# US 8,540,097 B1 · Bottle with recessed movable handle

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- Number: US 8,540,097 B1
- Document ID: US8540097B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 13/661,947
- Filed: 2012-10-26
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2012-08-27
- Assignees: Edward S. Robbins, III
- Applicants: Edward S. Robbins, III; Brian T. William
- Inventors: Edward S. Robbins, III; Brian T. William
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540097B1

## CPC

- B65D 23/10: Handles
- B65D 25/2844: {Vertical, e.g. U-shaped}
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES

## Abstract

A container enclosing a prescribed volume having a sidewall including at least one of recess, each recess including at least one socket portion. A handle element adapted to be received in each recess, each of the handle element including at least one ball portion received in the socket portion of the recess, the ball portion being pivotable within the socket portion so as to permit the handle element to be displaced from within the sidewall recesses to a position projecting outward from the sidewall sufficiently to permit the a middle portion of the handle element to be grasped in one hand by a user of the container.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A container comprising:
a base, a sidewall extending upward from the base, a finish at an upper margin of the sidewall surrounding an opening into an interior of the container enclosing a prescribed volume, the sidewall including a pair of recesses situated on opposite sides of a vertical midline, each of the recesses including upper and lower sockets situated at upper and lower ends of the recesses; and
a pair of handle elements adapted to be received wholly within the pair of recesses in the sidewall, each of the handle elements including upper and lower ball portions received in the upper and lower sockets situated at upper and lower ends of one of the recesses, the ball portions being pivotable within the socket portions so as to permit the handle elements to be displaced from within the sidewall recesses to a position projecting outward from the sidewall sufficiently to permit the pair of handle elements to be grasped in one hand, at least one of the upper and lower ball portions is non-spherical so as to provide a detent biasing the handle elements toward a fully retained or a fully projecting position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The container of claim 1, wherein the vertical midline is arranged parallel to an axis of the bottle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The container of claim 1, wherein web portions connect the ball portions of each handle element to the upper and lower ends of each handle element, and wherein the sidewall further includes slots extending from the socket portions away from the trough portions to receive the web portions when the handle is moved to project outward from the sidewall.

### Claim 4

A container comprising:
a base, a sidewall extending upward from the base, a finish surrounding an opening into the container, the sidewall including at least one recess, each recess including an upper generally horizontal portion and a lower generally horizontal portion, a trough portion connecting one end of the upper generally horizontal portion to one end of the lower generally horizontal portion, each of the upper and lower horizontal portions including socket portion at an end opposite the trough portion; and
at least one handle element adapted to be received wholly within each recess in the sidewall, each handle element including a middle portion and a ball portion connected to upper and lower ends of each handle element, the ball portions being received in the socket portions of each recess, the ball portions being pivotable within the socket portions so as to permit the middle portion of each handle element to be displaced from within each sidewall recess to a position projecting outward from the sidewall sufficiently to permit the middle portion of the handle to be grasped in one hand, wherein at least one of the ball portions of each handle element further comprises a projecting portion adapted to interact with the adjacent socket so as to provide a detent biasing each handle toward either a fully retained or a fully projecting position.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The container of claim 4, wherein the container sidewall is formed of a single layer of material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The container of claim 4, wherein the container sidewall is formed of multiple layers of material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The container of claim 6, wherein the at least one recess is present in an outermost layer of the multiple layers of material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The container of claim 4, further comprising a pintle member extending vertically between the ball portions of each handle element.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The container of claim 4, wherein the at least one recess comprises a pair of recesses arranged generally parallel to each other with the socket portions being situated closer to each other than the trough portions, and wherein the at least one handle element comprises a pair of handle elements, one of the pair of handle elements being received in each of the recesses.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The container of claim 9, wherein the pair of handle elements are adapted to be displaced from within the pair of sidewall recess to a position projecting outward from the sidewall sufficiently to permit the middle portions of the pair of handle elements to contact each other and be grasped in one hand.

### Claim 11 (depends on 4)

The container of claim 4, further comprising a shoulder continuously joined to an upper margin of the sidewall and extending upward and inward from the sidewall to the finish, the finish being adapted to receive a closure.

### Claim 12 (depends on 4)

The container of claim 4, wherein web portions connect the ball portions of each handle element to the upper and lower ends of each handle element, and wherein the sidewall further includes slots extending from the socket portions away from the trough portions to receive the web portions when the handle is moved to project outward from the sidewall.

### Claim 13

A container comprising:
a base, a sidewall extending upward from the base, a finish surrounding an opening into the container, the sidewall including a pair of recesses horizontally spaced from each other, each recess including an upper generally horizontal portion and a lower generally horizontal portion, a trough portion connecting one end of the upper generally horizontal portion to one end of the lower generally horizontal portion, each of the upper and lower horizontal portions including socket portion at an end opposite the trough portion, the pair of recesses being oriented so that the socket portions are situated closer to each other than the trough portions; and
at least one handle element adapted to be received wholly within each recess in the sidewall, each handle element including a middle portion and a ball portion connected to upper and lower ends of each handle element, the ball portions being received in the socket portions of each recess, the ball portions being pivotable within the socket portions so as to permit the middle portion of each handle element to be displaced from within each sidewall recess to a position projecting outward from the sidewall sufficiently to permit the middle portion of the pair of handle elements to contact each other and be grasped in one hand.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The container of claim 13, wherein at least one of the ball portions of each handle element further comprises a projecting portion adapted to interact with the adjacent socket so as to provide a detent biasing each handle toward either a fully retained or a fully projecting position.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The container of claim 13, further comprising a pintle member extending vertically between the ball portions of each handle element.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The container of claim 13, wherein the container sidewall is formed of a single layer of material.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The container of claim 13, wherein the container sidewall is formed of multiple layers of material.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The container of claim 17, wherein the pair of recesses are present in an outermost layer of the multiple layers of material.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The container of claim 13, wherein web portions connect the ball portions of each handle element to the upper and lower ends of each handle element, and wherein the sidewall further includes slots extending from the socket portions away from the trough portions to receive the web portions when the handle is moved to project outward from the sidewall.