Tampon applicator assembly

Claim 2

In a method of making an hygenic applicator assembly, the steps which comprise, placing an inner tube into an outer tube and placing a body of an hygenic medium into said outer tube so that the inner tube may move said body out of said outer tube when said inner tube is moved farther into said outer tube, providing a cap portion of a flexible film by fixing two plies of the film together at edges of the film plies leaving flanges of the film at said edges, providing a line or lines of weakness in said cap portion, turning said cap portion inside out so that said flanges are inside and fixing the cap portion with respect to said outer tube so that the film cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assembly into a human body cavity and said lines of weakness break to allow said Body of hygenic medium to be expelled from said outer tube by the action of said inner tube.

Claim 3

In a method of making a hygenic applicator assembly as set forth in claim 1, said two film plies each being in the form of one-half of an elongate sack that is longer than the length of said outer tube so as to form such a sack, said film being of stretchable thermoplastic material and said plies being heat welded together to form the sack with a flange on the end and sides of the sack, the closed end of said sack forming said cap portion, the method including the method step of turning said sack inside out so that said flanges of said cap portion and the rest of said sack are inside and the method step of then applying said sack on said outer tube and over the end of said hygenic medium body while stretching the film so as to provide a snug fit of the film on the outer tube and hygenic medium body and the method step of fixing the sack adjacent the end of said outer tube remote from the closed end of the sack when installed on said outer tube so as to thereby fix said cap portion with respect to said outer tube as aforesaid.

Claim 4

An hygenic application assembly comprising an outer tube, a body of an hygenic medium disposed in one end of said tube and protruding from the tube with a rounded end portion, an inner tube telescoped into said outer tube and protruding from the other end of said outer tube and adapted to abut against said body of hygenic medium to move it out of said outer tube as said inner tube is moved inwardly of said outer tube, and a cap portion covering and overlying said rounded end portion of said body and fixed with respect to said outer tube, said cap portion being of flexible film and having a continuous unpleated outer surface and constituting a uniform thickness layer of film having the same rounded conformation as said rounded end portion of said body and being in contact with and supported by said end portion of said body so that said cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assembly into a human body cavity, said cap portion being provided with one or more lines of weakness along which the flexible film of the cap portion tears under the force from said body of hygenic medium as said body of hygenic medium is forced out of said outer tube by the action of said inner tube, said cap portion having a seam therein with a flange of said flexible film running along said seam, said flange being located within said cap portion and on the inner surface thereof in contact with said hygenic medium body.

Claim 5

An hygenic application assembly comprising an outer tube, a body of an hygenic medium disposed in one end of said tube and protruding from the tube with a rounded end portion, an inner tube telescoped into said outer tube and protruding from the other end of said outer tube and adapted to abut against said body of hygenic medium to move it out of said outer tube as said inner tube is moved inwardly of said outer tube, and a cap portion covering and overlying said rounded end portion of said body and fixed with respect to said outer tube, said cap portion being of flexible film and having a continuous unpleated outer surface and constituting a uniform thickness layer of film having the same rounded conformation as said rounded end portion of said body and being in contact with and supported by said end portion of said body so that said cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assembly into a human body cavity, said cap portion being provided with one or more lines of weakness along which the flexible film of the cap portion tears under the force from said body of hygenic medium as said body of hygenic medium is forced out of said outer tube by the action of said inner tube, said cap portion having a seam therein with a flange of said flexible film running along said seam, said flange being located within said cap portion and on the inner surface thereof in contact with said hygenic medium body.

Claim 6

An hygenic applicator assembly comprising an outer tube, a body of an hygenic medium disposed in one end of said tube and protruding from the tube with a rounded end portion, an inner tube telescoped into said outer tube and protruding from the other end of said outer tube and adapted to abut against said body of hygenic medium to move it out of said outer tube as said inner tube is moved inwardly of said outer tube, and a cap portion covering and overlying said rounded end portion of said body and fixed with respect to said outer tube, said cap portion being of flexible film and having a continuous unpleated outer surface and constituting a uniform thickness layer of film having the same rounded conformation as said rounded end portion of said body and being in contact with and supported by said end portion of said body so that said cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assembly into a human body cavity, said cap portion being provided with one or more lines of weakness along which the flexible film of the cap portion tears under the force from said body of hygenic medium as said body of hygenic medium is forced out of said outer tube by the action of said inner tube, said cap portion being part of a snack of said film that extends for at least the major part of the length of said outer tube and is fixed with respect to said outer tube at the end of the sack, said sack having a longitudinal seam therein with a flange running along said seam and the sack being disposed to encase said rounded end of said hygenic medium body and said outer tube with said flange being located inside the sack and in contact with the hygenic medium body and said outer tube.

