Method of and apparatus for making applicators of pledgets and the like
US4755164A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 23, 1986 |
| Grant date | Jul 5, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 23, 2006 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T156/1343
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An applicator for tampons has a sleeve for the tampon and for a portion of a reciprocable pusher which can expel the tampon by causing the latter to flex outwardly a set of domed petals at the front end of the sleeve. The sleeve is formed by advancing a strip of degradable material longitudinally, by forming spaced-apart portions of the strip with transversely extending rows of hourglass-shaped webs, by converting the strip into a tubular envelope with a seam extending in parallelism with the axis of the envelope, by severing the envelope across the rows of webs so that the envelope yields a series of tubes each having a circumferentially extending set of petals (halves of webs) at each of its ends, and by cutting each tube midway between its ends to form shorter tubes (sleeves) each of which has a set of petals at one end. The petals are thereupon domed to close the respective ends of the sleeves and the other ends of the sleeves are formed with indentations which center the respective pushers. The strip can be assembled with a row of tubular reinforcing members which are placed between successive rows of webs and are confined in the envelope. Each sleeve then contains an inner tu…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.