Bag with integral closure tie

Claim 1

A bag formed from an elongated tube of plastic film having a lateral and longitudinal extent and which has been flattened diametrically to provide only two, laterally spaced, diametrically opposed, longitudinal edges; said bag including two side walls, a bottom end, and an open top end; said bottom end including (1) a lower edge defined by a lazy - U-shaped line of severance which extends diametrically across the entire lateral extent of the tube, and (2) a continuous, lazy -U-shaped heat-sealed seam which closes the bottom end of the bag and is congruent with, and spaced closely adjacent to, said line of severance, said side walls, which have the same shape and size, lying against each other across the entire length and width of said bag and being bounded by said open top end, said longitudinal edges, and said line of severance, said open top end of the bag being in the shape of a lazy -U which is congruent with the lowermost edge, thereby forming a pair of inverted tie gusset extensions, each of said extensions being bisected by one of said longitudinal edges such that, when the tie gusset extension is flattened and spread, it is in the shape of an isosceles triangle whose apex lies on its corresponding longitudinal edge, said bag further including, adjacent its open top end, a plurality of perforations formed in and through both bag walls, with the perforations in each wall being laterally spaced from each other across the width of the bag, and with all said perforations being adapted to have at least one of the two tie gusset extensions threaded therethrough, to provide means integral with the bag for gathering together the open mouth of the bag, and the length of said tie gussets permitting the extended ends thereof to be tied together to provide only a single handle that functions for both closing the open mouth of the bag and for carrying the closed bag thereby.