Clothing deodorizer for deer hunters

A clothing deodorizer for deer hunters. The deodorizer includes a bag in which is placed the clothing to be deodorized of human odor. Within the bag a perforated container holds a granular material which can adsorb the human odor from the clothing. An object which can pulverize the granular material is placed in the container, so that as the bag is tumbled e.g. in a clothes dryer the object grinds the granular material into a powder which comes out through the perforations, contacts the clothing, and adsorbs the human odor exuded by the clothing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to deodorization. More particularly, the 
invention relates to the deodorization of clothing with respect to human 
odor. 
A deer's primary defense is the sense of smell, which is extremely and 
extraordinarily keen. Deer hunters are always looking for ways to prevent 
a deer from picking up the human scent; keeping downwind of the deer, for 
example. 
A more sophisticated approach is represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,383,236 
and 5,539,930, which disclose specialized clothing to be worn over a 
hunter's regular attire. The specialized clothing is impregnated with 
activated charcoal or other material which adsorbs the human odor exuded 
by the hunter. 
While this approach represents an advance in the art, it has the 
disadvantage of requiring the purchase of specialized clothing. A second 
disadvantage is the requirement of periodic reactivation of the activated 
charcoal or other adsorbent. 
It would be much more convenient and economical if the hunter's regular 
clothing could be deodorized before being worn for the hunt. The present 
invention provides an article and a method for doing this. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In general, the present invention in a first aspect provides a clothing 
deodorizer for deer hunters. The deodorizer comprises an outer container 
and a perforated inner container. A granular material capable of adsorbing 
human odor is disposed in the perforated inner container, together with an 
object capable of pulverizing the granular material. As the outer 
container is agitated, the granular material is converted into a powder 
which escapes through a perforation in the perforated inner container and 
contacts clothing disposed in the outer container. 
In a second aspect the invention provides a method for adsorbing human odor 
from clothing. The clothing is contacted with a material which is capable 
of adsorbing human odor. A preferred way of carrying out the method 
comprises (a) disposing clothing in an outer container, (b) disposing 
within the outer container a perforated inner container which contains a 
granular material capable of adsorbing human odor, and an object capable 
of pulverizing the granular material, and (c) agitating the outer 
container to pulverize and convert the granular material into a powder 
which escapes through a perforation in the perforated inner container and 
contacts the clothing. 
In a third aspect the present invention provides an article for adsorbing 
human odor from clothing. The article comprises first and second 
containers; a granular material capable of adsorbing human odor, for 
disposition in the second container; and an object capable of pulverizing 
the granular material, for disposition in the second container. The second 
container includes an opening therein, and is constructed and arranged for 
disposition in the first container. As the first container is agitated, 
the granular material is converted into a powder which escapes through the 
opening in the second container into the first container and contacts 
clothing disposed in the first container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides an article and a method for deodorizing 
clothing with respect to human odor. The inventor believes that this 
object is achieved by adsorption of the odor by a material capable of 
adsorbing human odor. However, the inventor does not in any way limit his 
invention to any supposed mechanism such as adsorption. Hence, as used 
herein, the terms "adsorb", "adsorbing", and "adsorption" are defined to 
mean partial or total removal, whatever the mechanism may actually be. 
More specifically, reference is made to FIG. 1, in in which is shown a 
clothing deodorizer for adsorbing human odor from clothing, made in 
accordance with the principles of the present invention, and showing the 
clothing disposed within the deodorizer. 
The clothing deodorizer comprises an outer container 2 in which is disposed 
a refillable perforated inner container 4 having a plurality of 
perforations 6. An abrader 8 is disposed within the inner container 4, 
together with a granular material 10 which is capable of adsorbing human 
odor. A zipper 12 provides facile opening and closing of the outer 
container 2, which is preferably a bag made of a flexible material such as 
cloth, and held in an open, expanded configuration by a spring 14. 
Clothing 16 to be deodorized is disposed within the outer container 2, the 
zipper 12 is used to close the container 2, and the outer container is 
agitated, preferably by tumbling in a clothes dryer. As the outer 
container 2 and its contents are agitated, the abrader 8 pulverizes the 
granular material 10, converting it into a powder 10a which escapes 
through peforations 6 which are sized smaller than the granulated material 
10. The powder 10a escapes into the outer container 2, where it contacts 
the clothing 16 and adsorbs the human odor therefrom. 
When the clothing 16 has been satisfactorily deodorized, the agitation is 
stopped, the zipper 12 is opened, and the clothing 16 is removed from the 
outer container 2. The outer container 2 may be compacted for transport by 
compressing the spring 14. 
Materials capable of adsorbing human odor include activated charcoal, 
activated alumina, baking soda, zeolite, and similar substances; see, 
e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,930. Of these various materials, activated 
charcoal and activated alumina are preferred, and activated charcoal is 
most preferred. However, any granular material which is capable of 
adsorbing human odor and which is not potentially harmful lies within the 
scope of the present invention. More specifically, the inventor relies 
upon the doctrine of equivalents for the inclusion in his invention of any 
granular material and of all granular materials which is/are capable of 
adsorbing human odor, without doing harm to the user. 
The present invention has the tremendous advantage over the prior art 
disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,383,236 and 5,539,930 by not requiring the 
purchase or use of specialized clothing. Using the article and method of 
the present invention, a hunter need only treat his regular clothing in 
the manner described, over and over, an indefinite number of times.