US5087239A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tampon applicator
Assignee: Tambrands Ltd
•
Filing: 1990-12-21
•
Granted: 1992-02-11
•
Expires: 2010-12-21
Abstract
Abstract The ease of vaginal insertion experienced with round-edged petal-format tampon applicators can be achieved without the user comfort problems experienced in existing such application by a tampon applicator which has an expulsion end portion of unique structure. Thus, the invention provides an elongate hollow tampon holder shaped for vaginal insertion and having a tampon expulsion end portion and a plunger mounted in the holder and adapted to expel a tampon through the expulsion end portion from the holder interior. The expulsion end portion comprises a dome-shaped portion having an appreciable substantially central aperture therein and comprising a plurality of contiguous segments defined by a plurality of radial slits extending from said aperture through said dome-shaped portion to the base of the dome but no farther. In some embodiments, the expulsion end portion comprises a weakened region around the periphery of the tampon holder functioning as a preformed hinge.
Inventors
- 👤 Alan L. Beastall
- 👤 Malcolm G. Guest
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:00
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/20; A61F13/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A tampon applicator comprising an elongate hollow tampon holder shaped for vaginal insertion and having a tampon expulsion end portion and a plunger mounted in the holder and adapted to expel a tampon through the expulsion end portion from the holder interior, the expulsion end portion comprising a dome-shaped portion, having an appreciable substantially central aperture therein and comprising a plurality of substantially smooth contiguous segments defined by a plurality of radial slits extending from said aperture through said dome-shaped portion to the base of said dome-shaped portion but not beyond, the tampon holder further comprising a weakened region around its periphery positioned at the base of said dome-shaped portion, said weakened region comprising a continuous or discontinuous groove, slots or perforations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
122 words
A tampon applicator comprising an elongate hollow tampon holder shaped for vaginal insertion and having a tampon expulsion end portion and a plunger mounted in the holder and adapted to expel a tampon through the expulsion end portion from the holder interior, the expulsion end portion comprising a dome-shaped portion, having an appreciable substantially central aperture therein and comprising a plurality of substantially smooth contiguous segments defined by a plurality of radial slits extending from said aperture through said dome-shaped portion to the base of said dome-shaped portion but not beyond, the tampon holder further comprising a weakened region around its periphery positioned at the base of said dome-shaped portion, said weakened region comprising a continuous or discontinuous groove, slots or perforations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
An applicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the segments have truncated ends, the aperture being in the shape of a polygon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
An applicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the segments have truncated ends, the aperture being hexagonal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
An applicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tampon holder is in the form of a tube carrying, as a plunger, an inner tube slidably mounted therein.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
An applicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are six of said slits equally spaced around the dome-shaped portion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
An applicator as claimed in claim 1 which has been fabricated from paper.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
An applicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tampon holder has been fabricated from paper provided with a waterproof, oil and grease resistant surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
A combination of an applicator as claimed in claim 1 and a tampon contained in the tampon holder interior, which tampon has a rounded end shaped to match the dome-shaped end and facilitate its expulsion from the applicator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A tampon applicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said aperture is in the shape of a hexagon of such size that the length of each side thereof is in the range from 0.05 to 0.15 inch.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
139 words
A tampon applicator comprising an elongate hollow tampon holder shaped for vaginal insertion and having a tampon expulsion end portion and a plunger mounted in the holder and adapted to expel a tampon through the expulsion end portion from the holder interior, the expulsion end portion comprising a dome-shaped portion, having an appreciable substantially central aperture therein and comprising a plurality of contiguous segments defined by a plurality of radial slits extending from said aperture through said dome-shaped portion to the base of said dome-shaped portion but not beyond, at least the major portion of the dome-shaped portion of the tampon holder having substantially the same thickness as at least the major portion of the remainder of the tampon holder, wherein said tampon holder comprises a weakened region around its periphery positioned at the base of said dome-shaped portion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
139 words
A tampon applicator comprising an elongate hollow tampon holder shaped for vaginal insertion and having a tampon expulsion end portion and a plunger mounted in the holder and adapted to expel a tampon through the expulsion end portion from the holder interior, the expulsion end portion comprising a dome-shaped portion, having an appreciable substantially central aperture therein and comprising a plurality of contiguous segments defined by a plurality of radial slits extending from said aperture through said dome-shaped portion to the base of said dome-shaped portion but not beyond, at least the major portion of the dome-shaped portion of the tampon holder having substantially the same thickness as at least the major portion of the remainder of the tampon holder, wherein said tampon holder comprises a weakened region around its periphery positioned at the base of said dome-shaped portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
An applicator as claimed in claim 10, wherein the segments have truncated ends, the aperture being in the shape of a polygon.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
An applicator as claimed in claim 10, wherein said weakened region comprises a continuous or discontinuous groove, slots or perforations.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
An applicator as claimed in claim 10, wherein the segments have truncated ends, the aperture being in the shape of a hexagon.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
An applicator as claimed in claim 13, wherein the length of each side of the hexagon is in the range of from 0.05 to 0.15 inch.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
An applicator as claimed in claim 14, which has been fabricated from paper.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-02-10 | 1995-08-12 | 1996-02-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-02-10 | 1999-08-12 | 2000-02-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-02-10 | 2003-08-12 | 2004-02-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |