US Patent 7427161 Plastic bag with unitary handle and closure member

A plastic bag includes a body portion, a handle portion forming an opening adapted to be grasped to carry the body portion, and a closure portion. The body portion has a bottom, opposed front and back panels extending from the bottom, and opposed first and second side panels extending from the bottom and connecting the front and back panels. The bottom, the front and back panels, and the first and second side panels form a receptacle space having a mouth located opposite the bottom. Preferably, the bottom is flat and the first and second side portions form gussets. The handle portion and the closure portion are preferably formed by adjacent layers of a folded plastic sheet secured to the back panel. The closure portion preferably includes a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive to be secured to the front panel to close the mouth.