Tampon Applicator Radial Grooves Reduce Friction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compact tampon applicators often experience tampon displacement during the cocking step and material loss due to friction with the applicator's surfaces, leading to unusable assemblies and consumer inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
The tampon's outer surface features radial depressions or grooves, reducing contact with the applicator's structures, thereby minimizing friction and preventing displacement and material loss during cocking and ejection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ejector tube is withdrawn during the cocking step, then the tampon can be positioned for ejection, but the close association between the ejector tube and tampon may cause displacement of the tampon
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful contact between the ejector tube and tampon by introducing a fluid barrier. The fluid is applied to the tampon surface to create a separation layer that prevents direct contact and friction during the cocking step, allowing the ejector tube to be withdrawn without displacing the tampon.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a fluid intermediary substance between the ejector tube and tampon. This fluid acts as a mediator that reduces friction and prevents direct mechanical contact, thereby eliminating the displacement problem while still allowing the cocking operation to proceed.
2Productivity
If the ejector tube and outer tube have inwardly flexible surfaces that contact the tampon, then the tampon can be ejected, but material from the tampon surface may be scraped off
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the harmful direct contact between the flexible tube surfaces and tampon by extracting the contact interface. A fluid layer is introduced to replace the solid-to-solid contact, preventing material scraping while still allowing the ejection function to occur through the fluid-mediated interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid acts as an intermediary between the ejector tube/outer tube surfaces and the tampon. During ejection, this fluid layer prevents direct mechanical contact that would cause material loss, while still transmitting the necessary forces to propel the tampon forward.
3Volume of moving object
If the applicator is designed in compact form, then the overall size is reduced, but the likelihood of tampon displacement and material loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fluid intermediary that resolves the reliability issues in compact applicators. The fluid prevents direct contact between the closely spaced components and the tampon, eliminating displacement and material loss problems that are exacerbated in compact designs where components must be in close proximity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the interface between components and tampon by introducing a fluid layer. This parameter change from solid-to-solid contact to fluid-mediated contact reduces friction and prevents material loss, enabling compact design without sacrificing reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A tampon applicator assembly is described which has a compact tampon applicator and a tampon having a longitudinal body defining an insertion end, a withdrawal end, a central section extending there between, a longitudinal axis, and an outer surface. The outer surface of the tampon has at least one area of radial depression.