Tampon applicator with improved insertion tip
AssigneeEdgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC
InventorsSezen Buell, Kyle Hillegass
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An insertion end for a tampon applicator assembly. The insertion end has an insertion tip region and optionally an inflection region. The insertion end of the tampon applicator assembly is unique in one or more ways, including one or more of the following: having a unique degree of closure, an inflection region length that is different than an insertion end region length, petal slits that form a tear-drop shape, petals having multiple radii of curvature, the insertion end having a unique radius of curvature, the insertion end having a unique part thickness.
Claims6
A tampon applicator, comprising:
- a barrel comprising:
- an insertion tip region having between three and eight petals, each of the petals having a free end defining an inscribed polygon, the petals separated from each other by a plurality of slits;
- a main body region adjacent the insertion tip region, the main body region beginning where the slits between the petals terminate, the main body region having a main body diameter defined where the slits between the petals terminate;
- and
- a grip region adjacent the main body region;
- and
- a plunger that telescopically engages the barrel;
- wherein an inscribed circle is defined within the inscribed polygon and defines an inscribed circle diameter of between about 0.075 inches and about 0.150 inches;
- wherein the degree of closure between the inscribed circle and the beginning main body diameter is between about 0.1 and about 0.3.
A tampon applicator, comprising:
- a barrel having a total barrel length of at least 2.0 inches, comprising:
- an insertion tip region having an insertion tip length, the insertion tip defining the forward most end of the barrel, the insertion tip region having between three and eight petals;
- an inflection region having a curved shape, the inflection region having an inflection region length, the inflection region adjacent and/or overlapping the insertion tip region;
- a main body region adjacent the inflection region, the main body region having a main body region length of at least 1.25 inches;
- a grip region having a grip region length of at least 0.5 inches, the grip region defining the rearward most end of the barrel;
- wherein the insertion tip region length is different than the inflection region length;
- wherein the sum of the insertion tip region length and the inflection region length is at least about 0.4 inches;
- wherein the main body region is substantially straight, has a linear taper, or has a different curvature than the inflection region;
- and
- wherein the sum of (a) the insertion tip region length and the inflection region length, divided by (b) the total barrel length, is (c) at least about 0.2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.