FI58058B - FOER UPPTAGANDE AV MENSTRUATIONSVAETSKA AVSEDD TAMPONG OCH FOERFARANDE FOER DESS TILLVERKNING - Google Patents

Description

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Patent · och registerstyrelsen 'Antttkan utiigd och uti.tkriftM pubiicund 29.08.80 (32) (33) (31) Requested «tuolkuu * priority 03.06.70

Sweden-Sverige (SE) 7721/70 (71) Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, 851 88 Sundsvall, Sweden-Sverige (SE) (72) Bengt Axel Wennerblom, Sundsvall, Per Edward Carl Udden, Timrä,

Ruth Gunvor Anna-Britt Udden, Timrä, John Ivar Lindgren, Sörberge,

The present invention relates to a tampon for receiving a menstrual fluid which is principally intended to receive a menstrual fluid, and to a method for producing the same, a tampon for receiving a menstrual fluid which is principally intended for receiving a menstrual fluid. formed of a sheet material which, before use, is at least partially compressed in a dry state so that the tampon is of a size and cross-section appropriate for insertion into the vagina, the tampon being tubular in the uncompressed state and closed to form either one bag or two bags, and each tampon is connected at the closure point to an aid for pulling out the tampon, for example a wire, and to a method for manufacturing such a tampon.

In the past, to facilitate insertion of a dry tampon into the vagina, it has been proposed that the fibrous material be held in a more or less compressed state by certain aids so that the tampon cross-sectional area in the tampon-sized state is substantially smaller than the cross-sectional area when it should expand to 58058 to increase the absorption capacity of the substance. The dry tampon has then been compressed so that its cross-sectional area is substantially round or square. Since the vaginal opening has the shape of a slit and is closed laterally by a muscle in the pelvic floor, a considerable back pressure caused by the muscle must be overcome when a tampon of this known type is inserted, which causes increased frictional resistance. This makes many women feel uncomfortable. In practice, this fact limits the size of the cross-sectional area of the dry tampon and thus also the amount of absorbent that can fit per unit length of the tampon. With commercially available tampons, this disadvantage is so great that certain manufacturers recommend coating the tampon with Vaseline, which naturally impairs the absorbency of the tampon.

Another disadvantage of most known tampons is that the absorbent material fills the entire cross-sectional area of the tampon even after the tampon has been fitted to a working position in the vagina and has been allowed to expand there. In this way, the ability of the tampon to rapidly absorb or receive menstrual fluid is limited, which is particularly evident when larger amounts of menstrual fluid are suddenly removed from the uterus.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawback and to provide a tampon which has new advantageous properties both in terms of handling and in terms of its operation in the operative position.

This is realized in the tampon according to the invention, which is characterized mainly by the fact that the sheet material consists of a thick inner layer of liquid-absorbent fibrous material with relatively poor internal cohesiveness and that this material is covered both outside and inside the hose by a thin, liquid-impermeable fiber. relatively strong internal cohesiveness and capable of preventing the fibers from detaching from the inner layer.

The method of making such a tampon according to the invention is mainly characterized in that, most preferably, an absorbent material having a relatively poor internal cohesiveness is applied to a continuously fed web of relatively thin fibrous material having good internal cohesiveness over a zone or surface having a width of substantially less than the width of said web, for example about half its width, the composite thus formed is made tubular by fitting it around the hollow mandrel so that the absorbent is closest to the outside of the mandrel, followed by a portion of good cohesive fibrous material not covered by the absorbent, is folded and inserted into the mandrel, the latter part covering the inner side of the tubular material thus obtained when the mandrel is removed.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the tampon is formed of at least one sheet-shaped liquid absorbent material folded in one dry state of the tampon at one or more points about axes parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tampon and held together in a folded state such that the tampon has a substantially elongate or rectangular shape. The abutting parts of the sheet material can then be completely unbound or bonded together in a humid environment by easily degradable bonds which may have been obtained by compressing the tampon at said points.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tampon is designed so that in its position of use, after any compression of the sheet material has ceased, it can expand to form at least one internal, possibly cervical, open cavity to receive menstrual fluid and facilitate absorption of such sheet fluid. The detachment of the fibers from the inside of such a hole space and also from the outside of the sheet-like material is thus effectively prevented by a thin layer of fibers.

