AP94A

AP94A - Elastic sponge pad such as viginal pad.

Info

Publication number: AP94A
Application number: APAP/P/1988/000087A
Authority: AP
Inventors: Jacques Julien Augros
Original assignee: Jacques Julien Augros
Priority date: 1987-04-29
Filing date: 1988-04-28
Publication date: 1990-07-24
Also published as: EP0290307A1; GR3005555T3; JPS63281647A; OA08730A; US5105827A; AU616883B2; EP0290307B1; MA21258A1; DE3872591D1; DE3872591T2; MX167860B; ATE77932T1; JP2671214B2; ZA882761B; AP8800087A0; CA1317174C; FR2614525A1; ES2034296T3; FR2614525B1; AU1528488A

Abstract

This pad, such as a vaginal pad,

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a pad constituted of a body in elastic sponge, foam, or similar material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use, in particular for contraception purposes, of round or flat vaginal pads in sponge, foam or other elastic absorbing substances, impregnated with products having a spermicidal or medicinal action, has been known for many years.

Although these pads are relatively easy to insert by hand, their extraction after use is often difficult and unpleasant for women when no extraction means are provided. For this reason, some of the known pads are provided with added digital holding means, such as a loop (see EP-A-29708), or a thread (see FR-A-2 463 609 or W0-A-80/00 0008) by which the pad can be gripped and pulled out. But such holding means, which are external to the body of the pad, are a hindrance to any couple, by its very presence and hardness; it can be felt and cause irritations to both parties. This has considerably limited the development of this contraception method.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks and to propose a pad offering an easy hold and permitting an easy extraction after use.

The object is reached with a pad in which the holding device is produced by a recessed part of the pad body. Said recessed part has at least one edge substantially perpendicular to a surface of the pad body and enables the finger to rest on said edge in order to move the pad, either to insert it or mainly to pull it out.

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It must be understood that the invention bears no relation to the cavities or orifices which are sometimes provided in pessaries. On the one hand, such pessaries are generally produced from another material than an impregnable foam (DE-C-828 141 or EP-A-84 755) and the problems arising are therefore different from those of the invention. On the other

BAD ORIGINAL A hand, the object of the orifices is not to constitute gripping means for the fingers; in the known sponge devices, even though recessed parts may be provided for different purposes, they do not exclude the presence of other gripping devices (DE-C-822 877 or US-A-4 564 362).

The recessed part according to the invention is created by a separation localized in the texture of the product, and obtained by cutting out, machining or molding, at any stage in the production of the pad. Preferably, the recess is formed by cutting with either a hollow punch or a blanking die, advantageously at the same time.' as the pad itself, from a primitive blank. Said recess is constituted by an elongated through or blind slit. In its most advantageous form, the recess is a slit of nil or substantially nil thickness, obtained by a simple cutting or stamping in the foam pad.

Advantageously, the recess is off-centered, situated marginally and substantially in parallel to an edge of the body; if it is a through recess it then forms a loop.

It is of course possible to have one or more recesses : in particular, it is advantageous to have two recesses, one for fitting in the pad and another for pulling it out, respectively. These recesses are preferably situated in two opposite zones of the pad so that insertion of the pad by way of the first recess makes it possible to position at the same time the opposite recess in the lower position, this making the pad easier to hold with the index for withdrawal.

The recesses can be rectilinear, or in arc of circle, or they can have different shapes and orientations, depending on the intended purpose, on the configuration and on the volume of the pad.

Said pod is generally round and flat-shaped, but other shapes ore also suitable.

Given that said recesses are made in the actual body of the pad, no foreign body can be introduced with the pad. Moreover, these recesses can be produced at very low cost.

BAD ORIGINAL

An introduction-extraction means can of course be used for fitting in and drawing out the pad, its use and reliability being reinforced by the presence of the recesses according to the invention.

The invention also finds other applications besides contraception and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. Indeed, outside the medical field, the invention can relate to pads for industrial cleaning or household use, or for use in cosmetology, or in any other applications where a grip or a hold is required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS '

The invention will be more readily understood on reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :

- Figures 1A and 1B illustrate a first embodiment in plan view and in cross-section along I-I,

Figures 2A and 2B illustrate a second embodiment in plan view and in cross-section along II-II,

- Figures 3A and 3B illustrate a third embodiment in plan view and in cross-section along III-III,

- Figures 4A and 4B illustrate a fourth embodiment in plan view and in cross section along IV-IV,

Figures 5A and 5B illustrate a fifth embodiment in plan view and in cross-section along V-V,

Figures 6A and 6B illustrate a sixth embodiment in plan view and in cross-section along VI-VI,

Figures 7A and 7B illustrate a seventh embodiment in plan view and in cross-section along VII-VII,

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate the method of fitting in and extracting the pad according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The pad comprises a body 1 in impregnatable elastic sponge produced in an open pore foam. In said body 1 is provided a recess 2 to 8' (Figures 1 to 7) in which the finger 9 (Figs. 8, 9) can be partly introduced in order to grip one of the side

APO 0009 4 bad ORIGINAL &

walls 10, 10' of recess 3, 3' for inserting (Fig. 8) or extracting (Fig. 9) the pad, and this because of the deformability of the material constituting the body 1.

