Patent Publication Number: US-8540117-B2

Title: Compartmentalized portable container and body wash wipes

Description:
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/392,659 filed on Oct. 13, 2010. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a container which holds and dispenses body wipes. Specifically, its objective is to provide the user a compartmentalized container which dispenses a plurality of different types of body wipes to thoroughly clean one&#39;s body. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Traditionally, bathing or showering is done in the comforts of one&#39;s home in a bathroom environment. As bathing or showering requires a large amount of water, soaps and other cleaning materials, and a shower or bathtub, cleansing of one&#39;s body must generally be carried out in a specified location dedicated to this process. Because of this, the process is limited to bathrooms and furthermore requires a significant amount of time on behalf of the person. To begin the traditional process, one must rinse his or her body under water before applying soap. One then lathers the body with soap and water to kill germs and lift up dirt. Once the user is comfortable with the dirt removed from one&#39;s body by the active suds, another rinse cycle is run about the body to clear away the suds. Nearing the cleaning cycle&#39;s completion, the user must dry off before completing the primary cleaning process. Additionally, there may be procedures carried out after the cleaning process such as moisturizing the skin with lotions and oils to prevent the skin from drying and aids in a healthy complexion. Currently, there are many commercial wipes and portable containers designed for washing or disinfecting countertops, hard surfaces, dining tables, etc. These single-purpose wipes such as hand or face wipes are highly popular in today&#39;s culture where cleanliness plays a huge factor to the emotional psyche within the average household. Single-purpose wipes are stored in a container which houses simply that one type of wipe. If a user requires multiple types of wipes, the user would need to carry around several different containers, each containing their own unique wipe. Furthermore, the purpose of currently available wipes is generally for the purpose of household cleaning or basic hand or face cleaning. There currently is not a product which is intended to be a replacement for the human body cleansing process. It is therefore an objective of the present invention to introduce a compartmentalized portable container capable of housing a plurality of different wipes, each with its own unique purpose and part of a typical human cleansing cycle. When the wipes are used in conjunction with each other, the present invention provides wipes for a user to complete a typical body cleansing cycle that is traditionally carried out in the bathroom shower or bathtub. Using the plurality of wipes of the present invention in series mimics the standard series of steps taken by a user in the shower or bathtub. The user is able to clean one&#39;s self without the limitation of location and can carry out the typical cleaning process anywhere the invention is taken. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention with the top lid attached to the bottom container. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the present invention featuring the transparent wall with the top lid attached to the bottom container. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the present invention with the top lid detached from the bottom container. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the present invention featuring the transparent wall with the top lid detached from the bottom container. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the present invention with the top lid detached from the bottom container. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the top lid with the plurality of dispensing mechanisms in the opened position. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the top lid with the plurality of dispensing mechanisms in the closed position. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the present invention focusing on one of the plurality of dispensing mechanisms. 
     
    
    
     DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION 
     All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 , the present invention is a compartmentalized portable container and body wash wipes, which provides the user with a portable means to wash and clean their body without showering or bathing. The present invention comprises of a plurality of wash cloths  1 , a bottom container  10 , and a top lid  20 . The plurality of wash cloths  1  are used to clean the user&#39;s body without a large volume of water. Each of the plurality of wash cloths  1  is thrown away after being used by the user. In the preferred embodiment, the plurality of wash cloths  1  is made of a biodegradable cotton material, which helps to minimize harmful waste into the environment. The bottom container  10  separates and stores the plurality of wash cloths  1 . The top lid  20  seals the plurality of wash cloths  1  within the bottom container  10  and prevents the plurality of wash cloths  1  from drying out. The bottom container  10  and top lid  20  are properly sized to provide the user with a portable means to carry the plurality of wash cloths  1  in compact places of storage such as a purse, a backpack, a glove compartment, and a baby bag. 
