Tampon applicator
AssigneeTambrands Inc.
InventorIrl R. Sanders, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shortened tampon applicator of the telescoping tube type employs an ejector tube to store a tampon in its distal end and an outer tube disposed by a slip fit thereover to thus shorten the overall length of the tampon and applicator assembly. Directionally-locking inward flaps fixed within the distal end of said outer tube engage the distal end of the tampon stored in the ejector tube thus securing the latter relative to said outer tube while permitting only distal expulsion therefrom. The ejector tube preferably has inwardly biased flexible portions at its distal end which serve to catch behind the proximal end of the tampon. In the preferred version, the inwardly biased portions are unique undulations at the blunt distal end of the ejector tube.
Claims23
A catamenial tampon applicator comprising:
- an ejector tube adapted to store a tampon fitted therein with a small portion of said tampon extending from the distal end of said tube;
- an outer tube dimensioned to fit telescopically over said ejector tube and having a distal discharge end;
- and
- means fixed to the inside of the distal end of said outer tube and positioned at least closely adjacent a circumferentially continuous portion of said outer tube for gripping said extending portion of a tampon carried in said ejector tube so as to prevent proximal movement of such tampon relative to said outer tube during proximal withdrawal of the ejector tube over the tampon and yet also to permit distal ejection of such tampon from the outer tube, said means being at least one flap dimensioned relative to said outer tube to extend substantially more in the circumferential direction than in the axial direction and to extend inwardly sufficiently to engage said extending portion of a tampon carried in said ejector tube, said flap being flexible in the axial direction and being canted so as to have a circumferentially-aligned linear tip portion that is distally disposed relative to a respective base portion.
A catamenial tampon applicator comprising:
- an ejector tube molded from plastic and adapted to store all except a small distal portion of a tampon therein with a distal end of said ejector tube comprising a plurality of resilient undulations stiffly flexible to be biased outwards by said stored tampon therewithin, but at least some of said undulations, in the absence of said stored tampon, being inwardly inclined to a diameter less than that of said tampon;
- an outer tube also molded from plastic and slidably disposed over said ejector tube and having a distal discharge end;
- and
- a plurality of flexible gripping flaps disposed at circumferential intervals within the distal end of said outer tube with each flap having a transverse width several times its thickness in the axial direction relative to said outer tube and being canted toward said distal end of said outer tube so as to grip said small distal portion of said tampon to resist movement of such tampon towards the proximal end of said outer tube, while yielding to motion of such tampon towards the distal end of said outer tube.
A catamenial tampon applicator comprising:
- an outer plastic tube adapted to store a tampon fitted in the distal end thereof, said distal end including a plurality of petal sections which are shaped to form a substantially rounded tip and are sufficiently flexible to pass a tampon therethrough, an unslotted ejector tube telescopically disposed within at least the proximal end of said outer tube, gripping means fixed within the distal end of said outer tube and at least closely adjacent a circumferentially continuous portion thereof for engaging the distal end of a tampon extending at least partially into the petal portion of said outer tube whereby a tampon so positioned will underlie and support said petal sections and be prevented from being displaced in the proximal direction said gripping means being at least one flap dimensioned relative to said outer tube to extend substantially more in the circumferential direction than in the axial direction, said flap being flexible in the axial direction and being canted so as to have a circumferentially-aligned linear tip portion that is distally disposed relative to a respective base portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.