Bag suitable for carrying groceries and system comprising same

Abstract

A bag comprises a body including bottom and opposing sidewalls. The walls are made from a woven fabric material. The sidewalls and the bottom wall form a grocery receiving cavity having a closed bottom end portion and an open top end portion. Sewn-in edge creases each define an edge of the body extending from the closed bottom end portion to the open top end portion and/or an edge of the body extending between the bottom wall and the sidewalls. A sewn-in pleat crease extends within a first pair of the opposing sidewalls. Skewed legs of the pleat crease extend from opposing corners of the respective one of the first pair of opposing sidewalls adjacent the closed bottom end portion and converge to an upwardly extending leg of the pleat crease. Handle holes are in a second pair of the opposing sidewalls.

1 . A bag, comprising:
 a body including a bottom wall and two pair of opposing sidewalls;   wherein said walls are made from at least one of a fabric material and a polymeric sheet material;   wherein said sidewalls and the bottom wall are interconnected to form a grocery receiving cavity having a closed bottom end portion and an open top end portion;   wherein generally straight edge creases each define at least one of an edge of the body extending from the closed bottom end portion to the open top end portion between adjacent ones of said sidewalls and an edge of the body extending between the bottom wall and said sidewalls;   wherein a pleat crease extends from the closed bottom end portion to the open top end portion within a first pair of said opposing sidewalls such that skewed legs of the pleat crease extend from opposing corners of the respective one of the first pair of opposing sidewalls adjacent the closed bottom end portion and converge to an upwardly extending leg of the pleat crease; and   wherein handle holes are provided in a second pair of said opposing sidewalls adjacent the open top end portion.   
   
   
       2 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein:
 a first transverse pleat crease extends laterally across at least one of said opposing sidewalls of the second pair at a location approximately mid-way between the closed bottom end portion and the open top end portion; and   a second transverse pleat crease extends laterally across at least one of said opposing sidewalls of the second pair at a location approximately mid-way between the closed bottom end portion and the first transverse pleat crease.   
   
   
       3 . The bag of  claim 2  wherein said walls are all made from a woven fabric material. 
   
   
       4 . The bag of  claim 3  wherein all of said creases are sewn-in creases. 
   
   
       5 . The bag of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a plurality of straps, wherein a first one of said straps has opposing end portions thereof attached to a first wall of said second pair of opposing sidewalls, wherein a second one of said straps has opposing end portions thereof attached to a second wall of said second pair of opposing sidewalls, wherein said opposing end portions of each one of said straps has the handle hole of the respective sidewall positioned therebetween.   
   
   
       6 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein all of said creases are sewn-in creases. 
   
   
       7 . The bag of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of straps, wherein a first one of said straps has opposing end portions thereof attached to a first wall of said second pair of opposing sidewalls, wherein a second one of said straps has opposing end portions thereof attached to a second wall of said second pair of opposing sidewalls, wherein said opposing end portions of each one of said straps has the handle hole of the respective sidewall positioned therebetween.   
   
   
       8 . A bag, comprising:
 a body including a bottom wall and two pair of opposing sidewalls;   wherein said walls are formed from a piece of woven fabric material;   wherein said sidewalls and the bottom wall are interconnected to form a grocery receiving cavity having a closed bottom end portion and an open top end portion;   wherein sewn-in generally straight edge creases each define at least one of an edge of the body extending from the closed bottom end portion to the open top end portion between adjacent ones of said sidewalls and an edge of the body extending between the bottom wall and said sidewalls;   wherein a sewn-in pleat crease extends from the closed bottom end portion to the open top end portion within a first pair of said opposing sidewalls such that skewed legs of the pleat crease extend from opposing corners of the respective one of the first pair of opposing sidewalls adjacent the closed bottom end portion and converge to an upwardly extending leg of the pleat crease; and   wherein handle holes are provided in a second pair of said opposing sidewalls adjacent the open top end portion.   
   
   
       9 . The bag of  claim 8  wherein:
 a first transverse sewn-in pleat crease extends laterally across at least one of said opposing sidewalls of the second pair at a location approximately mid-way between the closed bottom end portion and the open top end portion; and   a second transverse sewn-in pleat crease extends laterally across at least one of said opposing sidewalls of the second pair at a location approximately mid-way between the closed bottom end portion and the first transverse pleat crease.   
   
