Ergonomic menstrual cup

Abstract

A menstrual cup (10) having a flared bottom portion (20), including a plurality of non-convex grip surfaces (22, 24) that are distributed in substantially axisymmetric manner at least on said flared bottom portion (20) and that are configured so as to be able to be pinched between the fingers in order to facilitate removal of the cup.

Claims

1. A menstrual cup having a flared bottom portion, the menstrual cup including a plurality of non-convex grip surfaces that are distributed in substantially axisymmetric manner at least on said flared bottom portion and that are configured so as to be able to be pinched between fingers in order to facilitate removal of the cup; and a sealing ring situated at a top of the menstrual cup, said sealing ring having an outer cylindrical surface, said sealing ring having a top surface that slopes going down towards an inside of the menstrual cup, from a ridge formed at a top end of the outer cylindrical surface to a junction between the sealing ring and an inside cavity of the menstrual cup.

2. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein each of said grip surfaces is a profiled surface.

3. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein, in a plane perpendicular to an axis of the cup at mid-height of the grip surfaces, a sum of angles at a vertex of the grip surfaces is greater than 90.

4. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein said grip surfaces are arranged at below 70% of a height of the inside cavity of the menstrual cup from a bottom of said cavity.

5. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said grip surfaces presents a pattern and/or a grain.

6. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein the bottom portion does not have a stem.

7. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, further including at least one pressure-equalizing passage made between an outside and the inside of the menstrual cup, said at least one passage opening out below the sealing ring.

8. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein the outer cylindrical surface extends over a height that is greater than 1/10.sup.th of an outside radius of the sealing ring.

9. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, including exactly either two of the grip surfaces or three of the grip surfaces.

10. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein said grip surfaces are arranged at below 50% of a height of the inside cavity of the menstrual cup from a bottom of said inside cavity.

11. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein the outer cylindrical surface extends over a height that is greater than .sup.th of an outside radius of the sealing ring.

12. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein the flared bottom portion of the menstrual cup is not cylindrical.

13. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein the flared bottom portion includes a tip in the shape of a ridge.

14. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein the non-convex grip surfaces are substantially plane surfaces.

15. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein the top surface slopes in a straight line going down towards the inside cavity of the menstrual cup.

16. The menstrual cup according to claim 1, wherein the menstrual cup includes exactly two of the non-convex grip surfaces, the two non-convex grip surfaces face each other at least on said flared bottom portion and the two non-convex grip surfaces are configured so as to be able to be pinched between a thumb and an index finger in order to facilitate removal of the menstrual cup.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention can be well understood and its advantages appear better on reading the detailed description given below of embodiments shown as non-limiting examples. The description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1 and 2 are two diagrammatic views, respectively from the front and from the side showing a menstrual cup in a first embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIGS. 3 and 4 are section views of the menstrual cup of FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively in a meridian plane and in a transverse plane;

(4) FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the menstrual cup of FIGS. 1 and 2;

(5) FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views, respectively in perspective and in cross section, of a menstrual cup in a second embodiment of the invention; and

(6) FIG. 8 is a section view showing the removal of a menstrual cup.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) With reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, two menstrual cups 10 illustrating two embodiments of the invention are described below.

(8) These two cups are identical with the exception of certain characteristics that are described below. Also, elements that are identical or similar in these two cups are given the same numerical references.

(9) For elements shared by both shapes of cup, the following description is therefore shared by both shapes of cup.

(10) These two shapes are shown respectively by FIGS. 1 to 5 (first embodiment) and by FIGS. 6 and 7 (second embodiment).

(11) The menstrual cup 10 presents a flared bottom portion 20, a cylindrical portion 30, and a sealing ring 40.

(12) An inside cavity 12 is formed inside the cup 10.

(13) The cup 10 is generally in the form of a body of revolution about an axis X. In order to simplify the description it is considered that the axis X is vertical and that the opening of the cavity 12 faces upwards.

(14) The flared bottom portion 20 is the portion of the cup in which the diameter of the inside cavity 12 of the cup decreases.

(15) In the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 5), the flared bottom portion 20 includes two profiled grip surfaces 22 and 24, that are axisymmetric and that are arranged facing each other.

(16) In the second embodiment (FIGS. 6 and 7), the flared bottom portion includes three profiled grip surfaces 122, 124, and 126, that are axisymmetric and that are arranged facing each other.

