# US 8,458,882 B2 · Method for assembling a tampon applicator

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- Number: US 8,458,882 B2
- Document ID: US8458882B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/024,355
- Filed: 2011-02-10
- Published: 2012-08-16
- Granted: 2013-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2011-02-10
- Assignees: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
- Applicants: Gary Michael Mastalish; Marcus David Weiher; Gary Alan Turchan; Thomas William Van Den Bogart
- Inventors: Gary Michael Mastalish; Marcus David Weiher; Gary Alan Turchan; Thomas William Van Den Bogart
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8458882B2

## CPC

- A61F 13/55185: {in combination with the applicator}
- A61F 13/2097: {method of manufacturing tampon applicators}
- A61F 13/26: Means for inserting tampons {, i.e. applicators}
- H10H 20/8513: {having two or more wavelength conversion materials}
- H10K 50/125: specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
- H10K 59/38: comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
- Y10S 604/904: Tampons
- Y10T 29/4984: Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts
- Y10T 29/49908: Joining by deforming
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A method of assembling a tampon applicator includes providing a barrel with internal ridges that define a guide channel having an effective diameter. The method includes providing a plunger that has a finger flare with a circular shape and a flare diameter that is at least 15% larger than the effective diameter of the guide channel. The method includes assembling the plunger and the barrel by pushing the finger flare into the guide channel and deforming the finger flare into a non-circular shape while moving the finger flare through the guide channel. The method includes moving the finger flare out of the plunger end of the barrel and reestablishing the circular shape of the finger flare.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of assembling a tampon applicator comprising,
providing a barrel, wherein the barrel has an insertion end, a plunger end, and a plurality of internal ridges, wherein the plurality of internal ridges define a guide channel having an effective diameter, and wherein the plurality of internal ridges have a leading end and a trailing end;
providing a plunger, wherein the plunger has a finger-contacting end, a tampon-contacting end, and a flare on at least one of the finger-contacting end or the tampon-contacting end and wherein the flare has an effective flare diameter that is greater than the effective diameter of the guide channel; and
assembling the plunger and the barrel by
pushing the flare into the guide channel,
deforming the flare while moving the flare through the guide channel, and
reestablishing the flare after the flare exits the guide channel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the plunger includes a finger flare on the finger-contacting end having an effective finger flare diameter that is greater than the effective diameter of the guide channel and wherein the assembling step further includes the steps of
first, moving the finger-contacting end of the plunger through the insertion end of the barrel,
second, contacting the leading end of the plurality of internal ridges with the finger flare of the plunger,
third, pushing the finger flare into the guide channel,
fourth, deforming the finger flare while moving the finger flare through the guide channel, and
fifth, reestablishing the finger flare after the finger flare exits the guide channel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the plunger includes a tampon flare on the tampon-contacting end having an effective tampon flare diameter that is greater than the effective diameter of the guide channel and wherein the assembling step further includes the steps of
first, moving the tampon-contacting end of the plunger through the plunger end of the barrel,
second, contacting the trailing end of the plurality of internal ridges with the tampon flare of the plunger,
third, pushing the tampon flare into the guide channel,
fourth, deforming the tampon flare while moving the tampon flare through the guide channel, and
fifth, reestablishing the tampon flare after the tampon flare exits the guide channel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the effective flare diameter is at least 15% larger than the effective diameter of the guide channel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the barrel has three internal ridges.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the barrel defines a circumference at the plunger end and has four internal ridges evenly spaced about the circumference.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the plunger includes a hollow channel extending from the finger-contacting end to the tampon-contacting end.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 further including the step of inserting a tampon having a withdrawal string into the insertion end of the barrel after the assembly step and passing the withdrawal string through the hollow channel of the plunger.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the finger flare has a circular shape before and after the assembling step and has a non-circular shape while moving through the guide channel.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein the insertion end of the barrel includes petals and the method further includes the step of bending the petals closed to substantially enclose a tampon within the barrel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the effective diameter of the guide channel as measured at the leading end of the ridges is greater than the effective diameter of the guide channel as measured at the trailing end of the ridges.

