Condom packaging

Abstract

To provide a package for a barrier type contraceptive, specifically, a condom, which reliably and stably holds the condom until it is fully rolled up. The condom package includes a cover having a retainer therein, the retainer being fitted with fasteners configured to hold the condom in a folded state, the fasteners being located on the inside and / or outside of the folded condom, and each fastener and / or at least one pair of fasteners, an inner fastener and an outer fastener, is provided with a variable size gap that in some positions allows the folded condom to be placed through the fasteners while in other positions the fully folded condom cannot be separated from the fasteners.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to barrier contraceptive devices, and in particular to condom wrappers that reliably and stably hold the condom in place until it is fully unrolled. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditional condom wrappers are reliable flexible sheet coverings designed to hermetically contain the condom. For convenient use, such wrappers are provided with means for opening the covering, such as a weakened groove in the edge of the wrapper or a tear tape with an end that is released to break the covering.

[0003] Traditional condom packages have the disadvantage that the opening process is lengthy and inconvenient, since the time-consuming task of finding an opening tool, such as a groove, in the package must be performed prior to use of the condom, followed by holding both sides of the edge of the package with both hands and tearing the edge off. The time required to perform such an action, even if only a few seconds, can be significant for a person in the situation in which the condom is to be used. In such a case, a person in an emotional state may apply extra force to break the cover, which may lead to a rushed opening of the package and damage to the condom. In addition, the condom itself is inevitably touched by fingers during the process of using the condom as designed, resulting in undesirable hygiene. The above disadvantages of traditional condom packages may discourage people from using condoms.

[0004] A condom package known from EP 1377242 B1 published on May 24, 2006, consists of a cover with a condom inside and two flat side grips joined to the cover and to each other. The cover has a tear line at its central transverse border, which is parallel to the side grips and which is opened so that the cover is separated into two similar parts. At the corners of the cover, four hook-shaped holders are provided for fixing the condom inside. The known package is opened by pressing the side grips with fingers, which breaks the package at the tear line. The holders are then pulled together so that the package is separated into two similar parts with the condom still attached. The condom is then removed from the package by gripping the side grips with fingers, placing the condom on the erect penis and removing it from the hook-shaped holders.

[0005] A condom package known from publication RU 2515852 dated 20 May 2014 consists of a cover with a condom inside, two flat lateral gripping bodies connected to the cover and a hook-shaped retainer located inside the cover so as to fix the condom inside the cover. The cover has a tear line at its central transverse border, which, when opened, separates the cover into two parts. The surface of the cover is provided with at least two reinforcing ribs, which are parallel to the tear line and symmetrically located with respect to the tear line and act as pressure concentrators when the cover is opened by breaking. Each lateral gripping body is connected at one end to at least one of the hook-shaped retainers inside the cover and, on the opposite side protruding from the cover, is provided with a rest for fixing the position of the fingers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] European Patent No. 1377242 [Patent Document 2] Russian Patent No. 2515852 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] These known technical solutions using hook-like retainers inside the cover have the disadvantage that when the cover is opened, the condom can fall out of the retainer until it is unrolled, and that they do not provide reliable retention of the condom in its folded state inside the cover.

[0008] The technical objectives are to provide a reliable and stable retention of the condom by the retainer to prevent premature release during shipping, storage, or opening of the cover, to ensure uniform unrolling of the condom, and to ensure that the condom can be quickly separated from the retainer of the package without being touched by fingers after it has been at least partially unrolled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] This technical objective is achieved by a condom package comprising a cover with an internal retainer, the retainer being fitted with fasteners configured to hold the condom in a folded state, the fasteners being located on the inside and / or outside of the folded condom, and a variable size gap being formed between each fastener and / or at least one pair of fasteners consisting of an inner fastener and an outer fastener.

[0010] The main technical solutions are developed as follows: an embodiment in which the cover is provided with a tear line; An embodiment in which the retainer is made up of at least two sections, each section having a catch; an embodiment in which the carrier is provided with side grips located on two opposite sides of the carrier and configured to be grasped by the fingers of a hand when opening the package; an embodiment in which the fastener is formed in a hook shape; an embodiment in which the fastener is configured to relax the bend to allow the folded condom ring to enter and then assume its initial shape; and an embodiment in which the clasp is configured to open to insert the folded condom ring therein and then close to an initial position; is possible.

