Infant training item

Abstract

Disposable receptacles having an interior surface and an outer surface, said receptacle consisting of with an outer layer of water-impermeable material and having an inner lay primarily composed of absorbent material, said receptacle having a opening on one side, said opening having a sealable closure have use for toilet training toddlers and infants.

Description

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is related to the field of potty training. During the training of infants and toddlers, it is important that the child be allowed to void whenever needed and that he/she not be allowed to get wet so that comfort is related to using a potty rather than voiding into the diaper. However, when traveling it is often not possible to take the child to a toilet. For example, when travelling by plane there are many times when the restroom is not available for use. When travelling by car, the rest rooms are sometimes not as clean as might be desired or there may be no possibility of turning off the road to allow the child to relieve himself. It is important at such times that the child be able to void as needed without embarrassment, and that the care-giver be able to dispose of the urine in an acceptable manner.

Several potties or adaptations of toilets have been disclosed previously. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,573 discloses and claims a potty training device with an enclosure of generally oval shape adapted to fit over a toilet seat. The device is far more complex than the instantly disclosed and claimed invention and requires that a regular toilet be available for use. The instant invention does not require a toilet for use by the young child.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,212 discloses and claims a potty designed to be set on the ground. The potty has a cavity in the base/seat which forms a bowl for collection of urine and feces. The bowl is equipped with a disposable liner which can be discarded with its contents. The device is bulky and presents a problem both as to privacy and portability. Again, the device of patent '212 is not useful when traveling in an airliner or when it is not possible to stop while traveling.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,050 discloses a liner for receiving waste. The liner has tabs which are used to secure the bag to the hole in the waste receiving cup-like structure. However, in that instance, the entire receptacle can not be disposed of easily.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,794 to Stewart discloses a disposable waste containment item comprised of a liquid impervious bag with an absorbent element incorporated. The closure of the bag must be sufficiently large to fit over a receptacle that provides support for the bag. The bag, when filled with waste, can then be discarded.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,855 to Lorenzo discloses a disposable, biodegradable liner for a potty having an elastic band around the opening and a closure means using hook and loop fasteners.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,624 to Sasaki discloses a standard disposable diaper having means to display a color indicator when wetted with urine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a container for use as a disposable receptacle for urine and/or feces when traveling with a small child. This invention provides a disposable, flexible, easily transported and disposed container for accepting urine. The invention is a bag which has a moisture impervious outer layer and an absorbent inner layer and having a sealable closure means at the opening. The receptacle does not require a potty or other support to hold the container, but is held by the caregiver while in use by the child. The sealable closure means may be, for example, a ZIPLOC™, tape or a draw string. It is also possible to have closure means consisting of an adhesive strip that folds over the opposite side of the receptacle to form a secure closure for the bag. The child may excrete urine or, if the bag is appropriately shaped, may excrete feces into said bag. After use, the outer layer is sealed and the entire container is disposed of.

The receptacle may have an outer “purse” which is adapted to fit the style of the particular receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 provides an over-all view of the disposable receptacle with opening, identifying particular layers of the container.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the opening with a particular closure means.

FIG. 3 shows a disposable receptacle with tape as closing means.

FIG. 4 shows a receptacle having drawstring as a closure means.

FIG. 5 shows a view from the inside of the disposable receptacle having a drawstring closure means.

FIG. 6 shows a view of the opening having a formable shaping strip for providing a shaped opening for use by female infants and toddlers.

FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional view of one side of the opening having a shaping strip.

FIG. 8 shows a detail the top of a receptacle having a pre-formed opening.

FIG. 9 shows a purse-like covering for a disposable receptacle of the invention.

FIG. 10 shows a receptacle of the invention having a wide top for use with female children.

FIG. 11 shows a covering for use with the disposable receptacle, said covering having a draw string.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The instantly claimed invention is a container particularly developed to allow very young children, especially during the period of potty training, to void when there is no appropriate toilet available for their use. The container is flexible and easily carried in a purse or suitcase during travel. When the opening large enough to cover the genitalia is held against the child with the opening positioned to catch the urine, the child is able to void without undue notice by those around. It is possible for the caregiver to then dispose of the container with the urine in any manner they would usually use for disposal of a disposable diaper. Because the toilet item of the invention is totally disposable and requires no container for support, there is not need to have a bulkier, rigid object to transport or clean and there is no time consuming fitting of the potty trainer bag to a seat or container.

The disposable receptacles have an interior surface layer which is primarily composed of an absorbent material and an outer surface layer which is impervious to water. Disposable receptacles of the invention have an opening on one side with a sealable closure means. The closure means may be as simple as an adhesive strip which, when applied to some area of the outer layer holds the material within the absorbent layer and prevents seepage.

Referring to the drawings, note in FIG. 1 the invention consists of a bag (1) with at least two layers, a water-proof layer (2) and an absorbent layer (3), said bag having, an opening (9), and on the opening, a closure means (4) which may be, for example, a strip having, on one side of the opening, a groove and on the other side of the opening, a corresponding, complementary ridge or projection which fits into said groove when the top of the sides of the receptacle are properly positioned and pressed together. Referring to (FIG. 2) showing the opening of the bag, wherein there is shown a firm grooved strip (5) and on the opposing side of said opening, a strip with a projection (6) which interacts with the opposing grooved strip, said groove and projection being complimentary to each other so that a tight closure is formed. An example of such a closure is that found on ZIPLOC™ bags.

