NZ604223A - Bag Hanger - Google Patents

Abstract

604223 A holder (10) for transporting to and hanging bags (20) onto a bag frame at a supermarket is disclosed. The holder has an elongate support (24 Fig 1) onto which the bags are placed, hanging by their handles (18, 22). The bags are retained in position by a latching mechanism that engages with an arm (19) of the bag frame to allow the bag handles to slip off each end of the support when so engaged. th an arm (19) of the bag frame to allow the bag handles to slip off each end of the support when so engaged.

Description

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Invention title: “Bag Hanger” Applicant: Paula Maree John I, Paula Maree John, hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method for which it is to be performed, to be particularly bed in and by the following statement: “BAG HANGER” Field of the Invention The present invention s to a device for supporting shopping bags.

Background to the Invention In order to reduce the impact on the environment of plastic shopping bags, many people are now using non-disposable bags to carry their shopping. These bags are often similar in size to standard c shopping bags obtained at a supermarket but are made of a cloth material that can be used many times.

While using such bags may be very useful in terms of the reduction of disposable shopping bags, difficulties can arise in both transporting a number of the bags to the shop and then packing the shopping into the bags. Plastic shopping bags are generally provided on a frame at the counter so that bags can be opened up on the frame for g as required. With cloth bags that are brought to the shop by the customer, this facility is not available and the bags must be held open by hand on the r and then packed with groceries.

The present invention relates to a hanger device aimed at making the process of orting and packing cloth shopping bags easier Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a bag hanger for ting bags having handles with holes therein, the bag hanger comprising: a support member having first and second ends to receive the holes in the handles of the bags such that the bags are supported from the support member; openings provided in the first and second ends of the support member each for receiving a side member of a bag support frame; an aperture located on the support member adjacent each opening; and a moveable arm member provided adjacent each of the first and second ends, each arm member having a first portion f located in the opening and a second portion extending outwardly through the aperture in an ed position such that the second portions prevent the bags from sliding off the support member; wherein the arm members are engaged by the side s when received in the openings such that the second ns of the arm members are moved to retracted positions inside the apertures.

Preferably the support member comprises an elongate member and the opening in the first end thereof is oriented in a direction away from the g in the second end thereof.

Preferably a handle member is provided on a first side of the support member centrally between the first and second ends.

In a preferred embodiment, the first side of the support member is concave in shape such that, when held by the handle member, a central portion of the first side is located lower than portions of the first side adjacent the first and second ends.

Each of the arm members preferably comprises an elongate member having a first end pivotally d within the opening and a second end extending outwardly through the aperture in the extended position.

Preferably the second ends of the arm s extend outwardly of the apertures at an angle away from the respective ends of the t member.

In one embodiment, the first end of each arm member includes a rical portion received in a corresponding cylindrical recess in the support member adjacent the opening on a lower second side thereof such that the arm member can pivot about the first end.

Preferably the arm member extends away from the lower second side and away from the opening such that movement of the side member of the bag support frame inwardly into the opening causes the arm member to pivot about the first end.

Preferably each arm member is provided with a resilient member extending outwardly therefrom between the first and second ends such that the resilient member engages with an inner surface of the opening to bias the arm member towards the extended position.

In one embodiment, the handle member comprises a hook.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will now be described, by way of e, with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an ed view of a bag hanger in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2a is a front view of the bag hanger of Figure 1 prior to engagement with a bag support frame; Figure 2b is a top view of the bag hanger prior to engagement with the bag support frame; Figure 2c is a front cross sectional view of the bag hanger and bag t frame of Figure 2b through the line A-A; Figure 3a is a front view of the bag hanger of Figure 1 d with the bag support frame; Figure 3b is a top view of the bag hanger engaged with the bag support frame; Figure 3c is a front cross sectional view of the bag hanger and bag support frame of Figure 3b through the line A-A; Figure 4 is a front view of the bag hanger of Figure 1 engaged with the bag support frame showing the bags sliding onto the bag support frame; Figure 5a is an upper perspective view of the bag hanger prior to engagement with the bag support frame; Figure 5b is an upper perspective view of the bag hanger engaged with a first side member of the bag support frame, showing first handles of the bags being slid onto the bag support frame; Figure 5c is an upper perspective view of the bag hanger with the first handles received on the first side member of the bag support frame; and Figure 5d is an upper perspective view of the bag hanger engaged with the second side member of the bag support frame, showing the second handles of the bags moved onto the second side member.

