Product Handle

The present embodiments described in this specification relate generally to a handle formed to hold a merchandise product or set of products in a fixed manner and provide a handle for a user to carry the one or more merchandise products.

Merchandise packaging, including the incorporation of plastic handles for consumers' carrying convenience, is as common in commerce as the merchandised products themselves. Packaging serves several roles including collective grouping or organization of merchandise product, branding, and maintaining product integrity. Plastic handles, often integrated into packaging designs, offer added functionality, facilitating ease of transport and enhancing user experience.

However, the proliferation of plastic packaging and handles poses significant environmental challenges. Plastic, derived from non-renewable resources like petroleum and natural gas, presents grave ecological repercussions throughout its lifecycle. Manufacturing processes emit greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change, while extraction and refining operations disrupt ecosystems. Moreover, plastic packaging's durability translates into prolonged persistence in the environment, polluting oceans, soil, and wildlife habitats.

The environmental toll extends beyond disposal. Plastic packaging and handles contribute to the global plastic waste crisis, with inadequate recycling infrastructure exacerbating the issue. Improper disposal practices, such as littering and landfill dumping, further compound environmental degradation. Microplastic pollution, resulting from the breakdown of larger plastic items, poses additional ecological risks, infiltrating food chains and posing potential harm to human health.

Industrial costs associated with plastic packaging and handles also warrant consideration. While plastic offers cost-effective solutions in terms of manufacturing, transportation, and durability, the hidden expenses of environmental remediation and resource depletion underscore the need for sustainable alternatives. Moreover, evolving regulatory frameworks and consumer preferences increasingly prioritize eco-conscious practices, prompting businesses to reevaluate packaging strategies and invest in environmentally friendly alternatives.

While merchandise packaging and plastic handles serve crucial functions in commerce, their environmental impacts and industrial costs necessitate a re-evaluation of current practices toward more sustainable solutions. Accordingly, there is a need for a more environmentally feasible and cost-effective substitute to plastic handles and packaging while having the structural strength necessary to fulfill the functional role of facilitating ease of transport of the merchandise product.

A product handle is disclosed for providing a means for a user to hold one or more merchandise products in the form of bottles in one hand. More specifically, the product handle is formed of a folded planar material such that it may be made from an environmentally friendly material.

In one embodiment, a product handle is disclosed as including a planar top face having a first hole, a planar bottom face having a second hole with a diameter less than a diameter of the first hole, a planar front face, and a planar rear face. The first hole and the second hole are aligned such that a product held by the product handle can pass through the first hole and the second hole.

The first hole and the second hole may be concentrically aligned, and the lesser diameter of the second hole may be configured to fit between a product bottle and a product cap. In addition, the first hole and the second hole may be substantially circular. The second hole may be tapered such that a thickness of an edge of the second hole is less than a thickness of the remainder of the planar bottom face. The planar top face, the planar bottom face, the planar front face, and the planar rear face may be made of a folded sheet of cardboard.

In another embodiment, the planar top face may have a third hole of equal diameter as the first hole, the planar bottom face may have a fourth hole of equal diameter as the second hole, and the third hole and the fourth hole may be aligned such that a second product held by the product handle can pass through the third hole and the fourth hole.

The third hole and the fourth hole may be concentrically aligned and the lesser diameter of the second hole may be configured to fit between a product bottle and a product cap, the third hole and the fourth hole may be substantially circular, and the fourth hole may be tapered such that a thickness of an edge of the fourth hole is less than a thickness of the remainder of the planar bottom face. In this embodiment, the planar top face, the planar bottom face, the planar front face, and the planar rear face may also be made of a folded sheet of cardboard.

In yet another embodiment, a product handle is disclosed as including a planar member configured to be folded into the product handle, the planar member including a first hole, a second hole, and a pair of folding front edges. Each edge of the pair of folding front edges may be parallel with the other edge of the pair of folding front edges, the pair of folding front edges being disposed on a first side of the first and second holes. The planar member further includes a pair of folding rear edges, with each edge of the pair of folding rear edges being parallel with the other edge of the pair of folding rear edges and the pair of folding rear edges being disposed on a second side of the first and second holes. The planar member further includes a first pair of substantially semicircular cuts disposed on an opposite side of the pair of folding front edges from the first and second holes, respectively, a second pair of substantially semicircular cuts disposed on an opposite side of the pair of folding rear edges from the first and second holes, respectively, and a folding tab extending from between the second pair of substantially semicircular cuts.

Upon folding the planar member, the pair of folding front edges are configured to form a planar front face, the pair of folding rear edges are configured to form a planar rear face, the first and second holes are configured to be disposed on a planar top face, and the first pair of substantially semicircular cuts and the second pair of substantially semicircular are configured to join to form a third and fourth hole on a planar bottom face.

In this alternative embodiment, the first hole and the third hole are concentrically aligned and the third hole has a lesser diameter than a diameter of the first hole. The diameter of the third hole may be configured to fit between a first product bottle and a first product cap. The second hole and the fourth hole are concentrically aligned and the fourth hole has a lesser diameter than a diameter of the second hole. The diameter of the fourth hole may be configured to fit between a second product bottle and a second product cap.

