Condom cleaning apparatus

Abstract

An article having a condom-receiving pouch and features for personal hygiene useful for any removal, disposal and clean up that is required after condom use, and kit with same.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent No. 61/464,678, filed Mar. 11, 2011, which is herein incorporated for all purposes.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the technical field of Personal Care. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of a disposable article to be used with condoms.

Condoms are well known and widely used. In conventional post-condom use, cleaning is performed with toilet paper, hand towels, underwear, trousers, or whatever is handy. These items are either non-disposable, non-hygienic, or often unsatisfactory, lacking absorbency, flexibility and odor-eliminating properties. Also not addressed is sanitary disposal of the used condom. Generally, no satisfactory post-coitus solution addressing personal hygiene and condom disposal is available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a disposable condom-receiving pouch-like device having an inside surface and an outside surface. The inside surface is an absorbent material and the outside surface is a water-resistant material; the condom-receiving pouch is formed with opening and depth configured for enclosingly removing a used condom from a penis by hand. The device may also include an outside layer or pad of absorbent material adapted for perigenital cleaning. The absorbent material may include a deodorant.

In a first embodiment, the pouch comprises a generally tubular section having an open end and a closed end, and the open end may include a lip with drawstring for sealing the used condom within the pouch. The generally tubular section may be crinkled, conical, or bulbous as desired for ease of application and may be kinked to better secure the used condom.

In another embodiment, the pouch is a mitten for wearing over a hand when removing a condom, and the mitten is configured to be turned inside out after removing said used condom. The mitten is formed with an absorbent inner surface and a water-resistant outer surface. The mitten may include an outside absorbent layer or pad overlying the water-resistant outside surface. In use the outer absorbent layer or pad contacts the used condom, and after being turned inside out, the absorbent inside surface is used for perigenital cleaning.

For convenience, the inventive device may be provided as a kit, the kit including a condom and a disposable pouch-like device. The condom-disposal device may also include a wrist strap so as secured until needed and not misplaced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic of the device, showing positions of lateral and long-axis sections viewed in FIGS. 1B and 1C. FIG. 1C illustrates a general cross-sectional view; FIG. 1B a section taken through the long axis of the device.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are detailed views of the outside and inside surface layers of the device showing a two-layered structure and a three-layered structure.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention with drawstring. FIG. 3B is a detailed view of a modified lip indicating a draw string feature in section.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a device with kinked tubular section.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a device with crinkled tubular section.

FIG. 6A is a schematic view of a mitten having the features of the device and, as shown in FIG. 6B, a three-layered mitten construction.

FIG. 7 is a view of a kit with condom and with a representative device of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Referring now to FIG. 1A, shown is a device 1 with body having a generally tubular sleeve 2 and internal pouch 3 (shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C in section), the pouch typically having an open end 4 and a closed end 5. The pouch cavity 3 or pocket is formed between two walls (7, 8). In a preferred construction, the walls are sealed together (by folding, sewing, gluing, ultrasonic welding, and so forth) at edge seams 9 to form pouch cavity 3 with open end 4. Open end 4 includes a lip 19.

Each wall has an inside surface and an outside surface. The outside surface 6 is external to the device; the inside surface faces the internal cavity of the device. Wall materials are selected for absorbance, flexibility, and/or leak resistance. Walls can be made of one or of multiple layers to achieve suitable qualities. Outside surface may be made water-resistant, for example, to ensure lack of leakage. Inside surface is typically an absorbent material so as to improve fluid retention.

For illustration, possible wall structures are detailed in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In a first construction, illustrated in FIG. 2A, the walls are formed of two layers (10, 11) with a water resistant surface 12 on the outside and a water absorbent surface, pad or layer 13 on the inside. While separate layers are indicated, the layers also may be combined, for example in a composite material having an impervious coat or film on one side and a fibrous bat on the other. Adsorbent materials for personal hygiene are well known in the art, as are impervious surfaces such as films of polyethylene, vinyl, polycarbonate, and the like.

In a second construction, illustrated in FIG. 2B, the walls are formed of three layers (14, 15, 16) as in a sandwich, with a water impervious layer 15 in the middle and having absorbent layers or pads on the outside 17 and the inside 18 surfaces thereof. Absorbent wall layers or pads 17 may function as wipes for perigenital cleaning after the condom is removed and hence need not cover the entire outside surface of the device body.

The pouch body is sufficiently wide and long for comfortable condom removal and may be about 10 to 15 inches deep and about 3 to 6 inches wide as determined to be comfortable for use, while not limited thereto. In use, the used condom is enclosingly inserted into the pouch 3 while on the penis. A hand clamps down on the condom and withdraws the condom while in the pouch. The condom is permitted to sink into the closed end 5 of the pouch, which is sealed or folded prior to disposal. By providing absorbent pads or layers 14 on at least one outside surface 17 of the device body, the user may clean exposed skin to remove any remaining moisture. A deodorant may be provided if desired.

