Patent Abstract:
A stain treatment apparatus uses a transparent plastic bag with a recloseable opening into which a stained garment is placed. A stain treatment compound is contained within the bag, such as within an ampoule or pouch that releases upon compression or that releases upon exposure to water added to the bag. A thermochromatic indicator assists in filling with water of an appropriate temperature. A completion indicator further assists in indicating completion of the stain treatment regimen. A plurality of stain-specific treatment assemblies may be included that are optimized for a category of stains (e.g., protein, tannin, oil, dye/ink).

Full Description:
PRIORITY INFORMATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/916,089 filed May 4, 2007, entitled “Garment Stain Treatment Bag,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Embodiments of the present invention relate, in general, to a device for pre-treating a stain on fabric, and more particularly, to a portable enclosure for treating and transporting a garment. 
     Clothes can be easily stained from food, drink, oils or the like. In the past, soiled clothes may have been permanently stained unless they were immediately washed. There are now a number of commercial detergents and stain-removing formulas capable of removing stains from soiled clothes. However, it may not always be practical to immediately wash clothes. When traveling away from home, it can be even more impractical to immediately wash soiled clothes. In addition, if soiled clothes are not immediately washed, garments which come into contact with the soiled clothes may also be permanently stained. 
     Even with access to a sink and/or a washing machine, removing a stain from a soiled garment may be an unsanitary and unpleasant activity. For example, it may be preferred not to expose a kitchen sink to certain kinds of biological stains that may be on garments. As another example, the cleansers may irritate the skin, especially when kitchen gloves are not readily available. 
     While several devices and apparatuses have been made and used for pre-treating a stain on fabric, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used the invention described in the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of a stain treatment bag with graphical indicators prompting optimum treatment parameters. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic depiction of an alternate exemplary embodiment of a stain treatment bag with treatment regimes selected for the appropriate type of stain. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning to the Figures, wherein like numerals denote like components throughout the several views, in  FIG. 1 , a stain treatment receptacle, depicted as a resealable bag  10 , provides a barrier for enclosing a garment  12  bearing a stain  14 . The garment may be an item of clothing, bedding, or any other item in need of stain treatment. The bag  10  may include an inner cavity sized to receive the garment  12 . The size of the bag  10  and the inner cavity may vary based on the garment  12  intended to be treated. The bag  10  is configured to prevent transfer of the stain  14  to other garments and to contain a pre-treatment cleanser  16 . The cleanser  16  may include or comprise chemicals that prevent setting of the stain  14  into the fabric, such as detergents or surfactants that assist a detergent or water in removing a stain, any other suitable compounds or materials, and combinations thereof. The pre-treatment cleanser  16  may be placed in the bag  10 ; however, in the illustrated version a barrier  18  affixes the pre-treatment cleanser  16  to an interior surface of the bag  10 . The barrier  18  may be configured to release the pre-treatment cleanser  16  in response to a stimulus provided by the user, including but not limited to introducing water into the bag  10 , compressing the barrier  18 , or rupturing the barrier  18 . The barrier  18  may be porous for instances in which the pre-treatment cleanser  16  is initially in a solid form until dissolved by water passing through the barrier  18 . Alternatively, the barrier  18  may be initially impermeable, but be either frangible and subject to rupture under user compression or dissolved upon introduction of water to the bag  10 . 
     The bag  10  includes a resealable opening  20 , such as those commonly used in bags referred to as ZIPLOC™ bags (made and manufactured by S.C. Johnson &amp; Son, Inc.), although any suitable type of closure may be used, including, but not limited to an adhesively held flap, a snap, a button, a zipper, or combinations thereof. Printed instructions  22  on the bag  10  may be included, such as the depicted:
     1. Insert Garment;   2. Fill with water at indicated temperature and seal bag;   3. Remove garment for laundering when indicator has dissolved.
 
Of course, other phrasing, terminology or appropriate instructions, including but not limited to the amount of water, may be used instead of or in addition to the instructions depicted in  FIG. 1 . In addition, the steps may be performed in any suitable order. By way of example only, the user may fill the bag  10  with water prior to inserting the garment  12 . The instructions may also include the additional step of releasing the pre-treatment cleanser  16 , which may occur before or after the garment  12  has been inserted and before or after the bag  10  has been filled with water. Thereby, contact of the garment  12  with other garments is prevented, which may avoid transfer of the stain and exposure of skin to the stain  14  and the water. In addition, this embodiment may minimize contact with the pre-treatment cleanser  16  or avoid such contact completely.
   

