Patent ID: 8777916

Claim:
An assembly comprising: a compact tampon applicator made of at least partially flexible material, and comprising an ejector tube, an outer tube dimensioned to fit closely and telescopically over said ejector tube and having a distal discharge end, a restraining means between said tubes for preventing the disassembly of said ejector tube from said outer tube in the proximal direction, and one or more inward projections formed along the inner circumference adjacent to the distal end of the outer tube, and a tampon having a longitudinal body defining a constricted insertion end, a withdrawal end, a central section extending there between, a longitudinal axis, and an outer surface, wherein said tampon has the following features: the tampon consists essentially of compressed absorbent fibrous material, the tampon has length between 35 mm and 60 mm, the tampon has weight between 1.5 g and 6.5 g, the outer surface of the tampon comprises at least three areas of radial depression comprising three radially pressed longitudinal grooves defining adjacent longitudinal ribs, wherein the outer circumferential surface of the ribs defines the maximum outer diameter of the tampon in transverse cross-section of between 8 mm and 18 mm, and said longitudinal grooves define areas on the outer surface having a smaller diameter in transverse cross-section than said maximum outer diameter of the tampon, whereby the contact between the outer surface of the tampon and the ejector tube and/or the outer tube is reduced, and an enlarged head comprising a radially raised, circumferentially extending portion proximally adjacent to the constricted insertion end, and a proximal boundary that forms a base of said enlarged head, wherein the base of the enlarged head of the tampon is configured to engage with the inward projections of the outer tube to prevent the displacement of the tampon in the proximal direction during withdrawal of the ejector tube from the outer tube over the tampon.