An assembly of a carrier and a u-shaped handle

Abstract

In an assembly of a carrier and a U-shaped handle, the handle comprises a handle bar and two legs extending in a main plane, wherein end portions of the respective legs remote from the handle bar are mounted to the carrier and rotatable with respect to the carrier about a common axis of rotation, wherein at least at one end portion the assembly is provided with a locking mechanism for locking the handle with respect to the carrier in rotational direction about the axis of rotation at a predetermined locking position of the handle with respect to the carrier, in which locking mechanism one of the carrier and the corresponding end portion is provided with a locking element and the other one of the carrier and the end portion is provided with a recess that cooperates with the locking element. At the locking position the locking element and the recess are aligned and the end portion is movable with respect to the carrier in radial direction of the axis of rotation such that the recess receives the locking element when moving the end portion in the radial direction away from the axis of rotation. The assembly is provided with a spring, which forces the end portion in radial direction away from the axis of rotation when the handle is at the locking position.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an assembly of a carrier and a U-shaped handle, wherein the handle comprises a handle bar and two legs extending in a main plane, wherein end portions of the respective legs remote from the handle bar are mounted to the carrier and rotatable with respect to the carrier about a common axis of rotation.

[0002] Such an assembly is known in the prior art. The carrier can be used for carrying a pet or shopping articles, whereas carrying the carrier is facilitated by the U-shaped handle. Rotating the handle with respect to the carrier provides easy access to the contents of the carrier.

[0003] CH 306 217 discloses a transport container, in particular to carrying containers for shopping items in self-service stores. The container is provided with handle arms. At an articulation point of one of the handle arms on the container, a tab is provided on one part with a slot with a recess widening at one end in the transverse direction thereto, and on the other part there are two bolts engaging in this slot, such that the handle cannot perform any pendulum movements in relation to the container in the carrying position, but can be laid flat on the edge of the container, whereby means are provided to secure the bracket against accidental, independent tipping over.

[0004] An object of the invention is to provide an improved assembly of a carrier and a U-shaped handle.

[0005] This object is accomplished with the assembly according to claim 1.

[0006] An advantage of the invention is that the handle can freely rotate with respect to the carrier about the axis of rotation, but will be locked in rotational direction when the handle is in the locking position. Upon arriving in the locking position the handle is displaced in radial direction away from the axis of rotation by means of the spring. In order to unlock the handle the end portion can be moved in opposite direction, i.e. in radial direction towards the axis of rotation, against a spring force of the spring. Consequently, the locking element is removed from the recess such that the handle can be rotated with respect to the carrier again.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment the at least one of the locking element and the recess lies in the main plane, since this facilitates unlocking the locking mechanism. The handle bar can be moved within the main plane in a direction perpendicular to itself to unlock the locking mechanism.

[0008] The end portion is provided with the locking element and the carrier is provided with the recess.

[0009] The carrier is provided with a carrier bearing for supporting a support of the end portion, wherein the carrier bearing has a partly circular-cylindrical inner wall and the support has a partly circular-cylindrical outer wall which fits inside the inner wall of the carrier bearing, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall have centrelines which coincide with the axis of rotation. The fitting inner wall and outer wall allows the end portion of the handle to rotate appropriately with respect to the carrier.

[0010] The locking element may be formed between depressions in the outer wall of the support in circumferential direction thereof and the recess of the carrier may be formed by a depression in the inner wall of the carrier bearing.

[0011] In an embodiment the spring forces a pushing element, which passes through a through-hole in the carrier bearing, against the support, which through-hole is located opposite to the recess.

[0012] Preferably, the locking mechanism is a first locking mechanism at the one end portion and the assembly comprises a second locking mechanism at the other end portion, wherein the first and second locking mechanisms are functionally identical, since both locking mechanisms provide a secure locking of the handle with respect to the carrier, whereas the handle can unlock both locking mechanisms synchronously.

[0013] The assembly may be mirror symmetrical with respect to a plane that extends perpendicularly to the main plane.

