Bag with ergonomically disposed handle

Abstract

An apparatus for carrying and delivering pourable product. The apparatus comprises a bag having a centerline and a pouring region formed on one side of the centerline. A handle is operably connected to the bag and is on an opposite side of the centerline from the pouring region.

The claimed invention is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for carrying and delivering pourable product, the apparatus comprising: 
 a bag having a centerline and a pouring region formed on one side of the centerline; and    a handle operably connected to the bag, the handle being on an opposite side of the centerline from the pouring region.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the bag has an end edge and oppositely disposed corners formed along the end edge; and    the handle is adjacent to one corner and the pouring region is adjacent to the oppositely disposed corner.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the bag has first and second sidewalls, and the first sidewall is attached to the second sidewall at a region adjacent to the handle.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising additional material, the additional material being attached to the bag adjacent to the handle, thereby increasing the strength of the bag adjacent to the handle.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the handle is defined by a hole defined by the first and second sidewalls.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a reinforcing ring attached to the bag and positioned within the hole defined by the first and second sidewalls.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the bag defines an interior volume and pourable product is contained in the interior volume.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the bag defines an outer surface and the handle is attached to the outer surface of the bag and does not extend through the sidewalls of the bag.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a carrying handle positioned proximal to the end edge of the bag and substantially centered about the centerline of the bag.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the pouring region is formed proximal to one of the two oppositely disposed corners formed along the end edge.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the pouring region is marked by a dashed line printed on the bag, the marked line extending across the one of two oppositely disposed corners, the bag defining a pouring hole when opened along the dashed line.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the bag defines a plurality of perforations, the plurality of perforations extending across the one of the two oppositely disposed corners, the bag defining a pouring hole when opened along the perforations.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the bag has a first end edge and a second end edge opposite the first end edge; and    the handle is located along the first end edge and the pouring region is located along the second end edge.    
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the handle is located catercorner from the pouring region.    
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for carrying and delivering pourable product, the apparatus comprising: 
 a bag having first and second sidewalls, an interior volume, an end edge, oppositely disposed corners formed along the end edge, a centerline and a pouring region formed on one side of the centerline;    pourable product positioned within the interior volume; and    a handle operably connected to the bag, the handle being adjacent one corner and the pouring region adjacent to the oppositely disposed corner, the handle being defined by a hole passing through the first and second sidewalls.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein: 
 the first sidewall of the bag is attached to the secondside wall of the bag to form a handle region, the handle region defining a hole to form the handle; and  
 the apparatus further comprises a reinforcing ring attached to the bag and positioned within the hole defined by the first and second sidewalls.  
 
     
     
         17 . A method of manufacturing a bag for carrying and delivering pourable product, the method comprising: 
 providing a bag having an end edge and oppositely disposed corners defined along the end edge;    defining a pouring region adjacent to one corner of the bag; and    positioning a handle adjacent to the oppositely disposed corner of the bag.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the bag defines an interior volume and the method further comprises: 
 placing pourable product in the interior volume.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the bag has first and second sidewalls, and the act of positioning a handle adjacent to the oppositely disposed corner of the bag includes: 
 defining a hole through the first and second sidewalls.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the act of defining a pouring region adjacent to one corner of the bag includes: 
 printing a line on the sidewall of the bag, the line extending across the one corner of the bag.  
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the act of defining a pouring region adjacent to one corner of the bag includes: 
 defining a plurality of perforations through the first and second sidewalls of the bag, the perforations extending across the one corner of the bag.  
 
     
     
         22 . A method of pouring contents from a bag, the method comprising: 
 gripping a handle on a bag with a first hand, the handle being positioned adjacent to a corner along a first end edge of the bag;    gripping a second corner of the bag with a second hand, the second corner being positioned along a second end edge of the bag, the second end edge of the bag being positioned opposite the first end edge, and the second corner being positioned catercorner from the handle; and    rotating the bag and pouring the contents through a hole defined adjacent to a corner along the first end edge of the bag and oppositely disposed from the handle.