US3871375A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Unitary molded swabs
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-08-30
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Granted: 1975-03-18
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Expires: 1993-08-30
Abstract
Abstract A molded, unitary, double-ended swab formed of resilient polymer foam material has soft, porous, ellipsoidal ends with open cavities exposed on their external surfaces at each end of the swab, joined by a less resilient central shaft portion having a more dense and less porous cellular structure. The unitary swabs of this invention are molded in multiple-cavity injection molds incorporating selective heating passages and cooling passages positioned to produce the desired degree of porosity in the separate portions of each swab.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert A Bennett
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 23:09
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M35/00; A61M35/003; A61M35/006; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/38
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
43 words
A unitary molded polymer foam article formed in the shape of a swab having an elongated dense shaft holding means portion of fine-celled porosity and an enlarged working tip portion of coarse-celled porosity less dense and more deformably resilient than said shaft portion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
43 words
A unitary molded polymer foam article formed in the shape of a swab having an elongated dense shaft holding means portion of fine-celled porosity and an enlarged working tip portion of coarse-celled porosity less dense and more deformably resilient than said shaft portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The swab defined in claim 1 wherein each end of the fine-celled shaft is provided with a less dense and more resilient tip portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The swab defined in claim 1 wherein the shaft portion is joined to the tip portion by an intermediate portion of progressively increasing cell-size ranging from the fine cell size of the shaft portion to the coarse cell size of the tip portion, providing a diverging stress-transmitting and load-spreading region.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2842790A
Cited
US3818911A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-03-17 | 1978-09-16 | 1979-03-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-03-17 | 1982-09-16 | 1983-03-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-03-17 | 1986-09-16 | 1987-03-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |