FR2751869A1 - Deployment guide for male condom - Google Patents

Abstract

The guide has an open ring (3) extending transversly to the main direction of unrolling of the condom (7). The guide has a triangular section (1) which extends towards the exterior. The lateral guides (5,5') allows sense of touch in the unrolling direction. The open ring can engage against the edge ring of the condom. - The ring can have one or more tongues (1,2). The ring can have a triangular tongue on its upper edge which is of reduced thickness and reinforced by a shoulder perpendicular to it.

Description

NEW DEVICE FOR CONDUCTING
PRACTICAL AND FAST OF A MEN'S CONDOM
The present invention relates to the field of hygiene and in particular a contraceptive means for humans.

The invention relates more particularly to a means allowing the simple and safe installation of a male condom.

Indeed, the current generation of young people aged 18 to 35 who are the most sexually active, has given birth to an AIDS generation which has become aware of the systematic use of condoms as a means of health prevention.

60% of young people recognize that they systematically use a condom either for fear of viral contamination or for the sake of an effective contraceptive method.

However, users when questioned believe that manufacturers still have room for improvement, especially with regard to the direction of condom unwinding - which remains unclear for 71% of those questioned - as to the opening of the packaging and the presence of a lubricating agent. What is more, 40% of users declare having encountered an incident during use.

Sociological surveys have indicated that many men do not use a condom because they are put off by the first ten seconds. There are indeed for the user of the condom, two delicate stages to be crossed, one is the access to the condom, that is to say its extraction from the case or from the box in which it is placed and the other is the safe course of the condom over a part of the length to allow its convenient application in the right direction.

A major shortcoming of the types of existing devices lies in the fact that if their use in bright light does not in principle present difficulties, the same cannot be said during use in the dark or in the dark.

A recent document (French patent 2,686,017) described a device for unwinding, retaining and closing a male condom. This type of device comprises a wire which is wound on the hollow base of the condom and which leaves outside in the form of a noose through an orifice made in said hollow part of the condom. The location of the upper side of the condom is done by the presence of a ball wider than the orifice on the one hand and by the presence of an asperity at the other end on the other hand.

As can be seen in this field, a large number of devices have already been designed, but many have the drawback of not being practical or of not constituting a safe means of tactile identification.

The present invention aims to remedy most of these drawbacks. It concerns a device making it possible to recognize by touch the direction of the condom's course and thus facilitate its application. It is characterized by the installation of an open ring, arranged transversely to the first third of the condom and which allows by a triangular section which extends it outwards and by lateral thickenings, to feel when touched the direction of the unwinding.

This ring, also made of very light material, is intended to be removed or easily detached when a third of the condom is already unrolled.

The ring object of the present invention has on its outer edge a triangular section and possibly small protruding edges which act as markers and guide the user at the start of the course. When a part of the condom is already in place, the user has more precise knowledge of how to quickly and efficiently continue the entire course of the condom.

The condom for men is conventionally cylindrical in shape ending in a more tapered end, roughly frustoconical. It has a more or less protruding ring-shaped rim which roughly represents the unrolled part of the condom. It is this rim which constitutes in the unrolled state the fulcrum of the open ring object of the invention.

The attached figures show preferred embodiments of the invention
Figure 1 shows in section the triangular tabs (1) (2) carried by the ring (3). These tabs have small marks (4) striated or grooved which serve as a guide during the unwinding.

Figure 2 shows the rim of the condom carrying the ring (3) presented forward inside which are the triangular section (1), the lateral reference (5 '). The lateral mark (5) behind the plane of the ring is not visible. The space (9) represents the opening zone of the ring (3) according to the invention inside the rim of the condom.

Figure 3 shows the condom (7) completely wound with the ring (3) disposed against the edge of said condom and seen by transparency. The arrows indicate the direction of the course.

Figure 4 schematically shows the process of removing the ring during the course of the condom (7) at the time of use. The open ring (3) exerts a very light pinching force so that it leaves the condom without any effort or any particular operation.

The open ring (3) is made by molding in any flexible plastic material and whose edges are perfectly rounded. It can also be made of latex. The ring (3) open according to the invention is in the form of a thin-walled arch, of rounded shape having at the upper edge a thin triangular tongue (1) reinforced by a shoulder disposed at the perpendicular (6) and two marks (5) (5 ') in the form of circular portions, one arranged inside, the other outside guiding the user for the direction of the unwinding.

These circular portions can be smooth but they will be more conveniently striated or having punctuations to inform the user at the simple touch.

In theory, the open ring could be re-used. However for reasons of hygiene and even simply for convenience of presentation and manufacture, it is much preferable that it is for a single use and that each condom is mounted with its ring.

The ring (3) according to the invention is in the form of a hoop with a height of 2 to 4 cm, and the branches of which are spaced apart by a length ranging from 0.5 to 1 cm.

The width of the marks (5) (5 ') ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 mm and the height of the triangular rim (1) is 1 to 2 mm.

The condom thus equipped is placed during manufacture completely wound in the recess (10) closed by sealing with a plastic or aluminum sheet, a blister (11). The condom is always placed in this housing in the same direction. A small patch (8) placed on the blister and slightly protruding indicates the direction of packaging. In this way the user can tear the blister in a simple way knowing in advance that the condom will be extracted in the right direction for use.

The invention as described therefore comprises in an additional object the condom wound on the rim of which is adapted the open ring allowing the guidance of the unwinding.

The invention also includes the fully conditioned device shown in FIG. 5 provided with the ring, in a blister (11) comprising a pad or a reference boss (8).

The device according to the invention is particularly intended for the physical comfort and the psychological tranquility of the users of condoms.

Claims (9)

1. New device allowing the unfolding and the marking of a condom  masculine, characterized in that an open ring (3) is placed  transversely to the first third of the condom (7), which has a section  triangular (1) which extends it outwards, and by lateral marks  (5) (5 ') allowing you to feel the direction of the unwinding. 2. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the open ring (3)  comes to rest on the ring-shaped rim of the condom which is not unwound. 3. Device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the ring,  of triangular section, further includes one or more tab (s)  (1) (2). 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the open ring (3)  comes in the form of a semi-circular, thin-walled arch. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the open ring (3)  comprises at the upper edge a triangular tongue (1) of small thickness,  reinforced by a shoulder arranged at right angles (6). 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the tongue  triangular (1) has a smooth, striated or  punctuations. 7. Use of the device according to one of claims 1 to 6 to adapt to  a condom for male use. 8. Use of the device of claim 1, wherein the condom  provided with the device according to claims 1 to 6 is arranged in  the recess of a blister (11) which is then sealed by heat sealing with  plastic or aluminum foil. 9. Use of the device according to claim 7 or 8 wherein the blister  (11) carries on its upper surface a locating pad (8) slightly  prominent.