Patent Publication Number: US-2019185253-A1

Title: Hygiene Kit

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/613,609 filed on Jun. 5, 2017. The above referenced application is incorporated herein by reference as if restated in full. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Maintaining feminine hygiene is very important to a women&#39;s overall health, in addition to preventing odors, itching, and discomfort, practicing feminine hygiene can prevent bacterial infections from occurring. In some cases, bacterial infections may lead to sterility, disease, cancer, and other health problems. To maintain feminine hygiene, it is necessary to bathe regularly, develop healthy habits in regards to the menstrual cycle, and wear fabrics that allow the vaginal region to breathe. Underwear, panty liners and feminine wipes are commonly sold in the retail stores in a variety of different styles and packaging. Women popularly use personal care articles such as an underwear, panty liners and wipes. One reasons women choose to wear underwear is to help them feel comfortable and confident. It also plays an important role in hygiene protecting the vaginal area from infections and parasites such as crabs and public lice. It helps prevent minor rashes that can happen when delicate skin in the private areas chafes against the pants. It protects clothing from stain due to discharges, lubrication, menstrual blood, fecal matter, urine, or other substances. The genital area has a higher risk of attracting harmful bacteria than the majority of other regions of the body, making it necessary to change underwear frequently. 
     Absorbent articles such as a panty liner are intended to absorb sweat, vaginal fluids and other vaginal discharges from the uterus. Wipes come in the forms of wet or dry. Women purchase these items in large quantity packaging as they rely strongly on maintaining proper hygiene and feeling clean throughout their day. Most women change their underwear at least once a day, wear panty liners regularly, and use feminine wipes to manage vaginal discharge, odors, sweats, and anything else that is unpleasant. 
     For many women this is a lot more common during their primarily mid-cycle (during ovulation) to manage their increased vaginal discharge. Moms of new babies also tend to have light postpartum vaginal flow a few weeks after giving birth as well and experience uncomfortable discharges. Slight vaginal discharge is very common and can be extremely frustrating. Some women may accidentally wet their pants after having a good laughing session. Panty liners are a commonly used and are a popular option for controlling and managing vaginal discharges. Many woman routinely stash individually wrapped panty liners, tampons, and wipes randomly in their purses along with all their other routinely carried items such as the makeup bag, phone, keys, etc. 
     Women purchase individually wrapped panty liners and individually wrapped feminine wipes separately in bulk packaging that contain 20+units per box. These items are sold in large quantity boxes and each comes as a separate product for purchase. Women may take the desired quantity of the individually wrapped liner or wipes out of the multi-pack box and place them in their purses. However, this requires women to keep track of panty liners and feminine wipes, and in the event of accidental discharge, an additional pair of underwear. Additionally, women must carry purses to carry these items. 
     Many women wash their Undergarments before an initial wear due to concerns about cleanliness and safety. The underwear may have fallen on the factory floor, or other people may have handled or even worn the underwear. Germs such as staphylococcus, MRSA and norovirus may be found on even new underwear under those conditions. Also, new underwear may have residual chemical leftovers from the manufacturing process. These chemicals often cause irritation or an allergic reaction. 
     What is needed is a compact women&#39;s hygiene kit containing individually wrapped items that fits conveniently in a woman&#39;s purse, pocket, or hand. 
     SUMMARY 
     This application contemplates a hygiene kit containing a set of hygiene products folded, arranged, compressed, and packaged into a small, hand-held, pocket-sized container. The hygiene kit may include a pair of underwear, a panty liner, a wipe, and a wash-me-bag. The underwear, panty liner, and wipe may be enclosed in the wash-me-bag and the wash-me-bag may be enclosed in a small container or box. Alternatively, the underwear, panty liner, wipe, and wash-me-bag may be folded or otherwise disposed in the container. The underwear, panty liner, and wipe may be placed in a pile, the pile having a thickness, a width, and a length. The underwear, panty liner, and wipe are each folded so that when they are stacked together, their measurements do not exceed the measurements of the pile. Ideally, the pile is between 1.5 and 3.7 inches in width, 1.5 and 3.7 inches in length, and 0.19 and 1 inches in thickness. In one embodiment, the items are stacked vertically or horizontally in the pile. In another embodiment, the items are stacked side by side. In a third embodiment, items are stack both side by side and in piles. The pile may include the wash-me-bag as a separate item folded and added unto it, with the entire pile placed into a container. One or more items, such as the underwear, liner, and wipe, may be added into the wash-me-bag, and the pile, which may include the wash-me-bag, may be disposed in a container. 