The tampon may be at least substantially formed of a sheet material in the form of a short tubing or pouch having a circular cross-section of the tubing or pouch having an outer diameter of at least 20 mm, most preferably at least 30 mm, so as to be able to fill the vaginal cross-section. or the inner perforated space of the bag is capable of receiving a substantial amount of menstrual fluid.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show some embodiments of a tampon according to the invention and the preparation of a substance for making a tampon.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment according to which the tampon is made by folding the hose or bag material twice.

Figure 2 shows a cross-section of the finished embodiment according to Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the inverted, tubular outer layer of a tampon according to the invention in longitudinal section.

Fig. 4 shows a tampon similar to the embodiment of Fig. 1 provided with a tampon-expanding annular spring.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 show a method of making a tampon according to the invention.

Figure 8 shows a cross-section of a compressed tampon made by a special folding method.

Figure 9 shows an embodiment of a tampon comprising two one-piece sleeve-like main parts.

Figures 10 and 11 show in cross-sections the compressed tampon of Figure 9, bent in two different ways.

The embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 is made of a tubular, sheet-like, liquid-absorbent material. In the manufacture of the tampon according to Fig. 1 or 2, the tubular material is formed by twice bent or folded portions 10 and 11 at opposite points of the tubing 9. Figure 1 shows how this folding is started and Figure 2 shows the result when the folding is completed and the folded parts are pressed against each other to hold the tampon together.

5 58058

As shown in Fig. 2, the double-folded portions 10 and 11 are highly compressed, while the portions 12 and 13 of the tubular material 9 on both sides of the double-folds are non-compressed or only slightly compressed. Squeezing the parts 10 and 11, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the tampon, gives the tampon the necessary rigidity. However, compression must be performed at a moderate compression pressure so that the portions 10 and 11 can expand relatively easily in the swab position, absorbing fluid, and release and straighten, allowing the tampon to conform to the vaginal space to form an internal hollow space in the tampon. Due to such a hollow space, the pressure of the tampon against the vagina is limited to a comfortable low value.

Since the parts 12 and 13 of the tampon according to Figs. 1 and 2 are uncompressed or only slightly compressed, the longitudinal edges of the tampon are soft and the placement of the tampon is gentle. In addition, said parts can quickly absorb the liquid immediately after inserting the tampon.

Figure 3 shows the shape of the tampon before folding or after expansion. The hollow interior 14 of the tampon is open at the cervical end and is substantially closed at its opposite end. The absorbent material layer 15 is covered by a protective layer 17 having an outer portion 18 covering the outer surface of the material 15 and an inner portion 19 covering the inner surface of the material. The portions 18 and 19 are attached to each other at the upper end 16 of the tampon and are preferably formed of a tubular material capable of preventing fiber removal from the absorbent layer 15. The tubular protective layer is bonded to one end 20, as close as possible to the bottom of the tubular absorbent material 15, and the protective layer is bonded together. at one end 21 which is inserted into the tampon when the hose is inverted. Cords 22 and 23 are connected to the hose ends 20 and 21, the cord 23 being pulled through the bottom of the tampon and the end 20 of the tampon. The cords 22 and 23 are intended to facilitate removal of the tampon. Because the tampon is provided with two strings, each attached to its own position in the tampon, greater certainty is obtained that the tampon 58058 ni will be removed from the strings when pulled, because the probability that both string attachments will come off is relatively small. According to the above-mentioned method, a central attachment of the tampon withdrawal cord is achieved, whereby the cord, due to the relatively close proximity of the two tongue pieces, prevents the tampon from folding when it is removed, because the tampon withdrawal forces act along the tampon's axial centerline. Ropes 22 and. The attachment to the hose ends 20 and 21 can take place in different ways, for example by bonding, by means of a binder, by means of a small thermoplastic fastening member, which is heated to the softening temperature during bonding or in another way.

