Abstract:
An emergency personal change kit is provided for use after an accidental bowel episode. The kit includes disposable gloves, a safety cutter for removing a soiled undergarment, a plastic bag for disposal of soiled and used items, a wet cleansing wiper, a dry wiper, a hand sanitizer liquid, and a temporary, size-adjustable clean undergarment. The size-adjustable undergarment is at the large end of a size range and includes clips to secure the waistband in a comfortable size arrangement.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to the field of kits for personal hygiene and more particularly to kits for personal cleaning and garment changing in case of fecal matter soiling one&#39;s clothing. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Most people experience accidental defecation occasionally. Some people, because of a high intestinal sensitivity or illness, experience bowel emergencies relatively often. Emergency or accidental defecation often does not happen in the vicinity of a bathroom, especially if one is traveling or working out-of-doors. If a bowel episode occurs in a location without accessible bathroom facilities, the likely result is the soiling of one&#39;s body and clothing. This result is unpleasant in odor and feel, embarrassing, may stain contact surfaces such as the seat of an automobile, and may ultimately spread infection. 
   After an accidental bowel episode occurs in an inconvenient location, the affected individual typically will go to the nearest private facility, perhaps a public bathroom or merely a hidden area to clean up as well as possible. The person must remove the outer garment and then remove the soiled undergarment, usually spreading the fecal matter to the hands and areas of the legs. Cleaning at best involves toilet paper and a sink, but may be much more rudimentary. Finally, redressing must be done without an undergarment since the soiled undergarment was necessarily disposed of, leaving the person fairly uncomfortable. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides an emergency personal change kit to enable a greatly improved manner of eliminating the soiled undergarment, cleaning oneself and redressing with an adequate, but temporary, replacement undergarment. The kit contains a pair of disposable gloves and a cutter provided to remove the soiled undergarment. A sanitary wiping cloth and a dry wiping cloth are provided to deal with the fecal matter. An undergarment is included for temporary wear, and the person&#39;s outer garment is replaced. All soiled items are placed into a plastic bag for disposal. Finally, an antiseptic cleansing fluid is included to clean the hands. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention is best understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which like elements are identified by similar reference numerals and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a closed container for packaging the components comprising the emergency personal change kit of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the container of  FIG. 1  in open condition with the two portions standing for ease of access. 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of a disposable glove for inclusion in the emergency personal change kit of the invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of a cutter of the emergency personal change kit of the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a receptacle in the form of a bag for receiving soiled items for disposal. 
       FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of a sanitary wiping cloth and a dry wiping cloth, each folded in a sealed packet. 
       FIG. 7  is a front elevation view of a sealed packet containing an anti-bacterial fluid for hand cleaning. 
       FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of a temporary replacement undergarment for use in the emergency personal change kit of the invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a front elevation view of a pair of mechanical clips used to adjust the undergarment shown in  FIG. 8  to the waist size of the user. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a container  10  is shown in closed condition with a cover  12  snugly engaging a base  14 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, container  10  is formed as a right circular cylinder with flat ends. Optionally, a label or piece of adhesive tape  16  is positioned along the seam between cover  12  and base  14  to hold the parts together until container  10  is opened by a user. Other shapes may be used for alternate forms of container  10 , for example an elliptical cylinder or a rectangular box. In addition, container  10  may be formed as flexible, e.g. a bag or envelope. Container  10 , in any available shape, is sized to contain the several components of the present invention described below and is able to be placed in a pocket, purse or automobile glove compartment. 
   In  FIG. 2 , container  10  is shown in the open condition with cover  12  and base  14  oriented vertically to present a pair of open top containers that rest securely on any convenient horizontal surface. Base  14  is formed with a rim  18  that is configured to slip into cover  12 . Cover  12  and base  14  each are packed with several components of the invention kit, preferably with the components that are needed early in the process of cleaning positioned near the open tops of cover  12  and base  14 . The following paragraphs describe the components of the invention kit in the typical order of use and method of use. 
   As described briefly above, the clean up of an accidental bowel episode is inherently messy. Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a disposable glove  20  is provided in the kit of the present invention. As the first needed article in the clean up process, glove  20  is packed near the intersection of cover  12  and base  14  to be readily accessible when container  10  is opened. Glove  20  is preferably an inexpensive plastic glove, e.g. vinyl, but may be any inexpensive, readily disposable, non-porous material that can be folded into a small bundle and stored for an extended period of time. Glove  20  is of the type and size to fit most hand sizes. Preferably, two gloves  20  are included for increased sanitary protection. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a cutter  24  is illustrated in side view. Cutter  24  is of the type known as a safety letter opener that is typically shaped as an ellipse. A blade  28  is mounted, or insert molded, to reside in a wedge shaped opening below handle  26 . The width W of the wedge shaped opening in handle  26  is less than the diameter of an adult finger to prevent injury from blade  28 . Alternate shapes of cutter  24  are within the scope of the present invention, as long as width W of the wedge shaped opening is sufficiently small. Cutter  24  enables the user to cut and remove a soiled undergarment, thus minimizing the spread of fecal matter. Cutter  24  is sized to be packed in container  10  (see  FIG. 1 ), and has a thickness in the direction perpendicular to the drawing on the order of 3.0 mm (⅛ inch). 
   Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a receptacle  32  is shown in expanded condition. Receptacle  32  is preferably a disposable plastic bag, e.g. vinyl, to securely hold the soiled undergarment, cleaning components of the kit and excess fecal matter. Receptacle  32  is folded into a small bundle and stored in container  10  prior to use. Receptacle  32  is preferably formed with a pair of holes  34  to enable the user to hang receptacle  32  on a hook or other available structure, thus holding the bag open for easy insertion of waste matter. Optionally, a closure such as a twist tie band is enclosed. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a cleansing cloth or paper sheet that is pre-saturated with a cleansing liquid is provided in a sealed packet  36 , identified in  FIG. 6  as Sani Wipe. The enclosed sheet is of sufficient size when unfolded to enable cleaning of the soiled buttocks and thigh areas of the affected user. After using the moist cleansing cloth, a dry cloth or paper sheet is removed from a sealed packet  38  to dry the skin, identified in  FIG. 6  as Dry Wipe. The dry sheet in Dry Wipe packet  38  is of similar size to the size of the moist sheet in Sani Wipe packet  36 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 7 , a packet  40 , identified as Anti Bact, is retrieved from container  10  (see  FIG. 1 ). Packet  40  contains a liquid anti-bacterial hand cleaner. Packets  36 ,  38  and  40  are formed with a perforated tear line to be easily opened for use. Alternatively, a liquid hand cleaner may be provided in a small bottle or tube. The liquid hand cleaner is of the type that does not require drying with a towel after use, one such liquid cleaner is known by the brand name Purel®. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 8 , a replacement undergarment  44  is provided for temporary use after cleaning has been accomplished. Undergarment  44  is preferably made of a thin, disposable, sheet material such as a non-woven fabric or paper, for reasons of economy and ease of folding. Due to the range of waist sizes that must be accommodated, undergarment  44  is provided in either a medium size, e.g. waist size 28 to 36 inches, or a large size, e.g. waist size 38 to 50 inches. The waistband  46  of undergarment  44  is able to be folded to adjust to the waist size of the wearer, and a pair of clips  50 , illustrated in  FIG. 9 , is provided. Clips  50  are either molded plastic or metal, and are resilient to hold snugly onto waistband  46 . Alternate closure devices, for example hook-and-loop type fasteners, are considered within the scope of the invention. 
   Use of the invention emergency personal change kit generally follows the steps outlined below: 
   1. Remove tape or label  16 , open container  10 , and place cover  12  and base  14  on a supporting surface (see  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ); 
   2. Remove, unfold, and put glove(s)  20  on the hand(s) (see  FIG. 3 ); 
   3. Remove, unfold, and place in an accessible position receptacle  32  (see  FIG. 5 ); 
   4. Remove, or place in a safe position, the user&#39;s outer garment, e.g. pants or skirt; 
   5. Remove cutter  24  (see  FIG. 4 ) from container  10 ; cut the soiled undergarment from the waist to the leg opening of each side and remove the undergarment; place the soiled undergarment and cutter  24  in receptacle  32 ; 
   6. Remove the cleanser-saturated cloth from Sani Wipe packet  36  (see  FIG. 6 ) and place the empty packet in receptacle  32 ; 
   7. Unfold the cleanser-saturated cloth and clean the fecal residue from the buttocks and thighs; place the used cleaning cloth in receptacle  32 ; 
   8. Remove the dry cloth from Dry Wipe packet  38  (see  FIG. 6 ) and place the empty packet in receptacle  32 ; 
   9. Unfold the dry cloth and dry the areas that are wet from cleaning; place the used dry cloth in receptacle  32 ; 
   10. Remove glove(s)  20  from the hand(s) and place in receptacle  32 ; 
   11. Open the Anti Bact packet  40  (see  FIG. 7 ), dispense the anti-bacterial liquid hand cleaner to clean the hands; place the empty packet in receptacle  32 ; 
   12. Remove replacement undergarment  44  (see  FIG. 8 ) from container  10 ; don undergarment  44 ; adjust waistband  46  of undergarment  44  to fit user; 
   13. Remove clips  50  (see  FIG. 9 ) from container  10 ; apply one or both clips to folded waistband  46  to hold undergarment  44  in place; 
   14. Reposition the outer garment, e.g. pants or skirt; 
   15. Close and dispose of receptacle  32 . 
   Whereas the kit of the invention disclosed is intended for emergency use, it is understood that the user will conduct a more thorough cleaning and acquire clean clothing items as needed. However, the kit invention avoids the need for the person to continue to endure fecal matter on the body, wear soiled clothing, and the unpleasant odor associated therewith. 
   While the description above discloses preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is contemplated that numerous variations and modifications of the invention are possible and are considered to be within the scope of the claims that follow.