09.05.06
A combination of a wrapper and an individual tampon for feminine hygiene has been issued a patent. The tampon has an insertion end, a withdrawal end, a center portion, an outer surface, a length and a perimeter. The insertion end is opposed to the withdrawal end and the center portion is located between the insertion end and the withdrawal end. The wrapper is made up of one connected piece of wrapper material with an inner surface directed toward the tampon and a outer surface that is aligned opposite to the inner surface. The wrapper, which substantially encloses the tampon, has two ends, one being assigned to the insertion end of the tampon and one being assigned to the withdrawal end of the tampon. The wrapper has an opening means that allows opening of the wrapper for releasing the tampon.
The opening means comprises a tear tape and a stopper. The tear tape extending around the tampon by at least one of the following means: extending around the whole perimeter of the tampon, extending around the whole tampon length-wise or extending around the whole tampon in a diagonal direction.
At least a portion of the tear tape is located between the outer surface of the tampon and the inner surface of the wrapper material. The tear tape has a stopper end and a pulling end. The wrapper is separated into two segments of wrapper material upon pulling on the pulling end of the tear tape. The stopper prevents separation of the tear tape from one of the segments of wrapper material generated upon opening of the wrapper.