Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-15
2001-02-06
Ruhl, Dennis (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S904000, C206S210000, C206S361000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183457
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tampon, especially for female hygiene, comprised of a substantially cylindrical base body with a leading end in the direction of insertion that is rounded or conical as well as a rearward end with an end face from which protrudes a portion of a string or band that with part of its length is fastened within the base body. The base body and the string are enclosed by a protective sleeve which is to be removed before using the tampon. The invention furthermore relates to a method for packaging the tampon.
Known tampons are comprised of a fiber fleece material which is brought into the desired afore-disclosed shape by suitable pressing tools. The known tampons differ primarily with respect to their shape, holding capability, and their absorption rate. The latter is determined by the absorption speed as well as the fluid receiving capacity of the tampon. A uniform and high liquid absorption capacity depends on the effective surface of the tampon. In order not to affect the absorption capacity of the tampon after manufacture by storing and transporting, it is conventional to provide a protective sleeve that is usually made of cellophane.
The known tampons of the aforementioned type have the disadvantage that the string for pulling out the tampon is pressed into the fiber structure of the tampon during the step of enclosing the tampon with the substantially air and moisture-tight protective sleeve. Since a tampon is conventionally used with extended string, it is necessary to remove the string before use from its position pressed into the fiber structure. This not only entails the risk of damaging the fiber structure, for example, by fingernails, thus causing a detrimental effect on the absorption capacity of the tampon, but also is undesirable with respect to hygienic aspects.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tampon with improved handling properties and also a method for packaging such tampon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, the main string portion of the string that is guided out of the base body is arranged completely in the area of the end face when the tampon is enclosed by the protective sleeve, whereby an end portion of the string resting at the end portion of the protective sleeve at the end face of the tampon is materially connected to the protective sleeve.
The term materially connected refers to bonding or fusing or welding two materials to one another so that the two materials are intimately and inseparably bonded.
In a tampon embodied accordingly, it is no longer required to grip the string directly in order to extend it for use. This is so because the main string portion extending from the base body is removed and stretched upon removing of the end portion of the protective sleeve that covers the rearward end face. This is possible because the string portion exterior to the base body is positioned only within the area of the rearward end face while the protective sleeve is still enclosing the tampon and is only placed at the end face of the tampon in a lose attachment for temporarily securing the string thereat. Upon removal of the end portion of the protective sleeve from the rearward end face, the main portion of the string projecting from the base body is then removed forcibly from the tampon because the end portion of the main string portion is materially connected to the protective sleeve. The string is thus stretched and extended whereby, only upon surpassing a certain pulling force, the material connection between the string and the protective sleeve will rupture. A complicated and difficult removal of the string by fingernails is thus no longer required so that the inventive tampon has improved handling properties.
Accordingly, gripping the string, as is known from the prior art tampons, is no longer necessary so that, in addition, the risk of damage to the surface of the tampon, especially removal of portions of the fiber composite, for example, by fingernails is avoided. In this manner, a potentially damaging deposit of fiber composite material, removed from the tampon, within the body orifice after use is thus reliably prevented.
In order to provide for a simple and reliable material connection of the end portion of the main string portion and the end portion of the protective sleeve covering the rearward end face, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention it is suggested that the end portion of the protective sleeve covering the rearward end face is connected by thermal fusing to the end portion of the string resting thereat. According to a further feature of the invention a tear tab is provided for the removal of the protective sleeve. It is preferably positioned about the circumference of the tampon approximately at half the length of the tampon. This has the advantage that, after tearing open the protective sleeve by the tear tab, the protective sleeve is thus divided into two substantially sleeve-shaped portions whereby one of these sleeve portions covers the leading end and the other of these sleeve portions covers the opposed rearward end of the tampon. By actually pulling apart these two portions, whereby at the same time the main string portion connected to the rearward end face of the tampon is also stretched, the protective sleeve can thus be easily removed from the tampon without the risk of damaging it.
Inventively, the method for packaging a tampon as disclosed above is characterized by the method steps of:
a) loosely attaching the main string portion of the string extending from the cylindrical base body of the tampon in the area of the rearward end face at the tampon for temporarily securing the position of the string;
b) completely enclosing the tampon, including the loosely attached string, by a protective sleeve;
c) materially connecting the end portion of the protective sleeve at the rearward end face of the tampon to the end portion of the string resting thereat.
With such a method the inventive tampon can be manufactured. This is so because the end portion of the main string portion extending from the tampon is loosely attached (temporarily secured) in the area of the rearward end face for securing the string thereat and, subsequently, the end portion of the protective sleeve covering the rearward end face of the tampon is materially connected to the end portion of the main string portion. In this manner, upon removal of the protective sleeve, the main string portion of the string extending from the base body is simultaneously stretched and extended and removed from the end face of the tampon.
It is especially advantageous when the end portion of the protective sleeve covering the rearward end face of the tampon is connected by thermal fusing to the end portion of the string resting at the end face, whereby the required heat energy is provided by a heat source positioned opposite the rearward end face. This ensures a safe attachment of the end portion of the string to the protective sleeve during removal of the protective sleeve, especially to such an extent that the string will be completely extended and only thereafter, when a certain pulling load is exerted, will be separated from the protective sleeve. This arrangement of the heat source allows for a pointed thermal fusing without affecting other portions of the protective sleeve. A further advantage is that the fusing of the protective sleeve and the string also closes off or seals the protective sleeve substantially air and moisture tight at the rearward end.
With respect to an advantageous method, it is furthermore suggested that the effective exposure time of the heat source is 0.2 s to 1.5 s at a temperature of the employed heating element between 80° C. and 250° C.
In order to provide for a simple manipulation of the tampon, it is furthermore suggested to provide the protective sleeve with a tear tab.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3863636 (1975-02-01), Johnson
patent: 4648867 (1987-03-01), Conner et al.
patent: 4743237 (1988-05-01), Sweere
patent: 4
Robert W. Becker & Associates
Ruggli Projects AG
Ruhl Dennis
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