Carrying straps for attaching handles to the vertical surfaces of heavy objects

Abstract

A carrying strap (1) for attaching a handle to a vertical face (35) of a heavy object such as a window or a package including the window, the carrying strap (1) comprising: a circumferential strap (3) having a buckle (7) which allows the circumferential strap (3) to be releasably tightened around the object; a handle (13) fixedly fastened to the circumferential strap (3); and a pad (17) fixedly fastened to the circumferential strap (3) adjacent the handle (13), wherein the handle (13) comprises a rigid gripping portion (15).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to carrying straps for attaching a handle to a vertical surface of a heavy object such as a window or a package containing the window. Background Art

[0002] A wide variety of carrier straps are known for use in different applications.

[0003] US2011 / 0297710 A1 discloses a crib mattress caddy for grasping and lifting a crib mattress. The crib mattress caddy comprises: two parallel strips, each of which may comprise an integral strip or two strip portions; a front mounting bracket and a rear mounting bracket; a buckle that allows the length of the strips to be adjusted; a tilting strip and a lifting strip attached to the two parallel strips. In use, the mattress is tilted to a vertical position using the tilting strip, whereby the lifting strip is positioned at a vertical plane to be grasped in order to lift the mattress. The mounting bracket is L-shaped and may comprise a non-slip coating. The tilting strip and the lifting strip provide a soft, flexible handle.

[0004] US2009 / 0057358 A1 discloses many different embodiments of a strap system for attaching a handle to an inconvenient handleless article, the strap system comprising one or more straps for attachment around the article, a buckle for allowing adjustment of the length of the strap, and an at least semi-rigid handle that can be slidably adjusted along the strap. The handle is placed on top of the article in use.

[0005] US2013 / 0221047 A1 discloses a strap for securing an item to a structure such as a bicycle seat, a backpack, etc. The strap is provided with a buckle allowing the strap length to be adjusted, and the strap is attached with an attachment ring. The attachment ring is used to attach the strap to the above-mentioned structure.

[0006] Articles such as prefabricated windows, for example roof windows for installation in sloping roofs and which may be packaged, for example, in cardboard boxes, usually have a box-shaped profile with a considerable length, a small thickness and a width between the length and the thickness, so that these articles have two opposite wider longitudinal faces, two opposite narrower longitudinal faces, and two opposite end faces. Some of these articles are relatively small and easy to carry even for a single person, while others are larger and require two people to transport, for example at the installation site. Even for two people, the load borne by each person may be considerable, because such larger windows may weigh, for example, 150 kg, i.e. 75 kg per person. Such larger windows also have a considerable width, making handling more difficult. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a device which facilitates the handling of bulky, heavy objects, in particular box-shaped objects.

[0008] This is achieved by means of a carrying strap comprising: a circumferential strap with a buckle, the buckle allowing the ends of the circumferential strap to be passed through the buckle and releasably locked to the buckle, whereby the buckle allows the circumferential strap to be releasably tightened around an object; a handle, the handle being fixedly fastened to the circumferential strap; and a pad, the pad being fixedly fastened to the circumferential strap near the handle, wherein the handle comprises a rigid gripping portion. The circumferential strap is tightened around the object by placing the circumferential strap around the object at the longitudinal ends of the object - with the pad being positioned at the narrower longitudinal face - and by means of, for example, pulling the circumferential strap through the buckle and locking the buckle on the circumferential strap, the handle being placed adjacent to the wider longitudinal face located near the narrower longitudinal face on which the pad is placed. When the object is erected to stand upright on said narrower longitudinal face, i.e. with said face as the bottom face, the handle is placed at the vertical face located near the bottom of the object, so that it is easy to lift and transport the object by grasping the rigid gripping part of the handle. The friction caused by the tensioning of the circumferential strip, which friction is partly imparted by the pad, prevents the circumferential strip from sliding around the object and the handle thus remains in place. Preferably, a carrying strip is provided at each longitudinal end of the package so that two people have a handle at either end of the package. In addition to increasing the friction, the pad also provides protection for the object. The rigid gripping part of the window makes it possible for a person to grasp and lift even heavy objects, thereby bearing a load of, for example, 75 kg, without his / her hands being damaged by squeezing or the like.

