Surgery – Male reproductory tract shields or birth control devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-21
2001-10-30
Brown, Michael A. (Department: 3764)
Surgery
Male reproductory tract shields or birth control devices
C128S844000, C128S918000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308708
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to prophylactic devices used both for birth control and prevention of sexually transmitted disease, and more particularly to a condom with a textured surface for enhanced tactile stimulation of both the female and male partners.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Condoms in the form of a sheath, are worn over the penis to help prevent pregnancy and/or transmission of sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia infections, genital herpes and AIDS, for example, during sexual intercourse. Condoms are typically composed of thin barrier membranes of latex or similar elastomeric materials for optimizing sensitivity, tactile sensation and heat transference during intercourse. Recognizing the material and thinness that condoms typically comprise, the risk of a break or tear in a condom during sexual intercourse is always a significant concern in condom design and manufacturing.
Generally, condoms are made by a dipping process, whereby an appropriately dimensioned mold or mandrel is dipped into a latex rubber emulsion, for example, formulated with various curing (vulcanizing) agents and accelerators. The mandrel, coated with the latex rubber emulsion, is withdrawn and subjected to elevated temperatures for drying and curing of the latex rubber to achieve the desired physical properties. The cured condom is then stripped from the mandrel and rolled into a toroidal configuration for packaging. The condom is donned by unrolling it down the shaft of the penis.
It is known in the art to include cross ribs or other projections along internal or external surfaces of a condom for the purpose of stimulating the male and female during sexual intercourse. The textured surface of such condoms provides increased frictional and tactual kinetics for enhancing tactile sensation and stimulation. Typically, the ribs or projections are integrally formed on a surface of the condom resulting from the use of grooves or notches etched in the surface of the mandrel during the dipping process. The design of the ribs or projections ranges from interrupted rings canted with respect to the radial plane to helical patterns of various ribbed arrangements.
A problem to be overcome in designing and manufacturing ribbed/textured condoms is to avoid breakage or tearing during use. The problem is linked to the configuration of the grooves or notches for forming the ribs or projections in the mandrel during the dipping step previously described. When a smooth mandrel is withdrawn from the latex rubber emulsion, the uncured liquid latex rubber flows downward for ideally forming a uniform coating or layer. However, as the uncured latex rubber readily flows along the surface of a notched mandrel, the grooves or notches in the mandrels interfere with the uniform flow causing potential backfill problems which can result in the formation of undesirable weak spots in the condom and nonuniformity in wall thickness.
It would therefore be a significant advance in the art of condoms to develop a textured condom which provides enhanced tactile sensation to both the male and female partner while avoiding the weak spots and the resulting failures that can be associated with prior art ribbed/textured condoms. An additional benefit of the condoms of the present invention is that these condoms are capable of being fabricated in a cost efficient and effective manner, using known conventional methods of condom production. This enables manufacturing facilities to produce the improved condoms with minimal retooling and/or changes to existing equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally directed to a condom comprised of a continuous elastic tubular wall with a closed distal end and an open proximal end and a plurality of ribbing projections integrally formed on a surface of and extending along an area of the wall between the distal and the proximal end, the projections each having sidewalls extending a height from the outside surface.
In particular, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a condom which comprises:
a continuous elastic tubular wall including a closed distal end and an open proximal end; and
a plurality of intersecting ribbing projections integrally formed on a surface of and extending along at least a portion of the area of the wall from the distal to the proximal end, said projections each having sidewalls extending a height from the surface.
In another aspect of the present invention, the condom comprises:
a continuous elastic tubular wall including a closed end and an opposing open end; and
a plurality of intersecting spiral ribbing extending along two different directional planes for forming an interlocking closed micromesh pattern on a surface of said condom, said pattern extending along at least a portion of the area on a surface of said wall between the closed and open ends of said condom.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 246117 (1977-10-01), Okamoto
patent: D. 246118 (1977-10-01), Okamoto
patent: D. 246119 (1977-10-01), Okamoto
patent: D. 252949 (1979-09-01), Okamoto
patent: 2586674 (1952-02-01), Lonne
patent: 4798600 (1989-01-01), Meadows
patent: 4852586 (1989-08-01), Haines
patent: 4881553 (1989-11-01), Grossman
patent: 5109871 (1992-05-01), Thornton
patent: 5176152 (1993-01-01), Wheeler
patent: 5592950 (1997-01-01), Kopelowicz
Burns Jim D.
Harrison Michael J.
Kline Richard D.
Strauss Steven R.
Brown Michael A.
Carter-Wallace Inc.
Watov Kenneth
Watov & Kipnes P.C.
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