     The wipe and panty liner may each be placed in individual wrappers. The wrappers may be made of plastic, foil, or any suitable material. The underwear may be folded and disposed between the wipe and panty liner in the pile. Alternatively, the wipe or panty liner may be placed in the middle. Ideally, the wipe and the panty liner are each stiffer than the underwear, thereby providing structural support to the pile. 
     The wipe is ideally PH Balanced, hypoallergenic, free from chlorine, alcohol, dyes, paraben, and phthalate. It may comprise a non-woven cloth folded within a fully sealed foil wrapper. The wrapper may be notched for easier unsealing by a user. It may be flushable or designed to be thrown away. The wrapper may feature a corporate or product logo matching the a corporate or product logo featured on the panty liner, the underwear, the wash-me-bag, and the container. The wipe wrapper may measure between 1.5 and 3 inches in width and 1.5 and 3 inches in length and the wipe itself may measure, once unfolded, approximately between 3 to 10 inches in width and 3 to 10 inches in length, with a thickness less than 1/32 inches. The wipe is designed to gently clean intimate areas of the body and then to be disposed. The wipe may be scented. 
     The panty liner may be configured to be placed on the inside crotch of the underwear. The panty liner may be disposed flush against a panty liner wrapper, and then folded in conjunction with the wrapper until a first end of the wrapper passes over a second end of the wrapper. The first end may attach to the second end by means of a sticker or other adhesive. A corporate or product logo may be placed on the sticker or on the wrapper itself. Ideally, the wrapper features a first and second perimeter portion, with a first end of the first perimeter portion sealed to a second end of the first perimeter portion and a first end of the second perimeter portion sealed to a second end of the second perimeter portion. The wrapper, when folded in conjunction with the panty liner, may measure between 3 and 3.5 inches in width, between 2 and 2.5 inches in length, and approximately ⅛ inch in thickness. In a broader embodiment, the folded wrapper and panty liner measure 1.5 to 3.75 inches wide and 1.5 to 3.75 inches long. In another embodiment, the thickness is 0.04 to 0.08 inches. When unfolded, the wrapper may measure approximately 5 to 7 inches in length, between 2 and 2.5 inches in width, and less than 0.04 inches in thickness. The panty liner may comprise a first non-permeable outer layer, a second non-permeable outer layer, a first absorbent inner layer, and a second absorbent inner layer. The liner may measure 5 to 6.5 inches in length, 1.5 to 2.5 inches in width, and less than 0.04 inches in thickness. The first non-permeable outer layer may be flush against and removably attached to the first absorbent inner layer by means of a glue or adhesive alternative, such as a sticky plastic layer. The first absorbent layer may be more absorbent than the second absorbent layer. In one embodiment, the wrapper may measure between 2 and 3.5 inches in width, 2 and 3.5 inches in length, and 0.10-0.30 cm in thickness. In one embodiment, the panty liner wrapper, when unfolded, may measure between 2 and 3.5 inches in width and 5.5 and 7 inches in length. The panty liner may measure between 5 and 6.5 inches in length, 1.65 and 2.5 inches in width, and less than 1 mm in thickness. 
     The panty liner may be configured to be placed on the inside crotch of the underwear. to decrease the contact between the user&#39;s intimate parts and the underwear, which may or may not be washed. The crotch protector panty liner will provide conformability to fit both thong and bikini underwears. It feature a top surfaced designed to be non-irritable to skin, specifically membranous or intimate skin. The top sheet layer of the panty crotch liner may be constructed of any material and may be designed to retain very little liquid by limiting thickness to less than 1 mm; in this version, it may not be suitable for heavy bodily fluids such as menstrual fluid. Additionally the crotch panty liner can include any desired pattern or array of embossments on the body side surface or the article. The desired arrangements may include an absorbent body structure that has embossment regions formed on at least one surface. The other components of the article may also also include corresponding embossed regions. 
     The underwear may be a thong or bikini-type bottom. The underwear may be soft, and stretchy, made from any suitable material such as spandex, nylon, cotton, woven fabric, a knitted fabric, a nonwoven fabric or the like, as well as combinations thereof. It may be disposable or designed to be reusable after washing. 
     The underwear may be folded first along the longest dimension until it forms a strap 1.50-2.25 inches wide. This strap can then be folded on both sides toward the center in a series of folds, each fold also measuring between 1.50 and 2.25 inches, until the folds on either side are disposed in a layer between 0.20 and 1 inch. In one embodiment, the strap folds may measure between 1 and 3 inches in width, and the underwear, when folded, may measure between 0.20 and 1 inch thick. In a narrower embodiment, the folded underwear measures between 0.2 and 0.5 inches thick. 
     The reusable underwear may be rolled, folded, otherwise reduced in size in any operative manner or configuration when the pile is assembled into the wash me bag, assembled within the wash-me bag and placed inside a container, or placed directly in the container. 
