Tapered Tampon Applicator Petal Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial tampon applicators with uniform cross-sections fail to provide adequate comfort during insertion, and modifying existing processes to create tapered ends, especially for cardboard applicators, is challenging, leading to a need for enhanced user comfort and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A tampon applicator with a tapered insertion end and barrel, featuring a petal-tipped design with uniform petal thickness and weakened regions, along with a fingergrip area, to facilitate comfortable and easy insertion, expulsion, and removal, while being formed from cardboard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a uniform cross-section applicator is used, then manufacturing is simple, but insertion comfort is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator features a tapered insertion end with a specific taper ratio (0.05 to 0.20) that differs from the uniform cross-section of the main barrel. This local modification at the insertion end provides enhanced comfort during insertion while maintaining the simplicity of the overall uniform barrel structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion end is designed with a curved tapered surface rather than a flat or angular transition. This curved geometry allows for smoother insertion and better contact with the vaginal walls, enhancing comfort while avoiding sharp transitions that would complicate manufacturing.
2Ease of operation
If a tapered end is added to enhance comfort, then insertion comfort improves, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent defines the taper through a specific ratio parameter (taper ratio between 0.05 to 0.20) and provides guidance on the taper length (5% to 50% of total applicator length). These parameter specifications enable manufacturers to achieve the tapered design using standard forming processes by simply adjusting dimensional parameters rather than requiring entirely new manufacturing techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than requiring a completely new manufacturing process, the invention applies a partial modification (tapered end) to an otherwise uniform applicator that can be manufactured using existing processes. This partial action approach allows the tapered feature to be added through relatively simple methods such as selective material removal or modified molding techniques.
3Ease of operation
If petals are added to the insertion end, then ease of insertion improves, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion end is segmented into multiple petal-like structures that radiate outward. These segments are formed as integral parts of the tapered end, allowing them to be created in a single forming operation rather than requiring separate assembly. The segmentation provides multiple contact points for enhanced insertion comfort while maintaining structural integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The petals are merged with the tapered end structure, forming a unified component rather than separate elements. This integration allows the petals to be formed simultaneously with the tapered geometry through a single manufacturing process, reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining the comfort benefits of the petal design.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a tampon applicator having a plunger and a barrel with a tapered insertion, which provides enhanced insertion comfort to a user. The taper of the insertion tip is defined by a ratio of the length of the taper projection along a longitudinal axis of the barrel to the length of the taper projection along a radius of the barrel at a base region of the insertion tip. The insertion end of the barrel preferably has two or more petals for enhanced user comfort. Preferably, the petals have a substantially uniform thickness. The barrel may also have a fingergrip for ease of use of the applicator during insertion, expulsion of the pledget, and removal from the vagina.