Figure 4 shows an embodiment of a tampon according to the invention formed of a tubular material and fitted with a resilient resilient material, for example a thermoplastic ring 25 at the top of the tampon. The purpose of this ring is to accelerate the opening of the tampon after it has been inserted and to keep the tampon open in its working position so that the volume of the hollow interior 14 of the tampon is as large as possible, which happens when the ring is substantially circular in the expanded state.

Figures 5 and 6 show a way to prepare a substance for a tampon according to the invention. A continuous web or wire 31 which runs in the direction of arrow P, for example, arranging material 32, which will act as a protective layer of the tampon 17 in Figure 3. When the material 32 is applied to the strip, twice folded parts 33 are formed in the material at regular intervals along the strip, whereby the folding takes place about axes perpendicular to the direction of travel P of the strip. The loose absorbent material 34 is then applied as a unitary layer or cover over the thin material 32 for a zone 35 having a width F less than half the total width E of the material 32. The coated zone 35 has a narrow uncoated zone 36 on one side and a wide surface on the other side. 32. After coating, the coated material is subjected to a controlled longitudinal tension, whereby the folded portions 33 of the material 32 are straightened and the layer of absorbent material 7 58058 on top of them is broken so that the absorbent material then covers only the separated surfaces. The material 32 is then cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at the previous double folds and the tampon is prepared in a manner described in more detail in connection with Figure 7. If the absorbent-coated, spaced-apart surfaces are long enough to form two tampons, the coated material is further cut from the center of said double folds 33 of the material 32.

Figure 7 shows a suitable tool for making a tampon according to the invention in the form of a hollow mandrel 41. Around this, for example, a part of the coated material 32 separated as mentioned above is arranged, placing the absorbent material 34 closer to the outer side. The material 34 then covers the entire circumference of the mandrel, while the material 32, which is circumferentially a distance corresponding to the straightened length of the double folds 33, covers the circumference of the bark with a corresponding overlap sufficient to keep the material 32 in the circumferential size. The material 32 is then stretched at the free end of the uncoated zone 37 and the string 23 is attached to the stretched point 21 and retracted through the interior of the mandrel. When the cord 23 is pulled, the part of the material 32 corresponding to the zone 37 turns inside the spindle. Finally, the combined material is removed from the mandrel and the material 32 is extended in a portion corresponding to zone 36 to form a second constriction corresponding to the constriction indicated by reference numeral 20 in Fig. 3.

Although the method described above for making a tampon according to the invention has several advantages, the tampon can, of course, be prepared according to many other methods.

The tampon according to the invention is, as mentioned above, substantially flat in the dry compressed state and is substantially parallelepiped-shaped with rounded edges, the dimensions of which may be as follows:

Length (L) = 40-80 mm

Width (B) = 15-40 mm

Thickness (T) = 3-15 mm 8 58058

When the tampon is made of a tubular material, for example according to Figures 7-10, the outer diameter of the hose may be 15-40 mm when it is circular. The thickness of the liquid-absorbent layer in the hose wall can be 2-6 mm.

From the material from which the tampon according to the invention should preferably be made, the following can be said:

The absorbent may be of the same quality as that used in conventional tampons, for example compressed, long-fiber rayon, dry-fiberized cellulose pulp, cotton fibers and / or other fibrous material with good absorbency.

The protective cover or protective layer of the tampon may be a non-woven textile material, so-called non-woven, with a basis weight of, for example, 15 g / m 2, which completely surrounds the tampon and in which most of the fibers are oriented mainly in the longitudinal direction of the tampon. after using. The protective cover may also be, for example, a thin woven textile material or a soft wet strength and airy sheet material. Most preferably, however, non-woven type textile materials are used, which should completely cover the tampon both on the outside and on the inside as described above. The main advantage of a tampon completely covered by a protective cover is that no loose yarns or bundles of fibers can remain in the vagina after the tampon has been removed.

