Container with breakaway handle

Abstract

A container includes a receptacle and a handle. The handle is coupled to the receptacle to facilitate carrying of the receptacle by a person holding the handle.

1 . A container comprising 
 a receptacle and    first and second handle portions coupled to the receptacle, the first and second handle portions cooperating to provide means for allowing the first and second handle portions to couple to one another to form a handle and to uncouple from one another to disassemble the handle in response to application of an uncoupling force to the container.    
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the means includes a first coupler tab included in the first handle portion, a second coupler tab included in the second handle portion, a first retainer aperture formed in the first handle portion and configured to receive and retain the second coupler tab, and a second retainer aperture formed in the second handle portion and configured to receive and retain the first coupler tab.  
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the first handle portion includes an elongated first body coupled to the first coupler tab and the receptacle and formed to include the first retainer aperture and the second handle portion includes an elongated second body coupled to the second coupler tab and the receptacle and formed to include the second retainer aperture.  
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 3 , wherein the first coupler tab includes a first head and a first neck, the first head extends through the second retainer aperture and engages the second body at the second retainer aperture when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another, the first neck is located between the first head and the first body and has a width narrower than the first head and the first body, the second coupler tab includes a second head and a second neck, the second head extends through the first retainer aperture and engages the first body at the first retainer aperture when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another, and the second neck is located between the second head and the second body and has a width narrower than the second head and the second body.  
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the means includes a transition aperture and a transition arm, the transition aperture is formed in the second body and located between the second retainer aperture and the second coupler tab, the transition arm is located between the second retainer aperture and the transition aperture, and the first neck extends from the transition aperture over the transition arm to the second retainer aperture when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another.  
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 3 , wherein the means includes a transition aperture formed in the second body and located between the second retainer aperture and the second coupler tab and the first coupler tab extends through the transition aperture into the second retainer aperture when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another.  
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein each of the first retainer aperture and the second retainer aperture is trapezoid-shaped.  
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 7 , wherein the first handle portion includes a first longer edge, a first shorter edge parallel to the first longer edge, and a pair of non-parallel first side edges connecting the first longer edge and the first shorter edge, the first longer edge, the first shorter edge, and the pair of first side edges cooperate to define the first retainer aperture, the first longer edge is located between the first shorter edge and the first coupler tab, the second handle portion includes a second longer edge, a second shorter edge parallel to the second longer edge, and a pair of non-parallel second side edges connecting the second longer edge and the second shorter edge, the second longer edge, the second shorter edge, and the pair of second side edges cooperate to define the second retainer aperture, and the second longer edge is located between the second shorter edge and the second coupler tab.  
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second handle portions are positioned in overlapping relation when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another.  
   
   
       10 . A container comprising 
 a receptacle and    first and second handle portions coupled to the receptacle, the first and second handle portions being arranged to be coupled to one another to form a handle and arranged to be uncoupled from one another to disassemble the handle in response to application of an uncoupling force to the container.    
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the first handle portion includes a first retainer aperture, the second handle portion includes a second retainer aperture, the first handle portion extends into the second retainer aperture and engages the second handle portion adjacent the second retainer aperture when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another, and the second handle portion extends into the first retainer aperture and engages the first handle portion adjacent the first retainer aperture when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another.  
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the first handle portion includes a first coupler tab received in the second retainer aperture when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another and the second handle portion includes a second coupler tab received in the first retainer aperture when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another.  
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second handle portions includes a proximal end portion coupled to the receptacle and a distal end portion spaced apart from the proximal end portion, the first coupler tab provides the distal end portion of the first handle portion, and the second coupler tab provides the distal end portion of the second handle portion.  
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the first handle portion includes an elongated first body coupled to the first coupler tab and the receptacle and formed to include the first retainer aperture and the second handle portion includes an elongated second body coupled to the second coupler tab and the receptacle and formed to include the second retainer aperture.  
   
   
       15 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein the first coupler tab includes a first head and a first neck, the first head extends through the second retainer aperture and engages the second body at the second retainer aperture when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another, the first neck is located between the first head and the first body and has a width narrower than the first head and the first body, the second coupler tab includes a second head and a second neck, the second head extends through the first retainer aperture and engages the first body at the first retainer aperture when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another, and the second neck is located between the second head and the second body and has a width narrower than the second head and the second body.  
   
   
       16 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the first neck includes spaced-apart concave side edges connecting the first body and the first head.  
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the second neck includes spaced-apart side edges connecting the second body and the second head, each side edge includes a vertex, a first side edge portion extending laterally outward from the vertex to the second body, and a second side edge portion extending laterally outward from the vertex to the second head.  
   
   
       18 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the second handle portion is formed to include a transition aperture located between the second retainer aperture and the second coupler tab and the first coupler tab extends through the transition aperture when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another.  
   
   
       19 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second retainer apertures is trapezoid-shaped.  
   
   
       20 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the first handle portion includes a first coupler tab coupled to the second handle portion when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another and the second handle portion includes a second coupler tab coupled to the first handle portion when the first and second handle portions are coupled to one another.  
   
   
       21 . The container of  claim 20 , wherein each of the first coupler tab and the second coupler tab includes a convex peripheral edge.  
   
   
       22 . A container comprising 
 a receptacle and    first and second flexible handle strips made of plastics material and arranged to move relative to one another from a handle-formation position in which the first and second handle strips are coupled to one another to form a handle to a handle-disassembly position in which the first and second handle strips are uncoupled from one another to disassemble the handle in response to application of an uncoupling force to the container, the first handle strip including a first coupler tab and an elongated first body coupled to the first coupler tab and the receptacle, the first body being formed to include a first retainer aperture, the second handle strip including a second coupler tab and an elongated second body coupled to the second coupler tab and the receptacle, the second body being formed to include a second retainer aperture and a transition aperture, wherein, in the handle-formation position, the first and second bodies are positioned in overlapping relation to one another, the first coupler tab extends through the transition aperture into the second retainer aperture, and the second coupler tab extends into the first retainer aperture, and, in the handle-disassembly position, the first coupler tab is not positioned in the transition aperture and the second retainer aperture and the second coupler tab is not positioned in the first retainer aperture.    
   
   
       23 . The container of  claim 22 , wherein the first body includes opposite first and second end portions, the first handle strip includes a first lug coupled to the first end portion of the first body and the receptacle, the first coupler tab is coupled to the second end portion of the first body, the second body includes opposite first and second end portions, the second handle strip includes a second lug coupled to the first end portion of the second body, and the second coupler tab is coupled to the second end portion of the second body.  
   
   
       24 . The container of  claim 22 , wherein the second body further includes a transition arm located between the second retainer aperture and the transition aperture and the first coupler tab overlies the transition arm as the first coupler tab extends from the transition aperture to the first retainer aperture when the first and second handle strips are positioned in the handle-formation position.  
   
   
       25 . The container of  claim 24 , wherein the first coupler tab includes a head and a neck positioned between the head and the first body and having a width narrower than the head and the first body, and, in the handle-formation position, the head is positioned in the second retainer aperture and the neck overlies the transition arm.  
   
   
       26 . The container of  claim 22 , wherein the first coupler tab includes a first head and a first neck located between the first head and the first body and having a width narrower than the first head and the first body, the second coupler tab includes a second head and a second neck located between the second head and the second body and having a width narrower than the second head and the second body, and, in the handle-formation position, the first head is positioned in the second retainer aperture and the second head is positioned in the first retainer aperture.  
   
   
       27 . The container of  claim 22 , wherein each of the first and second retainer apertures is trapezoid-shaped.  
   
   
       28 . The container of  claim 22 , wherein the transition aperture is rectangle-shaped.