Shopping bag carrier device

Abstract

A shopping bag carrier device includes a shoulder strap formed in a continuous closed loop and including a spaced arrangement of hooks on an outer facing side of the shoulder strap. Each of the hooks includes a stem and a curled portion surrounding a handle containment area for holding the handles of shopping bags. A rivet secures a top portion of the stem to the shoulder strap. In use, the shoulder strap is placed over the user's shoulder and shopping bags containing purchased items are hung on the spaced arrangement of hooks, thereby freeing up the user's arms and hands for performing other tasks such as opening doors, pushing elevator buttons and retrieving and using keys to open a door.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shopping bag carrier device comprising:
 a shoulder strap formed as a continuous, endless closed loop and having an outer facing side and an inner facing side;   a plurality of hooks attached to the outer facing side of the shoulder strap in spaced arrangement, and each of the plurality of hooks including a stem extending between a mounting head and a lower curled portion surrounding a shopping bag handle containment area and an open mouth between a top portion of the curled portion and the stem and openly communicating with the shopping bag handle containment area; and   each of the plurality of hooks being attached to the outer facing side of the shoulder strap by a rivet passing through the mounting head of the hook and through the shoulder strap, and the rivet including a flanged portion engaging the inner surface of the shoulder strap.   
     
     
         2 . The shopping bag carrier device as in  claim 1  wherein the shoulder strap is structured and disposed to be worn over a user's shoulder so that at least one of the plurality of hooks is positioned on a front of the user and at least one of the plurality of hooks is positioned on a back of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The shopping bag carrier device as in  claim 2  wherein each of the plurality of hooks is structured and disposed for holding at least one shopping bag that is at least partially filled with contents, and wherein each of the plurality of hooks is structured and disposed to hold the at least one shopping bag by a handle of the shopping bag, wherein the handle of the at least one shopping bag is held and supported within the containment area. 
     
     
         4 . The shopping bag carrier device as in  claim 3  wherein the top portion of the curled portion of each of the plurality of hooks is rolled-over to provide a top rounded surface that promotes ease of passage of the handles of the at least one shopping bag through the open mouth and into the handle containment area.