The third and fourth holes may be tapered such that a thickness of an edge of the third and fourth holes is less than a thickness of the remainder of the planar bottom face. In this embodiment, the planar member may be composed of cardboard. In addition, the first hole is of equal diameter as the second hole, and the third hole is of equal diameter as the fourth hole. The first hole and the third hole are aligned such that the first product held by the product handle can pass through the first hole and the third hole, and the second hole and the fourth hole are aligned such that the second product held by the product handle can pass through the second hole and the fourth hole.

These and other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiment(s), taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

It will be readily understood that the components of the present embodiment(s), as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the apparatus, system, and method of the present embodiment(s), as presented in the Figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiment(s), as claimed, but is merely representative of selected embodiments.

Reference throughout this specification to “a select embodiment,” “one embodiment,” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment described herein. Thus, appearances of the phrases “a select embodiment,” “in one embodiment,” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.

The illustrated embodiments will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of devices, systems, and processes that are consistent with the embodiment(s) as claimed herein.

As shown in, a planar memberconfigured to be folded into a product handle includes a first holeand a second hole. The first and second holes,, respectively, are positioned between a pair of folding front edges,and a pair of folding rear edges,. Each edge of the pair of folding front edges,is parallel with the other edge and the pair of folding front edges,are disposed on a first side of the first and second holes,, respectively. Each edge of the pair of folding rear edges,is parallel with the other edge and the pair of folding rear edges,are disposed on a second side of the first and second holes,, respectively.

A first pair of substantially semicircular cuts,are disposed on an opposite side of the pair of folding front edges,from the first and second holes,, respectively. Similarly, a second pair of substantially semicircular cuts,are disposed on an opposite side of the pair of folding rear edges,from the first and second holes,, respectively.

A folding tabextends from between the second pair of substantially semicircular cuts,. The folding tabincludes a first fold lineand a second fold line. A slitis located proximal to folding front edge. When the planar memberis folded into a product handle, the portion of the folding tabbeyond the second fold lineis configured to be inserted into the slitto hold the form of the product handle. As described in further detail with respect to, when the planar memberis folded into a product handle, the first pair of substantially semicircular cuts,are configured to combine with the corresponding second pair of substantially semicircular cuts,to form third and fourth holes,, respectively. Specifically, third holeis formed of the joining of substantially semicircular cutwith substantially semicircular cut, and fourth holeis formed of the joining of substantially semicircular cutwith substantially semicircular cut. Each of the first pair of substantially semicircular cuts,and the second pair of substantially semicircular cuts,are tapered at the edges of the cuts such that the thickness of the edge of the third and fourth holes,is less than a thickness of the remainder of the planar member.

Comparing the unfolded planar membershown into the folded planar membercreating the product handleshown in, it can be appreciated that the folding front edgeand the folding rear edgeform the front and rear edges of a planar top face, respectively. The pair of folding front edges,form the bottom and top edges of a planar front face, respectively, of the product handle. The pair of folding rear edges,form the top and bottom edges of a planar rear face, respectively, of the product handle. The outer portions of the planar member, which are on exterior sides of the folding front edgeand folding rear edge, come together to form a planar bottom facewhen the planar memberis folded to make the product handle.

With respect to, it can be appreciated that when the third and fourth holes,are formed by the joining of the first pair of substantially semicircular cuts,with the corresponding second pair of substantially semicircular cuts,, the third and fourth holes,are aligned with the first and second holes,, respectively. Specifically, the third holeon the planar bottom faceis aligned concentrically with the first holeon the planar top face. Similarly, the fourth holeon the planar bottom faceis aligned concentrically with the second holeon the planar top face.

Referring to, a product such as a bottlemay be fitted into the product handle. The bottleincludes a bottle bodyand a bottle cap. When the product handleis fitted onto the bottle, the bottle capis passed through either the first holeor the second hole. The two halves that form the planar bottom faceof the product handleare fitted between the bottle capand the bottle body. The tapering of the first and second pair of substantially semicircular cuts,,,assist in the fitting of the two halves that form the planar bottom facebetween the bottle capand the bottle body.

Notably, in addition to the edges of the third and fourth holes,being tapered to assist in fitting the two halves that form the planar bottom facebetween the bottle capand the bottle body, the diameters of the third and fourth holes,are less than the diameters of the first and second holes,. The lesser diameters of the third and fourth holes,allow for the planar bottom faceto firmly restrain the bottlein place. While the bottleis held in place by the third and fourth holes,, the first and second holes,assist in maintaining the orientation of the bottlewith respect to the product handleby abutting the outer edge of the bottle cap.

The shape of first and second holes,may differ from the circular shapes depicted in the drawings. For example, the first and second holes,may be squares, triangles, ovals, or any other geometric shape necessary to accept a product into the product handle. The same may be said for the shape of the third and fourth holes,. However, the size of the third and fourth holes,in comparison to the size of the first and second holes,must be such that the product being held by the product handleis able to pass through and rest between the first and second holes,while being firmly held by the third and fourth holes,.

In addition, the product handlemay hold a different number of products than two. While the drawings depict an embodiment of the invention configured to hold two products, a handle may be made to hold one product or more than two products. Varying the number of products that can be held by the product handlewould require multiplying the number of holes on the planar top faceand the number of corresponding holes on the planar bottom faceby the number of products desired to be held by the product handle.