Plastic container with separately formed handle

A plastic container with a separately formed handle, which comprises:

• a hollow body of plastic material having a lower supporting base, a sidewall extending upwardly from the base, and an upper neck portion with an opening therein, said neck portion extending upwardly from the sidewall;
• and
• a separately formed handle engaging said sidewall and supported thereby, said handle having an upper end, a lower end, and an elongated portion extending upwardly over the major portion of the longitudinal extent of the sidewall over at least 75% of the longitudinal extent of the sidewall, and two separate arm portions spaced from each other and extending from the elongated portion towards the sidewall for engagement with the sidewall;
• wherein said sidewall includes a recessed portion to receive said handle and the recessed portion includes depressions configured to receive said arm portions and hold said handle in place;
• both of said arm portions extend towards each other and towards the container, with each arm portion including enlarged portions adjacent the end thereof which engage the sidewall recessed portion;
• each arm portion has a length which terminates at the enlarged portion;
• when the sidewall receives said handle, the elongated portion of the handle is substantially flush with the outer extent of the sidewall, the upper end of the handle does not extend radially outwardly beyond a portion of the sidewall located vertically above the upper end, and the lower end of the handle does not extend radially outwardly beyond a portion of the sidewall located vertically below the lower end;
• and the plastic container has a total vertical height extending from the bottom of the lower supporting base to the top of the neck portion that is less than the greatest horizontal width or diameter of the plastic container.