CA1282907C - Convolutely wound paper tampon tube having an inner tube with at least one longitudinal slit formed therein - Google Patents
Convolutely wound paper tampon tube having an inner tube with at least one longitudinal slit formed thereinInfo
- Publication number
- CA1282907C CA1282907C CA000519413A CA519413A CA1282907C CA 1282907 C CA1282907 C CA 1282907C CA 000519413 A CA000519413 A CA 000519413A CA 519413 A CA519413 A CA 519413A CA 1282907 C CA1282907 C CA 1282907C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tube
- tampon
- tubes
- wall thickness
- smaller
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
- 238000004804 winding Methods 0.000 abstract description 2
- 239000000123 paper Substances 0.000 description 22
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 10
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 description 8
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 description 8
- 229920001169 thermoplastic Polymers 0.000 description 7
- 239000004416 thermosoftening plastic Substances 0.000 description 7
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000032798 delamination Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 210000004914 menses Anatomy 0.000 description 2
- 230000002175 menstrual effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229920002153 Hydroxypropyl cellulose Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920003171 Poly (ethylene oxide) Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004372 Polyvinyl alcohol Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003042 antagnostic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229920006187 aquazol Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 210000001124 body fluid Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 239000010839 body fluid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003795 chemical substances by application Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004927 clay Substances 0.000 description 1
- 210000000416 exudates and transudate Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 239000001863 hydroxypropyl cellulose Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000010977 hydroxypropyl cellulose Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002991 molded plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000011118 polyvinyl acetate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920002689 polyvinyl acetate Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920002451 polyvinyl alcohol Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920000036 polyvinylpyrrolidone Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000001267 polyvinylpyrrolidone Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000013855 polyvinylpyrrolidone Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000002028 premature Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008961 swelling Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000001215 vagina Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 239000002023 wood Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- 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
- A61F13/00—Bandages or dressings; Absorbent pads
- A61F13/15—Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators
- A61F13/20—Tampons, e.g. catamenial tampons; Accessories therefor
- A61F13/26—Means for inserting tampons, i.e. applicators
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Epidemiology (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
- Vascular Medicine (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Absorbent Articles And Supports Therefor (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Inner and outer convolutely wound cardboard tubes of a tampon applicator are formed with a different number of ply windings. The outer tube of the applicator is of a larger diameter and is adapted to confine a tampon pledget with the inner tube being of smaller diameter and forming a plunger partially telescoped within the outer tube and adapted to eject the pledget from the larger diameter tube.
The smaller tube has a wall thickness greater than the wall thickness of the larger tube and the smaller inner tube is provided with at least one longitudinal slit.
Inner and outer convolutely wound cardboard tubes of a tampon applicator are formed with a different number of ply windings. The outer tube of the applicator is of a larger diameter and is adapted to confine a tampon pledget with the inner tube being of smaller diameter and forming a plunger partially telescoped within the outer tube and adapted to eject the pledget from the larger diameter tube.
The smaller tube has a wall thickness greater than the wall thickness of the larger tube and the smaller inner tube is provided with at least one longitudinal slit.
Description
`i ~2~32~
TECH~ICAL FIELD
The present invention relates, generally, to the field of catamenial tampons for personal feminine care or protection in order to absorb or otherwise contain menstrual fluids or similar exudate. The present invention relates more particularly to paper tubes particularly useful for the insertion of a tampon. Of special concern is a more economical construction of a plunger type tampon.
DESCRIPTION OF T~E BACKGROUND ART
All manner and variety of devices or appliances configured for the absorption of such body fluids as menses are of course well known. As a class, these articles ought to possess certain necessary attributes of absorbency, comfort and psychological as well as physiological or physical protection. Desirably, these devices also are characterized as being discreet both during wear and when carried upon the wearer's person in anticipation of use. As will be seen from the ensuing discussion, these objectives are sornewhat antagonistic in the sense that attainment o one has heretofore ordinarily necessitated compromising one or more other desirable feature.
