PRODUCT HANDLE

Abstract

A product handle that is formed of a folded planar material such that it may be made from an environmentally friendly material is disclosed for providing a means for a user to hold one or more merchandise products in the form of bottles in one hand. The product handle includes 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. A product held by the product handle can pass through the first hole and the second hole. The second hole is tapered and 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.

Claims

1. A product handle comprising: 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, wherein 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.

2. The product handle of claim 1, wherein the first hole and the second hole are concentrically aligned and the lesser diameter of the second hole is configured to fit between a product bottle and a product cap.

3. The product handle of claim 1, wherein the first hole and the second hole are substantially circular.

4. The product handle of claim 1, wherein the second hole is 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.

5. The product handle of claim 1, wherein the planar top face, the planar bottom face, the planar front face, and the planar rear face are made of a folded sheet of cardboard.

6. The product handle of claim 1, wherein: the planar top face has a third hole of equal diameter as the first hole, the planar bottom face has a fourth hole of equal diameter as the second hole, and wherein the third hole and the fourth hole are aligned such that a second product held by the product handle can pass through the third hole and the fourth hole.

7. The product handle of claim 6, wherein: the third hole and the fourth hole are concentrically aligned and the lesser diameter of the second hole is configured to fit between a product bottle and a product cap, the third hole and the fourth hole are substantially circular, and the fourth hole is 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.

8. The product handle of claim 7, wherein the planar top face, the planar bottom face, the planar front face, and the planar rear face are made of a folded sheet of cardboard.

9. A product handle comprising: a planar member configured to be folded into the product handle, the planar member including: a first hole, a second hole, a pair of folding front edges, each edge of the pair of folding front edges being 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, a pair of folding rear edges, each edge of the pair of folding rear edges being parallel with the other edge of the pair of folding rear edges, the pair of folding rear edges being disposed on a second side of the first and second holes, 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, wherein 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.

10. The product handle of claim 9, wherein: 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 being configured to fit between a first product bottle and a first product cap, and 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 being configured to fit between a second product bottle and a second product cap.

11. The product handle of claim 10, wherein the third and fourth holes are 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.

12. The product handle of claim 11, wherein the planar member is composed of cardboard.

13. The product handle of claim 10, wherein: the first hole is of equal diameter as the second hole, the third hole is of equal diameter as the fourth hole, and wherein: 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.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The drawings reference herein forms a part of the specification. Features shown in the drawings are meant as illustrative of only some embodiments, and not of all embodiments unless otherwise explicitly indicated.

[0018] FIG. 1 depicts a top view of an unfolded planar member to form the product handle.

[0019] FIG. 2 depicts a bottom view of an unfolded planar member to form the product handle.

[0020] FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of a folded planar member forming the product handle.

[0021] FIG. 4 depicts a top view of a folded planar member to form the product handle.

[0022] FIG. 5 depicts a perspective view of a product handle holding a merchandise product in the form of a bottle.

[0023] FIG. 6 depicts a front view of a product handle holding a merchandise product in the form of a bottle.

[0024] FIG. 7 depicts a side view of a product handle holding a merchandise product in the form of a bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a planar member 100 configured to be folded into a product handle includes a first hole 250 and a second hole 260. The first and second holes 250, 260, respectively, are positioned between a pair of folding front edges 110, 112 and a pair of folding rear edges 114, 116. Each edge of the pair of folding front edges 110, 112 is parallel with the other edge and the pair of folding front edges 110, 112 are disposed on a first side of the first and second holes 250, 260, respectively. Each edge of the pair of folding rear edges 114, 116 is parallel with the other edge and the pair of folding rear edges 114, 116 are disposed on a second side of the first and second holes 250, 260, respectively.

[0029] A first pair of substantially semicircular cuts 172, 182 are disposed on an opposite side of the pair of folding front edges 110, 112 from the first and second holes 150, 260, respectively. Similarly, a second pair of substantially semicircular cuts 174, 184 are disposed on an opposite side of the pair of folding rear edges 114, 116 from the first and second holes 250, 260, respectively.

