Tampon

A tampon for absorbing menstrual discharge comprising multiple over-lying layers of absorbent material, said layers being in a prethickened, preshortened microundulated state as a result of longitudinal micro-compressive pretreatment prior to incorporation by subsequent compression into the form of said tampon,

• each of said layers being characterized by being preshortened at least 20% of its orignal length in the direction of pretreatment, there being at least 10 microundulations per inch in each said layer in the direction of said pretreatment, adjacent microundulations in each said layer residing with their sides abutting one another, with the length of a microundulation being generally of the order of the thickness of said prethickened layer,
• the microundulations of each of said layers being shape-retentive when dry with stored mechanical energy and being responsive to moisture to expand.

A tampon for absorbing menstrual discharge comprising, in the region of its exterior, a layer formed of absorbent fibers, said layer being in a prethickened, preshortened microundulated state as a result of longitudinal micro-compressive pretreatment prior to incorporation by subsequent compression into the form of said tampon,

• said layer being characterized by being preshortened at least 20% of its original length in the direction of pretreatement, there being at least 10 microundulations per inch in said layer in the direction of said pretreatment, adjacent microundulations in said layer residing with their sides abutting one another, with the length of a microundulation being generally of the order of the thickness of said prethickened layer,
• the microundulations of said layer being capable of distributing liquid rapidly along its extent thereby to distribute incident liquid rapidly about said tampon, said outer layer being in liquid-transmitting relationship to absorptive material lying inwardly thereof.

A compressed tampon for absorbing menstrual discharge comprising a web-form bat of substantially aligned absorbent fibers, said bat being in a prethickened, preshortened microundulated state as a result of longitudinal micro-compressive pretreatment by application of compressive forces acting over a short distance substantially in the direction of the plane of the bat within the cavity of a microcreper,

• said bat being preshortened at least 20% of original length in a given direction aligned with the length of the fibers, to a degree permitting substantial recovery of original dimension, there being at least 10 microundulations of said bat per inch of length as a result of said pretreatment prior to incorporation in said tampon, said microundulations residing with the sides of adjacent microundulations close together as a result of said longitudinal compressive pretreatment,
• the absorbent fibers of said bat, because of said pretreated state, having stored mechanical energy in a predetermined selected direction within said tampon determined by the orientation of said bat within said tampon,
• said pretreated bat as it resides in said tampon being moisture-sensitive, responsive to small amounts of liquid to expand in said given direction due to concerted release of the stored mechanical energy in said fibers whereby rapid expansion of the exterior of said tampon can occur.

A compressed tampon for absorbing menstrual discharge comprising a portion of web-form bat of absorbent fibers lying along the exterior of said tampon, said bat portion being in a prethickened, preshortened microundulated state as a result of longitudinal micro-compressive pretreatment by compressive forces acting over a short distance substantially in the direction of the plane of the bat within the cavity of a microcreper,

• said bat portion being preshortened at least 20% of original length, there being at least 10 microundulations of said bat per inch of length as a result of said pretreatment prior to incorporation in said tampon, said microundulations residing with the sides of adjacent microundulations close together as a result of said longitudinal compressive pretreatment,
• because of said longitudinally compressed pretreated microundulated form of said bat portion as it resides in said tampon, said bat portion having high liquid transmissivity capable of rapidly distributing liquid via said bat to portions of said tampon remote from points of incidence of said liquid upon said bat portion.