[0011] Thus, the combination of the basic components allows the holder to hold the condom reliably and stably due to the variable size of the gap, and also allows the condom to be uniformly unrolled and to be reliably and quickly separated from the holder without touching it with fingers after it has been at least partially unrolled until the size of the condom ring is equal to or smaller than the size of the gap, and also allows the required orientation to be set without visual inspection during actual use of the product, improving the convenience of the package and ensuring a convenient and quick removal of the condom while maintaining its hygiene.

[0012] Specific embodiment examples of the claimed invention and its utility are disclosed herein with reference to the following description and drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing how a condom package is opened. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a condom retainer having an inner fastener. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 shows a condom holder having an inner clasp with a condom placed inside (side view). [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram (side view) showing a condom retainer having an inner clasp and an outer clasp. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of a condom holder having an inner and outer clasp with a condom placed inside. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The condom package (FIGS. 1 to 5) consists of a cover 1 with an internal holder 2 for a folded condom 3.

[0015] The cover 1 is made of a highly tactile material and has a tear line 4 (FIG. 1) which is a weakened point of the material compared to other places. The cover 1 may also have other known means for opening it, for example a groove, a tear tape, etc.

[0016] The retainer 2 may consist of at least two parts, which are joined together by a temporary fastener (e.g., glued or connected with a jumper) that breaks when the package is pulled in different directions, or are connected via the condom 3 located inside and are separated from each other in the process of removing the condom 3. Each part of the retainer 2 is held relative to each other by a cover 1 or the like.

[0017] The central portion of the holder 2 has a hole (not shown) along its edge into which the ring of the condom 3 is placed for convenient access to the condom 3 as designed.

[0018] The holder 2 may be provided with side grips 5 located on two opposite sides of the holder 2 and configured to be gripped by fingers when opening the cover 1. The side grips 5 may be provided with finger placement portions 6 (i.e., protruding portions) to prevent fingers from slipping off when opening the cover 1. The side grips 5 may also be formed in a curved shape (not shown) to increase the arm of force when opening the cover 1.

[0019] The holder 2 may be made by casting / molding or three-dimensional shaping of a flexible or rigid material, such as a polymeric material.

[0020] The holder 2 may be entirely located inside the cover 1. It is also possible for the side grips 5 to protrude at least partially from the cover 1. In this case, the cover is glued or welded in a leak-tight manner over the edges of the side grips 5.

[0021] The retainer 2 is provided with at least four fasteners for positioning the condom 3 inside in a rolled or folded state. The fasteners may be positioned so that the part where the retainer 2 is connected to the base is inside the ring of the condom 3, i.e., inner fasteners 7 (Figs. 2 and 3), or they may be positioned so that the part where the retainer 2 is connected to the base is outside the ring of the condom 3, i.e., outer fasteners 8 (Figs. 4 and 5). The minimum number of fasteners required is four inner fasteners.

[0022] The fasteners 7, 8 are curved (hook-shaped) to stably hold the ring of the condom 3. The bending diameter of the fasteners 7, 8 may be the same as or slightly larger than the thickness of the ring of the rolled condom 3. However, it cannot be much smaller than the thickness of the ring of the rolled condom 3 because of the possibility of damaging the condom 3.

[0023] The fasteners 7, 8 may be evenly provided around the edge of the ring of the condom 3. For example, four inner fasteners 7 may be evenly provided in a circle on the inside of the ring of the condom 3. Outer fasteners 8 may be evenly provided from the outside of the ring of the condom 3. In this case, the outer fasteners 8 may be provided in accordance with the inner fasteners 7 (for example, facing or offset).

[0024] A variable size gap 9 is formed in each fastener 7, 8 and / or between at least one pair of fasteners, an inner fastener 7 and an outer fastener 8 (FIGS. 2, 4). Such gaps allow the folded condom 3 to be placed on the fastener through the gap in some positions, while in other positions the fully folded condom 3 cannot be separated from the fastener. In other words, the gap 9 is reduced after the folded condom 3 is placed, so that the fully folded condom 9 does not fall out of the holder 2.

[0025] The fasteners 7, 8 are designed to accommodate the ring of the folded condom 3 and then to assume their initial shape by relaxing the bend, thereby allowing a variable gap 9 to be provided. For this purpose, the fasteners 7, 8 may be made of a flexible material. The fasteners 7, 8 may further be provided with means 10 for reducing the gap 9 (e.g. cover plates, protrusions, etc.).