### Claim 12

A method of assembling a tampon applicator comprising,
providing a barrel, wherein the barrel has an insertion end with petals, a plunger end, and a plurality of internal ridges, wherein the plurality of internal ridges define a guide channel having an effective diameter, and wherein the plurality of internal ridges have a leading end and a trailing end;
providing a plunger, wherein the plunger has a finger-contacting end, a tampon-contacting end, a finger flare on the finger-contacting end, a tampon flare on the tampon-contacting end, and wherein the finger flare has a circular shape and has a flare diameter that is at least 15% larger than the effective diameter of the guide channel;
assembling the plunger and the barrel by
first, moving the finger-contacting end of the plunger through the insertion end of the barrel,
second, contacting the leading end of the plurality of internal ridges with the finger flare of the plunger,
third, pushing the finger flare into the guide channel,
fourth, deforming the finger flare into a non-circular shape while moving the finger flare through the guide channel from the leading end of the internal ridges to the trailing end of the internal ridges, and
fifth, moving the finger flare out of the plunger end of the barrel, and
sixth, reestablishing the circular shape of the finger flare;
inserting a tampon having a withdrawal string into the insertion end of the barrel after assembling the plunger and the barrel; and
bending the petals closed to substantially enclose the tampon within the barrel.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 wherein the plunger includes a hollow channel extending from the finger-contacting end to the tampon-contacting end and the method further includes the step of passing the withdrawal string through the hollow channel of the plunger.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein the barrel has a grip region, a central region, and a tip region and wherein the grip region has a reduced diameter as compared to the central region and wherein the ridges are located primarily in the grip region.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein the barrel has four internal ridges and each ridge has a ridge height of about 0.8 mm at the trailing end.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein the effective diameter of the guide channel as measured at the leading end of the ridges is greater than the effective diameter of the guide channel as measured at the trailing end of the ridges.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein the tampon flare has a flare diameter greater than the flare diameter of the finger flare.

### Claim 18

A method of assembling a tampon applicator comprising,
providing a barrel made of low density polyethylene, wherein the barrel has an insertion end with petals, a plunger end, a grip region, a central region, and a tip region, and a plurality of internal ridges, wherein the plurality of internal ridges define a guide channel having an effective diameter, and wherein the plurality of internal ridges have a leading end and a trailing end, and wherein the grip region has a reduced diameter as compared to the central region and wherein the ridges are located primarily in the grip region;
providing a plunger made of low density polyethylene, wherein the plunger has a finger-contacting end, a tampon-contacting end, a finger flare on the finger-contacting end, a tampon flare on the tampon-contacting end, a hollow channel extending from the finger-contacting end to the tampon-contacting end, and wherein the finger flare has a circular shape and has a flare diameter that is at least 15% larger than the effective diameter of the guide channel;
assembling the plunger and the barrel by
first, moving the finger-contacting end of the plunger through the insertion end of the barrel,
second, contacting the leading end of the plurality of internal ridges with the finger flare of the plunger,
third, deforming the finger flare of the plunger into a non-circular shape while moving the finger flare from the leading end of the internal ridges to the trailing end of the internal ridges, and
fourth, moving the finger-contacting end of the plunger out of the plunger end of the barrel, and
fifth, reestablishing the circular shape of the finger flare;
inserting a tampon having a withdrawal string into the insertion end of the barrel after assembling the plunger and the barrel;
passing the withdrawal string through the hollow channel of the plunger; and
bending the petals closed to substantially enclose the tampon within the barrel.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18 wherein the barrel defines a circumference at the plunger end and has four internal ridges evenly spaced about the circumference.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19 wherein the effective diameter of the guide channel as measured at the leading end of the ridges is greater than the effective diameter of the guide channel as measured at the trailing end of the ridges.