     The plurality of wash cloths  1  allows the user to remove dirt and germs from their body with the traditional cleaning cycle. The plurality of wash cloths  1  comprises a number of pre-wash cloths  2 , a number of soap cloths  4 , a number of moisturizing cloths  6 , and a number of deodorizing cloths  8 . The present invention allows the user to restock each of the plurality of wash cloths  1  with a plurality of replacement cloths, which is sold separately. Before the plurality of replacement cloths is placed into the bottom container  20  and sealed with the top lid  10 , the bottom container  10  and the top lid  20  should washed with warm soapy water or alcohol in order to keep the present invention clean. The number of pre-wash cloths  2  is saturated in a pre-wash solution  3 , which allows the user rinse off their body and remove the top layer of dirt and oil from their skin. The pre-wash solution  3  consists of water and cetyl alcohol. The number of pre-wash cloth is a substitute for the preliminary rinse done while bathing or showering during the traditional cleaning cycle. The number of soap cloths  4  is saturated in a soap solution  5 , which allows the user to clean and disinfect their skin. The soap solution  5  consists of water, triethanolamine lauryl sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, and propylene glycol. The soap solution  5  is antibacterial and evaporates easily to leave no residue on the user&#39;s skin, which allows the number of soap cloths  4  to be used without the problem of dripping. After the soap solution  5  is applied by the number of soap cloths  4  on the user&#39;s body, the soap solution  4  evaporates off the user&#39;s body, which is significant because the user does not need to rinse the soap solution  4  off with water. The number of soap cloths  4  may also be saturated in a soap fragrance consisting of diazolidinyl urea, methylparaben propylparaben, and citric acid. The number of soap cloths  4  is a substitute for the soaping step during the traditional cleaning cycle. In the preferred embodiment, the number of soap cloths  4  has a coarse surface, which is created by a series of ridges, bumps, grooves, or other indentations or protrusions. The coarse surface provides the number of soap cloths  4  with a texture that allows the user to easily scrub the dirt off their body and to trap the dirt within the coarse surface. The number of moisturizing cloths  6  is saturated with a moisturizing solution  7 , which allows the user moisturize and add nutrients to their skin. The moisturizing solution  7  consists of citric acid, stearic acid, cocoa butter, glycol stearate, shea butter, collagen, vitamin E, vitamin C, and cetyl alcohol. The number of moisturizing cloths  6  applies and lathers the moisturizing solution  7  onto the user&#39;s skin with no liquid residue. The moisturizing solution  7  prevents the user&#39;s skin from drying out and protects against damage from the sun, wind, and other external elements. The number of moisturizing cloths  6  is a substitute for applying moisturizer after bathing or showering during the traditional cleaning cycle. The number of deodorizing cloths  8  is saturated with a deodorizing solution  9 , which allow the user to mask unwanted odors with a new scent. The deodorizing solution  9  consists of dipropylene glycol, water, propylene glycol, sodium stearate, fragrance, ppg-3 myristyl ether, tetrasodium EDTA, and colors such as violet 2 and green 6. The number of deodorizing cloths  8  allows the user to apply the deodorizing solution  9  to their body, which stay on their skin for the entire day and eliminates unwanted body odors throughout the day. Each of the plurality of replacement cloths packages the number of deodorizing cloths  8  with a different scent so that the user can purchase the number of deodorizing cloths  8  with a preferred fragrance. The number of deodorizing cloths  8  is a substitute for applying deodorant after bathing or showering during the tradition cleaning cycle. 
     The bottom container  10  allows present invention to store and separate the plurality of wash cloths  1  so that the user can easily access each of the plurality of wash cloths  1 . The bottom container  10  comprises of a plurality of dividers  11 , a plurality of compartments  12 , a bottom surface  17 , a plurality of lateral walls  18 , and a transparent wall  19 . The bottom surface  17  is a base for all other components of the bottom container  10  to connect together and supports the plurality of wash cloths  1  from the bottom. The bottom surface  17  should be appropriately sized so that the number of pre-wash cloths  2 , the number of soap cloths  4 , the number of moisturizing cloths  6 , and the number of deodorizing cloths  8  can properly rest on the bottom surface  17 . In the preferred embodiment, the bottom surface  17  would have a rectangular shape. The transparent wall  19  is perpendicularly connected to the edge of the bottom surface  17 , which allows the user to look into the bottom container  10 . The transparent wall  19  is connected to bottom surface  17  in such a way that the user is able to individually view each of the plurality of wash cloth in order to see if the number of pre-wash cloths  2 , the number of soap cloths  4 , the number of moisturizing cloths  6 , and the number of deodorizing cloths  8  are low. In the preferred embodiment, the transparent wall  19  is perpendicularly connected along the length of the bottom surface  17 . The plurality of lateral walls  18  are perpendicularly connected along every edge of the bottom surface  17 , except for the edge of the bottom surface  17  connected to the transparent wall  19 . The combination of the bottom surface  17 , the transparent wall  19 , and the plurality of lateral walls  18  form an open container. In the preferred embodiment, the transparent wall  19  and the plurality of lateral walls  18  have a width dictated by the bottom surface  17 , but the height of the transparent wall  19  and the plurality of lateral walls  18  should be relatively smaller because the present invention should be able to fit into smaller storage spaces. If the height of the transparent wall  19  and the plurality of lateral walls  18  was relatively large, then the present invention could store more of the plurality of wash cloths  1 , but the portability of the present invention would be severely compromised. The plurality of dividers  11  separates the space within the open container created by the combination of the bottom surface  17 , the transparent wall  19 , and the plurality of lateral walls  18 . The plurality of dividers  11  are perpendicularly connected along the area of the bottom surface  17 . Depending on the orientation, the plurality of dividers  11  also perpendicularly connect to either the transparent wall  19  and/or the plurality of lateral walls  18 . In the preferred embodiment, the plurality of dividers  11  would separate the space with the open container into along the length of the bottom surface  17 , where the transparent wall  19  allows the user to look at each of the plurality of dividers  11 . The plurality of compartments  12  is formed by the plurality of dividers  11  and allows the present invention to store and separate the plurality of wash cloths  1 . In the preferred embodiment, the plurality of compartments  12  is four rectangular spaces separated by three dividers and lie adjacent to each other along their lengths. 
