Surgery – Means for inserting fibrous or foraminous resident packing,... – With slidable ejector inside tubular inserting means
Patent
1994-06-29
1996-09-10
Green, Randall L.
Surgery
Means for inserting fibrous or foraminous resident packing,...
With slidable ejector inside tubular inserting means
604904, A61F 1320
Patent
active
055541089
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a National Phase Filing of PCT/GB92/01980, filed Oct. 29, 1992, based on priority document GB 9123524.2, filed Nov. 6, 1991.
The present invention relates to sanitary tampons which comprise an applicator for placing a tampon in position within the body of a user of the tampon.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to provide applicators in which an outer tube for storing a tampon therein has a distal discharge end for insertion into the body and the tampon is ejected by slidably moving an inner tube within the outer tube.
In order to provide less bulky applicators, a number of arrangements have been proposed in which the inner tube is initially received telescopically within the outer tube and must be partially withdrawn before the dispensing operation. Such an arrangement is known as a "compact applicator". However, it has been found in compact applicators that once the inner tube has been partially withdrawn and the applicator is primed for use, the inner tube will often pass back between the tampon and the inner surface of the outer tube when the user pushes the inner tube inwards to discharge the tampon into the body. When this occurs, the inner tube will simply relocate itself between the tampon and the outer tube without discharging the tampon--this effect is often referred to as "re-tubing".
In International patent application No. PCT/GB 90/01651 (WO 91/06272), the applicants proposed a tampon applicator which aimed to overcome the problem of "re-tubing". However, this applicator made use of a complex slot and protruding tab arrangement between the inner and outer tubes. In order to manufacture the applicator, complicated tooling is required and the fact that the inner tube has to be placed in a specific orientation within the outer tube makes automated assembly difficult. A further characteristic of this applicator is that if the user tries to discharge the tampon from the outer tube without first partially withdrawing the inner tube to prime the applicator for use, the inner tube can be freed from the outer tube by disengaging the tab which is intended to lock the inner and outer tubes together. If the inner tube is then partially withdrawn from the outer tube, there is no means to prevent complete withdrawal. These problems can be inconvenient. Therefore, successful operation relies heavily on the use of reading and understanding the instructions provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,805 also describes tampon applicators which are intended to overcome the problem of "re-tubing". The applicators are made from a deformable/flexible material such as a thermoforming plastic to ensure that the product functions correctly. Accordingly, the plastic applicators do not provide environmentally friendly and convenience of disposal advantages such as biodegradability and flushability. Further disadvantages associated with the plastic applicator are that the costs of moulding equipment are very high resulting in a higher unit cost for the applicator.
The present invention, therefore, seeks to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art applicators by providing a simpler, user friendly product which is still able to overcome the typical problems encountered by users.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a sanitary tampon comprising a compact applicator and a tampon of compressed absorbent material stored within the applicator, the applicator having an inner tube and an outer tube slidably disposed over the inner tube, the outer tube having a distal discharge end for insertion into the body of the user wherein the tampon is solid and substantially cylindrical in shape, characterised in that the tampon is constructed such that at least a part of the body of the tampon adjacent the proximal end always sits at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the applicator so that when the inner tube is withdrawn past the proximal end of the tampon to prime the applicator for use, the proximal end of the tampon will urge its
REFERENCES:
patent: 2854978 (1958-10-01), Millman et al.
patent: 3791385 (1974-02-01), Davis et al.
patent: 4286595 (1981-09-01), Ring
Browning John H. D.
Hayes Harry
Wynne Robert I.
Green Randall L.
Ruhl Dennis
Tambrands Inc.
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