Detailed Description of Preferred ments Referring to Figures, there is shown a bag hanger 10 to be used for supporting a plurality of bags 12 and for assisting with placement of the bags 12 onto a bag support frame 14.

The bags 12 are of a standard construction sing a body 16, a first handle 18 extending upwardly from a first side of the body 16 and a second handle 20 extending upwardly from a second side of the body 16. In a similar manner to plastic shopping bags, each of the first and second handles 18 and 20 includes a hole 22 therein. The holes 22 are provided to receive side members of the bag support frame 14. As best seen in Figure 5d, the hole 22 in the first handle 18 receives a first side member 19 of the bag support frame 14 and the hole 22 in the second handle 20 receives a second side member 21 of the bag support frame 14.

The bag hanger 10 es a support member 24 from which a plurality of bags 12 can be supported. The support member 24 comprises generally an elongate member having a first end 26 and a second end 27.

The t member 24 includes a handle member 28 extending from adjacent a midpoint thereof. In the embodiment shown, the handle member 28 comprises a hook.

The t member 24 is sized such that the holes 22 in the first handles 18 of the bags 12 can be received over the first end 26 and the holes 22 in the second handles 20 of the bags 12 can be received over the second end 27. As shown in the Figures, the bags 12 are received in this position and moved adjacent the handle member 28 such that the bags 12 are folded in half. A plurality of bags 12 can be supported in this position and the bag hanger 10 can be held by the handle member 28 for transport, or hung by the handle member 28 for storage.

The handle member 28 extends from a first side 50 of the support member 24, the first side 50 being the side oriented uppermost in use. The first side 50 of the support member 24 is generally concave in shape such that, when held by the handle member 28, a central n of the first side 50 is located lower than portions adjacent the first and second ends 26 and 27.

The first end 26 of the support member 24 is provided with an opening facing lly away from the second end 27. The second end 27 of the support member 24 is provided with an opening 30 facing generally away from the first end 26. Each of the openings 30 is provided for receiving a distal end of the side s 19 and 21 of the bag support frame 14 such that the handles 18 and 20 of the bags 12 can be slid off the support member 24 and onto the side member 19 or 21.

The first and second ends 26 and 27 of the support member 24 are each provided with an arm member 32 provided partially within the opening . An aperture 36 is provided adjacent each of the first and second ends 26 and 27 of the support member 24. The apertures 36 are d in the first side 50 of the support member 24 between the first and second ends 26 and 27 and the handle member 28. Each arm member 32 includes a first portion located within the opening 30 and a second portion extending outwardly through the aperture 36 such that the second portions prevent the handles 18 and 20 of the bags 12 sliding off the support member 24 when the handles 18 and 20 are d between the arm members 32 and the handle member 28.

In the embodiment shown, each arm member 32 comprises an te member having a first end 38 and a second end 39. The first end 38 of the arm member 32 includes a cylindrical portion 34 that is received in a corresponding rical recess 35 in the support member 24 adjacent the opening 30 on a lower second side 51 thereof such that the arm member 32 can pivot about the first end 38.

Each of the arm s 32 extends away from the lower second side 51 and away from the opening 30 such that a second end 39 thereof protrudes through the aperture 36 provided in the upper first side 50 of the support member 24.

Each of the arm members 32 includes a ent member 40 ing dly therefrom between the first and second ends 38 and 39 provided to bias the arm member towards the extended position. The resilient member 40 extends from the arm member 32 away from the opening 30 towards the lower second side 51 of the support member 24 such that the distal end thereof engages with an inner surface of the support member 24 adjacent the lower second side 51.

The arrangement of the arm member 32 and resilient member 40 is such that as one of the side members 19 or 21 is inserted into the opening 30, the end of the side member 19 or 21 engages against the arm member 32.

Movement of the side member 19 or 21 inwardly into the opening 30 causes the arm member 32 to pivot about the first end 38 (as best seen in Figure 3c).

