Patent ID: 7967803

Claim:
A tampon, having essentially a cylindrical shape, comprising: a generally cylindrical compressed fiber body formed as a regular pattern of at least three longitudinal ribs; wherein the final compression of the fiber body is non-radial; wherein all of the provided ribs have proximal ends attached to the body that extend outward to distal ends of said ribs; wherein all of the provided ribs, in transverse cross-section, have a median at least partially diverging from the radius in a same direction and at an angle of at least 10 degrees along at least a portion of the median; wherein the medians of all the provided ribs diverge in either a clockwise direction for all of said ribs or in a counter-clockwise direction for all of said ribs; the median of each of said ribs is at an angle between 10° and 20° or between −10° and −20° vis á vis the radius of the same rib; and the medians of all the provided ribs diverge at substantially the same angle.