The art has ofEered two basic types of ~eminine protection device with those objectives borne in mind sanitary napkins or pads have been developed for external wear about ~he vulvar region o a ~ser while tampons have been deveLoped Eor residence within the vaginal cavity and interruption of menstrual flow therefrom. Each offers distinct advantages and, as one would expect, distinct or peculiar disadvantages, ~2~
which range from psychological impediments and/or concerns to physical discomfiture.
Looking to tampons as such an alternative to sanitary napkins, the same are preferred by a substan-tial number of women. Offering the ability tointercept menses within the vaginal canal, the disadvantages inhering in sanitary napkins in respect of covers and attachment means are overcome by this approach. That is not to say, howevér, that tampons afford a superior means of feminine protection for all users. For example, there are many individuals who, for either physical or psychological reasons, are unable to utilize tampons as an effective means of feminine protection. Tampons themselves may be found lacking in terms of construction inasmuch as efficacy relies significantly on the ability of the same to undergo radial expansion upon fluid swelling in order to form a seal or zone of occlusion wlthin the vaginal canal. Failure to do so implles overall failure of the tampon to serve as a reliable protection device.
While there are essentially three types of tampons, plunger, stick and digital, the most prefer-able type of tampon in the United States is the plunger type. The tubes for the plunger type are either of the disposable or non-disposable variety.
During the past several decades, increasing emphasis has been placed upon the ease of disposabilit~ of consumer goods after the goods have performed thelr intended purpose. A paper tampon tube, to be e~sily disposable must be formed with an adhesive readily soluble in cold water and preferably constructed so that delamination of the tube occurs in a short period of time.
Plunger-type tampons are c~enerally formed in two parts with an outer tube having an inner diameter slightly gre~ter than the outer diameter of the tampon pledget inserted therein. The second part of a tampon inserter means is some type of plunger which operates in cooperation with the tube to expel the pledget. The tubes are generally rnade of paper products such as cardboard or thermoplastic. Further, thermoplastic tubes generally have an insertion end which forms a hemispherical profile around the leading edge of the tampon to protect it and maintain its integrity during insertion. Commercially available tampons utilizing cardboard tubes, however, generally do not have this type of closure, but rather the leading edge of the tampon extends beyond the tube end. Both thermoplastic and paper derived tubes can be made with a reduced diameter base which can be used for gripping or to better maintain the plunger used for expulsion, or for both purposes.
The ideal tampon tube should be ine~pensive, simple to make, easily disposable, attractive and hygienic. Both molded plastic and paper inserter tubes have not been completely satisfactory in meeting these desirable attributes. There are no commerciall~y available tubes molded from thermoplastics that are water disposable or flushable. Furthermore, the relative cost of thermoplastic is substantially greater than tubes which are made from paper or paper products. In ac]c1ition, thermoplastic mol~ed tubes having a hemispherical shaped leading eclge comprising individual arcuate shaped lobes are extremely difficult to mold without providing lobes having sharp edges or flashing9 i.e. irregularly shaped burrs of plastic. Such tubes could provide problems when being withdrawn from the vagina. Paper tubes, on the other hand, also have problems. Commercially ava-ilable cardboard tubes for -tampons are generally spirally wound and open at the leading edge which may result in a fiber slough when the tampon is inserted. Such tubes generally have a relat;vely low beam streng-th, that ;s, a low resistance to a radial collapsing of the tube. One example of such spirally wound paper tubes can be found in U.S. Patent No. 3,76~,438, issued October 9, 1973. After the outer tube is formed, the end through which the tampon is ejected may be shaped to have a tapered portion of smaller diameter than the diameter of the tampon. Such tapered portion has a generally round termination with corruga-tions on slits to form flexible petal portions through which the tampon can be forcibly ejected by the inner telescoping tube. The adhesive for holding the spiral layers together may be water soluble so that the paper t-ubes may be thrown into a toilet and flushed into the drain pipe. The water soluble adhesive causes delamination of the spiral layers so that the rigid tube structure is quickly softened. The paper is of a type chosen to disintegrate in water. Spirally wound tubes have a relatively low beam strength.
Recent advances in the making of paper tubes by con-volutely winding the tubes for greater beam strength are disclosed in applicant's Canadian Patent No. 1,217,602, issued February 2, 1987, to Howard A. Whitehead, and ent;tled "Convolutely Wound Paper Tampon Tube."
