Apparatus and method for making a tampon applicator
AssigneePlaytex Products, Inc.
InventorJamshid Rejai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided a tampon applicator apparatus and method for creating and scoring petals or petal tips of the tampon applicator. The apparatus has a holding element for the tampon applicator, a score device for forming a score line at the base of the petals, and two or more punch devices for creating a petal. There is also provided a vacuum for removing the portions of the tampon applicator that are punched out.
Claims38
An apparatus for creating and scoring petals of a tampon applicator virtually simultaneously, the apparatus comprising:
- a holding element having a center portion for positioning and securing the tampon applicator, said holding element having more than three radially projecting spokes;
- at least two punch devices, each of said at least two punch devices having a punch arm positioned for sliding on a separate one of said more than three spokes toward the positioned tampon applicator to strike the tampon applicator and create a petal;
- and
- a score device having a score arm positioned for sliding on a remaining one of said more than three spokes toward the positioned tampon applicator to score the tampon applicator.
A method for forming and virtually simultaneously scoring petals in a tampon applicator on a single apparatus comprising:
- positioning securely a tampon applicator blank on a holding element;
- forming a plurality of score lines on an outside surface of the end of the tampon applicator blank;
- and
- punching out immediately thereafter a plurality of slits in an outside surface of an end of the tampon applicator blank to form a plurality of petals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.