   
       10 . The bag of  claim 9  wherein said walls are all made from a woven fabric material. 
   
   
       11 . The bag of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a plurality of straps, wherein a first one of said straps has opposing end portions thereof attached to a first wall of said second pair of opposing sidewalls, wherein a second one of said straps has opposing end portions thereof attached to a second wall of said second pair of opposing sidewalls, wherein said opposing end portions of each one of said straps has the handle hole of the respective sidewall positioned therebetween.   
   
   
       12 . The bag of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a spaced apart pair of attachment structures integral with each one of said opposing sidewalls of the second pair, wherein said pair of attachment structures of each one of said opposing sidewalls of the second pair have the handle hole thereof positioned between said pair of attachment structures; and   a strap attached between each pair of said attachment structures.   
   
   
       13 . A bag system, comprising:
 a plurality of foldable grocery bags each having a body including a bottom wall and two pair of opposing sidewalls, wherein said walls are all made from at least one of a fabric material and a polymeric sheet material, wherein said sidewalls and the bottom wall of a respective one of said bags are interconnected to form a grocery receiving cavity having a closed bottom end portion and an open top end portion, wherein generally straight edge creases of a respective one of said bags each define at least one of an edge of the body extending from the closed bottom end portion to the open top end portion between adjacent ones of said sidewalls and an edge of the body extending between the bottom wall and said sidewalls, wherein a pleat crease of a respective one of said bags extends from the closed bottom end portion to the open top end portion within a first pair of said opposing sidewalls such that skewed legs of the pleat crease extend from opposing corners of the respective one of the first pair of opposing sidewalls adjacent the closed bottom end portion and converge to an upwardly extending leg of the pleat crease, and wherein handle holes are provided in a second pair of said opposing sidewalls of a respective one of said bags adjacent the open top end portion thereof; and   a tote bag having all of said foldable grocery bags contained within a cavity thereof, wherein the tote bag is made from at least one of a fabric material and a polymeric sheet material and wherein the tote bag includes at least one manually operable attachment device configured for allowing the tote bag to be securely attached to a support structure.   
   
   
       14 . The bag system of  claim 13  wherein:
 said walls of the tote bag are all made from a multi-layer material;   a first layer of the multi-layer material is a woven fabric material layer; and   a second layer of the multi-layer material is an insulating material layer that exhibits substantially greater insulating properties than the woven fabric material layer.   
   
   
       15 . The bag system of  claim 14  wherein:
 a first transverse pleat crease extends laterally across at least one of said grocery bag opposing sidewalls of the second pair at a location approximately mid-way between the closed bottom end portion and the open top end portion; and   a second transverse pleat crease extends laterally across at least one of said grocery bag opposing sidewalls of the second pair at a location approximately mid-way between the closed bottom end portion and the first transverse pleat crease.   
   
   
       16 . The bag system of  claim 15  wherein all of said creases are sewn-in creases. 
   
   
       17 . The bag system of  claim 16  wherein:
 each one of said foldable grocery bags includes a plurality of straps;   a first one of said straps has opposing end portions thereof attached to a first wall of said second pair of opposing sidewalls;   a second one of said straps has opposing end portions thereof attached to a second wall of said second pair of opposing sidewalls; and   said opposing end portions of each one of said straps has the handle hole of the respective sidewall positioned therebetween.   
   
   
       18 . The bag system of  claim 18  wherein:
 the tote bag includes two manually operable attachment devices configured for allowing the tote bag to be securely attached to a support structure;   the tote bag includes a first pair of opposing sidewalls and a second pair of opposing sidewalls and a bottom wall;   a first one of said attachment devices is attached to a first sidewall of said first pair of tote bag opposing sidewalls; and   a second one of said attachment devices is attached to a second sidewall of the first pair of said tote bag opposing walls.   
   
   
       19 . The bag system of  claim 13  wherein:
 a first transverse pleat crease extends laterally across at least one wall of said second pair of grocery bag opposing sidewalls at a location approximately mid-way between the closed bottom end portion and the open top end portion; and   a second transverse pleat crease extends laterally across at least one wall of said second pair of grocery bag opposing sidewalls at a location approximately mid-way between the closed bottom end portion and the first transverse pleat crease.   
   
   
       20 . The bag system of  claim 19  wherein all of said creases are sewn-in creases.