Furthermore, thanks to this closed cover, which can of course also be sealed in the longitudinal direction of the tampon, the expansion of the tampon via liquid absorption in both the longitudinal and circumferential directions can be predetermined so as to achieve optimum use and removal properties.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a compressed tampon according to the invention, in which the sleeve-shaped material according to Fig. 3 is folded on opposite sides towards the center of the tampon, where the folded parts 43 and 44 meet. In the compressed tampon, the folded points will be located between two simple layers of absorbent sheet material 9 58058, as shown in the figure.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of an uncompressed tampon according to another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, there are two sleeve-like, common hose-like portions 51 and 52 interconnected at 55 where they are attached to each other. The sleeve-like portions 51 and 52 have openings 53 and 54 at the free ends which lead to hollow interiors. At the contraction site 55, the tampon is provided with a withdrawal cord 56. The tampon of Figure 9 may in certain cases be more advantageous than the tampon shown in Figure 3. For example, it may adapt better to a woman's organs when removing a tampon from the vagina, making it easier to take a flat shape and making it easier to make the rotation from the vagina to the vaginal mouth needed for comfortable removal from such cross-sectional areas.

Figures 10 and 11 show two alternative ways of folding and squeezing the tampon of Figure 9. In the figures showing the tampon in cross-section, Fig. 10 shows how the tampon is compressed without folding the tubular parts 51 and 52 inwards, whereas Fig. 11 shows compression when said parts are folded inwards.

Claims (4)

10 58058 A menstrual receiving tampon consisting essentially of a sheet material which, before use, is at least partially compressed in a dry state so as to have a size and cross-section suitable for insertion into the vagina, the tampon being tubular in the uncompressed state and closed so as to form either one bag or two bags, and each tampon is connected at the closure point to an aid for pulling out the tampon, for example a wire (22, 23), characterized in that the sheet material is formed by a thick inner layer (15) of liquid-absorbent fibrous material with relatively poor internal cohesiveness and that this material is covered both on the outside and inside the hose with a thin, liquid-impermeable layer of fibers (18 and 19) which has a relatively strong internal cohesiveness and is able to prevent the fibers from coming loose from the inside. layer of. A tampon according to claim 1, characterized in that the thin fibrous layer (17 = 18 + 19) is formed by a substance which, with possibly overlapping, non-attached longitudinal edge portions, is formed into a hose, both hose ends being closed and each connected to its own thread, which may be common to the ends of the hose and intended to facilitate removal of the tampon after use, and that one end (22) of the gripping wire (22, 23) is attached at a closed point of the tampon to the other closed end (20) of the second tubular fiber layer and the other end (23) ) has been successfully tampon closure site attached to close the tube-shaped Kui 'tukerroksen a second closed end (21) near the closing-face, and further that the fraction (18) letkunmuotoisesta a thin fiber layer (17) covers the hose-like thick absorbent layer (15) outside and in that the second part (19 ) of the thin fibrous layer (17) has been removed absorbent layer of let-. when enclosing the inside of the absorbent layer (15). A method of manufacturing a tampon 58058 according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an absorbent material (34) having a relatively poor internal cohesiveness is applied to a continuously fed web of relatively thin fibrous material (32) having good internal cohesiveness. over a zone or surface having a width substantially less than the width of said web, for example about half of its width, the composite thus formed is made tubular by fitting it around the hollow mandrel (41) so that the absorbent (34) is closest to the outside of the mandrel; the part of the fibrous material (32) having good cohesiveness which is not covered by the absorbent material is folded and introduced into the mandrel, the latter part covering the inner side of the tubular material thus obtained when the mandrel is removed. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that said web (32) is folded twice about axes transverse to the longitudinal direction of the web before applying the absorbent material (34) to the web at web-spaced intervals corresponding to the material passages of one or two tampons. (33), the absorbent material is continuously applied at equal intervals to the doubly folded web, the web is stretched while holding the absorbent material (35) so that the corrugations (33) disappear and the absorbent material breaks and divides into separate parts corresponding to the material of one or two tampons, and the web with its absorbent coatings is divided into parts and the parts are formed into tampons.