In another embodiment, (see FIG. 3) the closure means may consist of tape (10) on opposing edges of the opening that will stick to each other to form a closure when a covering is removed from said tape. The adhesive tape is covered by a strip of easily removed material to expose the adhesive. An example of such a closing is that found on some envelopes. In other instances, the closure means (see FIG. 4) may be a draw string (7) to provide means for closure after use. FIG. 5 shows one side of the closure using a draw string. In that case, it is preferred that the inner casing through (8) which the drawstring is encased have, additionally, a material such as a sticky gum-like material (19) which will seal the bag.

For use by little boys for voiding, the shape of the opening into the bag is not important. For little girls, there is need for more complex openings. For example, (see FIG. 6, which depicts a view of the opening) the opening may have formable strips for providing a shaped-opening for use by female infants and toddlers. The formable strips (12) are seen on either side of the opening in the middle of each of the complementary strips of closure means (11). While various material may be used to make formable strips, strips of easily malleable material such as that in the strips pressed across the nose in surgical masks. The formable strips provide means to allow formation of a of a roughly diamond shaped or oval opening into which the child may void. Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a cross section of one side of an opening wherein the opening is closed with a drawstring (13) and wherein the surface on the side of the casing toward the inside of the bag (14) holding the drawstring has a sticky surface (15) covered by an easily removable covering strip (16) which can be removed to expose the sticky sealing surface, the casing housing, in addition to the drawstring, a somewhat rigid. In this case, the formable strip is a removable material strip (17) such as an easily molded (bent) metal which can be molded to form an adequate opening (for example, a semi circular or oval in opening). When the child has finished voiding into the bag, the somewhat rigid strip may either be bent straight so the sticky edges will close or may be removed through slits (18) in the casing and the bag closed.

In another embodiment, the top edge of the bag may have a ZIPLOC™ like closure which can be used to close the bag. The somewhat rigid strip may, but need not, be removed from a casing.

As would be clear to one of ordinary skill the art, materials can be replaced with other materials as needed. For example, the metal in the casing, as shown in FIG. 7, can be replaced with a plastic which is shaped to form an appropriately shaped opening. In that instance, the opening with the ring would be laid against the side of the bag and the closure means would be a flap which is sealed against the outside of the outer water proof covering of the bag. Referring to FIG. 8, the drawing shows the opening when a pre-formed rigid opening (20) is formed in the bag to collect urine. The rigid material which supports the opening may then be removed through slits, such as those seen at (18) in FIG. 7 followed by closing using whatever closure means is provided. However, the opening may also be closed using a tape covered extension (21) which adheres firmly to an area (22) on the exterior of the impermeable outer layer on the opposing side of the bag.

The products of the invention can also be in a form which disguises the containers. For example, an outer surface may, instead of being white or translucent, be of various colors or designs. Additionally, there may be covering materials which can be reused with the receptacles of the invention composed of absorbent materials covered with plastics used as disposable liners. In the commercial setting, the covering containers would be designed to fit with a particular product.

FIG. 9 shows a purse-like covering (33) having two sides (34 and 35) a flap (36) on one side which folds over the opening (37). The inner surface (38) of the flap has a closure means (39) which interacts with a second closure means (40) on the outer surface of the opposing side to provide closure.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 10 shows a covering (25) for the a disposable receptacle of the invention having an opening with a semi-rigid area (26) shaping the opening. The semi-rigid material may consist of a wire or other malleable material inserted in a pocket in the material which receives and holds the malleable material or may be adherent to the material forming the covering. The inside of the covering may have, near the opening, a means of holding the disposable receptacle (27) such as VALCRO™. The covering may also have attached to one side (28) of the covering a tab (29) which will fit over the top of the covering with a closure means (30) which will interact with a reciprocating closure means (31) on the other side (32) of the covering. The disposable receptacle is made to fit into the covering of FIG. 10 and may be secured with reciprocating attachment means (27) such as snaps or VALCRO™ to hold the disposable receptacle in the covering.

FIG. 11 shows the inner surface of a covering (45) having a draw-string closing (46). The inside of the top edge on or near the drawstring closing may have attachment means (47) which interact with an attachment means on the outer edge of the disposable receptacle so that the disposable receptacle will be held within the covering.

An advantage of a covering such as those described above is that it provides structure and disguise for the disposable receptacle within. Hence, the care giver can carry the disposable receptacle as disguised in a cover ready for use. It would be likely that the covering with multiple disposable receptacles would be made available together.

The receptacles of the invention may have been treated with deodorants or odorants.

Claims

1. A disposable receptacle having an interior surface and an outer surface, said receptacle consisting of with an outer layer of water-impermeable material and having an inner lay primarily composed of absorbent material, said receptacle having a opening on one side, said opening having a sealable closure.

2. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein said closure means is a drawstring.

3. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein said closure means is an adhesive tape closure means.

4. The receptacle of claim 3 wherein said sealable closure means consists of two surfaces having adherent material on the inner surface of said opening of said receptacle.

5. The receptacle of claim 1 having an opening surrounded by malleable material, said opening wherein, when the malleable material has been adjusted causes the sides of said opening to come together, the sides of said opening adhere to each other to form a sealed closure.

6. A receptacle of claim 1 having thereover a covering.

7. The receptacle of claim 6 wherein said covering has a drawstring closing.

8. The receptacle of claim 6 wherein said covering has a tape closing.

9. The receptacle of claim 6 wherein said covering has a flap closing

10. The receptacle of claim 1 which has been treated with an odorant or deodorant.