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US 11,285,052 B2Granted
Tampon
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsBliss Elizabeth Cohen, Steven Craig Gehling, David Kevin Oldroyd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In the manufacture of a tampon, an absorbent structure composed of an absorbent material can be formed into a tampon blank. In various embodiments, a withdrawal element can be attached to the absorbent structure either before or after the absorbent structure is formed into a tampon blank. The tampon blank can then undergo a compression step which can result in the pledget of the tampon. The pledget, and resultant tampon, can have at least one linear channel and at least one non-linear channel.
Claims11
A tampon comprising:
- a) a compressed absorbent pledget further comprising:
- i) a longitudinal axis, an insertion end, a withdrawal end, an outer surface, and a longitudinal length measured from the insertion end to the withdrawal end;
- ii) a longitudinal direction, a circumferential direction, and a radial depth direction;
- iii) a linear channel extending in the longitudinal direction of the pledget;
- iv) a first non-linear channel which undulates in the radial depth direction of the pledget and has at least one crest and at least two troughs in the radial depth direction of the pledget wherein a distance between each trough is less than about 8 mm, and wherein the first non-linear channel has a first outer surface edge and a second outer surface edge opposed to the first outer surface edge and separated from the first outer surface edge a variable width in the circumferential direction of the pledget at the outer surface of the compressed absorbent pledget, and wherein the first non-linear channel undulates in the circumferential direction;
- v) a second non-linear channel which undulates in the circumferential direction wherein the undulations in the circumferential direction of the first non-linear channel are congruent with the undulations in the circumferential direction of the second non-linear channel;
- and
- b) a withdrawal string extending from the withdrawal end of the compressed absorbent pledget.
5 more elements
A tampon comprising:
- a) a compressed absorbent pledget further comprising:
- i) a longitudinal axis;
- an insertion end, a withdrawal end, an outer surface, and a longitudinal length measured from the insertion end to the withdrawal end;
- ii) a longitudinal direction, a circumferential direction, and a radial depth direction;
- iii) a linear channel extending in the longitudinal direction of the pledget;
- iv) a first non-linear channel which undulates in the circumferential direction and undulates in the radial depth direction;
- and
- v) a second non-linear channel which undulates in the circumferential direction wherein the undulations in the circumferential direction of the first non-linear channel are congruent with the undulations in the circumferential direction of the second non-linear channel;
- and
- b) a withdrawal string extending from the withdrawal end of the compressed absorbent pledget.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.