Handle attachment for a container

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a container and handle assembly comprising a container having a neck, and handle attachment formed separately from the container and assembled thereto. The attachment includes a handle extending to a ring adapted to fit over and secure with the container neck for mounting the handle attachment to the container. The handle attachment ring includes internal threads along the inner wall complementary with external threads positioned on a shoulder of the neck. The ring also includes notches for receiving radially extending projections on the neck shoulder to prevent unthreading of the handle attachment from the container.

1 . A container and handle assembly comprising:
 a container comprising a neck and a body, a portion of the neck being surrounded by a radially outwardly extending shoulder proximal to the body, the shoulder having at least one external thread and at least one notch; and   a handle attachment comprising a handle and a ring, an inner wall of the ring having at least one internal thread complementary with the at least one external thread of the container shoulder, the inner wall further comprising at least one radially extending projection for receipt by the at least one notch of the container shoulder to prevent unthreading of the handle attachment from the container.   
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one external and internal threads comprise a segmented thread. 
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one notch is positioned between the thread segments. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the neck further comprises a mouth and at least one external closure thread proximal to the mouth, for securing a threaded closure. 
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the neck further comprises a detent positioned between the at least one external thread on the shoulder and the body, the detent contacting a corresponding detent on the handle adjacent and below the ring, to prevent rotation of the ring through the shoulder. 
   
   
       6 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the neck further comprises at least one protuberance positioned on the shoulder which, when contacting at least one corresponding lip on the ring, prevents rotation of the ring through the shoulder. 
   
   
       7 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one radially extending projection of the ring is angulated with respect to the circumferential direction of the inner wall. 
   
   
       8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one radially extending projection comprises a plurality of projections equally spaced around the circumference of the inner wall. 
   
   
       9 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one notch comprises a plurality of notches equally spaced around the circumference of the shoulder, for engaging the plurality of projections. 
   
   
       10 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the neck is made of one plastic material, and the handle attachment is made of a different plastic material. 
   
   
       11 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the plastic material of the container neck is polyethylene terephthalate and the plastic material of the attachment is polypropylene. 
   
   
       12 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the container comprises a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage container. 
   
   
       13 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the container comprises an integral blow-molded and substantially transparent PET beverage container. 
   
   
       14 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the handle is integral with the ring. 
   
   
       15 . A container comprising a neck and a body, a portion of the neck being surrounded by an annular shoulder proximal to the body, the shoulder including a plurality of thread segments and a plurality of notches on the circumference of the shoulder, each notch being positioned between two thread segments, the neck encompassing a mouth and further comprising at least one external closure thread adjacent the mouth for securing a threaded closure, wherein the shoulder thread segments provide a diameter greater than that afforded by the at least one external closure thread. 
   
   
       16 . A container comprising a neck portion surrounded by an annular shoulder containing a plurality of thread segments and a plurality of notches on a circumference of the shoulder, each notch positioned between two thread segments, the neck further comprising at least one external closure thread above the shoulder for securing a threaded closure, and the shoulder thread segments providing a diameter greater than that afforded by the at least one external closure thread. 
   
   
       17 . A handle attachment for a container, the handle attachment comprising a handle integral with a ring, the ring having an inner wall containing internal thread segments and a plurality of radially extending projections on the circumference of the inner wall, each projection being positioned between two internal thread segments, the internal thread segments being complementary with external thread segments of a shoulder of the container for securing the handle attachment to the container, and wherein the projections are capable of being received by notches in the container shoulder to prevent unthreading of the handle attachment from the container. 
   
   
       18 . The attachment of  claim 17 , wherein the internal thread segments are complementary with external thread segments of a container. 
   
   
       19 . A preform comprising a neck and a body, the neck comprising:
 an annular shoulder surrounding the neck, the shoulder including at least one external thread and at least one notch; and   at least one external closure thread above the shoulder, for securing a threaded closure.