Abstract:
A body washing system provides an integrated single-use package co-locating a moist towelette and a dry towelette, the latter sized and design to permit drying of an individual after applying the moist towelette to his or her body in a washing process. The compact size and availability of the dry towelette substantially increases at the availability of bathing systems to individuals to whom conventional bathing or showering is inaccessible.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application 61/357,384 filed Jun. 22, 2010 and hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for body cleansing when conventional bathing facilities are not available or practical. 
         [0003]    Active individuals, for example, those commuting to work by jogging or using a bicycle, are often hampered by the lack of showering or bathing facilities at their destination. Individuals involved in outdoor activities such as a picnic or beach going, may have a need to freshen up before a subsequent party or social gathering. Travelers, and especially business travelers taking extended trips to meet with clients or business associates, may face a similar dilemma. 
         [0004]    Large area pre-moistened towelettes (for example 2′×4′) in single-use foil packages are generally known in the art for campers or the like who do not have access to plumbing. Such wipes are relatively bulky, and are an imperfect solution to those who may not have the luxury of time for substantial air-drying outdoors, or access to a separate dry towel or clothing, or a clean or private space in which to wash. Some pre-moistened towelettes incorporate substantial alcohol content into the moistening material to promote rapid drying. High proportions of alcohol may not be practical for a body washing system where large areas of skin will be moistened. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present inventor has recognized that the simple co-location of a dry towelette with a moist towelette in a single-use package can substantially increase the accessibility of a single-use body washing system to active individuals. By providing a dry towelette properly sized to provide a substantially complete drying of the individual after use of the moist towelette, the area washed and the amount of moisture used in the bathing process can be substantially increased to approximate more closely an actual bath or shower. Additional toiletry items can be incorporated in an analogous manner. 
         [0006]    Specifically then, the present invention provides a body washing system having a moist towelette sealed in a first moisture impervious package openable by tearing the packaging material of the first package, the first moisture impervious package attached to a second moisture impervious package openable by tearing the packaging material of the second package and holding a dry towelette therein. 
         [0007]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide an integrated package providing a bathing experience commensurate with being able to apply sufficient moisture to a large enough area of the body requiring subsequent moisture removal by a towelette. It is another feature of a least one embodiment of the invention to provide a system that is lightweight and sufficiently convenient to be practically available to individuals in a variety of situations. 
         [0008]    The first and second moisture impervious packages may be joined by a common seam in packaging material extending between the first and second packages. 
         [0009]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a packaging system that may make use of well-established packaging technologies. 
         [0010]    The seam may be perforated. 
         [0011]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to permit the user the option of separating the packages for more convenient access. 
         [0012]    The seam may include a tear notch promoting tearing of the material of the first and second packages at the tear notch. 
         [0013]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to present a tear notch that promotes a logical sequential opening of the packages in order of use. 
         [0014]    The body washing system of claim  1  wherein the material is heat-sealable polymer and foil laminate. 
         [0015]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide easily openable packaging that preserves the hygienic qualities of the bathing materials. 
         [0016]    The moist and dry towelettes have may have an area greater than 300 square centimeters. 
         [0017]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a body cleaning system suitable for full body bathing. 
         [0018]    The moist and dry towelette may be nonwoven. 
         [0019]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide material that has suitable strength for cleaning and that provides significant capillary adsorption capabilities for both holding a moistening liquid and removing the same. 
         [0020]    The first package may have indicia indicating moisture and the second package has indicia indicating dryness. 
         [0021]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to both inform the consumer of the nature of the product while providing guidance as to the contained elements. This specificity of labeling is possible by packaging each towelette in separate outer package material. 
         [0022]    The first and second moisture impervious packages may be joined at a common sealed edge of shared material and folded over each other along the common sealed edge to bring opposed edges of each package displaced from the common edge together in attachment. 
         [0023]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a compact, single-use wet/dry product without the need for special or bulky container design. 
         [0024]    The attachment of the opposed edges may be by means of an adhesive applied to the packaging such as a thermoplastic space-filling adhesive. 
         [0025]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a simple method of producing a dual compartment package using conventional heat-sealed pouches suitable for mass production with current technologies. 
         [0026]    The body washing system may include one or more additional moisture impervious packages releasably attached to one of the first and second moisture impervious packages and holding a third towelette supporting a material different from moistening materials of the first towelette. 