The recess can be relatively narrow and elongated (as illustrated in all the drawings), hence have a high length/width ratio. In fact the recesses in Figures 1, 2 and 3 for example are preferably simple cuts of nil thickness (only one thickness is shown for clarity's sake) obtained by a single slitting operation made in the pad. Said operation can be simultaneous with the pad general cutting operation.

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The pad is of general cylindrical flattened shape. The cylinder can have an annular base (Figs. 1,2,3,7) or a non-annular base : for example a trapezoidal base which is rounded (Fig. 4) or

circular with an appendix	(Fig	. 5) is also suitable.
One base or the	bases of the cylinders can	be	flat	(Figs.
1,2,3,4) or staggered (Fig	. 5)	or skew (Fig. 6).
Recesses 2,	3,	3', 4', 5', 6', 7	traverse	the
whole thickness of the pad,	whereas recesses 4, 5,	6,	7',	8, S'
are blind slots.
The advantages	of	the through recesses	i s	that	they

separate completely the body of the pad at their Level, thereby permitting a greater deformation and a greater stretching of one of the lips of the recess (Figs. 8,9). When the through recess is made along one edge of the pad, a loop forms which helps to grip the pad (Figs. 3,9). Contrary to the known devices, the fact of pulling out the pad of the invention by means of a loop, avoids gripping and pushing the pad itself, which causes said pad to reject a fair quantity of the product with which it is impregnated, hence a loss of active product and a discomfort for the user.

The advantage of blind recesses on the contrary is that they are more resistant or that they can have a closed outline, (recess 8, Fig. 7).

It is of course possible to combine on the same pad, through recesses with blind recesses.

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When a pad is provided with two recesses, these should advantageously be situated in two opposite parts of the pad (Fig. 2,3,4,5,6,8,9) so that they can be used respectively for inserting (Fig. 8) and for extracting (Fig. 9) the pad by means of finger 9. The recesses are preferably situated on the edge of said opposite parts so that most of the body 1 can be drawn out.

The same effect can also be obtained with only one recess provided in two opposite parts of the pad, preferably marginally (Fig. 1, recess 2) or in the center (Fig. 7, recess 8).

The recesses are created directly in the body of the pad by simple cutting, sawing, machining or any other method.

The pad can, optionally, comprise assembled pieces, such as illustrated in Figures 7A, 7B in which the body 1 is formed of a first part 11 in the shape of a bowl with cylindrical edge, at the bottom of which is added a second part 12 shaped as a disc. The recess 8 is formed by the space left between the inner edge of bowl 11 and the outer edge of disc 12. The assembled pieces may have different characteristics of hardness, absorption power, isolation, diffusion, surface condition, etc. They can optionally be impregnated with different or incompatible products, such as products reacting together (foaming products), or products having complementary actions, or being micro-encapsulated.

Claims

1. Pad, and in particular vaginal pad, comprising a body in elastic foam and a digital holding device for the purpose of fitting in and extracting the pad, wherein the holding device is constituted by a recess in the body of the pad.

2. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is a through recess. 3. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is a blind recess. 4. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is an elongated slit. 5. Pad as claimed in claim Ί, wherein the recess forms a loop. 6. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein two recesses are

provided for respectively inserting and drawing out the pad.

7. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body is of substantially cylindrical flattened general shape.

8. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is situated marginally and substantially in parallel to one edge of the body.

9. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess has at least one set back edge substantially perpendicular to a contiguous surface of the body of the pad, forming a rest for one finger, for inserting or drawing out the pad.

10. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is obtained by a single cutting operation simultaneous to the pad cutting operat ion.

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BAD ORIGINAL

1. Pad, and in particular vaginal pad, comprising a body in elastic foam and a digital holding device for the purpose of fitting in and extracting the pad, wherein the holding device is constituted by a recess in the body of the pad, wherein the recess has at least one set back edge substantially perpendicular

05 to a contiguous surface of the body of the pad, forming a rest for one finger, for inserting or drawing out of the pad.

2. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is a through recess. 3. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is a blind recess. 4. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is an elongated slit. 5. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess forms a loop. 6. Pad as claimed in claim 1, inserting and drawing out wherein the pad. two recesses are provided for respectively 7. Pad as claimed in flattened general claim shape. 1, wherein the body is of substantially cylindrical 8. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is situated marginally and

substantially in parallel to one edge of the body.

9. Pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess is obtained by a single cutting operation simultaneous to the pad cutting operation.