US3856013A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hollow foam tampons from flat blanks
Assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
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Filing: 1973-04-20
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Granted: 1974-12-24
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Expires: 1993-04-20
Abstract
Abstract Making a hollow deformable tampon by forming a tampon blank having a slit or separation between its top and bottom laminae, said laminae being attached around a substantial portion of their periphery leaving a large edge unattached. The blank can then be inverted, i.e., turned inside out, if required to bend the laminae to form an essentially circular tampon having a tensile stress on its exterior and a compressive stress on its interior.
Inventors
- 👤 B Dulle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:32
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/20; A61F13/2022; A61F13/2037; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S604/00; Y10S604/904
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A tampon comprising: a flexible, resilient, elastic, absorbent body, said body being a cellular material having a dry modulus of compressibility of from 0.2 p.s.i. to 0.6 p.s.i., said body having an internal discontinuity forming an interior surface, said material having been deformed subsequent to cell formation so as to provide the interior surface of said body with a circumferential compressive stress and the exterior surface of said body with a circumferential tensile stress so that the exterior surface portion is tensilely strained and the interior surface portion is compressively strained and the cell diameters parallel to and at said exterior surface are thereby made generally larger than the cell diameters parallel to and at said interior surface, thereby establishing a capillary gradient between the exterior and interior surfaces which creates a driving force from the exterior surface toward the interior surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
A tampon comprising: a flexible, resilient, elastic, absorbent body, said body being a cellular material having a dry modulus of compressibility of from 0.2 p.s.i. to 0.6 p.s.i., said body having an internal discontinuity forming an interior surface, said material having been deformed subsequent to cell formation so as to provide the interior surface of said body with a circumferential compressive stress and the exterior surface of said body with a circumferential tensile stress so that the exterior surface portion is tensilely strained and the interior surface portion is compressively strained and the cell diameters parallel to and at said exterior surface are thereby made generally larger than the cell diameters parallel to and at said interior surface, thereby establishing a capillary gradient between the exterior and interior surfaces which creates a driving force from the exterior surface toward the interior surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
75 words
The article of claim 1 wherein said body is a plurality of blanks of said material arranged so that said blanks encircle the longitudinal axis of the tampon, the lateral edges of each blank being adjacent the lateral edges of adjacent blanks, said adjacent lateral edges of adjacent blanks being attached, thereby forming a continuous wall about the longitudinal axis of the tampon, said body being subsequently inverted to provide and maintain said cellular deformation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
The article of claim 1 wherein said material is of substantial thickness and has been inverted subsequent to celLular formation and provision of said internal discontinuity, to interchange and reverse said interior and exterior surfaces and compressively stress the resultant interior surface and tensilely stress the resultant exterior surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
104 words
A tampon, comprising: a flexible, resilient, elastic, absorbent body, said body being a material having a dry modulus of compressibility of from 0.2 p.s.i. to 0.6 p.s.i., said body having internal discontinuity forming an interior surface, the interior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential compressive stress and the exterior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential tensile stress wherein said material is an absorbent foam and has elongated cells therein, and the dimension of the foam cells transverse the tampon exterior surface is greater than the dimension of the foam cells parallel to the tampon exterior surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
104 words
A tampon, comprising: a flexible, resilient, elastic, absorbent body, said body being a material having a dry modulus of compressibility of from 0.2 p.s.i. to 0.6 p.s.i., said body having internal discontinuity forming an interior surface, the interior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential compressive stress and the exterior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential tensile stress wherein said material is an absorbent foam and has elongated cells therein, and the dimension of the foam cells transverse the tampon exterior surface is greater than the dimension of the foam cells parallel to the tampon exterior surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
123 words
A tampon, comprising: a flexible, resilient, elastic, absorbent body, said body being a material having a dry modulus of compressibility of from 0.2 p.s.i. to 0.6 p.s.i., said body having internal discontinuity forming an interior surface, the interior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential compressive stress and the exterior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential tensile stress wherein said material is an absorbent foam and the foam cell diameters parallel to and at said exterior surface are generally larger than the foam cell diameters parallel to and at said interior surface, thereby establishing a capillary gradient between the exterior and interior surfaces which creates a driving force from the exterior surface toward the interior surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