The construction details of the invention are such that the device may be made inexpensively. The wall materials may be cellulosic and plastic, for example, or may include a cellulose layer treated to be water resistant. The layers may be made of different materials by technologies such as are known for the production of diapers. Manufacturing methods for fusion of multilayered sheet materials at seams 9 between the edges of two sheets are known in the art.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a sanitary, disposable condom-receiving member 20 with lip 21 formed at the open end 22 around the pouch cavity 3, the lip folded over and edgedly sealed for guiding a drawstring 23 to pull the pouch closed so that a used condom (inside) can be disposed of. One construction of the lip is shown in more detail in FIG. 3B. The lip 21 sheet material forms a fold for containing the drawstring 23. The drawstring may be a thread, ribbon or filament inserted during manufacture. The purpose of the drawstring is to close the pouch after the used condom is removed and is contained inside.

The advantages of the present invention, without limitation, include that it is disposable and exceedingly easy to transport. It is not costly to package and produce. Most commonly device will be folded up to pocket size and packaged with a condom. Further, the device generally will easily concealable on someone's person. Further, the devices are sanitary and can easily be disposed of while not displaying the contents.

In broad embodiment, the present invention is a disposable pouch for any post-coital personal sanitation, and permit condom removal and disposal without contamination of the hands.

In alternative constructions, the tubular body 2 may be modified to improve condom disposal, for example with a kink (FIG. 4: 40) so that the condom is prevented from slipping out of the pouch, or crenulations (FIG. 5: 50) to facilitate placing the device “sleeve” over the penis. The body sleeve is optionally tapered or conical and may have a variable girth. In one instance, a bulbous tip is included for enclosing the used condom.

The device may also be formed as a mitten, where the pouch is configured for receiving a hand inside, which is then used to grasp the used condom on the penis and pull it off, and the mitten is then turned inside out to enclose the condom. A device functioning as a thumb-less mitten is depicted in FIG. 6A. The body 60 includes an open end 61 and a closed end 62 and forms a walled pouch. Each wall 63 has an inside surface 64 and an outside surface 65 which may be selected for their water-resistance and absorbency. In a preferred construction, wall 70 construction is formed of three layers (65, 66, 67), as shown in FIG. 6B. The outside layer 65 for grasping the condom has an absorbent surface 68, the intermediate layer 66 is water-resistant, and the inside layer 67 has an absorbent surface 69. As a first step, the mitten is used to wipe off the affected surfaces. The condom on the penis is then grasped and removed; everting the mitten seals the condom inside. After eversion of the pouch to capture the condom, a fresh inside surface is exposed on the exterior and may be used for a final wipe of the perigenital areas.

FIG. 7 depicts a combination 70 of a condom 71 and a representative device 72 of the invention, here shown folded for packaging. The condom is shown packaged in a clear envelope 73. The two may be provided together as a convenience to the user in the form of a kit. Optionally a strap may be provided on the folded pouch so that it can be secured until needed. The kit may be provided in a small box or bag with printed instructions on the box (not shown) or attached thereto.

Although the above detailed description contains many specific details for the purposes of illustration, one of skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the generally representative embodiments of the invention described herein are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention.

While the above is a complete description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, various alternatives, modifications and equivalents are possible. These embodiments, alternatives, modifications and equivalents may be combined to provide further embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed or constructed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, but should be construed and constructed to encompass and include all possible embodiments to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the specifics of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A condom disposal device for removing a used condom from a penis, comprising a condom-receiving pouch having an inside surface and an outside surface wherein said inside surface is an absorbent material and said outside surface is a water-resistant material, said condom-receiving pouch with an opening having dimensions and internal space proportioned for enclosingly removing the condom from the penis by hand after coitus.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising an outside adsorbent layer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said pouch comprises a generally tubular section having an open end and a closed end.

4. The device of claim 3, further wherein said open end comprises a lip with drawstring for sealing the used condom within said pouch.

5. The device of claim 3, further where said generally tubular section is crinkled, tapered, bulbous, or kinked.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said pouch is a mitten proportioned for wearing over a hand when removing the condom, and said mitten is configured to be turned inside out after removing the condom, enclosing the used condom therein.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said mitten has an outside adsorbent layer or pad overlying said water-resistant outside surface.

8. A kit comprising a condom and said condom-disposal device of claim 1.

9. The kit of claim 8, wherein said condom-disposal device comprises a strap.