Vaginal insert method of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10159551-B2
Application number	US-201314137797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2013
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A method of manufacture for a vaginal insert. The vaginal insert may have a core, a cover, and a removal element. In various embodiments, the cover can be conformed to the vaginal insert.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a vaginal insert, the method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a core capable of transitioning between a compressed configuration and a radially expanded configuration, the core comprising:
i. an anchoring element;
ii. a supporting element; and
iii. a node connecting the anchoring element and the supporting element;

b. providing a cover blank, the cover blank, when viewed in a flat configuration prior to a step of inserting the core into the cover blank, comprising:
i. a first layer of material and a second layer of material in a face-to-face relationship with the first layer of material;
ii. a four-sided trapezoidal shape when viewed in a flat configuration prior to the step of inserting the core into the cover blank, wherein two sides of the four-sided trapezoidal shape are provided by a first side seam and a second side seam bonding the first layer of material to the second layer of material, a third side of the four-sided trapezoidal shape is provided by a third side seam bonding the first layer of material to the second layer of material wherein the third side seam extends between and connects the first side seam and the second side seam, and the fourth side of the four-sided trapezoidal shape is provided by an unbonded opening between a pair of overlapping end edges wherein a first end edge of the pair of overlapping end edges is a portion of the first layer of material and a second end edge of the pair of overlapping end edges is a portion of the second layer of material, wherein the fourth side of the four-sided trapezoidal shape is parallel to the third side and extends between and connects the first side seam and the second side seam; and
iii. a first width dimension of the third side of the trapezoidal shape and a second width dimension of the fourth side of the trapezoidal shape which is greater than the first width dimension;

c. inserting the core into the cover blank by placing the third side of the cover blank into contact with a portion of the supporting element of the core and inverting the cover blank over the core resulting in a core and cover blank combination and the third side of the cover blank in proximity to the supporting element of the core and the fourth side of the cover blank in proximity to the anchoring element of the core;
d. attaching a removal element to the cover blank;
e. bonding together the portions of the first layer of material and the second layer of material forming the fourth side of the four-sided trapezoidal shape of the cover blank to form a fourth side seam in the proximity to the anchoring element of the core to fully encase the core within the four side seams thereby converting the cover blank into a cover; and
f. conforming the cover to the core in the area of the node of the core by reducing the dimension of the cover at the node of the core, wherein the step of reducing the dimension of the cover at the node further comprises a step of wrapping a band of material around the cover at the node of the core and maintaining the reduced dimension of the cover by attaching the band of material to the cover.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of attaching the removal element to the cover blank further comprises the step of rotating the core and cover blank combination.

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Romzek Chadwick I
• Bouruc Claudiu Andrei
• Wilkes Todd W
• Enz David John
• Pasterski Jesse J
• Krupka Kurt G
• Tomac Brian Wayne
• Olson Sarah Anne

Classifications

• B23Q3/00

  Devices holding, supporting, or positioning work or tools, of a kind normally removable from the machine (work-tables or other parts, e.g. faceplates, normally not incorporating means for securing work B23Q1/00; automatic position control B23Q15/00 {; food cutting boards A47J47/00; workpiece support for dies B21D37/02}; rotary tool heads for turning-machines B23B3/24, B23B3/26; non-driven tool holders B23B29/00; general features of turrets B23B29/24 {; drawbars in spindles B23B31/261; for electrical discharge machining B23H11/003; for welding B23K37/04; means for securing grinding wheels B24B45/00; mountings for abrasive wheels B24D5/16}; tools or bench devices for fastening, connecting, disengaging or holding B25B {; chucks for percussive tools B25D17/084; work benches for manual work B25H1/00; devices for securing circular saw blades B27B5/32; for assembling or manufacturing aircrafts B64F5/10; devices for holding circuit boards H05K13/0061; for holding semiconductors or wafers H10P72/00}) · CPC title

• A61F2230/0078

  hyperboloidal · CPC title

• A61F2240/001

  Designing or manufacturing processes · CPC title

• A61F2230/008

  paraboloidal · CPC title

• B65H69/04

  by knotting · CPC title