     Advantageously, in the illustrated embodiment, the bag  10  further includes a thermochromatic label  24  depicted as having three temperature indicators, TOO COLD  26 , CORRECT  28 , and TOO HOT  30 . The temperature indicators  26 ,  28 ,  30  may be configured to respond to a particular temperature range corresponding to the optimum temperature for the pre-treatment cleanser  16 . Of course, the thermochromatic label  24  may include any suitable number of temperature indicators. The thermochromatic label  24  may be configured to respond to the temperature of the water in the bag  10 . 
     In this version, the bag  10  further includes a completion indicator  32  configured to respond to the presence of the pre-treatment cleanser  16  to indicate when sufficient exposure time has elapsed for effective stain removal. The completion indicator  32  may be a material that is dissolved at a rate comparable to stain material. This approach may compensate for differences in water quality, such as mineral content in the water (i.e. hardness or softness of the water), and temperature that may vary the time required for stain removal. Accordingly, in an alternate embodiment, the bag may comprise a completion indicator without a thermochromatic label  24 . The completion indicator may alternatively be a thin-film imprinted circuit with dissimilar metal electrodes that produce sufficient electrical current when exposed to the water and/or the pre-treatment cleanser to initiate a timer to indicate completion. Of course any other suitable material or device, or combinations thereof, may be used for the completion indicator. 
     Although  FIG. 1  depicts one particular arrangement, it will be appreciated that the above described elements, including the pre-treatment cleanser  16  and barrier  18 , the printed instructions  22 , the thermochromatic label  24 , and the completion indicator  32  may be configured and placed in any suitable arrangement in or on one or more inner or outer surfaces of the bag  10 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , an alternative garment stain treatment receptacle is depicted as a transparent resealable bag  40  that advantageously incorporates multiple selective stain treatment regimens as appropriate for the type of stain. In this embodiment, bag  40  includes printed instructions  42 . Printed instructions  42  may be configured to direct the user to the appropriate regimen. As shown in  FIG. 2 , printed instructions  42  include the following steps:
     1. Select Stain Type;   2. Crush Corresponding Ampoule;   3. Insert Garment;   4. Fill with Water at Indicated Temperature and seal bag;   5. Remove garment for laundering when indicator has dissolved.
 
Of course, other phrasing, terminology or appropriate instructions, including but not limited to the amount of water, may be used instead of or in addition to the instructions depicted in  FIG. 2 . In addition, the steps may be performed in any suitable order. By way of example only, the user may fill the bag  40  with water prior to inserting the garment or the garment may be inserted prior to crushing the appropriate ampoule.
   