         [0027]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a more complete body washing experience by co-locating material selected from the group consisting of: sunscreen, insect repellent, deodorant, anti-perspirant, and hair conditioner. 
         [0028]    The body washing system may further include a hang-tag attached to at least one of the first and second packages providing a hole for suspending the package on a peg. 
         [0029]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to permit improved retail display and/or use of the product when clean counter space is unavailable. 
         [0030]    The second package may contain a third moisture impervious package. 
         [0031]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to permit other toiletry items to be incorporated into the packages to provide for improved co-location of products. It is a further object of the invention to permit co-location of other types of products needed during bathing such as gels, creams or lozenges. 
         [0032]    These particular features and advantages may apply to only some embodiments falling within the claims and thus do not define the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0033]      FIG. 1   a  is a front elevational view of a combined package holding a dry and pre-moistened towelette per the present invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 1   b  is a cross-sectional view along line lb--lb of Fig. la showing the dry and pre-moistened towelette inside the packages; 
           [0035]      FIG. 2  is a detailed fragmentary view of  FIG. 1  showing a tear notch located in the seam between the two packages to permit consistent tear direction and/or to promote a particular ordering of package opening; 
           [0036]      FIG. 3   a  is a front elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the invention providing a hang-tag and shown in an open state and further showing an orientation of adjacent blanks for cutting the material of the packaging; 
           [0037]      FIG. 3   b  is a figure similar to that of  FIG. 3   a  showing a folding of the package of  FIG. 3   a  for hang-tag display or use; 
           [0038]      FIG. 4  is an front elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention providing for additional toiletry items in separate co-located pouches; 
           [0039]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational of view of an alternative embodiment providing vertical rather than side-to-side orientation of the different packages and showing incorporation of two dry elements in a second pouch; 
           [0040]      FIG. 6  is a figure similar to that of  FIG. 5  showing an alternative arrangement of four packages; and 
           [0041]      FIG. 7  is a fragmentary detail of Fig. la showing incorporation of a sealed package within one package. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0042]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a body washing system  10  may provide side-by-side tear-packets  12  and  14  joined at a common edge  16 . The common edge  16  may have a perforation  19  extending only partially along the length of the common edge  16  between the packets  12  and  14 , as will be described below, or fully along common edge  16  to permit complete separation of the packets  12  and  14 . 
         [0043]    Referring also to Fig. lb, tear packet  12  and  14  may comprise a front and rear sheet  15  and  17  sealed around a periphery  18  (for example by heat-sealing which fuses the materials or by adhesives). Each periphery  18  defines a rectangular inner compartment  25  each holding a towelette  24  as will be described below. The front and rear sheet  15  and  17  may, for example, be a laminated polymer and foil material (polymer/foil/polymer) to provide for protection from the environment, an outward printable surface, light and moisture imperviousness, and thermal fusing of the periphery  18 . 
         [0044]    The packets  12  and  14  may be positioned side-by-side abutting at their longest edges with their peripheries  18  joined at a common edge  16  to provide a continuation of the sheets  15  and  17  between the packets  12  and  14 . 
         [0045]    One or both of the front or rear sheets  15  and  17  of the packets  12  and  14  may be printed, for example, with product identification information and indicia  20  and  21  indicating the function of a contained towelette  24  within the packets  12  and  14 . Preferably, indicia  20  indicate moisture or washing while indicia  21  indicate dryness or drying, for example, as expressed by colors (cool versus warm colors) and/or symbology (water spray versus dry towel on a towel rod). 
         [0046]    Referring also to  FIG. 2 , packet  12  may contain a moisture impregnated towelette  24  of a material of the type known in the art, for example, a nonwoven material having an area preferably about 9″×11.5″ and generally greater than 7″×7″ (about 300 square centimeters) and less than 24″×24″ in area (about 3600 square centimeters). The towelette  24  may be folded to fit within the dimensions of the packet  12  or  14  having an internal pocket dimension of about 2″×4″. 
         [0047]    The towelette  24  in packet  12  maybe pre-moistened with a combination of water, surfactant, and small amounts of alcohol to provide for cleaning of the whole body. In one example, the towelette  24  may be pre-moistened with a combination of water, aloe vera, glycerin, sodium coco PG-dimonium chloride phosphate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, urea (2,5-dioxo-4-imidazolidinyl), DMDM hydantoin, benzylammonium chloride, ethanol, and vitamin E. 