[0030] A folding tab 222 extends from between the second pair of substantially semicircular cuts 174, 184. The folding tab 222 includes a first fold line 118 and a second fold line 120. A slit 124 is located proximal to folding front edge 112. When the planar member 100 is folded into a product handle, the portion of the folding tab 222 beyond the second fold line 120 is configured to be inserted into the slit 124 to hold the form of the product handle. As described in further detail with respect to FIGS. 3-7, when the planar member 100 is folded into a product handle 200, the first pair of substantially semicircular cuts 172, 182 are configured to combine with the corresponding second pair of substantially semicircular cuts 174, 184 to form third and fourth holes 270, 280, respectively. Specifically, third hole 270 is formed of the joining of substantially semicircular cut 172 with substantially semicircular cut 174, and fourth hole 280 is formed of the joining of substantially semicircular cut 182 with substantially semicircular cut 184. Each of the first pair of substantially semicircular cuts 172, 182 and the second pair of substantially semicircular cuts 174, 184 are tapered at the edges of the cuts such that the thickness of the edge of the third and fourth holes 270, 280 is less than a thickness of the remainder of the planar member 100.

[0031] Comparing the unfolded planar member 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the folded planar member 100 creating the product handle 200 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be appreciated that the folding front edge 112 and the folding rear edge 114 form the front and rear edges of a planar top face 210, respectively. The pair of folding front edges 110, 112 form the bottom and top edges of a planar front face 220, respectively, of the product handle 200. The pair of folding rear edges 114, 116 form the top and bottom edges of a planar rear face 230, respectively, of the product handle 200. The outer portions of the planar member 100, which are on exterior sides of the folding front edge 110 and folding rear edge 116, come together to form a planar bottom face 240 when the planar member 100 is folded to make the product handle 200.

[0032] With respect to FIG. 4, it can be appreciated that when the third and fourth holes 270, 280 are formed by the joining of the first pair of substantially semicircular cuts 172, 182 with the corresponding second pair of substantially semicircular cuts 174, 184, the third and fourth holes 270, 280 are aligned with the first and second holes 250, 260, respectively. Specifically, the third hole 270 on the planar bottom face 240 is aligned concentrically with the first hole 250 on the planar top face 210. Similarly, the fourth hole 280 on the planar bottom face 240 is aligned concentrically with the second hole 260 on the planar top face 210.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 5-7, a product such as a bottle 300 may be fitted into the product handle 200. The bottle 300 includes a bottle body 310 and a bottle cap 320. When the product handle 200 is fitted onto the bottle, the bottle cap 320 is passed through either the first hole 250 or the second hole 260. The two halves that form the planar bottom face 240 of the product handle 200 are fitted between the bottle cap 320 and the bottle body 310. The tapering of the first and second pair of substantially semicircular cuts 172, 182, 174, 184 assist in the fitting of the two halves that form the planar bottom face 240 between the bottle cap 320 and the bottle body 310.

[0034] Notably, in addition to the edges of the third and fourth holes 270, 280 being tapered to assist in fitting the two halves that form the planar bottom face 240 between the bottle cap 320 and the bottle body 310, the diameters of the third and fourth holes 270, 280 are less than the diameters of the first and second holes 250, 260. The lesser diameters of the third and fourth holes 270, 280 allow for the planar bottom face 240 to firmly restrain the bottle 300 in place. While the bottle 300 is held in place by the third and fourth holes 270, 280, the first and second holes 250, 260 assist in maintaining the orientation of the bottle 300 with respect to the product handle 200 by abutting the outer edge of the bottle cap 320.

[0035] The shape of first and second holes 250, 260 may differ from the circular shapes depicted in the drawings. For example, the first and second holes 250, 260 may be squares, triangles, ovals, or any other geometric shape necessary to accept a product into the product handle 200. The same may be said for the shape of the third and fourth holes 270, 280. However, the size of the third and fourth holes 270, 280 in comparison to the size of the first and second holes 250, 260 must be such that the product being held by the product handle 200 is able to pass through and rest between the first and second holes 250, 260 while being firmly held by the third and fourth holes 270, 280.

[0036] In addition, the product handle 200 may 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 handle 200 would require multiplying the number of holes on the planar top face 210 and the number of corresponding holes on the planar bottom face 240 by the number of products desired to be held by the product handle 200.