Portable container for cleanly storing a loofah puff

Abstract

A portable container for cleanly containing a loofah puff in the form of a contoured sleeve. One end of the sleeve is open allowing the loofah puff to be put in or removed from the container. The opposite end is substantially closed with a central hole through which a loofah puff cord can be pulled to draw the loofah puff into the sleeve. The cord is left exposed so the container with the loofah puff inside can be hung by the cord if desired. The shape of the sleeve tends to bias the loofah puff in an ideal orientation for folded compression as the loofah puff is drawn into the container and uses the elasticity of the loofah puff to hold it within the sleeve once it is drawn all or most of the way into the sleeve. A lid closes the open end of the sleeve when desired.

1 . A portable container for a loofah puff, the loofah puff having a loofah cord loop that extends at least a minimum cord length from said loofah puff, said portable container for a loofah puff comprising:
 an elongate sleeve defining a storage space therein to contain said loofah puff in a compressed state, said elongate sleeve having a longitudinal axis and having a sleeve length parallel to said longitudinal axis that is shorter than the minimum cord length of the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff, and said elongate sleeve further having first and second ends and a midsection between said first and second ends, said first and second ends being at opposite ends of said longitudinal axis, and said first end being open to allow a compressed loofah puff to pass into and out of said elongate sleeve;   a transverse wall integrally formed with said elongate sleeve at said second end of said elongate sleeve, said transverse wall being oriented generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis such that said transverse wall closes said second end of said elongate sleeve to block said loofah puff from passing into or out of said second end of said elongate sleeve, said transverse wall having a central hole therethrough for allowing free passage of a distal end of the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff through said transverse wall, such that a user is able to hold said loofah puff over said open first end of said elongate sleeve in a manner such that the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff hangs through said elongate sleeve and out of the central hole of said transverse wall at said second end of said elongate sleeve, and the user can grasp said distal end of the loofah cord loop from outside said second end of said elongate sleeve to pull said loofah puff into said first end of said sleeve by pulling on the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff; and   a throat of reduced cross section formed in the midsection of said elongate sleeve.   
     
     
         2 . The portable container of  claim 1 , said transverse wall comprises a curvature so that said second end of said elongate sleeve is edgeless to prevent collection of fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The portable container of  claim 1 , comprising the loofah puff. 
     
     
         4 . The portable container of  claim 3 , the loofah puff comprising a second loop positioned opposite said loofah cord loop facilitating pulling the compressed loofah puff away from said second end of said elongate sleeve. 
     
     
         5 . The portable container of  claim 4 , said second loop is secured to said loofah cord loop. 
     
     
         6 . The portable container of  claim 1 , further comprising a lid sized to engage said open first end of said elongate sleeve. 
     
     
         7 . The portable container of  claim 6 , said lid comprising a central hole. 
     
     
         8 . The portable container of  claim 6 , said lid comprising a flange that extends upward from said lid. 
     
     
         9 . The portable container of  claim 8 , said lid further comprising recess portions, and a bottom portion of said first end comprises projection portions structured and configured to engage said recess portions of said lid securing said lid to said first end. 
     
     
         10 . The portable container of  claim 7 , said lid comprising a flange that extends upward from said lid. 
     
     
         11 . The portable container of  claim 10 , said lid further comprising recess portions, and a bottom portion of said first end comprises projection portions structured and configured to engage said recess portions of said lid securing said lid to said first end. 
     
     
         12 . A portable container for a loofah puff, comprising:
 a loofah puff having a loofah cord loop that extends at least a minimum cord length from said loofah puff,   an elongate sleeve defining a storage space therein to contain said loofah puff in a compressed state, said elongate sleeve having a longitudinal axis and having a sleeve length parallel to said longitudinal axis that is shorter than the minimum cord length of the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff, and said elongate sleeve further having first and second ends and a midsection between said first and second ends, said first and second ends being at opposite ends of said longitudinal axis, and said first end being open to allow a compressed loofah puff to pass into and out of said elongate sleeve;   a transverse wall integrally formed with said elongate sleeve at said second end of said elongate sleeve, said transverse wall being oriented generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis such that said transverse wall closes said second end of said elongate sleeve to block said loofah puff from passing into or out of said second end of said elongate sleeve, said transverse wall having a central hole therethrough for allowing free passage of a distal end of the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff through said transverse wall, such that a user is able to pull said loofah puff into said first end of said sleeve by pulling on the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff; and   a throat of reduced cross section formed in the midsection of said elongate sleeve.   
     
     
         13 . The portable container for a loofah puff of  claim 12 ,
 said transverse wall comprising a curvature so that said second end of said elongate sleeve is edgeless to prevent collection of fluid.   
     
     
         14 . The portable container for a loofah puff of  claim 13  further comprising a lid sized to fit over said open first end of said elongate sleeve. 
     
     
         15 . The portable container for a loofah puff of  claim 14 , said lid comprising a central hole. 
     
     
         16 . The portable container for a loofah puff of  claim 12 , said loofah puff comprising a second loop positioned opposite said loofah cord loop facilitating pulling the compressed loofah puff away from said second end of said elongate sleeve. 
     
     
         17 . The portable container for a loofah puff of  claim 16 , said second loop being secured to said loofah cord loop. 
     
     
         18 . A portable container for a loofah puff having a loofah cord loop that extends at least a minimum cord length from said loofah puff comprising:
 an elongate sleeve defining a storage space therein to contain said loofah puff in a compressed state, said elongate sleeve having a longitudinal axis and having a sleeve length parallel to said longitudinal axis that is shorter than the minimum cord length of the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff, and said elongate sleeve further having first and second ends and a midsection between said first and second ends, said first and second ends being at opposite ends of said longitudinal axis, and said first end being open to allow a compressed loofah puff to pass into and out of said elongate sleeve;   a transverse wall integrally formed with said elongate sleeve at said second end of said elongate sleeve, said transverse wall being oriented generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis such that said transverse wall closes said second end of said elongate sleeve to block said loofah puff from passing into or out of said second end of said elongate sleeve, said transverse wall having a central hole therethrough for allowing free passage of a distal end of the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff through said transverse wall, such that a user is able to pull said loofah puff into said first end of said sleeve by pulling on the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff.   
     
     
         19 . A portable container for containing a compressible item having a hanging line attached thereto, said portable container comprising:
 a sleeve comprising a first end and a second end, said first end comprising a first opening and said second end comprising a second opening;   said first opening is larger than said second opening such that the compressible item can pass through said first opening but cannot pass through said second opening; and   said sleeve is configured to compress the compressible item having a hanging line as the hanging line is pulled through said second opening to force the compressible item through said first opening and into said sleeve to store the compressible item in a compressed state within the sleeve.   
     
     
         20 . The portable container of  claim 19  further comprising a lid to engage the first opening and to close said first end so that the compressible item cannot pass through said first end with said lid engaged to said first end. 
     
     
         21 . The portable container of  claim 20  said lid comprising a third opening. 
     
     
         22 . The portable container of  claim 19  further comprising the compressible item. 
     
     
         23 . The portable container of  claim 22  said compressible item comprising a pulling line positioned opposite said hanging line. 
     
     
         24 . A method of storing a loofah puff comprising the steps of:
 providing a loofah puff having a loofah cord loop that extends at least a minimum cord length from said loofah puff and a second loop positioned opposite said loofah cord loop and a portable container for a loofah puff;   said portable container for a loofah puff comprising
 an elongate sleeve defining a storage space therein to contain a loofah puff in a compressed state, said elongate sleeve having a longitudinal axis and having a sleeve length parallel to said longitudinal axis that is shorter than the minimum cord length of the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff, and said elongate sleeve further having first and second ends and a midsection between said first and second ends, said first and second ends being at opposite ends of said longitudinal axis, and said first end being open to allow a compressed loofah puff to pass into and out of said elongate sleeve; and 
 a transverse wall integrally formed with said elongate sleeve at said second end of said elongate sleeve, said transverse wall being oriented generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis such that said transverse wall closes said second end of said elongate sleeve to block said loofah puff from passing into or out of said second end of said elongate sleeve, said transverse wall having a central hole therethrough for allowing free passage of a distal end of the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff through said transverse wall, such that a user is able to pull said loofah puff into said first end of said sleeve by pulling on the loofah cord loop of said loofah puff; 
   pulling the loofah cord loop through said central hole of said second end until the loofah puff is inside the elongate sleeve to store the loofah puff; and   storing the container containing the loofah puff.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step removing the loofah puff from the portable container for a loofah puff by pulling on said second loop of said loofah puff. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step of providing a lid to cap said first end of said portable container for a loofah puff and capping said first end with the lid prior to the step of storing the container containing the loofah puff.