Heretofore, cardboard tampon tubes made from multiple plies of paper have had the same number of pl;es for both the inner and outer tubes. The outer tube generally requires greater strength and r;gidity .L~
~32~
than the inner tube. Accordingly, when the inner tube has the same number of plies as the outer tube an unnecessary expense is involved.
An object oE the invention is to provide a more cost effective tampon applicator by using only a necessary thickness of paper in the inner and outer tubes to give desired strength and rigidity.
According to the present invention there is provided a tampon applicator which includes a larger diame-ter outer tube adapted to confine a tampon pledget and a smaller diameter inner plunger tube partially telescoped therein and adapted to eject the pledget from the larger diameter tube.
~he smaller tube has a wall thickness greater than the wall thickness of the larger tube, and the smaller inner tube is provided with at least one longitudinal slit.
In a specific embodiment of the invention, the tubes are convolu-tely wound paper tubes.
The number of plies in the outer tube may be reduced so that the smaller tube may ha~e a wall thickness of four plies and the greater diameter tube has a wall thickness of three plies.
Additional features and advantages of the details of construction of the tampon applicators will become more apparent as the invention is more fully hereinafter described and claimed.
RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the teles-coping inner and outer tubes;
Fig. 2 shows an enlargement of a portion of the longitudinal cross section oE Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view Oe a tampon applicator according to the present invention;
Fig. ~a is a perspective view of the inner tube of Fig. 3;
Fig. 4b is a partial perspective view of the outer tube oE Fig. 3; and Fig~ 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the longitudinal cross section of Figure 3.
Fig. 1 shows a tampon applicator having an outer tube 1 or holding a tampon. A petal proEile on the tip end 4 restrains the tampon in the tube, but yields to allow the tampon to pass therethrough when pushed by the inner teles-coping tube 2. Tubes 1 and 2, preferably, are formed Eromconvolutely wound paper blanks and have a multiple ply thickness. However, it will be appreciated that the tubes may be Eormed in any suitable manner, i.e., spirally wound, and that any suitable material may be used. The paper blanks have a thickness of appro~imately .003 inch. The plies of the tube are held together by a suitable adhesive, preferably a water soluble heat activatable adhesive.
The outer tube 1 requires greater strength than the inner pusher tube 2 in order to maintain the shape of the petal profile on end 4 and to prevent crushing or distorting oE the finger holding section which would increase the force necessary for expulsion of the tampon.
To give the outer tube greater s-trength an extra ply of paper is added as shown in Fig. 2, wherein outer tube 1 is shown with four plies 3 resulting in a tube wall thickness o~ approximately .012 inch, and inner tube 2 is formed with three plies resulting in a tube wall thickness of approximately .009 inch.
When using a compact applicator oE the type shown in Figs. 3, 4a, ~b and 5, however, the inner tube requires a thicker wall in accordance with the present in~ention. The inner tube 11 has two longitudinal slits 12 and 13. Slit 12 stops short oE the ends oE the tube and is spaced Erom the ends oE the tube by portions 15. Slit 13 stops short oE the inner end of tube 11 by a portion 15 but extends to the outer end of the tube as shown in Fig. 4a. Outer tube 10 is provided with a projection 14 on its inner surface as shown in Fig. 4b. Projection 14 may be formed or attached in any suitable manner, i.e. a punched portion of the tube wall or an adhesively secured portion. Projection 1~ interlocks with one of the longitudinal slits to prevent removal oE the inner tube from the outer tuhe. Because the inner tube is slit and has circumferential integrity only through portions 15r a thicker, stronger tube wall is required. As shown in Fig. 5, the inner tube has Eour plies while the outer tube has three.
Alternatively, there may be used a 4-ply outer tube having a .012 inch wall thickness in conjunction with a 5-ply inner tube having a .015 inch wall thickness.
