Patent Publication Number: US-2007108091-A1

Title: Refresher kit and method of use

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
      This invention relates generally to refresher kits, and more particularly, but not exclusively, provides a refresher kit with multiple compartments for smokers a method of use thereof.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Smoking can cause a smoker to have an odor that is unpleasant to non-smokers. For example, the odor can pervade a smoker&#39;s clothing and hair. Further, the smoker may have breath that is unpleasant to non-smokers.  
      Accordingly, a kit is needed to eliminate to at least minimize odors associated with smoking that are unpleasant to non-smokers.  
     SUMMARY  
      An embodiment of the invention provides a kit designed to eliminate the stale smell caused by smoking. It fills the needs of smokers (cigarette, cigar, etc.) by providing a convenient way to freshen up after smoking. The kit itself is a small pocket size plastic box with individual compartments to house the different odor eliminating products inside.  
      In an embodiment of the invention, the Kit contains an attached 2 fl. oz. bottle of odor eliminator spray for clothes, an attached 0.5 fl. oz. bottle of alcohol based hand cleaning solution for hands, a 0.2 fl. oz. removable bottle of eye drops for eyes and 0.28 oz. (8 g.) of breath mints for a smoker&#39;s mouth.  
      The Kit is a plastic container with built in compartments, separated by a thin plastic wall. The first compartment contains a built in spray bottle which releases an odor eliminating spray through a small circular opening on the side of the compartment and is not detachable. The second compartment contains a built in plastic bottle with a flip top in order to release hand sanitizer and is not detachable. The final compartment is split into two, a small empty section above to tightly place a removable bottle of eye drops and the below section contains breath mints that will exit through the lower corner of the compartment. The kit is made of plastic (e.g., not clear or see through, more of a dark solid color, thin and light weight type of plastic) and each compartment is physically coupled to the kit, but the compartment for the eye drops can be an empty space with an opening to place and remove the drops.  
      An embodiment of the invention also provides a method of using the kit. After smoking a cigarette or cigar, a smoker pulls out the pocket sized Kit, sprays his or her clothes with the odor eliminating spray, sanitizes his or her hands, places eye drops in his or her eyes and places a breath mint in his or her mouth. This helps to eliminate the stale smell smoking leaves on an individual.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a refresher kit;  
       FIG. 2  is a front view thereof;  
       FIG. 3  is a back view thereof;  
       FIG. 4  is a right side elevational view thereof;  
       FIG. 5  is a left side elevational view thereof;  
       FIG. 6  is a top plan view thereof;  
       FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view thereof; and  
       FIG. 8  is a flowchart illustrating a method of using the kit.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS  
      The following description is provided to enable any person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles, features and teachings disclosed herein.  
       FIG. 1 - FIG. 7  illustrate multiple views of a refresher kit  100 . The refresher kit (also referred to as a container  100 ) has a generally rectangular configuration with a top, a bottom, a front, a back and first and second sides. The container  100  comprises a resilient plastic material. The container  100  defines four compartments including a deodorizer compartment (odor eliminator compartment)  105 , a sanitizer compartment  110 , an eye drop compartment  115 , and a dispenser compartment  120 . The front of the container has indicia  121 ,  122 ,  123 , and  124  identifying each of the compartments. The indicia  121 - 124  associated with each compartment  105 ,  110 ,  115 , and  120  are located on the front of the container  100  in a region proximate to the associated compartment. The container  100  has a width of about four inches, a height of about four inches and a depth of about one inch to facilitate more comfortable holding of the container  100  in a hand of a user.  
      The deodorizer compartment  105  defines a first reservoir for holding a liquid and having a spray assembly in fluid communication with the first reservoir. The liquid in the first reservoir comprises a liquid deodorizer adapted for reducing odors (e.g., on clothing). The spray assembly has a nozzle  125  and an actuator  127 . The nozzle  125  is adapted for spraying a mist of liquid from the first reservoir up on actuation of the actuator  127 . The nozzle  125  of the spray assembly is located on the first side of the container  100  and positioned closer towards the top of the container  100  than the bottom of the container  100 . The nozzle  125  is positioned in a depression in the first side of the container  100 . The depression has a generally concave contour for helping direct spray emitted from the nozzle  125 . The actuator  127  of the spray assembly being located at the top of the container adjacent the first side of the container, the actuator  127  of the spray assembly comprising a pump action actuator where depression of the actuator  127  causes spraying of the liquid in the first reservoir from out of the nozzle  125 . The actuator  127  has a region adapted for engaging a digit of the user. The region of the actuator  127  is substantially flush with the top of the container  100  when in a non-actuated position.  
      The sanitizer compartment  110  defines a second reservoir  130  adapted for holding a liquid. The sanitizer compartment  110  has an aperture in the top of the container  100  providing an opening into the second reservoir  130  to permit dispensing of liquid out of the second reservoir  130 . A sanitizer lid  135 , which is optional, like other components of the invention, for covering the aperture of the sanitizer compartment  110  is provided and is pivotally coupled to the container  100  by a living hinge. The sanitizer lid  135  defines a portion of the top of the container  100  when covering the aperture of the sanitizer compartment  110 . The sanitizer lid  135  has a lip with a releasable fastener for detachably coupling the sanitizer lid  135  to the container  100  when covering the aperture of the sanitizer compartment  110 . The liquid in the second reservoir  130  comprises a hand sanitizing liquid adapted for sanitizing body portions of the user.  
      The eye drop compartment  115  defines a first cavity therein. The first cavity has an opening in the top of the container  100  and an eye drop lid  140  for covering the opening into the first cavity of the eye drop compartment  115 . The eye drop lid  140  is pivotally coupled to the container  100  by a living hinge. The eye drop lid  140  defines a portion of the top of the container  100  when covering the opening into the first cavity of the eye drop compartment  115 . The eye drop lid  140  has a lip with a releasable fastener for detachably coupling the eye drop lid  140  to the container  100  when covering the opening into the first cavity of the eye drop compartment  115 .  
      A bottle  145  is disposed in the cavity of the eye drop compartment  115  and contains an eye drop liquid therein.  
      The dispenser compartment  120  defines a second cavity therein and has a hole into the second cavity located at a lower corner of the container  100 . The second cavity has breath mints therein and the hole in the second cavity is sized to permit a single breath mint passing therethough at a time.  
      The container  100  also has a flip-up style lid covering the hole into the second cavity of the dispenser compartment  120 . The flip-up style lid being pivotally coupled to the container by a living hinge.  
       FIG. 8  is a flowchart illustrating a method  800  of using the kit  100 . The method  800  comprises: spraying ( 810 ) deodorizer on a smoker&#39;s clothing and/or body (e.g., hair) from the kit; dispensing ( 820 ) a sanitizer onto a smoker&#39;s body (e.g., hands) from the kit; dispensing ( 830 ) eye drops into an eye or eyes of a smoker from the kit; and dispensing ( 840 ) one or more breath mints from the kit. The method  800  then ends. In an embodiment of the invention, the method  800  can be performed in an order other than that shown. Further, a subset of the method  800  can also be performed and/or parts of the method  800  repeated multiple times.  
      The foregoing description of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention is by way of example only, and other variations and modifications of the above-described embodiments and methods are possible in light of the foregoing teaching. The embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting. The present invention is limited only by the following claims.