Bag With Integral Tie member

Abstract

A bag includes superimposed sheets of flexible material joined together along their side edges to define a bag having first and second wall elements with an open upper end and a closed lower end. The first wall element and the second wall element each have a perforated region thereon, with the regions being coincident to one another. An elongated flexible tie member extends transversely over one of the first or second wall elements proximate the open upper end. The flexible tie member is configured for passage through the first and second wall element perforated regions to permit the tie member to wrap around the bag.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bag comprising:
 superimposed sheets of flexible material joined together along their side edges to define a bag having first and second wall elements with an open upper end and a closed lower end;   the first wall element having a perforated region thereon;   the second wall element having a perforated region thereon coincident with the first wall element perforated region;   an elongated flexible tie member extending transversely over one of the first or second wall elements proximate the open upper end;   wherein the flexible tie member is configured for passage through the first wall element perforated region and the second wall element perforated region to permit the tie member to wrap around the bag.   
     
     
         2 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the flexible tie member is attached to the bag by a heat fused attachment. 
     
     
         3 . The bag of  claim 1  further comprising at least one hole formed near the open upper end in the first wall element or the second wall element. 
     
     
         4 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the flexible tie member is configured with a tear line to permit splitting of the member to form two strips. 
     
     
         5 . The bag of  claim 4  wherein the tie member strips enable the bag to be knotted after the flexible tie member is passed through the first wall element perforated region and the second wall element perforated region. 
     
     
         6 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the flexible tie member is configured for detachment from the bag at either end of the member. 
     
     
         7 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the flexible tie member is a different color compared to the first wall element or the second wall element. 
     
     
         8 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the flexible tie member has a different transparency factor compared to the first wall element or the second wall element. 
     
     
         9 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the first wall element extends beyond the open upper end to form an extension. 
     
     
         10 . The bag of  claim 9  wherein the flexible tie member is disposed over the exterior surface of the second wall element. 
     
     
         11 . A method of sealing a bag formed of superimposed sheets of flexible material joined together along their side edges to define a bag having first and second wall elements with an open upper end and a closed lower end, a first wall element having a perforated region thereon, a second wall element having a perforated region thereon coincident with the first wall element perforated region, and an elongated flexible tie member extending transversely along one of the first or second wall elements proximate the open upper end, comprising:
 passing the tie member through the first wall element perforated region and the second wall element perforated region; and   wrapping the tie member around the bag.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the flexible tie member is attached to the bag by a heat fused attachment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the bag comprises at least one hole formed near the open upper end in the first wall element or the second wall element. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the flexible tie member is configured with a tear line to permit splitting of the member to form two strips. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the tie member strips enable the bag to be knotted after the flexible tie member is passed through the first wall element perforated region and the second wall element perforated region. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising splitting the flexible tie member into two strips after passing the member through the first and second wall element perforated regions. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the flexible tie member is a different color compared to the first wall element or the second wall element. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the flexible tie member has a different transparency factor compared to the first wall element or the second wall element. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the first wall element extends beyond the open upper end to form an extension. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the flexible tie member is disposed over the exterior surface of the second wall element.