In a preferred embodiment, the surfaces of the paper blanks forming the interior of the wound coils of the tubes are coated with a water soluble, heat activatable adhesive. The surfaces of the blanks forming -the exterior of the tubes are coated with a thin water soluble thermoplastic such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl acetate and hydroxypropyl cellulose to which a high percentage of a suitable clay is mixed to give a smooth slick exterior for ease of insertion and retraction by a consumer. The water soluble heat activatable adhesive may be of any suitable type, but is preferably a composition including polyethyloxazoline, A compatible water dispersible adhesive and an antiblocking agent to prevent premature adhesion. Such composition is more fully described in U.S.
Patent No. ~,522,967.
The number of plies of the forrned tube depends on the thickness and strength of the paper used. PreEerably, the tubes are formed fro~n paper having a short-fiber, high-ground wood content and a weight of 36-50 lbs. per 1,000 s~uare feet.
1~
.
~,t~
Although particular tube structures have been described to illustrate various manners in which tampon applicators can be fabricated and utilized, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to such particular illustrations and descrip-J
it~?
~ 2~ t-J
tions. Accordingly, any and all modifications and equivalent arangements for such devices falling within the scope of the following claims should be considered to be part of the present invention.
TECH~ICAL FIELD
The present invention relates, generally, to the field of catamenial tampons for personal feminine care or protection in order to absorb or otherwise contain menstrual fluids or similar exudate. The present invention relates more particularly to paper tubes particularly useful for the insertion of a tampon. Of special concern is a more economical construction of a plunger type tampon.
DESCRIPTION OF T~E BACKGROUND ART
All manner and variety of devices or appliances configured for the absorption of such body fluids as menses are of course well known. As a class, these articles ought to possess certain necessary attributes of absorbency, comfort and psychological as well as physiological or physical protection. Desirably, these devices also are characterized as being discreet both during wear and when carried upon the wearer's person in anticipation of use. As will be seen from the ensuing discussion, these objectives are sornewhat antagonistic in the sense that attainment o one has heretofore ordinarily necessitated compromising one or more other desirable feature.
The art has ofEered two basic types of ~eminine protection device with those objectives borne in mind sanitary napkins or pads have been developed for external wear about ~he vulvar region o a ~ser while tampons have been deveLoped Eor residence within the vaginal cavity and interruption of menstrual flow therefrom. Each offers distinct advantages and, as one would expect, distinct or peculiar disadvantages, ~2~
which range from psychological impediments and/or concerns to physical discomfiture.
Looking to tampons as such an alternative to sanitary napkins, the same are preferred by a substan-tial number of women. Offering the ability tointercept menses within the vaginal canal, the disadvantages inhering in sanitary napkins in respect of covers and attachment means are overcome by this approach. That is not to say, howevér, that tampons afford a superior means of feminine protection for all users. For example, there are many individuals who, for either physical or psychological reasons, are unable to utilize tampons as an effective means of feminine protection. Tampons themselves may be found lacking in terms of construction inasmuch as efficacy relies significantly on the ability of the same to undergo radial expansion upon fluid swelling in order to form a seal or zone of occlusion wlthin the vaginal canal. Failure to do so implles overall failure of the tampon to serve as a reliable protection device.
While there are essentially three types of tampons, plunger, stick and digital, the most prefer-able type of tampon in the United States is the plunger type. The tubes for the plunger type are either of the disposable or non-disposable variety.
During the past several decades, increasing emphasis has been placed upon the ease of disposabilit~ of consumer goods after the goods have performed thelr intended purpose. A paper tampon tube, to be e~sily disposable must be formed with an adhesive readily soluble in cold water and preferably constructed so that delamination of the tube occurs in a short period of time.
Plunger-type tampons are c~enerally formed in two parts with an outer tube having an inner diameter slightly gre~ter than the outer diameter of the tampon pledget inserted therein. The second part of a tampon inserter means is some type of plunger which operates in cooperation with the tube to expel the pledget. The tubes are generally rnade of paper products such as cardboard or thermoplastic. Further, thermoplastic tubes generally have an insertion end which forms a hemispherical profile around the leading edge of the tampon to protect it and maintain its integrity during insertion. Commercially available tampons utilizing cardboard tubes, however, generally do not have this type of closure, but rather the leading edge of the tampon extends beyond the tube end. Both thermoplastic and paper derived tubes can be made with a reduced diameter base which can be used for gripping or to better maintain the plunger used for expulsion, or for both purposes.