     The plurality of compartments  12  allow the present invention to store and separate the different kinds of wash cloths, which is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The plurality of compartments  12  comprises a pre-wash cloth compartment  13 , a soap cloth compartment  14 , a moisturizing cloth compartment  15 , and a deodorizing cloth compartment  16 . The pre-wash cloth compartment  13  provides an area to store the number of pre-wash cloths  2 . The soap cloth compartment  14  provides an area to store the number of soap cloths  4 . The moisturizing cloth compartment  15  provides an area to store the number of moisturizing cloths  6 . The deodorizing cloth compartment  16  provides an area to store the number of deodorizing cloths  8 . In the preferred embodiment, the plurality of compartments  12  would be positioned adjacent to each other in the following order: the pre-wash cloth compartment  13 , the soap cloth compartment  14 , the moisturizing cloth compartment  15 , and the deodorizing cloth compartment  16 . 
     The top lid  20  provides the present invention with a cover for the bottom container  10 . Once the top lid  20  is attached and covers the bottom container  10 , the top lid  20  prevents the pre-wash solution  3 , the soap solution  5 , the moisturizing solution  7 , and the deodorizing solution  9  from evaporating out of the plurality of wash cloths  1 . When the user places the present invention in a storage compartment, the top lid  20  prevents the plurality of wash cloths  1  from falling out of the plurality of compartments  12  because the bottom container  10  is an open container and not a closed container. The top lid  20  also allows the present invention to dispense the plurality of wash cloths  1  by having a plurality of dispensing mechanisms  21 . The plurality of dispensing mechanisms  21  comprises a pre-wash cloth dispensing mechanism  22  located above the pre-wash cloth compartment  13 , a soap cloth dispensing mechanism  23  located above the soap cloth compartment  14 , a moisturizing cloth dispensing mechanism  24  located above the moisturizing cloth compartment  15 , and a deodorizing cloth dispensing mechanism  25  located above the moisturizing cloth compartment  15 . In addition, the present invention allows the user to remove the top lid  20  from the bottom container  10  with a separation tab  36 , which is a protrusion that the user can grasp and apply a force to separate the top lid  20  from the bottom container  10 . From a side view, the separator tab allows the user to remove the top lid  20  from the bottom container  10  in the manner shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 . 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the plurality of dispensing mechanism  21  allows the user to obtain an individual wash cloth from each of the plurality of wash cloths  1 . Each of the plurality of dispensing mechanisms  21  comprises a thumb lip  26 , a thumb tab  27 , a thumb tab indentation  28 , a thumb flap connection  29 , a slit  30 , a flap  31 , a flap cavity  32 , a cloth hole  33 , a opened stop  34 , and a closed stop  35 . The components of each individual dispensing mechanism are highlighted in  FIG. 8 . The thumb tab indentation  28  is a recessed cavity in the top lid  20  and provides a track for the thumb tab  27 . The thumb tab  27  moves back and forth along the thumb tab indentation  28  opening and closing the cloth hole  33 , which is positioned on one side on the thumb tab indentation  28 . The cloth hole  33  is a cross-shaped hole, which applies enough resistance to each of the plurality of wash cloths  1  in order to dispense them individually from the plurality of compartments  12 . The thumb lip  26  is perpendicularly positioned at the center of the thumb tab  27  and allows the user to apply the force needed to move the thumb tab  27  back and forth along the thumb tab indentation  28 . The thumb tab  27  is connected to the flap  31  by the thumb flap connection  29 . The thumb flap connection  29  traverses through the slit  30 , while the flap  31  is housed within the flap cavity  32 . The flap cavity  32  is positioned below the thumb tab indentation  28  and is shaped to allow the flap  31  to move in the same back and forth motion that the thumb tab  27  does along the thumb tab indentation  28 . The slit  30  is also shaped to allow the thumb flap connection  29  to move in the same back and forth motion that the thumb tab  27  does along the thumb tab indentation  28 . The purpose of the flap  31  and the thumb flap connection  29  is to provide a means for the thumb tab  27  to stay attached to the top lid  20  without sacrificing its back and forth mobility. The opened stop  34  and the closed stop  35  are protrusions shaped against opposite edges of the thumb tab indentation  28  used to prevent user&#39;s finger or thumb from moving too far backwards or forwards while working the thumb tab  27  to open and close the cloth hole  33 . The opened stop  34  is positioned adjacent to the thumb tab indentation  28  on the side with the cloth hole  33 . The closed stop  35  is positioned adjacent to the thumb tab indentation  28  on the other side opposite to the cloth hole  33 . 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.