[0014] The invention will hereafter be elucidated with reference to the schematic drawings showing embodiments of the invention by way of example. Fig. 1 is a perspective exploded view of an embodiment of an assembly of a carrier and a U-shaped handle according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view as Fig. 1, showing an enlarged part thereof. Fig. 3 is a side view of the part as shown in Fig. 2 in a disassembled condition. Fig. 4 is a similar view as Fig. 1, showing an enlarged part thereof. Fig. 5 is a similar view as Fig. 4, but showing an opposite side of the part.

[0015] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of an assembly of a carrier 1 and a U-shaped handle 2 according to the invention, which handle 2 spans a main plane. The carrier 1 may be intended for transporting a pet or shopping articles, but numerous alternative functions are conceivable. The carrier 1 may also have different dimensions and shapes. The handle 2 comprises a handle bar 2a, a first leg 2b and a second leg 2c. The first and second legs 2b, 2c extend from the handle bar 2a. A free end of the first leg 2b remote from the handle bar 2a is fixed to a first connector 3 and a free end of the second leg 2c remote from the handle bar 2a is fixed to a second connector 4. The first and second connectors 3, 4 are identical. The first connector 3 is shown as a separate part in Figs. 4 and 5. In assembled condition the first and second connectors 3, 4 form end portions of the first and second legs 2b, 2c, respectively.

[0016] The first and second connectors 3, 4 are mounted to the carrier 1 and rotatable with respect to the carrier 1 about an axis of rotation AR, see Fig. 1. At each of the first and second connectors 3, 4 the assembly is provided with a locking mechanism for locking the handle 2 with respect to the carrier 1 in rotational direction about the axis of rotation AR at a predetermined locking position of the handle 2 with respect to the carrier 1. In this case the handle 2 has an upright orientation at the predetermined locking position when the carrier 1 rests on a horizontal floor, but this may be different in an alternative embodiment.

[0017] Hereinafter the locking mechanism at the first connector 3 will be explained by means of Figs. 1-5. The locking mechanism at the second connector 4 is functionally identical, but mirrored with respect to the locking mechanism at the first connector 3. Figs. 2 and 3 show that the carrier 1 is provided with a carrier bearing 5 at the first connector 3. The carrier bearing 5 supports a support 6 of the first connector 3, which is shown in Fig. 4. The carrier bearing 5 has a partly cylindrical inner wall 7 including a partly circular cross-section which has a centreline that coincides with the axis of rotation AR. The support 6 has a partly cylindrical outer wall 8 which has a partly circular cross-section and a centreline that also coincides with the axis of rotation AR. The outer wall 8 fits inside the carrier bearing 5 such that a part of the inner wall 7 of the carrier bearing 5 and a part of the outer wall 8 of the support 6 slide along each other during rotation of the handle 2 with respect to the carrier 1.

[0018] The outer wall 8 of the support 6 is provided with depressions 9 such that a locking element 10 in the form of a projection is formed between the depressions 9 in circumferential direction of the outer wall 8. A portion of the outer wall 8 adjacent to the depressions 9 and a top surface of the locking element 10 together form the circular-cylindrical portion of the outer wall 8.

[0019] The inner wall 7 of the carrier bearing 5 is provided with a recess 11 which cooperates with the locking element 10 such that the locking element 10 fits in the recess 11.

[0020] The locking mechanism is further provided with a coil spring 12 which is seated on the carrier 1 and surrounds a central pin 13 of a fork 14. The fork 14 has two outer pins 15 which are parallel to the central pin 13 and located at either side of central pin 13. The outer pins 15 fit to corresponding guides of the carrier 1 such that the fork 14 is movable in linear direction with respect to the carrier 1. The fork 14 is further provided with a stem 16 which passes through a through-hole 17 in the carrier bearing 5. The through-hole 17 is located opposite to the recess 11. When the handle 2 is in the locking position the stem 16 and the recess 11 lie in the main plane that is spanned by the U-shaped handle 2. The coil spring 12 pushes the stem 16 against the support 6 of the first connector 3, which is illustrated in Fig. 4. It is noted that for explanatory reasons the fork 14 and the spring 12 are not shown in Fig. 3.

