediately thereabove is supported on this sheet-like portion
(1.2.1) in the section where the handle (1) is located with the support thereof, and
therefore the stability of the stack as well, barely being modified.
[0051] This sheet-like configuration with a shape adapted to the bases of the container
(2) intended for being in contact during stacking allows use of this handle (1) in
containers that do not require design changes intended for including cavities or spaces
that would allow housing the handle (1) so as to allow access from the outside after
stacking, and that would lead to a reduction of the effective support between containers
(2).
[0052] Continuing with the configuration of the handle (1), according to this embodiment
the latter additionally comprises a transverse portion (1.2.4), which is also sheet-like,
connecting the two connecting elements (1.2.2, 1.2.3) providing the connecting element
(1.2.2, 1.2.3) and gripping element (1.3) assembly with greater dimensional stability
and stiffness. Said sheet-like configuration will also allow this transverse portion
(1.2.4) to be located between the upper base (2.2) and lower base (2.1) of the containers
(2) forming the stack.
[0053] According to the same embodiment, the transverse portion (1.2.4) comprises a transverse
prolongation (1.2.4.1) configured for being housed in the cavity (2.1.1) of the lower
base (2.1) of the container (2) immediately thereabove in the stack and for being
supported on the inner face of said cavity (2.1.1).
[0054] Figure 2 clearly shows according to the side view how the transverse prolongation
(1.2.4.1) is raised, and it is raised according to the configuration of the surface
of the cavity (2.1.1) of the container (2) as shown in Figure 3, resulting in a portion
of the surface of the handle (1) that adheres to the inner surface of the cavity (2.1.1)
of the container. The effect of this prolongation (1.2.4.1) is that it establishes
an engagement that stabilizes the stack between containers (2) as it aligns the container
(2) arranged thereabove with respect to the position of the neck (2.3) of the container
arranged therebelow in the stack.
[0055] Figure 3 shows a vertical section of an embodiment of the container (2) without the
handle (1) coupled thereto. Said figure shows the lower base (2.1) where the cavity
(2.1.1) in which the neck (2.3) will be housed is molded and the opening (2.4) of
the container (2) that is located immediately thereunder in the stack. The body of
said container (2) goes up to the upper base (2.2) where there is located a horizontal
portion for supporting the lower base (2.1) of the container (2) immediately thereabove
in the stack. Furthermore, the neck (2.3), with its perimetral projection (2.3.1)
where the handle (1) will be fixed and retained according to the described example,
protrudes from said upper base (2.2). Said neck (2.3) likewise comprises the opening
(2.4) of the container (2).
[0056] Figure 4 shows two containers (2) according to the embodiment of Figure 3 in the
operative mode, stacked on top of one another. It can be seen how the gripping element
(1.3) of the handle (1) attached to the container (2) arranged thereunder in the stack
extends beyond the line defining the stacking interface between both containers (2)
such that the stack is not affected by the interposition of the handle (1) through
its sheet-like portion (1.2.1) and the gripping element (1.3) is located outside the
stack and is therefore accessible for the user from one side.
1. A handle (1) for a stackable container (2) that can be vertically stacked by means
of supporting a lower base (2.1) on an upper base (2.2) of the container (2) arranged
immediately thereunder in the stack, from which upper base (2.2) there emerges the
neck (2.3) of the opening (2.4) of the container (2), wherein the handle (1) comprises:
- a fixing ring (1.1) adapted for being coupled to the neck (2.3) of the container
(2);
- a gripping element (1.3);
- an attachment section (1.2) between the gripping element (1.3) and the fixing ring
(1.1)
characterized in that
the attachment section (1.2) comprises a sheet-like portion (1.2.1) configured for
being arranged between the upper base (2.2) of the container (2) on which the fixing
ring (1.1) is fixed and the lower base (2.1) of the upper stacked container (2) when
they are stacked in the operative mode.
2. The handle (1) according to claim 1, wherein the fixing ring (1.1) has a plurality
of oblique insertion flanges (1.1.1) for retaining the handle after its insertion
on the opening (2.3) of the container (2).
3. The handle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment section
(1.2) comprises a flexible attachment (1.2.5, 1.2.6) with the fixing ring (1.1) so
as to allow, after bending, an essentially transverse position between the attachment
section (1.2) and the fixing ring (1.1) when said handle (1) is being used to carry
the container (2).
4. The handle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment section
(1.2) is configured with at least two connecting elements (1.2.2, 1.2.3), parallel
to one another, located between the fixing ring (1.1) and the gripping element (1.3),
with each connecting element (1.2.2, 1.2.3) arranged on either side of the fixing
ring (1.1) and on either side of the gripping element (1.3).
5. The handle (1) according to claim 4, wherein each connecting element (1.2.2, 1.2.3)
comprises a sheet-like portion (1.2.1) and both are connected by a second transverse
sheet-like portion (1.2.4) also configured for being arranged between the upper base
(2.2) of the container (2) on which the fixing ring (1.1) is fixed and the lower base
(2.1) of the upper stacked container (2) when they are stacked in the operative mode.
6. A container (2) with a handle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein
the container comprises:
- a lower base (2.1),
- an upper base (2.2) from which there emerges a neck (2.3) with an opening (2.4)
for accessing the inside of the container (2),
wherein
- the lower base (2.1) is configured for being supported on the upper base (2.2) of
the container (2) arranged immediately thereunder when it is stacked in a stack in
the operative mode,
- the lower base (2.1) has a cavity (2.1.1) for housing the neck (2.3) and the opening
(2.4) of the container (2) arranged immediately thereunder when it is stacked in a
stack in the operative mode,
- the fixing ring (1.1) of the handle (1) is fixed to the neck (2.3) of the container
(2), and
- wherein the gripping element (1.3) is spaced from the support area between the upper
base (2.2) and the lower base (2.1) of two consecutively stacked containers in order
to leave the handle (1) accessible for the user after stacking.
7. The container (2) according to claims 5 and 6, wherein the second transverse sheet-like
portion (1.2.4) comprises a transverse prolongation (1.2.4.1) configured for entering
the cavity (2.1.1) of the container (2) arranged immediately thereabove so as to guide
and stabilize the stack between consecutively stacked containers (2).