This motion flexes the resilient member 40 and causes the second end 39 of the arm member 32 to retract inwardly into the re 36. Therefore, insertion of the side member 19 or 21 into the opening 30 causes the second end 39 of the arm member 32 to retract so that the handles 18 or 20 can slide off the support member 24 and onto the side member 19 or 21. On removal of the side member 19 or 21 from the opening 30, the resilient member 40 causes the arm member 32 to move back to the extending position.

Figure 5 shows the process of using the bag hanger 10. The bag hanger 10 is loaded with a plurality of bags 12 as described previously. As can be seen in the Figures, the second end 39 of the arm member 32 extends outwardly of the aperture 36 at an angle away from the respective end 26 or 27 to allow the handles 18 and 20 of the bags 12 to easily slide over the arm member 32 without ng. The arm members 32 may be moved to the retracted positions during the process of placing the bags 12 onto the support member 24 but will move back to the extended positions once the handles 18 and 20 are located on the support member 24 adjacent the handle member 28. The bag hanger 10 can be carried to the shops in this configuration to conveniently transport the ed number of bags 12.

At the counter when purchasing goods, the opening 30 in the first end 26 of the support member 24 is moved to receive the first side member 19 of the bag support frame 14. This retracts the arm member 32 adjacent the first end 26 and the first handles 18 can be slid off the support member 24 onto the first side member 19.

The bag hanger 10 is then moved so that the opening 30 in the second end 27 of the support member 24 receives the second side member 21, thereby retracting the arm member 32 adjacent the second end 27 and ng the second handles 20 to be slid onto the second side member 21.

The bag support frame 14 can then be used to hold the bags 12 for packing in the normal manner. When the bags 12 are ed at home, the bags 12 can be laid flat together and inserted back onto the bag hanger 10 for re-use.

It will be readily apparent to s skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and ements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic ive concepts of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. Claims 5 1. A bag hanger for ting bags having handles with holes therein, the bag hanger comprising: a support member having first and second ends to receive the holes in the handles of the bags such that the bags are supported from the support member; 10 openings provided in the first and second ends of the support member each for receiving a side member of a bag support frame; an aperture located on the support member adjacent each g; and a moveable arm member provided adjacent each of the first and second ends, each arm member having a first portion thereof located in the opening and a 15 second portion extending outwardly through the aperture in an extended position such that the second ns prevent the bags from g off the support member; wherein the arm members are engaged by the side members when received in the openings such that the second ns of the arm members are moved 20 to retracted positions inside the apertures.
2. 2. A bag hanger in accordance with claim 1, wherein the t member comprises an elongate member and the opening in the first end f is oriented in a direction away from the opening in the second end thereof.
3. 3. A bag hanger in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein a handle 25 member is provided on a first side of the support member centrally between the first and second ends.
4. 4. A bag hanger in accordance with claim 3, wherein the first side of the support member is concave in shape such that, when held by the handle member, a central portion of the first side is located lower than portions of the 30 first side adjacent the first and second ends.
5. 5. A bag hanger in accordance with any one of the preceding claims n each of the arm members comprises an elongate member having a first end pivotally mounted within the g and a second end extending outwardly through the re in the extended position.
6. 6. A bag hanger in accordance with claim 5, wherein the second ends of the arm members extend outwardly of the apertures at an angle away from 5 the respective ends of the support member.
7. 7. A bag hanger in accordance with claim 6, n the first end of each arm member es a cylindrical portion received in a corresponding cylindrical recess in the support member adjacent the opening on a lower second side thereof such that the arm member can pivot about the first end. 10
8. 8. A bag hanger in accordance with claim 7, wherein each arm member extends away from the lower second side and away from the respective opening such that when the side member of the bag support frame is received in the opening, the side member engages the arm member, g the arm member to pivot about the first end. 15
9. 9. A bag hanger in accordance with any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein each arm member is provided with a resilient member extending outwardly therefrom between the first and second ends such that the resilient member engages with an inner surface of the opening to bias the arm member towards the extended position. 20
10. 10. A bag hanger in accordance with any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the handle member comprises a hook. .’.. N A-A