US2566451A - Catamenial bandage - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 4, 1951 J. M. JULIEN 2,566,451

CATAMENIAL BANDAGE Filed March 24, 1950 m 1 W Aln' n-m Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BANDAGE .1 osephine M. Julien, Troy, N. Y. application March 2 1, 1950, Serial No. 151,748

1 laim, 12.872

This invention relates to a novel construction of catamenial bandage which is formed entirely and solely of a mass of tissue paper corresponding in quality to paper sheets commonly sold as facial tissues and which may be constructed from a plurality of such facial tissues.

Conventional catamenial bandages are formed of cotton or similar absorbent material enclosed in a wrapper of cotton cloth or other absorbent fabric and certain catamenial bandages have been formed in part of paper as a filler and which is enclosed in a fabric wrapping or secured around a fabric strip.

The present invention eliminates the use of the fabric wrapping or strip and all securing means and provides a bandage which is formed solely of a highly absorbent tissue paper formed in a mass having portions thereof pressed together so that due to the inherent tendency of the tissue plies to adhere together, the bandage will maintain its shape after being pressed together, thus providing a bandage which may be very economically manufactured and sold, which is very readily disposable and which is as absorbent as the conventional more expensive bandages yet of considerably less weight and possessing a greater degree of yieldability so that the bandage is capable of being more comfortably worn and will more readily conform to the body of the wearer.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved catamenial bandage;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is an edge elevational view of the same, and

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the band age taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the catamenial bandage or pad in its entirety is designated generally 5 and is formed solely of a mass of tissue paper which is molded or formed into an elongated pad of approximately oblong cross section, as illustrated in Figure 4, wherein the tissue paper 6 constituting the mass from which the pad 5 is formed corresponds to or possesses the quality and characteristics of the paper conventionally used and sold as facial tissues. Such paper possesses a high degree of absorbency at least equal to that of cotton and similar material conventionally used for catamenial bandages yet which is much lighter in weight and capable of being much more readily deformed to conform to the body of the wearer. The pad 5 may be made in various sizes but is preferably approximately ten inches in length and two and one-half inches wide. The pad or bandage 5 is provided with convexly rounded side edges 1 and the top or inner side of the pad is pressed in to provide a depression 8. The depression 8 extends to points approximately three inches from each end of the pad and to adjacent each side edge of the pad 5 and the end portions of the pad, beyond and spaced from the ends of the depression 8 are likewise pressed together as seen at 9. Due to the normal tendency of the tissue paper to adhere together, this compressing of the pad 5 to form the depression 8 and the flattened ends 9 is sufficient to insure that the pad will retain its shape prior to use and while in use. The center depression 8 additionally causes the pad or bandage 5 to fit more closely to the body.

The bandage 5 is preferably about one-half an inch thick at the depression 8 and approximately three-fourths of an inch thick beyond the sides and ends of the depression 8. The pad 5 is worn in a conventional manner with the upper side, containing the depression 8, next to the body and may be supported by any conventional catamenial bandage or pad supporter, not shown. The depression 8 thus forms a receptacle which catches clots which ordinarily escape from conventional catamenial pads, thereby avoiding soiling of the clothing and embarrassment to the user. Additionally, the compressed central area beneath the depression 8 is strengthened by being compressed. As portions of said area beneath the depression 8 are moistened, the moistened portions become more absorbent as the plies thereof are loosened by the moisture; however the remainder of said area, usually the portions thereof adjacent the margins of the depression 8, retain their original compressed condition to co operate with the compressed ends 9 to retain the plies of the pad together and additionally resist spreading of the moistened area to the side edges of the pad.

It will be readily obvious that the pad 5 is more readily disposable than a cotton pad and is capable of being much more economically manufactured and sold yet is equally as efficient in accomplishing its intended result.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, with out departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A catamenial pad or bandage composed solely of a mass of highly absorbent tissue paper comprising a plurality of plies held together by the inherent tendency of the tissue paper to adhere together, said pad being of a length substantially greater than its width and being of approximately oblong shape in cross section, said pad being compressed to provide a depression in one side thereof adapted to be disposed next to the body to form a receptacle extending to adjacent the side edges and to near the ends of the pad, said pad having compressed end portions of reduced thickness spaced from the ends of the ,compression, and said compressed end portions'and' the compressed central portion of; the pad; combining to cause the pad to maintain its shape and to resist separation of the tissue paper plies forming the pad, the plies of the area of the pad be- '4 v neath portions of the depression tending to loosenwhen moistened to increase the capacity of moistened area to absorb moisture, other portions of the area of the pad beneath the depression retaining their compressed condition to resist spreading of the moistened area to and beyond the margins of the depression and to resist sepa-' ration of the tissue plies.

JOSEPHINE M. JULIENQ- REFERENCES CITED The fol lowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

. UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 21,0'76- Glomstead May 9, 1939 1,192,439 Luellen July 25, 1916.

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