         [0048]    In addition, the towelette  24  may include menthol or similar compounds to promote a sensory cooling of the individual to reduce perspiration. The size of the towelette  24  will be sufficient to provide adequate moisture and cleaning material to permit washing an individual&#39;s entire body. 
         [0049]    The packet  14  may include a nonwoven absorbing towelette  26 , possibly but not necessarily, of the same material as towelette  24 , having an area sufficient to dry the expected moisture remaining on the skin after use of the towelette  24  in packet  12  accounting for some evaporation. In this regard, the towelette  24  in packet  14  is dry without the pre-moistening. Generally, the towelette  24  in packet  14  will have an area identical to that of the towelette  24  in packet  12  for manufacturing convenience. Again, towelette  26  may be folded to fit within the packet  14  of similar size to packet  12 . Because the towelette  24  is dry, desiccant materials such as antiperspirants may be included on the towelette  26 . Before packaging, the dry towelette  26  may be stored in reduced humidity to provide additional absorbing capabilities. In an alternative embodiment, the dry towelette  26  may be lightly moistened with a hydrophilic material such as alcohol without water to assist in the drying process. 
         [0050]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the outer periphery  18  of the packet  12  may include a starting cut or tear notch  29  to assist the user in tearing open the packet  12 . A corresponding notch  29  may be placed spanning or abutting the common edge  16  between the packets  12  and  14  to be accessible as indicated in  FIG. 2  only after opening of the packet  12  to promote proper opening order of the towelettes  24  and  26 . In one embodiment the perforation  19  extends inward only as far as the tear notch  29  to hold the packets  12  and  14  together for unitary disposal. 
         [0051]    Referring now to  FIG. 3   a , in an alternative embodiment, or any of the embodiments described herein, a hang-tag  30  may be attached at the upper periphery  18  of one or both of the packets  12  and  14  (shown only attached to packet  12  in  FIG. 3   a ). The hang-tag  30  may have an outer periphery  18  of sealed material and may include a central aperture  31  for receiving a peg on a retail display. 
         [0052]    An adhesive  32 , for example a thermoplastic, space-filling, high-tack adhesive, may be placed on the front of packet  14  which may be folded along the common edge  16  between packets  12  and  14 , as shown by arrow  34 , so that the adhesive  32  on the front of packet  14  also contacts the front of packet  12  holding them together as shown in  FIG. 3   b . In this folded configuration, the center of gravity of the package is centered beneath the aperture  31  for proper hanging. In this case both of indicia  20  and/or  21  may be printed on the rear face of packet  14  (as oriented per  FIG. 3   a ) or separate indicia may be placed as described in  FIG. 1  on the rear surfaces of both packets  12  and  14  (as oriented per  FIG. 3   a ). 
         [0053]    It will be appreciated that the additional material necessary to make the hang-tag  30 , such as causes the cut sheets to deviate from a rectangular shape most efficiently prepared from sheet stock, can be readily accommodated by matching mirror rotations of the blanks for production of the system  10  with mirror image blanks for body washing system  10 ′. 
         [0054]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , it will be understood that this concept may be extended to provide for additional sealed packets  36 ,  38  and  40  attached to one or both of packets  12  and  14 . In the depicted example, sealed packets  36 ,  38  and  40  may each extend one third the height of packets  12  or  14  and may be arranged vertically so that a common vertical edge  16 ′ may be created with the left side (as shown) of packet  14 . In this case, the hang-tag  30  may be attached to the upper periphery  18  of packet  14  and the three columns formed by packet  12 , packet  14 , and the combination of packets  36 ,  38 , and  40  may be zigzag folded with packet  12  folding behind packet  14  as indicated by arrow  42  to be held by adhesive  44  on the rear face of packet  12 , and the collection of packets  36 ,  38  and  40  folded in front of packet  14  and held by adhesive  45  on the front face of packet  38 . 
         [0055]    Each of packets  36 ,  38 , and  40  may have associated tear notches  29  to allow them to be individually opened. Indicia  20  and  21  may be placed on the rear side of the collection of packets  36 ,  38  and  40  or the rear side of packet  12  or both. 