The ideal tampon tube should be ine~pensive, simple to make, easily disposable, attractive and hygienic. Both molded plastic and paper inserter tubes have not been completely satisfactory in meeting these desirable attributes. There are no commerciall~y available tubes molded from thermoplastics that are water disposable or flushable. Furthermore, the relative cost of thermoplastic is substantially greater than tubes which are made from paper or paper products. In ac]c1ition, thermoplastic mol~ed tubes having a hemispherical shaped leading eclge comprising individual arcuate shaped lobes are extremely difficult to mold without providing lobes having sharp edges or flashing9 i.e. irregularly shaped burrs of plastic. Such tubes could provide problems when being withdrawn from the vagina. Paper tubes, on the other hand, also have problems. Commercially ava-ilable cardboard tubes for -tampons are generally spirally wound and open at the leading edge which may result in a fiber slough when the tampon is inserted. Such tubes generally have a relat;vely low beam streng-th, that ;s, a low resistance to a radial collapsing of the tube. One example of such spirally wound paper tubes can be found in U.S. Patent No. 3,76~,438, issued October 9, 1973. After the outer tube is formed, the end through which the tampon is ejected may be shaped to have a tapered portion of smaller diameter than the diameter of the tampon. Such tapered portion has a generally round termination with corruga-tions on slits to form flexible petal portions through which the tampon can be forcibly ejected by the inner telescoping tube. The adhesive for holding the spiral layers together may be water soluble so that the paper t-ubes may be thrown into a toilet and flushed into the drain pipe. The water soluble adhesive causes delamination of the spiral layers so that the rigid tube structure is quickly softened. The paper is of a type chosen to disintegrate in water. Spirally wound tubes have a relatively low beam strength.
Recent advances in the making of paper tubes by con-volutely winding the tubes for greater beam strength are disclosed in applicant's Canadian Patent No. 1,217,602, issued February 2, 1987, to Howard A. Whitehead, and ent;tled "Convolutely Wound Paper Tampon Tube."
Heretofore, cardboard tampon tubes made from multiple plies of paper have had the same number of pl;es for both the inner and outer tubes. The outer tube generally requires greater strength and r;gidity .L~
~32~
than the inner tube. Accordingly, when the inner tube has the same number of plies as the outer tube an unnecessary expense is involved.
An object oE the invention is to provide a more cost effective tampon applicator by using only a necessary thickness of paper in the inner and outer tubes to give desired strength and rigidity.
According to the present invention there is provided a tampon applicator which includes a larger diame-ter outer tube adapted to confine a tampon pledget and a smaller diameter inner plunger tube partially telescoped therein and adapted to eject the pledget from the larger diameter tube.
~he smaller tube has a wall thickness greater than the wall thickness of the larger tube, and the smaller inner tube is provided with at least one longitudinal slit.
In a specific embodiment of the invention, the tubes are convolu-tely wound paper tubes.
The number of plies in the outer tube may be reduced so that the smaller tube may ha~e a wall thickness of four plies and the greater diameter tube has a wall thickness of three plies.
Additional features and advantages of the details of construction of the tampon applicators will become more apparent as the invention is more fully hereinafter described and claimed.
RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the teles-coping inner and outer tubes;
Fig. 2 shows an enlargement of a portion of the longitudinal cross section oE Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view Oe a tampon applicator according to the present invention;
Fig. ~a is a perspective view of the inner tube of Fig. 3;
Fig. 4b is a partial perspective view of the outer tube oE Fig. 3; and Fig~ 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the longitudinal cross section of Figure 3.
Fig. 1 shows a tampon applicator having an outer tube 1 or holding a tampon. A petal proEile on the tip end 4 restrains the tampon in the tube, but yields to allow the tampon to pass therethrough when pushed by the inner teles-coping tube 2. Tubes 1 and 2, preferably, are formed Eromconvolutely wound paper blanks and have a multiple ply thickness. However, it will be appreciated that the tubes may be Eormed in any suitable manner, i.e., spirally wound, and that any suitable material may be used. The paper blanks have a thickness of appro~imately .003 inch. The plies of the tube are held together by a suitable adhesive, preferably a water soluble heat activatable adhesive.