123 words
A tampon, comprising: a flexible, resilient, elastic, absorbent body, said body being a material having a dry modulus of compressibility of from 0.2 p.s.i. to 0.6 p.s.i., said body having internal discontinuity forming an interior surface, the interior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential compressive stress and the exterior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential tensile stress wherein said material is an absorbent foam and the foam cell diameters parallel to and at said exterior surface are generally larger than the foam cell diameters parallel to and at said interior surface, thereby establishing a capillary gradient between the exterior and interior surfaces which creates a driving force from the exterior surface toward the interior surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The article of claim 1 wherein said modulus is about 0.4 psi.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
163 words
A tampon, comprising: a flexible, resilient, elastic, absorbent body, said body being a material having a dry modulus of compressibility of from 0.2 p.s.i. to 0.6 p.s.i., said body having internal discontinuity forming an interior surface, the interior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential compressive stress and the exterior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential tensile stress, wherein said body is a plurality of blanks of said material arranged so that said blanks encircle the longitudinal axis of the tampon, the lateral edges of each blank being adjacent the lateral edges of adjacent blanks, said adjacent lateral edges of adjacent blanks being attached, thereby forming a continuous wall about the longitudinal axis of the tampon and wherein said material is an absorbent foam and has elongated cells therein, and the dimension of the foam cells transverse the tampon exterior surface is greater than the dimension of the foam cells parallel to the tampon exterior surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
163 words
A tampon, comprising: a flexible, resilient, elastic, absorbent body, said body being a material having a dry modulus of compressibility of from 0.2 p.s.i. to 0.6 p.s.i., said body having internal discontinuity forming an interior surface, the interior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential compressive stress and the exterior surface of said body having and maintained therein a circumferential tensile stress, wherein said body is a plurality of blanks of said material arranged so that said blanks encircle the longitudinal axis of the tampon, the lateral edges of each blank being adjacent the lateral edges of adjacent blanks, said adjacent lateral edges of adjacent blanks being attached, thereby forming a continuous wall about the longitudinal axis of the tampon and wherein said material is an absorbent foam and has elongated cells therein, and the dimension of the foam cells transverse the tampon exterior surface is greater than the dimension of the foam cells parallel to the tampon exterior surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
63 words
The article of claim 2 wherein said material is an absorbent foam and the foam cell diameters parallel to and at said exterior surface are generally larger than the foam cell diameters parallel to and at said interior surface, thereby establishing a capillary gradient between the exterior and interior surfaces which creates a driving force from the exterior surface toward the interior surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
170 words
A tampon, comprising: a flexible, resilient, elastic, absorbent body, said body being a material having a dry modulus of compressibility of from 0.2 psi to 0.6 psi, said body being a plurality of blanks of said material arranged so that said blanks encircle the longitudinal axis of the tampon, the lateral edges of each blank being adjacent the lateral edges of adjacent blanks, said adjacent lateral edges of adjacent blanks being attached, thereby forming a continuous wall about the longitudinal axis of the tampon, said material being an absorbent foam and having elongated cells therein, the dimension of said cells transverse the tampon exterior surface being greater than the dimension of said cells parallel to thE tampon exterior surface, and the foam cell diameters parallel to and at said exterior surface being generally larger than the foam cell diameters parallel to and at said interior surface, thereby establishing a capillary gradient between the exterior and interior surfaces which create a driving force from the exterior surface toward the interior surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
170 words
A tampon, comprising: a flexible, resilient, elastic, absorbent body, said body being a material having a dry modulus of compressibility of from 0.2 psi to 0.6 psi, said body being a plurality of blanks of said material arranged so that said blanks encircle the longitudinal axis of the tampon, the lateral edges of each blank being adjacent the lateral edges of adjacent blanks, said adjacent lateral edges of adjacent blanks being attached, thereby forming a continuous wall about the longitudinal axis of the tampon, said material being an absorbent foam and having elongated cells therein, the dimension of said cells transverse the tampon exterior surface being greater than the dimension of said cells parallel to thE tampon exterior surface, and the foam cell diameters parallel to and at said exterior surface being generally larger than the foam cell diameters parallel to and at said interior surface, thereby establishing a capillary gradient between the exterior and interior surfaces which create a driving force from the exterior surface toward the interior surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-23 | 1978-06-24 | 1978-12-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-23 | 1982-06-24 | 1982-12-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-23 | 1986-06-24 | 1986-12-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |