COMPACT AND PORTABLE INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED INTIMATE FEMININE ABSORBENT ARTICLE

1 . A method for packaging an intimate feminine absorbent article for use in intimate absorption of body fluid to yield a single individually packaged intimate feminine absorbent article for use in intimate absorption of body fluid that is compact and portable, comprising the steps of:

compressing the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article from a first condition to a second, compressed condition such that each of at least two dimensions of the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article is reduced, and such that a volume of the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article is reduced by at least 30% , said step of compressing being performed without folding of the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article and without rolling of the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article; and

retaining the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article in the second, compressed condition by,

locating the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article in an interior space defined by a substantially flexible, substantially air impermeable material,

creating a negative pressure within the interior space, and

hermetically sealing the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article at the negative pressure within the interior space of the flexible material such that a pressure differential acts upon the flexible material to maintain the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article in the compressed condition.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said intimate feminine absorbent article comprises a sanitary napkin.

3 . The method of claim 2 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, wherein said compressing and said retaining are performed by vacuum-sealing the single single-use disposable sanitary napkin within the flexible material.

4 . The method of claim 2 for packaging a single single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, wherein the flexible material comprises a thermoplastic shrink-wrap material.

5 . The method of claim 2 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, further comprising, prior to said step of compressing the single-use disposable sanitary napkin, reconfiguring the single-use disposable sanitary napkin, wherein said step of reconfiguring the single-use disposable sanitary napkin includes folding the single-use disposable sanitary napkin.

6 . The method of claim 5 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, wherein said single-use disposable sanitary napkin includes a single crosswise fold in the single-use disposable sanitary napkin about evenly spaced along a length of the single-use disposable sanitary napkin between opposed ends of the single-use disposable sanitary napkin when the single-use disposable sanitary napkin is hermetically sealed within the flexible material.

7 . The method of claim 5 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, wherein said single-use disposable sanitary napkin includes three crosswise folds in the single-use disposable sanitary napkin about evenly spaced along a length of the single-use disposable sanitary napkin between opposed ends of the single-use disposable sanitary napkin when the single-use disposable sanitary napkin is hermetically sealed within the flexible material.

8 . The method of claim 2 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, further comprising, prior to said step of compressing the single-use disposable sanitary napkin, reconfiguring the single-use disposable sanitary napkin, wherein said step of reconfiguring the single-use disposable sanitary napkin includes rolling the single-use disposable sanitary napkin such that the single-use disposable sanitary napkin is generally cylindrical in shape.

9 . The method of claim 2 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, wherein the compressible absorbent sanitary napkin comprises an intimate feminine absorbent sanitary napkin.

10 . A method for packaging a single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article for use in intimate absorption of body fluid to yield a single individually packaged single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article for use in intimate absorption of body fluid that is compact and portable, comprising the steps of:

compressing a single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article for use in intimate absorption of body fluid from a first condition to a second, compressed condition such that each of at least two dimensions of the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article is reduced, and such that one of the dimensions of the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article is reduced by at least 30%, said step of compressing being performed without folding of the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article and without rolling of the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article; and

retaining the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article in the second, compressed condition by,

locating the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article in an interior space defined by a substantially flexible, substantially air impermeable material,

creating a negative pressure within the interior space, and

hermetically sealing the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article at the negative pressure within the interior space of the flexible material such that a pressure differential acts upon the flexible material to maintain the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article in the compressed condition.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said intimate feminine absorbent article comprises a sanitary napkin.

12 . The method of claim 11 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, where said compressing and said retaining are performed by vacuum-sealing the single-use disposable sanitary napkin within the flexible material.

13 . The method of claim 11 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, wherein said step of compressing the single-use disposable sanitary napkin includes compressing the single-use disposable sanitary napkin such that a volume of the single-use disposable sanitary napkin is reduced by at least 30%

14 . The method of claim 11 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, wherein the flexible material comprises a thermoplastic shrink-wrap material.

15 . The method of claim 11 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, further comprising, prior to said step of compressing the single-use disposable sanitary napkin, reconfiguring the single-use disposable sanitary napkin, wherein said step of reconfiguring the single-use disposable sanitary napkin includes folding the single-use disposable sanitary napkin.

16 . The method of claim 15 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, wherein said single-use disposable sanitary napkin includes a single crosswise fold in the single-use disposable sanitary napkin about evenly spaced along a length of the single-use disposable sanitary napkin between opposed ends of the single-use disposable sanitary napkin when the single-use disposable sanitary napkin is hermetically sealed within the flexible material.

17 . The method of claim 15 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, wherein said single-use disposable sanitary napkin includes three crosswise folds in the single-use disposable sanitary napkin about evenly spaced along a length of the single-use disposable sanitary napkin between opposed ends of the single-use disposable sanitary napkin when the single-use disposable sanitary napkin is hermetically sealed within the flexible material.

18 . The method of claim 11 for packaging a single-use disposable sanitary napkin for use in intimate absorption of body fluid, further comprising, prior to said step of compressing the single-use disposable sanitary napkin, reconfiguring the single use disposable sanitary napkin, wherein said step of reconfiguring the single-use disposable sanitary napkin includes rolling the single-use disposable sanitary napkin such that the single-use disposable sanitary napkin is generally cylindrical in shape.

19 . A method for packaging a single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article for use in intimate absorption of body fluid to yield a single individually packaged single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article for use in intimate absorption of body fluid that is compact and portable, comprising the steps of:

first, folding a single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article for use in intimate absorption of body fluid;

after said folding step, compressing the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article from a first condition to a second, compressed condition such that each of three dimensions of the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article is reduced, and such that at least one of the reduced dimensions is reduced by at least 30%, said step of compressing being performed without folding of the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article and without rolling of the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article; and

retaining the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article in the second, compressed condition by,

locating the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article in an interior space defined by a substantially flexible material,

creating a negative pressure within the interior space, and

hermetically sealing the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article at the negative pressure within the interior space of the flexible material such that a pressure differential acts upon the flexible material to maintain the single-use disposable intimate feminine absorbent article in the compressed condition.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein said intimate feminine absorbent article comprises a sanitary napkin.