Tampon Removal String With Functional Additives

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional tampon removal strings lack additional properties to effectively manage odor, provide medical benefits, facilitate insertion and removal, and offer visual identification, which are essential for user comfort and hygiene.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating malodor counteractants, perfumes, medicines, lubricants/moisturizers, antibacterial agents, and visual stimulators into the tampon removal device, along with ply or polymer modifications, to enhance its functionality beyond mere removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional tampon removal strings are used, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but the device lacks odor reduction capability and additional functional properties

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctional propertiesVSAvoidstructure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple functional properties (odor reduction through malodor counteractants and perfumes, medical benefits through medicines, lubrication for insertion/removal, antibacterial protection, and visual identification through color codes) into a single tampon removal string. This merging of functions resolves the contradiction by adding versatility while maintaining a unified simple structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The tampon removal string is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it removes the tampon, reduces odor, provides medical benefits, facilitates insertion and removal through lubrication, protects against bacteria, and provides visual identification. This multi-functionality directly addresses the need for enhanced adaptability without requiring multiple separate devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If multiple functional components are added to the tampon removal device, then odor reduction and user comfort are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveodorVSAvoidmanufacturing process
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies malodor counteractants and perfumes to the tampon removal string through coating or embedding processes, changing the chemical parameters of the string to provide odor reduction functionality. This approach allows odor control to be integrated into the manufacturing process rather than requiring post-production additions, maintaining ease of manufacture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If lubricant and moisturizer are incorporated into the removal device, then insertion and removal ease is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsertion and removalVSAvoidcomposition
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tampon removal string is constructed as a composite material incorporating lubricant and moisturizer components within or along the string structure. This composite approach integrates the lubrication function directly into the string itself, improving ease of operation while maintaining a unified device structure rather than requiring separate lubrication components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS8323256B2Tampon removal device
Publication Date: 2012.12.04 ESSITY HYGIENE & HEALTH AB

AI summary

A tampon removal device is provided that has one or more malodor counteractants, perfumes, medicines including analgesics, anti-bacterials, lubricants and/or moisturizers, visual stimulators and/or identifiers including color code, color modification, and optical enhancer, a ply variation, a polymer modification, or a surface modification.