Abstract:
An application for an individual liquid-filled soap includes a thin, breakable, solid soap outer shell and a liquid contained within the thin, solid soap outer shell. The liquid is either liquid soap or a soap-compatible liquid such as lanolin, hand cream, antibacterial soap, and antibacterial cream or a combination of these ingredients.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of soap and more particularly to a liquid-filled individual serving of bar soap. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Often, one winds up in a friend&#39;s or relative&#39;s bathroom, wanting to wash their hands, only to find a typical bar of soap impregnated with dirt, grease and assorted hair. Alternately, one might find a liquid soap dispenser, the top of which is also covered with dirt and grease. Using the liquid soap dispenser often results in a trail of liquid soap from the dispenser to the sink basin. 
     To combat this problem, soap manufacturers have created small bars of soap, somewhat more than a single wash. These smaller bars of soap are often decorative, for example shaped like seashells. Such bars of soap are often avoided because they look like decoration and or the user does not want to discard the small bar after they are done washing their hands. Hotels have a similar situation, providing a small, wrapped bar of soap for each room. The bar is often large enough for one to use for a whole week, but often the customer only stays one night, creating waste. 
     Single servings of soap products are known in the industry, to some extent. None provide a single-use soap bar that adequately lathers a user&#39;s hands and/or face. For example, the small bars cited above have a minimum size dictated by the amount of soap that can be delivered during a reasonable amount of time while rubbing under warm water. If made too small, insufficient soap suds would result. As said before, if made too big, the residual soap bar would have to be saved or discarded. 
     Single serving soap packets are known in the dishwashing and laundry markets. Laundromats often sell packages of laundry soap, bleach, softener, etc. that are sized for a single wash. Dishwasher soap now comes in plastic pouches that dissolve from the heat of the dishwasher water. U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,869 to Friedman disclose a coated film laundry package that has a coating that dissolves when exposed to water in the washing machine. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 2,539,395 to Banks discloses a water disintegratable soap package. Such packets could be scaled down to the size of a single use hand soap package, but the packet would not dissolve quickly enough to meet the time expectations of a typical user. Furthermore, there would be a small amount of residual packaging that remains during the washing that would not feel right to the user. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,470,851 to Hermanson discloses a soap powder packet that contains powdered soap. The packet is made from a thin paper web, through which water can flow, thereby wetting the powdered soap and producing soap suds. This device has the same problem of the amount of time it takes to produce sufficient lather, but also has a disposal issue, being that the paper web outer layer must be discarded. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,556 to Hildebrandt discloses a bag that contains, for example, liquid soap. The packet is made from a thin sheet of material that can be easily torn, thereby dispensing the liquid. This device delivers soap in a reasonable time, but has a disposal issue, being that the outer layer must be discarded. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,993,174 to Coney discloses a wash cloth with a pouch for containing powdered or granular soap. This device has a similar problem with the amount of time it takes to produce sufficient lather, but has a disposal issue, being that the entire washcloth must be discarded after use. 
     It is evident from the many prior inventions that there exists a need for individual servings of hand soap. What is needed is an individual serving of hand soap that provides lather/suds quickly while substantially dissolving without the need to discard any waste. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment, an individual liquid-filled soap is disclosed including a thin, breakable, solid soap outer shell and a liquid contained within the thin, solid soap outer shell. 
     In another embodiment, a method for washing hands is disclosed including providing an individual liquid-filled soap that has a thin, breakable, solid soap outer shell and a liquid contained there within. The individual liquid-filled soap is rubbed with water between a user&#39;s hands, thereby breaking the thin, solid soap outer shell and the user washes their hands using the individual liquid-filled soap and the liquid. When finished washing, any remnants of the individual liquid-filled soap is allowed to flush down the drain. 
