# US 2014/0155809 A1 · Tampon applicator

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- Number: US 2014/0155809 A1
- Document ID: US20140155809A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/235,726
- Filed: 2012-07-26
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-29
- Assignees: Unicharm Corporation
- Inventors: Kenta Taniguchi; Yukihiro Ito; Kouichi Yamaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155809A1

## CPC

- A61F 13/266: {Insertion devices, e.g. rods or plungers, separate from the tampon}
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)

## Abstract

A tampon applicator comprises: an outer tube, in which an absorber stored inside, an aperture is disposed on one side thereof wherethrough the absorber is extruded, and a grip unit is disposed on the other side thereof; an inner tube which extrudes the absorber by moving within the outer tube; an auxiliary grip member. The auxiliary grip member further comprises a cover unit which covers the outer circumference surface of the grip unit, and collar unit which extends radially outwards from the outer circumference surface of the cover unit of the outer tube.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tampon applicator, comprising:
an outer tube with an absorber stored inside;
an inner tube which is inserted inside the outer tube, which is movable towards into the outer tube to push the absorber to the outside of the outer tube; and
an auxiliary grip member,
wherein an aperture by which the absorber is to be pushed out is formed at one end of the outer tube, and a grip unit to configured to be gripped by the user is formed at the other end of the outer tube,
the auxiliary grip member includes a cover unit configured to cover an outer circumference surface of the grip unit of the outer tube, and a collar unit extending radially outwards from an outer circumferential surface of the cover unit of the outer tube.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tampon applicator according to claim 1, wherein the collar unit is arranged at a distal end side of the auxiliary grip member in a direction of insertion of the tampon applicator inside the vagina.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The tampon applicator according to claim 1, wherein a length of the cover unit is more than a length of the grip unit, in a longitudinal direction of the tampon applicator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The tampon applicator according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion protruding out from the outer circumference surface of the cover unit towards the outer side of the radial direction is formed on the outer circumference surface of the cover unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The tampon applicator according to claim 1, wherein a concavity recessed from the outer circumference surface towards the inner side of the radial direction is formed on the outer circumference surface of the cover unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The tampon applicator according to claim 1, wherein a caved-in unit caving in from a terminal end of the cover unit towards a distal end side in a direction of insertion is formed in the terminal end of the cover unit in the direction of insertion of the tampon applicator inside the vagina, and
in a state when a distal end of the inner tube in the direction of insertion is in contact with an inner circumference of the outer tube, a length from the distal end of the inner tube up to the caved-in unit of the auxiliary grip member is shorter than a length in the longitudinal direction of the inner tube.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The tampon applicator according to claim 1, wherein the rigidity of the cover unit of the auxiliary grip member is higher than the rigidity of the grip unit of the outer tube.