Sezen Buell, Waldwick, NJ; and Kyle Hillegass, Milltown, NJ.
Assigned to Edgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC, Chesterfield, MO.

Filed: 3/14/22
Issued: 1/6/26

A tampon applicator, comprising: a barrel having a straight central longitudinal axis, comprising: an insertion tip region having between three and eight petals, each of the petals having a free end coinciding with a forward most end of an inflection curvature, each of the petals separated from each other by one of a plurality of slits, the insertion tip region having a formed insertion tip region length defined from the free end of the petals to where the slits between the petals terminate, the insertion tip region defining an insertion tip region radius where the plurality of slits between the petals terminate; an inflection region adjacent to the insertion tip region, the inflection region defining a formed inflection region length, the inflection region having an inflection region radius; a main body region adjacent the inflection region, the main body region having a main body region radius, the main body region having a wall that is substantially straight; and a grip region adjacent the main body region; and a plunger that telescopically engages the barrel; wherein each of the petals has a formed petal length of between about 0.40 inches and about 0.48 inches, wherein a total slit length between each of the petals is between about 0.50 inches and about 0.58 inches; wherein the inflection region radius is located where the inflection region meets the main body region and the inflection region radius is less than the main body region radius; wherein the petals have a wall thickness that is substantially uniform; wherein the formed insertion tip region length is different than and separate from the formed inflection region length; wherein an insertion taper ratio is the ratio between the formed insertion tip region length to the insertion tip region radius, where the insertion taper ratio is greater than 1; wherein an inflection taper ratio is the ratio between (a) a sum of the formed insertion tip region length and the formed inflection region length, to (b) the greater of the insertion tip region radius and the inflection region radius, where the inflection taper ratio is greater than 1; wherein the insertion tip region, the inflection region, the main body region and the grip region are coaxial about the straight central longitudinal axis.