     The wash-me-bag may be configured to store and compress the pile. It may also be configured to receive laundry such as a used soiled underwear. The wash-me-bag may feature printed graphics and comprise a first end and a second end. It may be made of plastic, paper, pvc, foil, or similar materials. The first end may include an opening in which the pile may be inserted and removed, with an attachment mechanism such as glue or glue-alternative applied to an enclosure tab extending from the first end. The enclosure tab is configured to removably attach to an enclosure end situated on the second end. Between the first end and the second end may be a sleeve portion, with the sleeve portion being continuous with the first end and the second end. The sleeve portion may feature two layers of material, each layer connected to the other layer at a peripheral edge. The wash-me-bag in an unfolded state may measure between 2.3 and 4.7 inches wide and 2.4 and 7.9 inches long. 
     The pile may be compressed before being placed in the wash-me-bag. This compression may include compressing the width of the pile as well as the thickness. The pile may first be passed through the opening and then pushed or otherwise eased toward the second end. In one version, it is pushed through the opening but not eased past the first end toward the second end. The first end may then be folded over a first side of the second end until the enclosure tab wraps around the second end and attaches to the enclosure end situated on the second side of the second end. Attaching the enclosure tab to the enclosure end may further compress the thickness of the pile where it is disposed inside the wash-me-bag as well as the length of the pile, which previously may or may not have been compressed. 
     In one embodiment, the pile is not placed inside the wash-me bag, but adjacent to it, both disposed within a container. In this embodiment, the wash-me-bag may be folded in conjunction with the other elements in the pile or may be folded separately and added to the pile. In another embodiment, the pile includes the wash-me-bag, which is then placed in the container. The container may be made of cardboard, paper, pvc, fabric, plastic, or metal. In the plastic variant, the container may be transparent. The container may close by means of a flap, a zipper, hinge, pivot-point, removable lid, bendable lid, sliding lid, adhesive such as glue or tape, or snap-fit button. The closure means may be configured to be re-closable after opening. The closure means may be configured to open hingedly, via a front or side portion of the container. The container and/or wash-me-bag may feature a hook for easier placement in stores. 
     The container may have one or more compartments for receiving the pile or elements thereof, and may in particular include a separate compartment for used elements, such as items to be laundered, discarded, or flushed. The compartments may be placed in series or in parallel, and adjacent to or coterminous with a main compartment. The container can include one or more separately provided components and may comprise a composite member that is integrally formed with a selected portion of a component or member of one or more of the employed pile items in the kit. 
     In one embodiment, the dimensions of the container are no greater than 3.7 inches in width and height. In another embodiment, the dimensions of the container are at least 1.5 inches in width and height. In one variation, the container is at least 0.2 inches but no more than 1.2 inches in thickness. In another embodiment, the container, with contents, may measure between 0.1 and 1 inch in thickness, 0.8 and 4 inches in length, and 0.8 and 4 inches in width. 
     In one embodiment, the dimensions of the container or wash-me-bag with the pile inserted into it are ratios of the average female palm size and length. That is, the ratio between the width of the container or wash-me-bag and the width of the palm may be 1:1, between 0.8:1 and 1:1, or between 0.5:1 and 0.8:1. The ratio between the length of the container or wash-me-bag in its folded state may be between half and equal to the previous ratio. The average female palm size is 2.9 inches wide and 6.8 inches. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an exemplary container for a hygiene kit. 
         FIG. 2  shows an exemplary container for a hygiene kit. 
         FIGS. 3 a - c    show the steps of folding underwear. 
         FIGS. 4 a - c    show the steps of inserting a pile and folding a wash-me-bag. 
         FIG. 5 a - b    show an exemplary container for a hygiene kit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a container  104  with double compartments  106  and  108  configured to receive clean  110  or soiled  112  underwear, and to seal the underwear in their compartments with lid  102 . The container may be held up on a bar via hanger  114 .  FIG. 2  shows a similar container with a larger cross section for each compartment  206  and  208 , so that the underwear  202  and  204  may be rolled instead of folded and placed therein. The lid may be divided into two separate lids  210  and  212 , which are hingedly independent. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 a - c   , the underwear is folded along a first axis  302 , and then folded along a second axis  304 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 a - c   , the pile is inserted into the wash-me-bag, the first end is folded over the second end, the enclosure tab is wrapped over and attached to the enclosure end  404  on the second side  402 . 
     As show in  FIGS. 5 a - b   , the pile is inserted into through the top side  502  of a flap container  500  with a flap  504  opening attached to the top side and pulled over and tucked under a front side  506 .