     In the illustrated version, the transparent resealable bag  40  encompasses four stain-specific treatment assemblies. Of course, a bag  40  may comprise any suitable number of stain-specific treatment assemblies. As shown in  FIG. 2 , first, a protein stain-specific treatment assembly  44  includes a label  46  such as “PROTEIN”. Label  46  may include additional or alternative information to assist in identifying this category of stain. In this embodiment, a frangible ampoule  48  containing protein-specific pre-treatment cleanser  50  is adhered to the bag  40 . Ampoule  48  may be retained within a permeable barrier  52  configured to capture the ampoule  48  after ampoule  48  is crushed to release cleanser  50 . Alternatively, instead of a frangible ampoule, a resilient ampoule or pouch may be directly adhered to the interior surface of the bag  40 . The resilient ampoule or pouch may include a weakened or loosely adhered area or opening and be configured to readily release the cleanser  110  under compression. Bag  40  may also include a protein-specific thermochromatic indicator  54  configured to assist in filling bag  40  with water of an optimum temperature for the protein-specific pre-treatment cleanser  50 . In the illustrated embodiment, a protein-specific completion indicator  56  is attached to bag  40 . The completion indicator  56  may be configured to help the user determine when subsequent laundering is appropriate. Thermochromatic indicator  54  and completion indicator  56  may be configured and operate similarly to thermochromatic indicator  24  and completion indicator  32  described above. 
     Second, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , an oil stain-specific treatment assembly  64  includes a label  66  such as “OIL BASED”. Label  66  may include additional or alternative information to assist in identifying this category of stain. As shown, a frangible ampoule  68  containing oil-specific pre-treatment cleanser  70  is adhered to the bag  40 . Ampoule  68  may be retained within a permeable barrier  72  configured to capture the ampoule  68  after ampoule  68  is crushed to release cleanser  70 . Alternatively, instead of a frangible ampoule, a resilient ampoule or pouch may be directly adhered to the interior surface of the bag  40 . The resilient ampoule or pouch may include a weakened or loosely adhered area or opening and be configured to readily release the cleanser  70  under compression. In the illustrated embodiment, bag  40  includes an oil-specific thermochromatic indicator  74  configured to assist a user in filling bag  40  with water of an optimum temperature for the oil-specific pre-treatment cleanser  70 . As shown, bag  40  further includes an oil-specific completion indicator  76 , which may be configured to help the user determine when subsequent laundering is appropriate. Thermochromatic indicator  74  and completion indicator  76  may be configured and operate similarly to thermochromatic indicator  24  and completion indicator  32  described above. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , bag  40  includes a tannin stain-specific treatment assembly  84 , which comprises a label  86  such as “TANNIN”. Label  86  may include additional or alternative information to assist in identifying this category of stain. In this embodiment, a frangible ampoule  88  containing tannin-specific pre-treatment cleanser  90  is adhered to the bag  40 , perhaps retained within a permeable barrier  92  to capture ampoule  88  after crushing. Alternatively, instead of a frangible ampoule, a resilient ampoule or pouch may be directly adhered to the interior surface of the bag  40 . The resilient ampoule or pouch may include a weakened or loosely adhered area or opening and be configured to readily release the cleanser  90  under compression. Bag  40  may include a tannin-specific thermochromatic indicator  94 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , configured to assist a user in filling bag  40  with water of an optimum temperature for the tannin-specific pre-treatment cleanser  90 . In the illustrated embodiment, bag  40  further includes a tannin-specific completion indicator  96 , which may be configured to help the user determine when subsequent laundering is appropriate. Thermochromatic indicator  94  and completion indicator  96  may be configured and operate similarly to thermochromatic indicator  24  and completion indicator  32  described above. 
     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  includes a fourth stain-specific treatment assembly, namely a dye-ink stain-specific treatment assembly  104 , which includes a label  106  such as “DYE-INK”. Label  106  may include additional or alternative information to assist in identifying this category of stain. In the illustrated version, a frangible ampoule  108  containing dye-ink-specific pre-treatment cleanser  110  is adhered to the bag  40 , perhaps retained within a permeable barrier  112  to capture the ampoule  108  after crushing. Alternatively, instead of a frangible ampoule, a resilient ampoule or pouch may be directly adhered to the interior surface of the bag  40 . The resilient ampoule or pouch may include a weakened or loosely adhered area or opening and be configured to readily release the cleanser  110  under compression. In this example, the bag  40  includes a dye-ink-specific thermochromatic indicator  114  configured to assist a user in filling bag  40  with water of an optimum temperature for the tannin-specific pre-treatment cleanser  110 . As shown, the bag  40  includes a dye-ink-specific completion indicator  116  which may be configured to help the user determine when subsequent laundering is appropriate. Thermochromatic indicator  114  and completion indicator  116  may be configured and operate similarly to thermochromatic indicator  24  and completion indicator  32  described above. 
     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  includes stain-specific treatment assemblies for protein based stains, tannin based stains, oil based stains and dye-ink based stains. Of course, an embodiment may include a stain-specific treatment assembly for any suitable type of stain. Additionally, the one or more stain-specific treatment assemblies may be positioned on the bag in any suitable configuration or arrangement. 
     While the present invention has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrated embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications may readily appear to those skilled in the art. 
     For example, while the illustrated embodiments depict a transparent bag, alternate embodiments consistent with the present invention may employ a translucent or opaque material, or some combination thereof, in order to provide privacy. 
     For another example, rather than having one bag containing a plurality of stain-specific treatment regimens, applications consistent with aspects of the invention may employ stain-specific bags, perhaps sold in an assortment, to reduce the cost of each bag or for users who tend to encounter the same type of stains repeatedly (e.g., a work environment liable to encounter oil stains). 
     As an additional example, it should be appreciated that some applications consistent with the present invention may require no addition of water to the bag in order to prevent a stain setting into the garment. For instance, a sufficient liquid quantity of the pre-treatment cleanser may be released to treat the stain. 
     It should be appreciated that any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated material does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3