[0026] In the case where the fasteners 7, 8 are hooks extending from the base of the retainer 2, the gap 9 may be from the base of the fasteners 7, 8 to their top, or from the base of the retainer 2 to the top of the fastener. In another embodiment of the fasteners 7, 8, where the fasteners 7, 8 are open rings (or other suitable shapes, such as ovals, for holding the ring of the rolled condom 3 therein), the gap 9 is the size of the interruption in the contour of this shape.

[0027] It is also possible to provide a variable gap 9 if the fasteners 7,8 are configured to be opened to insert the ring of the folded condom 3 and then closed to the initial position. The opening of the fasteners 7,8 can be ensured by the flexibility of the manufacturing material of the fasteners 7,8 as a whole or at the point where they are connected to the base of the holder 2, or by the presence of a hinge at the point where the fasteners 7,8 are attached to the base of the holder 2, which hinges are in each of the defined positions (open / closed).

[0028] A gap 9 may also be formed between the inner fastener 7 and the outer fastener 8 .

[0029] The outer fasteners 8 can be fixed in the closed position by stoppers 11 located on the edges of the holder 2 (FIGS. 4 and 5). For example, the presence of the stoppers 11 allows the bendable fasteners 8 to be engaged with the stoppers 11 and fixed in the closed position, thereby reducing the gap 9 between the corresponding inner fasteners 7 to a required size. The number of stoppers 11 matches the number of the outer fasteners 8. The fasteners 8 are made of a flexible material and the stoppers 11 are made of a rigid material, or the fasteners 8 are made of a rigid material and the stoppers 11 are made of a flexible material, allowing for engagement. Furthermore, the fasteners 8 may be formed with grips (temporary only) for engagement with the stoppers 11.

[0030] In particular, it is possible to combine rigid and flexible or bendable fasteners in pairs, for example by making the inner fastener 7 more rigid and positioning the outer fastener 8 accordingly to open / close, such that a variable gap 9 is formed between the pair of fasteners 7, 8.

[0031] The size of the gap 9 can be adjusted depending on the target thickness of the ring of the rolled condom 3. In some options, the condom 3 can be separated from the holder 2 only when it is fully unrolled, or in other options, it can be separated by being at least partially unrolled. In both options, the clasps 7, 8 ensure that the condom 3 is held stably in the holder 2 until it is used.

[0032] To use the condom 3 as intended, the condom packaging must be opened. This requires using both hands to hold the side grippers 5 (if present) or the edges of the retainer 2 and pull them up and down (in a vertical plane) to break the cover 1 at the tear line 4. Next, the side grippers 5 (if present) or the edges of the retainer 2 must be pulled together (in a horizontal plane) to completely separate the cover 1 into two parts. At this time, since the condom 3 is fixed by the fasteners 7, 8, the condom 3 is also pulled and the diameter of the ring of the condom 3 is stretched. This provides the opportunity to quickly and easily put the condom on an erect penis (not shown) in the correct orientation without touching the condom 3 with fingers. Once the ring of the condom 3 has been at least partially unrolled, the thickness of the ring is reduced, allowing the condom 3 to be easily separated from the retainer 2 by slipping it through the gap 9 of the fasteners 7, 8.

Claims

1. A condom package comprising a cover having a retainer therein, the holder is provided with a clasp configured to hold the condom in a folded position; The fastener is located on the inside and / or outside of the folded condom, A condom package in which a gap of variable size is formed in each fastener and / or between at least one pair of fasteners consisting of an inner fastener and an outer fastener.

2. 2. The condom package of claim 1, wherein the cover is provided with a tear line.

3. 2. The condom package of claim 1, wherein the retainer comprises at least two sections, each section having a fastener.

4. 2. The condom package according to claim 1, wherein the retainer is provided with side grips located on two opposite sides of the retainer and configured to be grasped by the fingers of a hand when the package is opened.

5. 2. The condom package according to claim 1, wherein the fastener is formed in the shape of a hook.

6. 6. The condom package of claim 5, wherein the fastener is configured to allow the folded condom ring to enter and thereafter assume its initial shape by relaxing the bend.

7. 2. The condom package of claim 1, wherein the fastener is configured to open to insert the folded condom ring therein and then close to an initial position.

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