Claims
- 1. An applicator article comprising:
- a) a tubular member formed from a single layer of paper and having an exterior surface, said tubular member capable of holding a substance which is to be inserted into a body cavity; and
- b) an exterior surface coating applied to said exterior surface, said coating comprising a plurality of layers, wherein at least a top layer of said plurality of layers comprises a compostable material composed of at least 85 percent by weight of a polylactide polymeric material, wherein said top layer provides said tubular member with a dry coefficient of kinetic friction value ranging from between 0.62 to 0.86.
- 2. The applicator article of claim 1 wherein said exterior surface coating has a coating thickness dimension at an insertion end greater than a coating thickness at an opposite external base end.
- 3. The applicator article of claim 1 wherein said plurality of layers comprise an inner coating layer and a finish coating layer.
- 4. The applicator article of claim 2 wherein said coating thickness dimension at said insertion end is in the range of 0.3 mils to 1 mil.
- 5. The applicator article of claim 4 wherein said coating thickness dimension at said opposite external base end is in the range of about 0 to 0.3 mils.
- 6. The applicator article of claim 5 wherein said compostable material further comprises 10 percent by weight of additives comprising a nucleating agent comprising adipic acid, an anti-oxidant or stabilizer, a plasticizer, an anti-blocking agent, a slip agent, and a water scavenger.
- 7. The applicator article of claim 5 wherein said tubular member has flexible petals on said insertion end.
- 8. The applicator article of claim 5 wherein said tubular member has pleats on said insertion end.
- 9. The applicator article of claim 5 wherein said tubular member has an open insertion end.
- 10. A tampon applicator comprising:
- a) at least one elongated tubular member formed from at least one layer of paper and having an exterior surface; and
- b) a coating applied to said exterior surface of said tubular member, said coating having a polymeric inner layer and a compostable polymeric top finish layer, wherein said compostable polymeric top finish layer is composed of a material comprising at least 85 percent by weight of polylactide, said coating providing said tubular member with a dry coefficient of kinetic friction ranging from between 0.62 to 0.86.
- 11. The tampon applicator of claim 10 wherein said coating has a coating thickness dimension at an insertion end greater than a coating thickness at an opposite external base end.
- 12. The tampon applicator of claim 11 wherein said coating thickness dimension at said insertion end is in the range of 0.3 mils to 1 mil.
- 13. The tampon applicator of claim 12 wherein said coating thickness dimension at said opposite external base end is in the range of about 0 to 0.3 mils.
- 14. The tampon applicator of claim 13 wherein said compostable material further comprises 10 percent by weight of additives comprising a nucleating agent comprising adipic acid, an anti-oxidant or stabilizer, a plasticizer, an anti-blocking agent, a slip agent, and a water scavenger.
- 15. The tampon applicator of claim 13 wherein said tubular member has flexible petals on said insertion end.
- 16. The tampon applicator of claim 13 wherein said tubular member has pleats on said insertion end.
- 17. The tampon applicator of claim 13 wherein said tubular member has an open insertion end.
- 18. A tampon applicator comprising:
- a) an elongated tubular member formed from at least two layers of paper, said tubular member having an exterior surface; and
- b) means for providing a specific dry coefficient of kinetic friction and a specific wet coefficient of kinetic friction to said tubular member and for facilitating insertion of said tubular member into said body cavity, said specific dry coefficient of kinetic friction having a value ranging from between 0.62 to 0.86 and said specific wet coefficient of kinetic friction having a value ranging from between 0.69 to 1.12, said means being applied to said exterior surface of said tubular member, said means forming a plurality of coating layers, said means having a compostable material, and said means comprising at least 85 percent by weight of polylactide, at least 10 percent by weight of additives including a nucleating agent, an anti-oxidant or stabilizer, a plasticizer, an anti-blocking agent, a slip agent and a water scavenger.
- 19. The tampon applicator of claim 18 wherein said means for providing a specific dry coefficient of kinetic friction and a specific wet coefficient of kinetic friction to said tubular member and for facilitating insertion has a thickness of less than about 1 mil.
- 20. The tampon applicator of claim 18 wherein said means for providing a specific dry coefficient of kinetic friction and a specific wet coefficient of kinetic friction to said tubular member and for facilitating insertion provides a dry coefficient of kinetic friction value of less than 0.80.
- 21. The tampon applicator of claim 18 wherein said means for providing a specific dry coefficient of kinetic friction and a specific wet coefficient of kinetic friction to said tubular member and for facilitating insertion provides a wet coefficient of kinetic friction value of less than 1.0.
- 22. The tampon applicator of claim 18 wherein said additive includes a nucleating agent of adipic acid in an amount of from between about 1 to about 5 percent by weight.
- 23. An applicator article comprising:
- a) a tubular member formed from a single layer of paper and having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said tubular member capable of holding a substance which is to be inserted into a body cavity; and
- b) a coating applied to said interior surface and said exterior surface of said tubular member, said coating being a plurality of layers of at least one compostable material and said coating comprising at least 85 percent by weight of a polylactide polymeric material, at least 10 percent by weight of additives, and from about 0.1 to about 5 percent by weight of a residual monomer, said additives including a nucleating agent, an anti-oxidant or stabilizer, a plasticizer, an anti-blocking agent, a slip agent and a water scavenger.
- 24. The applicator article of claim 23 wherein said coating applied to said exterior surface provides said tubular member with a dry coefficient of kinetic friction value ranging from between 0.62 to 0.86.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/476,481, filed Jun. 7, 1995, now abandoned, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/696,642, filed Aug. 12, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,320.
US Referenced Citations (50)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
860 911 |
Jan 1971 |
CAX |
0 220 091 A1 |
Apr 1987 |
EPX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
476481 |
Jun 1995 |
|