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US 6,186,973 B1Granted
Tampon applicator
AssigneeJohnson & Johnson
InventorHerve Buzot
Life of this patent
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AssigneeJohnson & Johnson
InventorHerve Buzot
Estimating the term…
The invention relates to a tampon applicator. The tampon applicator is intended to permit easier and safer handling of the tampon. For this purpose, the tampon comprises a hollow outer cylinder (10) with a delivery opening (12) for allowing to push out the tampon (2) which outer cylinder has an opening (14) in the cylinder wall which is located behind the rearward end (3) of the tampon (2) when the tampon (2) is in its initial position in the hollow outer cylinder (10) with its forward end adjacent the delivery opening (12). In addition, an elongated pusher element (20) is provided adapted to be insertable in and slidable through the opening (14) into the interior of the outer cylinder (10) in order to abut with its forward end portion against the rearward end (3) of the tampon (2). Further, the tampon applicator comprises a push lever (30) being pivotally connected to a rearward end portion (32) of the elongated pusher element (2) and being pivotally connected to the outer cylinder in a position behind the opening (14) such that by pivoting the push lever (30) forward towards the outer cylinder the elongated pusher element (20) is advanced through the opening (14) to thereby push out the tampon (2) through the delivery opening (12).
A tampon applicator, comprising
The tampon applicator according to any preceeding claim, wherein the outer surface of the outer cylinder is provided with at least one circumferential ring adapted to avoid longitudinal movement of the applicator when it is gripped between two fingers.
A method of expelling a tampon from a tampon applicator comprising (1) a hollow cylinder having a delivery opening at a front end and containing a tampon having an initial position wherein a forward end of the tampon is adjacent the delivery opening and a rearward end is opposite thereof, the outer cylinder having an opening located behind the rearward end of the tampon when the tampon is in the initial position, (2) an elongated pusher element that is capable of bending along a longitudinal direction, and (3) a push lever pivotally connected to both a rearward end portion of the elongated pusher element and pivotally connected to the outer cylinder behind the opening, the method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.