Claim 7

An hygenic applicator assembly comprising an outer tube, a body of an hygenic medium disposed in one end of said tube and protruding from the tube with a rounded end portion, an inner tube telescoped into said outer tube and protruding from the other end of said outer tube and adapted to abut against said body of hygenic medium to move it out of said outer tube as said inner tube is moved inwardly of said outer tube, and a cap portion covering and overlying said rounded end portion of said body and fixed with respect to said outer tube, said cap portion being of flexible film and having a continuous unpleated outer surface and constituting a uniform thickness layer of film having the same rounded conformation as said rounded end portion of said body and being in contact with and supported by said end portion of said body so that said cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assembly into a human body cavity, said cap portion being provided with one or more lines of weakness along which the flexible film of the cap portion tears under the force from said body of hygenic medium as said body of hygenic medium is forced out of said outer tube by the action of said inner tube, said cap portion being part of a snack of said film that extends for at least the major part of the length of said outer tube and is fixed with respect to said outer tube at the end of the sack, said sack having a longitudinal seam therein with a flange running along said seam and the sack being disposed to encase said rounded end of said hygenic medium body and said outer tube with said flange being located inside the sack and in contact with the hygenic medium body and said outer tube.

Claim 8

An hygenic applicator assembly comprising a body of an hygenic medium, and a tubular container for said hygenic medium body having a forward end through which the hygenic medium body may be thrust, said forward end of said container being formed by a cap portion of flexible film which covers and overlies the forward rounded end portion of said hygenic medium body and which has the same shape and is supported by said forward end of said hygenic medium body so that the cap portion facilitates the entrance of the hygenic medium body into a human body cavity, the outer surface of said cap portion being continuous and unpleated so as to facilitate the entrance of the hygenic medium body into a human body cavity and the cap portion having a seam with a flange of the flexible film running along the seam with the flange being located within the cap portion and on its inner surface in contact with said hygenic medium body, said cap portion being provided with one or more lines of weakness adapted to rupture the film of the cap portion when the hygenic medium body is thrust through said cap portion.

Claim 9

An hygenic applicator assembly comprising a body of an hygenic medium, and a tubular container for said hygenic medium body having a forward end through which the hygenic medium body may be thrust, said forward end of said container being formed by a cap portion of flexible film which covers and overlies the forward rounded end portion of said hygenic medium body and which has the same shape and is supported by said forward end of said hygenic medium body so that the cap portion facilitates the entrance of the hygenic medium body into a human body cavity, the outer surface of said cap portion being continuous and unpleated so as to facilitate the entrance of the hygenic medium body into a human body cavity and the cap portion having a seam with a flange of the flexible film running along the seam with the flange being located within the cap portion and on its inner surface in contact with said hygenic medium body, said cap portion being provided with one or more lines of weakness adapted to rupture the film of the cap portion when the hygenic medium body is thrust through said cap portion.

Claim 10

In a method of making an hygenic applicator assembly, the steps which comprise, placing an inner plunger in telescoping relationship within an outer tube and placing a body of an hygenic medium into said outer tube so that said plunger may move said hygenic medium body out of said outer tube when said plunger is moved farther into said outer tube, providing a cap portion of a flexible film by seaming the film together leaving a flange of the film running along the seam, providing a line or lines of weakness in said cap portion, turning said cap portion inside out so that said flange is inside and fixing the cap portion with respect to said outer tube so that the film cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assembly into a human body cavity and said lines of weakness break to allow said body of hygenic medium to be expelled from said outer tube by the action of said plunger.

Claim 11

In a method of making an hygenic applicator assembly, the steps which comprise, placing an inner plunger in telescoping relationship within an outer tube and placing a body of an hygenic medium into said outer tube so that said plunger may move said hygenic medium body out of said outer tube when said plunger is moved farther into said outer tube, providing a cap portion of a flexible film by seaming the film together leaving a flange of the film running along the seam, providing a line or lines of weakness in said cap portion, turning said cap portion inside out so that said flange is inside and fixing the cap portion with respect to said outer tube so that the film cap portion facilitates the entrance of the applicator assembly into a human body cavity and said lines of weakness break to allow said body of hygenic medium to be expelled from said outer tube by the action of said plunger.