P/00/01 1 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: A CONTAINER AND HANDLE Applicant: NCI Holdings Pty. Ltd. The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 2 A CONTAINER AND HANDLE Technical Field 5 The present invention relates to a metal container and closure for packaging a product such as for example paint. In particular, the invention relates to a plastic handle for fitting onto a metal container. The container and closure according to the invention may be used for packaging many types of products either in liquid, granular or powder form including for example industrial 10 products such as paints, or foodstuffs. Background The discussion below of the background to the invention is included to explain 15 the context of the invention. This is not to be taken as an admission that any of the material referred to was, in Australia, published, known or part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of any of the claims. Metal containers, for example cans for paint, for example of about 10 litres 20 capacity and above, usually include bail handles also of metal. Such handles are attached to the can via bail ears, which are generally protruding structures that are attached to the side wall of the can. Two oppositely located bail ears are attached to the side wall of a can to protrude therefrom and each provides a recess which receives an end of the metal handle for the handle to swivel 25 between an at rest position (where it may lie against the side wall of the can) and an in-use position, that is, when it is held by a user to support the can either for carrying the can or for pouring a product from it. A problem with the known metal handle and bail ear structures, particularly for 30 liquid products that have an adhesive property such as paints, is that any spillage or drooling of the product from the can which contacts the bail ears can enter the recesses thereof and restrict or prevent swivelling of the handle. This causes consumer acceptance problems. Another more general consumer R:\Mary\No Delete\745125 120505.doc 3 acceptance problem is that metal bail handles can have a quite harsh effect on the hands of a user, particularly when handling larger containers that are full. An object of the present invention is to provide a handle for a metal container 5 that reduces at least one of the above two problems. Disclosure of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a handle for fitting onto a 10 metal container, the metal container having bail ears, wherein the handle is formed of plastic and includes end formations for fitting over the bail ears, each end formation including an internal projection for receipt by a bail ear, each bail ear and each internal projection including complementary structures for snap fitting engagement for attaching the handle onto the bail ears, wherein each end 15 formation and its internal projection and the complementary structures are shaped for the handle to rotate about the bail ears. The end formations of the plastic handle each effectively cover or encase a bail ear and thus prevent or at least significantly restrict entry of any product that 20 drools over the rim of the container into the bail ears such as might restrict the swivelling of the handle on the container. Furthermore, because the handle is formed of a plastics material, it provides a much softer feel than that of a metal handle. Furthermore the part of the plastic handle that will be gripped by a user can be shaped to provide a larger gripping area than that normally provided by 25 a metal handle, thereby reducing the effect of the load from the container on the hand of a user. Preferably the bail ears are generally annular. The inner surface of each annular bail ear preferably includes a circumferential recess and the internal 30 projection of each end formation of the handle is preferably tubular and cylindrical, and includes a circumferential bead on its outer surface, the bead being shaped and sized for snap fitting engagement into the recess. Such a recess and bead constitutes an example of the complementary structures of the invention. Preferably the recess of each bail ear and the bead of each handle R:Wary\No Delete\745125 120505.doc 4 invention. Preferably the recess of each bail ear and the bead of each handle formation are shaped to prevent disassembly of one from the other to ensure secure attachment of the plastic handle onto the container. 5 The invention includes a metal container as such having bail ears for the attachment of a handle as above described onto the container. It also includes a metal container as above described having a handle as above described fitted onto the container. 10 The plastic handle is preferably formed by injection or blow moulding and preferably the plastic is a blow moulding grade of high density polyethylene (HDPE). However other suitable plastics materials may alternatively be used. For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried 15 into effect, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of Drawings 20 Figure 1 is a sectioned partial view of a metal container showing a bail ear of the container with a plastic handle according to an embodiment of the invention attached thereto. Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the handle separated from the bail ear. 25 Description of Preferred Embodiment Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a container 10 and a plastic closure or lid 12 therefor. The container 10 has a metal body in the form of a can with a side 30 wall 14 and a plastic collar 16 that is fixed and sealed to the metal can 10 and which defines an opening 18 of the can 10. The metal can 10, which is for example manufactured from tin plate, has a necked in side wall 20 that extends to a rim formation 22 at an opening of the metal can. The rim formation 22 is a semi curl which extends outwardly of the metal can 10 and ends in a free edge R:\Mary\No Delete\745125 120505.doc 5 which in this embodiment is a raw edge 24 of the metal from which the can 10 is formed. Raw edge 24 faces generally away from (for example downwardly in the orientation of the can 10 as depicted in Figure 1) the opening 18 of the container 10. The plastic collar 16 includes a channel 26 adjacent its periphery 5 within the outer wall of which is formed an undercut surface 30. The channel 26 has an internal shape that is complementary to the shape of the rim formation 22 such that when the plastic collar 16 is fitted onto the metal can 10 over its rim formation 22, for example by pressing it onto the metal can 10, the rim formation 22 is an interference fit within the channel 26 and the raw edge 24 10 engages the undercut surface 30. The engagement of the raw edge 24 and the undercut surface 30 fixes the plastic collar 16 onto the metal can 10 in that it prevents detachment of the plastic collar 16 