[0021] Fig. 4 shows that the support 6 is provided with a notch 18 which has an inclined guide surface that facilitates assembly of the first connector 3 to the carrier 1, since the stem 16 can slide along the inclined guide surface during assembly. During this movement, i.e. when the support 6 is inserted into the carrier bearing 5 in a direction along the axis of rotation AR, the spring 12 is compressed gradually. In assembled condition the stem 16 contacts the circular-cylindrical portion of the outer wall 8 and exerts a force onto the support 6 through the compressed spring 12.

[0022] As soon as the recess 11 and the locking element 10 are aligned the spring 12 will force the locking element 10 into the recess 11 such that the handle 2 is locked with respect to the carrier 1. It can be unlocked by moving the handle 2 downwardly, i.e. towards the axis of rotation AR, against a counter force of the spring 12.

[0023] The handle 2 is rotatable with respect to the carrier 1 between opposite extreme positions which are defined by an arcuate lug 19, see Fig. 4. Opposite ends of the lug 19 in circumferential direction thereof abut against cooperating walls 20 in the extreme positions of the handle 2, see Figs. 2 and 3.

[0024] Fig. 1 shows that the locking mechanisms at the first and second connectors 3, 4 are hidden by protecting caps 21, 22.

[0025] The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings and described hereinbefore, which may be varied in different manners within the scope of the claims

Claims

1. An assembly of a carrier (1) and a U-shaped handle (2), wherein the handle (2) comprises a handle bar (2a) and two legs (2b, 2c) extending in a main plane, wherein end portions (3, 4) of the respective legs (2b, 2c) remote from the handle bar (2a) are mounted to the carrier (1) and rotatable with respect to the carrier (1) about a common axis of rotation (AR), wherein at least at one end portion (3, 4) the assembly is provided with a locking mechanism (10, 11) for locking the handle (2) with respect to the carrier (1) in rotational direction about the axis of rotation (AR) at a predetermined locking position of the handle (2) with respect to the carrier (1), in which locking mechanism (10, 11) one of the carrier (1) and the corresponding end portion (3, 4) is provided with a locking element (10) and the other one of the carrier (1) and the end portion (3, 4) is provided with a recess (11) that cooperates with the locking element (10), wherein at the locking position the locking element (10) and the recess (11) are aligned and the end portion (3, 4) is movable with respect to the carrier (1) in radial direction of the axis of rotation (AR) such that the recess (11) receives the locking element (10) when moving the end portion (3, 4) in the radial direction away from the axis of rotation (AR), wherein the assembly is provided with a spring (12), which forces the end portion (3, 4) in radial direction away from the axis of rotation (AR) when the handle (2) is at the locking position, wherein the end portion (3, 4) is provided with the locking element (10) and the carrier (1) is provided with the recess (11), and wherein the carrier (1) is provided with a carrier bearing (5) for supporting a support (6) of the end portion (3, 4), characterized in that the carrier bearing (5) has a partly circular-cylindrical inner wall (7) and the support (6) has a partly circular-cylindrical outer wall (8) which fits inside the inner wall (7) of the carrier bearing (5), wherein the inner wall (7) and the outer wall (8) have centrelines which coincide with the axis of rotation (AR).

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the locking element (10) and the recess (11) lies in the main plane.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the locking element (10) is formed between depressions (9) in the outer wall (8) of the support (6) in circumferential direction thereof and the recess (11) of the carrier (1) is formed by a depression in the inner wall (7) of the carrier bearing (5).

4. An assembly according to claim 3, wherein the spring (12) forces a pushing element (16), which passes through a through-hole (17) in the carrier bearing (5), against the support (6), which through-hole (17) is located opposite to the recess (11).

5. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking mechanism (10, 11) is a first locking mechanism at the one end portion (3) and the assembly comprises a second locking mechanism at the other end portion (4), wherein the first and second locking mechanisms are functionally identical.

6. An assembly according to claim 5, wherein the assembly is mirror symmetrical with respect to a plane that extends perpendicularly to the main plane.

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