         [0056]    Packets  36 ,  38 , and  40  may hold, for example, towelettes  24  incorporating sunscreen, insect repellent, deodorant, anti-perspirant, toothpaste, skin moisturizer, or hair conditioner. Material suitable for dry hair conditioning is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,195 issued Jun. 3, 1980 and hereby incorporated by reference. Particularly for the anti-perspirant, separation from the moist towelette is required. Material suitable for a towelette holding a toothpaste material is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,721,987 issued Apr. 20, 2004 and hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0057]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the body washing system  10  may provide for alternative form factors including, for example, mounting packet  14  above packet  12  to a share bottom and top periphery  18  respectively. In this embodiment or any previous embodiment, a third towelette  24 ′ may be provided with, for example, an impregnated deodorant or fragrance material separate from the drying towelette  26 . Both towelettes  26  and  24 ′ may be contained within the dry packet  14  or within separate packets extending downward or sideward following the principles described above. 
         [0058]    The embodiment of  FIG. 5 , as discussed above, may provide for a center of gravity vertically aligned with the aperture  31  of the hang-tag  30  within a form factor suitable for such displays. The aperture  31  in the hang-tag  30  alternatively may be enlarged beyond that necessary for retail display to permit the body washing system  10  to hang on a coat hanger, for example, as may be found in the stall of a restroom allowing the product to be used in an airport or the like where privacy is difficult to obtain. In these circumstances, the co-location of the products helps support the different products hygienically on the hang-tag  30  during use. For this purpose, a first tear notch  29  may be provided at the bottom of the body washing system  10  as suspended on the hang-tag  30  providing access to packet  12  allowing the packet  14  to remain suspended and unopened. Upon completion of the body washing operation, a second tear notch  29 ′ may be used to provide access to a drying towelette in packet  14  and a deodorant towelette positioned above that towelette. This staging of the products to exploit support by the hang-tag  30  can be performed with the other described embodiments herein. 
         [0059]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , in an alternative embodiment, the body washing system  10  may seal the two sheets  15  and  17  at peripheries  18  to create four packets  12 ,  14 ,  36 , and  38  with packets  12  and  14  connected side-by-side (as disclosed above) and packets  36  and  38  connected beneath packets  12  and  14  respectively. All packets may be supported beneath an optional hang-tag  30  (in this case spanning the top edges of both packets  12  and  14 ). This embodiment allows the consumer simultaneously to see the different products incorporated into the single body washing system  10 . The proper order of opening of the packets may be indicated by numeric indicia  50  and/or by placing the tear notches  29  to promote a sequential opening, for example, by providing certain tear notches  29  at exposed edges and other tear notches  29  at the common edges  16  accessible only after a previous packet has been opened. 
         [0060]    In an alternative embodiment shown, a first tear notch  29  for packet  12  is placed at an outer periphery  18  of packet  12  and second tear notches  29  at outer periphery  18  of packet  14  to preserve the support of the common edge  16  for packets  36  and  38  even after packets  12  and  14  are opened. Likewise, the tear notches  29  at outer peripheries  18  of packets  38  and  36  preserve the common edge  16 . This retention of the packets  12 ,  14 ,  36 , and  38  on a supporting backbone of common edge  16  allows them to be pre-opened for convenience and also simplifies disposal. 
         [0061]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , it will be appreciated that the body washing system  10  may further include within a packet, packet  14  for example, both a towelette  24  and a secondary packet  52  independently formed from sealed laminate. The secondary packet  52  and the packets  36 ,  38  and  40  need not be limited to containing towelettes but may also hold gels, creams, lozenges, for example breath mints or the like, or a trash disposal bag. 
         [0062]    It will be understood that the present invention may use other packaging techniques other than the tear-packets described above, for example sealing the packages with adhesive or a polymer zipper and/or with a tear strip to permit re-sealing of one or both of the packets  12  and  14  for disposal of the towelette  24  and  26  or the like. 
         [0063]    Certain terminology is used herein for purposes of reference only, and thus is not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “above”, and “below” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front”, “back”, “rear”, “bottom” and “side”, describe the orientation of portions of the component within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the component under discussion. Such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Similarly, the terms “first”, “second” and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. 
         [0064]    When introducing elements or features of the present disclosure and the exemplary embodiments, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of such elements or features. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features other than those specifically noted. It is further to be understood that the method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed. 
         [0065]    It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein and the claims should be understood to include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims. All of the publications described herein, including patents and non-patent publications, are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.