Menstruation tampon and a method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeMolnlycke AB
InventorClas Olsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tampon (8) includes an absorbent body (2) which is embraced by a fluid-permeable casing (4) of thermoplastic non-woven material. A withdrawal string (7) attached to the absorbent body (2) exits centrally from one end surface (10) of the tampon. The casing material (4) is heat-sealed at least at the central part of the end surface (10), by pressing a mandrel (9) against the end (10) of the tampon, so as to coalesce the thermoplastic material to an essentially fluid-impervious film (11). This improves the protection of the tampon against leakage and also increases the stability of the tampon.
Claims13
A menstruation tampon comprising:
- a generally cylindrical, fibrous absorbent body;
- a withdrawal string which is connected to the tampon and which exits from the tampon at a first tampon end thereof;
- a liquid-permeable casing which comprises thermoplastic material and encloses the absorbent body;
- the absorbent body having an axial end surface at said first tampon end;
- the casing at the first tampon end is in contact with said axial end surface of the absorbent body;
- the casing having been heat treated at a heat treated region to melt the casing material in said heat treated region to form an essentially liquid-impervious film at least over a central part of said axial end surface;
- and
- fibres of the absorbent body are bonded to the casing within the heat treated region of the casing.
A method of producing a menstruation tampon comprising a generally cylindrical, fibrous absorbent body, a withdrawal string which is connected to the tampon and which exits from the tampon at a first tampon end thereof, and a liquid-permeable casing which comprises thermoplastic material and encloses the absorbent body and which is heat treated at a central part of said first tampon end;
- and the absorbent body having an axial end surface at said first tampon end, comprising the steps of:
- compressing the absorbent body enclosed by the casing,
- after the compression, heat treating the casing at a heat treated region to melt the casing material in said region to form an essentially liquid-impervious film over at least a central part of said axial end surface, and
- bonding fibres of the absorbent body to the casing within the heat treated region of the casing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.