Mcneil-ppc, Inc.

Johnson & Johnson Gmbh

Eveready Battery Company, Inc.

Edgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC

Hans Werner Schoelling

Robert Leutwyler

Andrew Lennard Lewis

Raymond J Hull, Jr

David Gubernick

William G F Kelly

Lai-Hing Louie

Karin Lochte

Sharon Ryan

A tampon for feminine hygiene, having an insertion end, a recovery end, a recovery tape, and a longitudinal axis. The tampon is made of compressed fibrous material and has an outer surface that is at least partially provided with spirally shaped, pressed longitudinal grooves. The grooves define spirally shaped longitudinal ribs. Also disclosed is a method for producing the tampon.

Tampon having spirally shaped grooves

A method for separating a supply of material into distinct sections of material, while controlling the position and orientation of these distinct sections during further manipulation in a continuous process is disclosed. The method includes forming a line of weakness comprising perforations and scores extending substantially from the first edge to the second edge and applying a force substantially parallel to the length of the web sufficient to separate an individual sheet from the web at the line of weakness.

Continuous method of providing individual sheets from a continuous web

A tampon, particularly for feminine hygiene, includes an absorbent body and a variably perforated or apertured cover. The absorbent body has an introduction end, a withdrawal end, and a longitudinal main portion therebetween. The cover includes a fluid-impervious plastic material in the form of a resilient three-dimensional web having a multiplicity of perforations. The perforations are varied over the length of the tampon so that a differentiated expansion of the tampon while absorbing fluid is achievable. Preferably, the degree of perforations of the cover increases towards the withdrawal end of the tampon at least over a portion of its length.

Tampon, particularly for feminine hygiene

A tampon for feminine hygiene or medical purposes comprising a nonwoven cover having at least one, outwardly directed, smooth surface and substantially enclosing a liquid absorbing core wherein the nonwoven cover comprises at least partly thermoplastic, heat-sealable fibers and pressed to the final shape of the tampon. Before the tampon blank is covered with the nonwoven covering web, said web was subject to the use of heat and pressure during the manufacturing of the tampon as to smooth out at least the outer surface of the nonwoven covering web, whilst maintaining the structure of the nonwoven covering web and the absorbency of the tampon. Thereby, it is achieved that the tampon can also be more easily and more comfortably introduced into and withdrawn from a body cavity before and after the days of stronger menstruation or at the occurance of only less vaginal exudation as garment protection.

Tampon for feminine hygiene or medical purposes, and process for producing the same

Tampon with compressed grooves

A method for forming shaped fibrous articles. The method involves introducing at least a portion of a fibrous element into a shaping tool and subjecting the fibrous element in the shaping tool to ultrasonic energy. This imparts the shape of the shaping tool to the surface of the fibrous element. The apparatus has a guide-holder to receive and removably retain a fibrous element and an ultrasonic shaping tool which can be applied to the fibrous element. The shaping tool has a recess corresponding to a predetermined shape for the article. Preferably, the shaping tool and guide-holder are reciprocally moveable with respect to one another.

Method for forming shaped fibrous articles

A digital tampon (20) for feminine hygiene, having a round dome (33) and a recovery tape (24), consists of a blank which is shaped by winding up a length of continuous random fibre web and which is pressed to produce a preform having a fibre core, longitudinal ribs and longitudinal grooves. The longitudinal ribs are pressed weakly to the final shape of the tampon (20; 28). The preform, before being pressed to the final shape of the tampon (20), is shaped as a result of the separate, but simultaneous radial pressing of directly adjacent sectors of its entire circumferential surface to form a longitudinal groove and a longitudinal rib respectively on each sector of the circumferential surface. The longitudinal groove and longitudinal rib assigned to each sector of the circumferential surface (182) are arranged respectively in succession in the same order in the circumferential direction of the preform. The fibre material is pressed radially to a lesser extent in the region of the end (22) provided with the recovery tape (24). The invention also relates to a process and an apparatus for producing the tampon. (FIG. 1) The core is compressed to a greater extent proximate the central portion of the tampon than proximate the recovery end of the tampon.

Tampon, especially for feminine hygiene, and process and apparatus for

A digital tampon (20) for feminine hygiene, having a round dome (33) and a recovery tape (24), consists of a blank which is shaped by winding up a length of continuous random fibre web and which is pressed to produce a preform having a fibre core, longitudinal ribs and longitudinal grooves. The longitudinal ribs are pressed weakly to the final shape of the tampon (20; 28). The preform, before being pressed to the final shape of the tampon (20), is shaped as a result of the separate, but simultaneous radial pressing of directly adjacent sectors of its entire circumferential surface to form a longitudinal groove and a longitudinal rib respectively on each sector of the circumferential surface. The longitudinal groove and longitudinal rib assigned to each sector of the circumferential surface (182) are arranged respectively in succession in the same order in the circumferential direction of the preform. The fiber material is pressed radially to a lesser extent in the region of the end (22) provided with the recovery tape (24). The invention also relates to a process and an apparatus for producing the tampon. (FIG. 1)

Apparatus for producing a tampon having densified, solid, fibrous core

A digital tampon (20) for feminine hygiene, having a round dome (33) and a recovery tape (24), consists of a blank which is shaped by winding up a length of continuous random fiber web and which is pressed to produce a preform having a fiber core, longitudinal ribs and longitudinal grooves. The longitudinal ribs are pressed weakly to the final shape of the tampon (20; 28). The preform, before being pressed to the final shape of the tampon (20), is shaped as a result of the separate, but simultaneous radial pressing of directly adjacent sectors of its entire circumferential surface to form a longitudinal groove and a longitudinal rib respectively on each sector of the circumferential surface. The longitudinal groove and longitudinal rib assigned to each sector of the circumferential surface (182) are arranged respectively in succession in the same order in the circumferential direction of the preform. The fiber material is pressed radially to a lesser extent in the region of the end (22) provided with the recovery tape (24). The invention also relates to a process and an apparatus for producing the tampon.

Process for producing a tampon having densified, solid, fibrous core

An inner sleeve (12) and an outer sleeve (11) of a tampon applicator provided especially for feminine hygiene form a one-part injection moulding in order to simplify production and assembly. The rear end of the outer sleeve (11) and the front end of the inner sleeve (12) are connected by means of a predetermined breaking point (13). The predetermined breaking point (13) is destroyed due to axial pressure, so that the inner sleeve (12) can be pushed into the outer sleeve (11).

Growing community of inventors

Ennepetal, Germany

Hans Werner Schoelling