[0009] In one embodiment, the buckle allows the circumferential strap to be tightened around an object in a releasable and adjustably manner. Thus, a given carrying strap can be used for different objects having different circumferences.

[0010] With respect to “the pad (is) fixedly fastened to the circumferential strip in the vicinity of the handle” (additional emphasis), it should be understood here that the distance between the pad and the handle is preferably less than one quarter of the length of the circumferential strip.

[0011] With respect to two items being “fixedly fastened” to each other, it is to be understood that these items may be releasably locked to each other at least at a fixing point so that the two items cannot slide relative to each other and cannot be removed from the fixing point, but can be moved within a limited distance around the fixing point.

[0012] In one embodiment, the handling strip comprises only a single circumferential strip. This facilitates attaching and detaching the handling strip, which is beneficial because: the handling strip is attached to the object when the object is to be moved etc. and afterwards the handling strip will usually and preferably be removed again so that the object is used for its intended purpose, such as being installed in a roof structure in the case where the object is a roof window.

[0013] In one embodiment, the handle is attached to the circumferential strip via a handle strip. It is thereby achieved that the handle is positioned, for example, at a small distance from the circumferential strip and thus from the face of the circumferential strip abutting, which generally facilitates handling. It is even foreseeable that the length of the handle strip is adjustable, so that the position of the handle relative to the bottom surface of the object can be adjusted.

[0014] In one embodiment, the pad has a rigid portion which is bent. The rigid portion of the pad can thereby be bent at an angle in the range of 75° to 135°, preferably in the range of 80° to 115°, more preferably about 90°. The rigid portion of the pad can thereby grip the corner of the package between the narrower longitudinal face abutted by the pad and the adjacent wider longitudinal face, thereby enhancing the overall frictional grip of the handling strip around the package, thereby further ensuring that the circumferential strip does not slide around the object.

[0015] In one embodiment, the bend is at the end of the pad opposite the handle.

[0016] In one embodiment, the pad includes a flexible portion. This allows the pad to be longer than the width of the narrower longitudinal face, the flexible portion of the pad flexing around the corner between the narrower longitudinal face and the adjacent wider longitudinal face when the carrying strap is mounted on an object, whereupon the pad protects the corner.

[0017] In one embodiment, the second pad is preferably slidably attached to the circumferential strip. The opposite narrower longitudinal face can thereby be protected and the carrying strip can be adjusted to a given object by sliding the second pad along the circumferential strip.

[0018] In the event that the carrying strap is only used for items having a certain circumference, the second pad may be fixedly fastened to the circumferential strap.

[0019] For the same reasons that the first pad may be flexible, the second pad may also be flexible.

[0020] In one embodiment, the buckle is attached to the first end of the circumferential strip, the second end of the circumferential strip is passed through the buckle so as to tighten the circumferential strip around the object, and the free end of the second end is thickened to prevent the second end from being removed from the buckle. Thereby, general handling of the carrying strap is facilitated, because the second end of the circumferential strip cannot be accidentally released from the buckle and must be re-threaded the next time the carrying strap is to be used. Installing the carrying strap does not require releasing the second end of the circumferential strip from the buckle, because the loop provided by the circumferential strip can simply be wrapped around the longitudinal end of the object when the second end of the circumferential strip is passed through the buckle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The invention will be described in more detail below by means of examples of embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 is a top view of a handling strip according to the present invention prior to completion;

[0023] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side view of a carrying strip;

[0024] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 a side view of the tote strap showing the completion of the tote strap; and

[0025] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional diagram showing the installation of the carrying strip on the object. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Figure 1 and Figure 2 A carrying strap 1 is shown in an almost finished state. The carrying strap 1 comprises a circumferential strap 3 for placement around an object to be transported so as to follow the circumference of the object in use. The circumferential strap 3 is fixedly connected with a buckle 7 at a first end 5 of the circumferential strap 3. In the embodiment shown, the buckle 7 may be of any known technology that allows a second end 9 of the circumferential strap 3 to pass through the buckle 7 and to be releasably locked to the buckle 7 so that the circumferential strap 3 is formed into a loop with a fixed circumference, i.e. a circumference that does not inadvertently expand during use.

[0027] The circumferential strip 3 is attached with a handle strip 11, for example by sewing, and the handle strip 11 is attached to a rigid handle 13. The handle is rigid as a whole, comprising a rigid gripping portion 15. Near the handle strip 11, the circumferential strip 3 is fixedly attached with a first pad 17. The first pad 17 cannot slide along the circumferential strip 3 as it is fixedly attached or fastened to the circumferential strip 3. The first pad 17 has a flexible portion 19 and a rigid portion 21, which in this embodiment is provided by an insert, for example one or more sheet metal pieces, embedded in the first pad 17. The insert should be rigid, but still ductile as will be explained below.

[0028] In the embodiment shown, the second pad 23 is slidably attached to the circumferential strip 3 so as to be able to slide along the circumferential strip 3 .

[0029] exist Figure 3 , a carrying strap 1 is shown in which the rigid portion 21 of the first pad 17 is bent at an angle α, which in the embodiment shown is approximately 90°. Other angles may also be used. Thus, the insert in the rigid portion 21 should be ductile to allow bending at an angle without breaking.

[0030] In this embodiment, the rigid portion 21 is positioned in the distal end of the first pad 17 relative to the handle 13. The rigid portion 21, ie the insert, may have a length of about 10 cm along the circumferential strip 3, and the bend may be provided in the middle of the insert.

[0031] exist Figure 3 In the embodiment, the free end 25 of the second end 9 of the circumferential strip 3 is shown to be folded and sewn to achieve thickening of the free end 25. It should be understood that such folding and sewing should only be provided after the second end 9 has passed through the buckle 7, because the purpose of the folding and sewing is to prevent the second end 9 from being removed from the buckle 7 for reasons that will be explained below.

[0032] Figure 4 The use of a carrying strap 1 is shown. Thus, Figure 4 The end of a carton 27 is shown, wherein the carton 27 comprises, for example, a roof window. The carton 27 has a length 29 in the longitudinal direction, a width 31 and a thickness 33. Thus, the carton 27 has a wider longitudinal face 35, a narrower longitudinal face 37 and an end face 39. Figure 4 In the embodiment, the carton 27 is placed upright on the narrower longitudinal face opposite to the narrower longitudinal face 37 and thus providing the bottom face 41 of the carton 27. Figure 4 As seen in FIG. 1 , the wider longitudinal face 35 is vertical.

[0033] The carrying strap 1 is now wrapped around the end of the carton 27, the first pad 17 abuts the bottom surface 41, the curved rigid portion 21 engages the corner of the carton 27 such that the edge of the bottom surface 41 abuts the edge of the second wider longitudinal surface opposite the wider longitudinal surface 35, the second pad 23 slides along the circumferential strap 3 to a position so as to abut against the narrower longitudinal surface 37, and by pulling the free end 25, the circumferential strap 3 is tightened around the carton 27. The buckle 7 locks the second end 9 of the circumferential strap 3, whereby the tension obtained by tightening is maintained. The handle 13 is now positioned adjacent to the vertical wider longitudinal surface 35 and is thus attached to the vertical surface in order to lift and transport the carton 27 by grasping the rigid gripping portion 15 of the handle 13. The friction forces - namely the friction forces between the first pad 17 and the bottom surface 41 - prevent the circumferential strap 3 and the handle 13 from sliding relative to the carton 27 and the vertical wider longitudinal surface 35. However, the friction is largely maintained by the curved rigid portions 21 engaging the corners of the carton 27, thereby minimizing the need for tensioning of the circumferential straps.

[0034] It should be understood that the carton 27 Figure 4 The other end portion not shown in the figure may be attached with a second carrying strap 1 so that two persons can lift and carry the respective ends of the carton 27 at their sides.

[0035] When the carton 27 has been transported to the intended destination, the carrying strap 1 can be removed by releasing the buckle 7 and loosening the circumferential strip 3. The thickened free end 25 will not allow the second end 9 to be completely removed from the buckle 7, and thus once the carrying strap 1 has been removed from the carton 27, the carrying strap 1 can be used with another carton.

[0036] In order to place the handle 13 and the first pad 17 in a position relative to the bottom surface 41 that is convenient for the person transporting the object to carry comfortably, the handle 13 and the first pad 17 should be placed near each other. In particular, when the object is lifted, the distance between the rigid gripping portion 15 of the handle 13 and the first pad 17 should not exceed 70 cm, and preferably the distance should not exceed 50 cm, and more preferably the distance should not exceed 40 cm.

[0037] The carrying strip 1 as described above is suitable for use with articles of different widths and thicknesses, i.e. with different circumferences, such as cardboard boxes. However, if the carrying strip is used with articles of a certain circumference, i.e. with articles of similar width and thickness, the second pad does not need to be slidable but can be fixed to the circumferential strip.

[0038] Furthermore, the free end does not need to be thickened. It is even foreseeable that the second end of the circumferential strip can preferably be completely removed from the buckle to open the loop formed by the circumferential strip for attaching and removing the carrying strip to and from an object.

[0039] Although in the embodiment described above with reference to the drawings, the handle forms a closed loop including the rigid grip portion 15 while being formed as a rigid whole, the handle may be constituted by a handle strip forming a closed loop and passing through a section of a rigid pipe constituting a rigid handle portion.

Claims

1. A carrying strap (1) for attaching a handle to a heavy object, the carrying strap (1) comprising: a circumferential strip (3) which is releasably tightened around the heavy object; A handle (13) fixedly fastened to the circumferential strip (3); and a pad (17) fixedly fastened to the circumferential strip (3) near the handle (13), characterized in that the carrying strap (1) is suitable for attaching the handle to the vertical surface (35) of the heavy object through the circumferential strip (3) including a buckle (7), and the heavy object is a window or a package containing the window, and the buckle (7) locked on the circumferential strip (3) allows the end of the circumferential strip (3) to pass through the buckle (7) and be releasably locked to the buckle (7) , whereby the buckle (7) allows the circumferential strip (3) to be releasably tightened around the heavy object, and the handle (13) comprises a rigid gripping portion (15), the handle (13) and the pad (17) being fixedly fastened to the circumferential strip (3) in such a way that the handle (13) and the pad (17) are respectively releasably lockable to the circumferential strip (3) at least at a fixing point, so that the handle (13) and the pad (17) and the circumferential strip (3) respectively cannot slide relative to each other and cannot be removed from the fixing point, but can be moved within a limited distance around the fixing point.

2. The transport strip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carrying strip (1) comprises only a single circumferential strip (3).

3. The transport strip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The handle (13) is attached to the circumferential strip (3) via a handle strip (11).

4. The transport strip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The pad (17) has a rigid portion (21), and the rigid portion (21) is curved.

5. The transport strip according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rigid portion (21) of the pad (17) is bent at an angle (α) in the range of 75° to 135°.

6. The transport strip according to claim 4, characterized in that: The bent rigid portion (21) is located at the end of the pad (17) opposite the handle (13).

7. The transport strip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The pad (17) comprises a flexible portion (19).

8. The transport strip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A second pad (23) is slidably attached to the circumferential strip (3).

9. The transport strip according to claim 8, characterized in that: The second pad (23) is flexible.

10. The transport strip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The buckle (7) is attached to the first end (5) of the circumferential strip (3), the second end (9) of the circumferential strip (3) passes through the buckle (7) so as to tighten the circumferential strip (3) around the heavy object, and the free end (25) of the second end (9) is thickened to prevent the second end (9) from being removed from the buckle (7).

11. The transport strip according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rigid portion (21) of the pad (17) is bent at an angle (α) in the range of 80° to 115°.

12. The transport strip according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rigid portion (21) of the pad (17) is bent at an angle (α) of 90°.

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