The outer tube 1 requires greater strength than the inner pusher tube 2 in order to maintain the shape of the petal profile on end 4 and to prevent crushing or distorting oE the finger holding section which would increase the force necessary for expulsion of the tampon.
To give the outer tube greater s-trength an extra ply of paper is added as shown in Fig. 2, wherein outer tube 1 is shown with four plies 3 resulting in a tube wall thickness o~ approximately .012 inch, and inner tube 2 is formed with three plies resulting in a tube wall thickness of approximately .009 inch.
When using a compact applicator oE the type shown in Figs. 3, 4a, ~b and 5, however, the inner tube requires a thicker wall in accordance with the present in~ention. The inner tube 11 has two longitudinal slits 12 and 13. Slit 12 stops short oE the ends oE the tube and is spaced Erom the ends oE the tube by portions 15. Slit 13 stops short oE the inner end of tube 11 by a portion 15 but extends to the outer end of the tube as shown in Fig. 4a. Outer tube 10 is provided with a projection 14 on its inner surface as shown in Fig. 4b. Projection 14 may be formed or attached in any suitable manner, i.e. a punched portion of the tube wall or an adhesively secured portion. Projection 1~ interlocks with one of the longitudinal slits to prevent removal oE the inner tube from the outer tuhe. Because the inner tube is slit and has circumferential integrity only through portions 15r a thicker, stronger tube wall is required. As shown in Fig. 5, the inner tube has Eour plies while the outer tube has three.
Alternatively, there may be used a 4-ply outer tube having a .012 inch wall thickness in conjunction with a 5-ply inner tube having a .015 inch wall thickness.
In a preferred embodiment, the surfaces of the paper blanks forming the interior of the wound coils of the tubes are coated with a water soluble, heat activatable adhesive. The surfaces of the blanks forming -the exterior of the tubes are coated with a thin water soluble thermoplastic such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl acetate and hydroxypropyl cellulose to which a high percentage of a suitable clay is mixed to give a smooth slick exterior for ease of insertion and retraction by a consumer. The water soluble heat activatable adhesive may be of any suitable type, but is preferably a composition including polyethyloxazoline, A compatible water dispersible adhesive and an antiblocking agent to prevent premature adhesion. Such composition is more fully described in U.S.
Patent No. ~,522,967.
The number of plies of the forrned tube depends on the thickness and strength of the paper used. PreEerably, the tubes are formed fro~n paper having a short-fiber, high-ground wood content and a weight of 36-50 lbs. per 1,000 s~uare feet.
1~
.
~,t~
Although particular tube structures have been described to illustrate various manners in which tampon applicators can be fabricated and utilized, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to such particular illustrations and descrip-J
it~?
~ 2~ t-J
tions. Accordingly, any and all modifications and equivalent arangements for such devices falling within the scope of the following claims should be considered to be part of the present invention.
Claims (4)
1. A tampon applicator comprising a larger diameter outer tube adapted to confine a tampon pledget, a smaller diameter inner plunger tube partially telescoped therein and adapted to eject said pledget from said larger diameter tube, said smaller tube having a wall thickness greater than the wall thickness of said larger tube, and said smaller inner tube is provided with at least one longitudinal slit.
2. The tampon applicator of claim 1, wherein said tubes are convolutely wound paper tubes.
3. The tampon applicator of claim 1, wherein said greater diameter tube is provided with a projection on its inner surface to interlock with said at least one longitudinal slit of said smaller diameter tube.
