Compact tampon applicator with two-piece plunger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compact tampon applicators with two-piece telescoping plungers face challenges in achieving a reduced length while maintaining a comfortable grip and easy insertion, often compromising on grip size and requiring excessive force for assembly, and lack sensory feedback for correct assembly.
Innovation Solution
A tampon applicator design featuring a barrel with a grip region, transition region, and insertion end with petals, combined with a telescoping two-piece plunger having an outer and inner sleeve with detent mechanisms, allowing for a stable connection and easy assembly with tactile and auditory feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a two-piece telescoping plunger is used to reduce overall applicator length, then compactness is improved, but the grip region becomes smaller making the product more difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The inner sleeve is nested within the outer sleeve in a telescoping configuration, allowing the plunger to occupy minimal space when retracted while providing full extension when needed. This nesting arrangement enables compact overall length while maintaining functional grip region size.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger transitions from a static, fixed-length component to a dynamic, telescoping structure that can extend and retract. This dynamic configuration allows the applicator to switch between compact storage mode and full operational mode with adequate grip region.
2Ease of operation
If the plunger is designed as a single piece extending outwardly, then ease of operation is improved, but the overall length increases reducing compactness
Solution Approach 1:
The two-piece telescoping plunger with inner and outer sleeves nested within each other provides the necessary plunger length for operation while retracting to a compact configuration for discrete storage, avoiding the need for a permanently extended single-piece plunger.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger is divided into separate inner and outer sleeve components that can telescope relative to each other, allowing the overall length to be reduced when not in use while maintaining full functional length during operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the two-piece plunger requires assembly, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but assembly force requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detent mechanism on the inner sleeve automatically engages with the outer sleeve during assembly, allowing the components to self-align and self-lock without requiring high assembly forces or complex assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent mechanism acts as an intermediary feature between the inner and outer sleeves, facilitating easy connection during assembly while providing secure retention during use, thereby reducing the force needed for assembly.
4Device complexity
If no assembly feedback mechanism is provided, then device complexity is reduced, but assembly verification becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The detent mechanism provides tactile and audible feedback during assembly, giving the user immediate information about whether the inner and outer sleeves are correctly connected without adding complex electronic or mechanical feedback systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A compact applicator has a two-piece telescoping plunger. The compact applicator, with such telescoping plunger, has a full-size barrel region while maintaining an overall applicator length that is the same and/or slightly shorter than current known compact applicators. In a non-deployed configuration, the inner sleeve of the plunger is generally telescoped within the outer sleeve of the plunger, and the outer sleeve of the plunger is generally telescoped within the applicator barrel.