Disposable bag for hygienic disposal of a feminine hygiene product

Abstract

A bag of thin plastic material shaped into a container having a closed end and an open end cut to provide two tying portions, and sides extending between the open and closed ends. The plastic material is of a color and has at least an antimicrobial agent, and has an imprinted design or pattern. The bag is of a size suitable for receiving a single product, such as a used feminine hygiene product, along with any other material in the use or replacement of such product by a user, in which the tying portions are tieable to seal the product within the bag. When a product is sealed in the bag by a user, the antimicrobial agent inhibits the growth of odor causing bacteria, the scent masks any odors, and the color and imprinted design assists to conceal or obfuscate any blood on a used feminine product in the bag.

1 . A bag for hygienic disposal of a used product comprising:
 thin plastic material shaped into a container having a closed end and an open end   in which said bag enables receiving a used product along with any non-human bodily material associated with use or replacement of said product by a user of said product; and   imprinted material along said plastic material, wherein said plastic material allows transmission of light there through, and said imprinted material and said plastic material are each of a different type of a color red to enable said imprinted material and said plastic material to operate together to hinder perception of human bodily material associated with use by the user of said used product when said human bodily material is received in said bag with said used product and said human bodily material comprises blood.   
     
     
         2 . The bag according to  claim 1  wherein said product is a used feminine hygiene product. 
     
     
         3 . The bag according to  claim 1  wherein said product is a used incontinence product. 
     
     
         4 . The bag according to  claim 1  wherein said container has sides between said open end and said closed end, and said sides have gussets which fold said sides inward toward each other. 
     
     
         5 . The bag according to  claim 1  wherein said imprinted material forms a pattern on said plastic material. 
     
     
         6 . The bag according to  claim 5  further comprising means enabling the user to retain closed said open end of said bag when said human bodily material is received in said bag with said used product. 
     
     
         7 . The bag according to  claim 1  wherein said size of said bag is in accordance with the size of the used product to be received in said bag. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A method for hygienic disposal of a used product comprising the steps of:
 providing a bag of plastic material having imprinted material along an outer surface of the in which said imprinted material and said plastic material are each of a different type of a color red to enable said imprinted material and said plastic material to operate together to hinder perception of any blood upon said used product when in said bag; and   inserting in said bag a used product.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9  further comprising the step of closing said bag after said inserting step. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein said product is a used feminine hygiene product. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein said product is a used incontinence product. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10  further comprising the step disposing said bag after said closing step in a receptacle capable of receiving a plurality of ones of said bag with a used product. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The bag according to  claim 1  wherein said bag is sufficiently small in size to enable a plurality of ones of said bag to be compact when oriented substantially flat in a fixed or portable dispenser in one of at least a stack, folded, or interweave condition. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The bag according to  claim 1  wherein said plastic material has at least an antimicrobial agent in said plastic material when said plastic material is formed. 
     
     
         18 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein said providing step further provides said bag at least said antimicrobial material in said plastic material. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The bag according to  claim 1  wherein said imprinted material is of the color red darker than the color of said plastic material. 
     
     
         23 . The bag according to  claim 1  wherein said imprinted material is at least a repeating pattern along said outer surface. 
     
     
         24 . The bag according to  claim 1  wherein no unused hygiene or incontinence product is at any time externally attached to said bag prior to use. 
     
     
         25 . The bag according to  claim 1  wherein said plastic material has at least antimicrobial and fragrance material in said plastic material when said plastic material was formed. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 9  wherein said providing step further provides said bag having at least antimicrobial and fragrance material in said plastic material. 
     
     
         27 . A hygienic disposal bag comprising:
 plastic material shaped into a bag having a closed end and an open end; and   imprinted material on said plastic material, wherein said imprinted material is of a color, said plastic material allows transmission of light there through, said plastic material is of a color, and said color of said imprinted material and said color of said plastic material operate together to hinder perception of human bodily material associated with use by the user of a used product when said human bodily material is received in said bag with said used product.   
     
     
         28 . The bag according to  claim 27  wherein said color of said plastic material and said color of said imprinted material are each a different shade of the same color. 
     
     
         29 . The bag according to  claim 27  wherein said plastic material has at least antimicrobial material in the plastic material when said plastic material was formed. 
     
     
         30 . The bag according to  claim 27  wherein said plastic material has at least antimicrobial and fragrance material in the plastic material when said plastic material was formed. 
     
     
         31 . The bag according to  claim 27  wherein said used product is a used feminine hygiene product or a used incontinence product. 
     
     
         32 . The bag according to  claim 27  further comprising means enabling the user to retain closed said open end of said bag when said human bodily material is received in said bag with said used product. 
     
     
         33 . The bag according to  claim 27  wherein said open end has portions enabling the user to close said bag to retain said used product when received in said bag. 
     
     
         34 . The bag according to  claim 27  wherein said color of said plastic material and said color of said imprinted material are each a different type of a color red. 
     
     
         35 . The bag according to  claim 27  wherein said bag is of a size limited to receiving a used product along with any non-human bodily material associated with use or replacement of said product by a user of said used product.