from the metal can 10. This fixing is assisted by the interference fit of the rim formation 22 within the channel 26. Furthermore, the complementary shapes of the contacting areas of the rim 15 formation 22 and the interior of channel 26, and the interference fit of the rim formation 22 within the channel 26 establishes a sealed connection between them. The plastic collar 16 includes a raised portion 32 around its periphery having an 20 end surface on which is formed a bead 34, the purpose of which will be described below. The plastic closure 12 is a lid that has a cover portion 36 and an outer skirt 38 that fits over the outer side wall of the plastic collar 16. Thus the container 10 25 and the plastic closure 12, when they are engaged, present a straight sided package which better utilizes the available packing space for example on a pallet. The outer surface of skirt 38 may include a shoulder 40 for facilitating stacking of closed containers 10. That is, the metal can 10 has a base (not shown) having a shape that fits over a plastic closure 12 and sits on the 30 shoulder 40. The junction of the cover portion 36 and outer skirt 38 of plastic closure 12 is formed with an internal thicker section 42 for reinforcement. This reinforcing section 42 has a surface that includes a groove 44 for receiving the bead 34 of R:Wary\No Delete\745125 120505.doc 6 the raised portion 32 of plastic collar 12. Thus the reinforcing section 42 of closure 12 includes a bottom surface having a groove 44 that is of complementary shape to the top surface of raised portion 32 that includes the bead 34. 5 The internal surface of skirt 38 includes grooves having an L shape for receiving circular projections 46 of plastic collar 16 whereby the projections 46 and grooves provide a bayonet coupling for engaging the plastic closure 12 to the plastic collar 16. When the plastic closure 12 is engaged on the plastic collar 16 10 with the bayonet projections 46 fully seated in the bayonet grooves, the complementary surfaces of raised portion 32 of collar 16 and reinforcing section 42 of plastic closure 12, including the facing surfaces of bead 34 and groove 44, are pressed together to establish a sealed engagement between the closure 12 and the collar 16. Thus the bayonet couplings and complementary surfaces of 15 portion 32 and section 42 together with bead 34 and groove 44, are complementary structures adjacent the peripheries of the plastic collar 16 and plastic closure 12 for the plastic closure 12 to sealingly engage the plastic collar 16 and thereby close the container 10. 20 The plastic collar 16 is formed from a relatively soft plastic, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE) or linear low density polyethylene (LLPE) and the plastic closure 12 from a harder plastic such as polypropylene (PP). Thus the closure 12 is formed from a more rigid plastics material than that of collar 16. The use of a softer plastic for the collar 16 provides for optimisation of sealability 25 between the metal can 10 and the plastic collar 16, and between the plastic collar 16 and the plastic closure 12. It also allows for press fitting of the plastic collar 16 over the rim formation 22 of metal can 10, that is, the plastic material is able to stretch over the rim formation 22. Effectively the soft plastic material of collar 16 when moulded to the correct tolerances can flow over and form itself 30 around the curled edge 22-24 of the metal can 10 thereby ensuring sealability and fixation of the plastic collar 16 on the metal can 10. R:Mary\No Delete\745125 120505.doc 7 A structure 48 may be attached to the plastic collar 16 to extend across the opening 18 and provide a pourer (not shown) and possibly also a straight edge for a brush swipe (also not shown). 5 It is to be understood that the invention is applicable to a known metal can that has a known metal lid that is sealed directly to the can, that is, the can need not be a can having a plastic collar and plastic closure as described above. The can 10 includes bail ears 50 which are attached, for example by welding, to 10 the wall 14 of the can 10 and a plastic bail handle 52 is attached to the bail ears 50. Each bail ear 50 is annular with its inside cylindrical surface 54 containing a circumferential groove 56. The handle 52 is moulded with a formation 58 at each end thereof for snap fitting onto each bail ear 50. Each formation 58 has a recess 60 for enclosing a bail ear 50 and within the recess 60 protruding from 15 its base is a tubular cylindrical projection 62 having a circumferential bead 64 on its outer surface for engaging within the groove 56 of bail ear 50. The tubular projection 62 may be longitudinally split (not shown) to facilitate its disengagement from a mould and to facilitate the snap fitting of the formation 58 onto the bail ear 50 (particularly of the bead 64 into groove 56). The circular 20 cross sections of bail ear 50, recess 60 and tubular extension 62 of formation 58 allow for rotation of the handle 52 relative to the container 10. The circumferential groove 56 in the interior surface 54 of each bail ear 50 is preferably shaped such that its side wall 66 nearer to the outer extremity of the 25 bail ear is sharply transverse to the interior surface 54. Likewise, the bead 64 has a sharply transverse surface 68. When the bead 64 is snapped into the groove 56, the transverse bead surface 68 abuts the transverse groove surface 66 and prevents disassembly of the handle 52 from the bail ears 50 thus ensuring secure attachment of the plastic handle 52 onto the container 10. 30 The part of the handle 52 that is grippable by a user for handling the can 10 may be shaped (not shown) to facilitate such gripping. Various such suitable shapes are possible. R:Wary\No Delete\745125 120505.doc 8 It will be evident that the figures illustrate only one bail ear 50 of a can 10 and the attachment of one end 58 of the handle 52 thereto. The same bail ear structure 50 is provided on an opposite side of the can 10 for fitment of a moulded formation 58 at the other end of the handle 52. 5 It will also be clear from an inspection of Figure 1 that the formation 58 of the handle 52 effectively covers the bail ear 50 and exposes very little surface area for a product to penetrate between the bail ear and handle such as may restrict or prevent swivelling of the handle. 10 A handle as above described can be manufactured to pass the handle strength tests prescribed in British Standard BS7864 of 1997, Section: Vertical and Horizontal Method of Test for Handle Strength, Annex L. 15 The invention described herein in susceptible to variations, modifications and/or additions other than those specifically described and it is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations, modifications and/or additions which fall within the scope of the following claims. R:\Mary\No Delete\745125 120505.doc