4. The tampon applicator of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said smaller diameter tube has a wall thickness of four plies and said greater diameter tube has a wall thickness of three plies.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US06/789,674 US4650459A (en) | 1985-10-21 | 1985-10-21 | Convolutely wound paper tampon tube |
| US789,674 | 1985-10-21 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1282907C true CA1282907C (en) | 1991-04-16 |
Family
ID=25148352
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000519413A Expired - Lifetime CA1282907C (en) | 1985-10-21 | 1986-09-30 | Convolutely wound paper tampon tube having an inner tube with at least one longitudinal slit formed therein |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4650459A (en) |
| EP (1) | EP0221424A1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU605748B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1282907C (en) |
| MX (1) | MX166262B (en) |
Families Citing this family (45)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4872933A (en) * | 1987-03-30 | 1989-10-10 | Kimberly-Clark Corporation | Method of forming rapidly disintegrating paper tubes |
| US4792326A (en) * | 1987-03-30 | 1988-12-20 | Kimberly-Clark Corporation | Rapidly disintegrating paper tubes |
| US4900299A (en) * | 1987-05-11 | 1990-02-13 | Mcneil-Ppc, Inc. | Biodegradable tampon application comprising poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) |
| US4891042A (en) * | 1988-05-06 | 1990-01-02 | Playtex Family Products, Inc. | Portable tampon applicator |
| AU3667889A (en) * | 1988-06-30 | 1990-01-04 | Tambrands Limited | Improvements in 2-piece tampon applicators |
| AU673812B2 (en) * | 1992-01-13 | 1996-11-28 | Tambrands, Inc. | Tampon applicator |
| US5290501A (en) * | 1992-05-20 | 1994-03-01 | Playtex Family Products Corporation | Method of forming cardboard tampon applicators having a dome-shaped forward tip |
| CA2095393C (en) * | 1992-05-20 | 1997-12-30 | Jamshid Rejai | Tampon applicator and method for forming same |
| AU677612B2 (en) * | 1992-12-31 | 1997-05-01 | Mcneil-Ppc, Inc. | Environmentally friendly catamenial tampon assembly and method of construction |
| AU716286B2 (en) * | 1992-12-31 | 2000-02-24 | Mcneil-Ppc, Inc. | Environmentally friendly catamenial tampon assembly and method of construction |
| US5320639A (en) * | 1993-03-12 | 1994-06-14 | Meadox Medicals, Inc. | Vascular plug delivery system |
| US5364383A (en) * | 1993-03-26 | 1994-11-15 | Tambrands, Inc. | Tampon |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR925290A (en) * | 1946-04-06 | 1947-08-29 | Int Cellucotton Products | Improvements to menstrual pads and the like |
| US3015332A (en) * | 1957-02-25 | 1962-01-02 | Personal Products Corp | Applicator |
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| GB1049894A (en) * | 1963-05-16 | 1966-11-30 | Robinson & Sons Ltd | Tampon applicators |
| US3347234A (en) * | 1964-08-05 | 1967-10-17 | Joseph A Voss | Hygienic devices |
| US3433225A (en) * | 1965-12-22 | 1969-03-18 | Joseph A Voss | Hygienic devices and methods of making the same |
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| US3696812A (en) * | 1970-08-13 | 1972-10-10 | Tampax Inc | Tampon applicator |
| FR2255879A1 (en) * | 1973-12-26 | 1975-07-25 | Fabre Sa Pierre | Administration device for vaginal treatment - for injecting therapeutic agent and absorbent plug |
| US4508531A (en) * | 1982-12-06 | 1985-04-02 | Kimberly-Clark Corporation | Convolutely wound paper tampon tube |
| US4536178A (en) * | 1983-11-10 | 1985-08-20 | International Playtex, Inc. | Tampon applicator |
-
1985
- 1985-10-21 US US06/789,674 patent/US4650459A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1986
- 1986-09-30 CA CA000519413A patent/CA1282907C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1986-10-17 MX MX004073A patent/MX166262B/en unknown
- 1986-10-17 EP EP86114428A patent/EP0221424A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1986-10-21 AU AU64235/86A patent/AU605748B2/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| EP0221424A1 (en) | 1987-05-13 |
| AU605748B2 (en) | 1991-01-24 |
| US4650459A (en) | 1987-03-17 |
| AU6423586A (en) | 1987-04-30 |
| MX166262B (en) | 1992-12-28 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKLA | Lapsed | ||
| MKEC | Expiry (correction) |
Effective date: 20121205 |