     In another embodiment, an individual liquid-filled soap is disclosed including a liquid washing agent and a container for holding the liquid washing agent, the container being made from a thin, breakable layer of solid soap. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic view of an individual soap of the present invention in use. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic view of an individual soap of the present invention in the form of a fish. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-section view along lines  1 - 1  of  FIG. 1  of an individual soap of the present invention in the form of a fish. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-section view along lines  1 - 1  of  FIG. 1  of an individual soap of a second embodiment of the present invention in the form of a fish. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a schematic view of an individual soap of the present invention in the form of a typical bar of soap. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-section view along lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 5  of an individual soap of the present invention in the form of a typical bar of soap. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a cross-section view along lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 5  of an individual soap of a second embodiment of the present invention in the form of a typical bar of soap. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a schematic view of an individual soap of the present invention in use will be described. As will be shown, the individual soap  10  has a thin, breakable solid soap outer layer  12 . The user places the individual soap  10  in their hands and under slight pressure, the individual soap  10  breaks, providing both solid soap and a liquid core to lather the user&#39;s hands. After the user finishes washing their hands, the outer layer  12  of solid soap is either completely consumed or in small granular pieces that easily wash down the drain. By using a thin layer of solid soap as the outer layer  12 , the individual soap  10  can be formed into various decorative shapes such as a fish shape as shown, a round shape, a seashell, alphabet letters (e.g., the family&#39;s last name), hotel logos, etc. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a schematic view of an individual soap of the present invention in the form of a fish will be described. The individual soap  10  has a thin, breakable solid soap outer layer  12 . In this embodiment, the thin, breakable solid outer layer  12  is made from solid soap, thereby lending the individual soap  10  to be formed or shaped into whatever shape is desired. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a cross-section view along lines  1 - 1  of  FIG. 1  of an individual soap of the present invention in the form of a fish will be described. The thin, breakable solid outer layer  12  is thick enough to provide structure and shape to the individual soap  10  and thin enough to dissolve and/or break during washing of one&#39;s hands. In the preferred embodiment, the individual soap  10  is filled with a liquid washing agent or liquid  14 . The liquid  14  is a soap compatible liquid such as liquid soap, lanolin, antibacterial lotion, antibacterial soap, hand lotion and the like. In some embodiments, the liquid washing agent  14  is liquid soap for quick lathering. In other embodiments, the liquid washing agent  14  is or includes other agents to improve the washing operation. For example, hand lotion or lanolin improves skin tone after washing while antibacterial agents kill germs. 
     The decorative fish shape has fins  16  made of the same solid soap as the thin solid outer layer  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a cross-section view along lines  1 - 1  of  FIG. 1  of an individual soap of a second embodiment of the present invention in the form of a fish will be described. The thin solid outer layer  12  is thick enough to provide structure and shape to the individual soap  10  and thin enough to dissolve and/or break during washing of one&#39;s hands. In the preferred embodiment, the individual soap  10  is filled with a liquid  14 . The liquid  14  is a soap compatible liquid such as liquid soap, lanolin, antibacterial lotion, antibacterial soap, hand lotion and the like. Some types of liquid  12  react with the thin solid outer layer  12 , thereby softening or dissolving the thin solid outer layer  12 . Therefore, in some embodiments, an intermediate layer  18  is provided. In some embodiments, this layer  18  is a petroleum-based coating such as oil or wax. In some embodiments, this layer  18  is an oil-based coating such as cooking oil or olive oil. In some embodiments, this layer  18  is a dissolvable film. The decorative fish shape has fins  16  made of the same solid soap as the thin solid outer layer  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a schematic view of an individual soap of the present invention in the form of a typical bar of soap will be described. The individual soap  10  has a thin, breakable solid soap outer layer  12 . In this embodiment, the thin, breakable solid outer layer  12  is made from solid soap, thereby lending the individual soap  10  to be formed or shaped into whatever shape is desired; as shown, a typical soap bar shape. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a cross-section view along lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 5  of an individual soap of the present invention in the form of a typical bar of soap will be described. The thin, breakable solid outer layer  22  is thick enough to provide structure and shape to the individual soap  10  and thin enough to dissolve and/or break during washing of one&#39;s hands. In the preferred embodiment, the individual soap  10  is filled with a liquid  24 . The liquid  24  is a soap compatible liquid such as liquid soap, lanolin, antibacterial lotion, antibacterial soap, hand lotion and the like. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a cross-section view along lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 5  of an individual soap of a second embodiment of the present invention in the form of a typical bar of soap will be described. The thin, breakable solid outer layer  22  is thick enough to provide structure and shape to the individual soap  10  and thin enough to dissolve and/or break during washing of one&#39;s hands. In the preferred embodiment, the individual soap  10  is filled with a liquid  24 . The liquid  24  is a soap compatible liquid such as liquid soap, lanolin, antibacterial lotion, antibacterial soap, hand lotion and the like. Some types of liquid  24  react with the thin solid outer layer  22 , thereby softening or dissolving the thin solid outer layer  22 . Therefore, in some embodiments, an intermediate layer  26  is provided. In some embodiments, this layer  26  is a petroleum-based coating such as oil or wax. In some embodiments, this layer  26  is an oil-based coating such as cooking oil or olive oil. In some embodiments, this layer  26  is a dissolvable film. 
     The individual soap  10  of the present invention lends itself to be individually packaged or bulk packaged. One or more individual soaps  10  are dispensed in a soap dish near a wash basin within reach of a person wishing to wash their hands. 
     Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result. 
     It is believed that the system and method of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.