(17) The grip surfaces (22, 24; 122, 124, 126) are profiled surfaces.

(18) In the embodiments shown, the grip surfaces are profiled surfaces with a cross-section that is substantially rectilinear.

(19) Thus, in the first embodiment, the grip surfaces 22, 24 are generated by moving a curve that forms substantially a straight line segment in a direction perpendicular to the section plane of FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows the straight line D that can be considered as the straight line of which the segment for the surface 24 forms a part.

(20) In the embodiments shown, the grip surfaces of the cup 10 are arranged on the bottom portion 20 only. They could possibly extend over the cylindrical portion 30.

(21) These grip surfaces extend in particular only up to a height that is less than 50% of the height H of the inside cavity 12 of the cup. This height H is measured from the bottom of the cup, and has a value of 0% at the bottom of this cavity, and 100% at the top opening of the cavity (FIG. 3).

(22) The grip surfaces occupy a relatively large area in the bottom portion 20, so as to engage the fingers and enable the cup to be gripped.

(23) Thus, as seen in FIG. 4 or 7, in a section of the cup in a transverse plane at mid-height of the grip surfaces, the sum of the angles at the vertex a of the grip surfaces is greater than 900.

(24) The grip surfaces present visual and tactile aspects that are different from the rest of the outside surface of the bottom portion 20.

(25) Thus, in the first embodiment, the grip surfaces 22 and 24 present a grain on grainy surfaces 28. This grain is obtained in conventional manner by using grainy surfaces of complementary shape that are provided in the mold for producing the cup 10.

(26) The grip surfaces 22 and 24 are grainy over the entire surfaces 28, with the exception of gaps 29. These gaps 29 are the portions of the grip surface 22 and 24 that are not grainy, unlike the rest of the surfaces 22 and 24 that constitute the grainy surfaces 28. The gaps 29 therefore remain smooth like the rest of the outside surface of the cup 10.

(27) The alternation of grainy surfaces and of smooth surfaces (surfaces 28/29) forms a pattern that makes it possible to recognize the grip surfaces 22 and 24 by touch and/or visually.

(28) In the second embodiment, the grip surfaces 122, 124, 126 are entirely grainy and do not include any smooth gaps.

(29) Advantageously, the presence of grip surfaces in the bottom portion of the cup 10 makes the stem completely pointless.

(30) In the first embodiment, the bottom of the cup 10 includes just a small tip 25, in the shape of a ridge. This makes it possible to locate the end of the cup and makes it easier to place the fingers on the grip surfaces.

(31) The top portion of the cup 10, in the vicinity of the sealing ring 40, includes pressure-equalizing passages 45. These passages present outer orifices (also given reference 45) that are generally situated in register with the grip surfaces 22, 24 (as can be seen in particular in FIG. 2). These passages are passages that pass through the wall of the cup and that therefore connect the inside cavity 12 of the cup to the outside thereof.

(32) The sealing ring presents an outer cylindrical surface 41. This surface extends vertically (along the axis X) over a certain height. This height is greater than 1/10.sup.th of the outside radius R of the ring 40 (FIG. 3).

(33) The outer cylindrical surface 41 is intended to improve sealing by increasing the contact surface area between the upper outer edge of the cup and the wall of the vagina; and maintain sufficient stiffness, both during folding and during use of the cup once it is in place.

(34) The ring 40 further presents a top surface 42 that slopes towards the inside of the cup. The shape of this surface 42 is indicated by arrow A in FIG. 3. The top surface 42 therefore presents a slope going down towards the inside of the cup, from the ridge formed at the top end of the cylindrical surface 41, to the junction between the ring 40 and the inside cavity 12 of the cup.

(35) By means of the (radially) inward slope of this surface, menstrual flow located on this top surface of the ring 40 flows inside and not outside the cavity 12 of the cup.

(36) FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a cup 10 removal operation.

(37) In order to remove said cup, it is necessary to pinch the bottom portion of the cup between the fingers. The cup 10 may be turned about its axis in order to separate it from the vagina; the cup is then pulled downwards and is thus extracted from the vagina.

(38) Although the present invention is described with reference to specific embodiment examples, it is clear that various modifications and changes can be made to these embodiments without going beyond the general ambit of the invention as defined by the claims. Furthermore, individual characteristics of the various embodiments mentioned may be combined in additional embodiments. Consequently, the description and the drawings should be considered in a sense that is illustrative rather than restrictive.