Opinion ID: 212038
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Patent and Prosecution History

Text: 3 Playtex, a tampon manufacturer, is the assignee of the '178 patent. The invention described in the '178 patent is a tampon applicator designed to enhance the user's control over tampon insertion and placement. The '178 patent describes a tampon applicator having a tapered end with diametrically opposed, flattened surfaces. The patent explains that these surfaces provide a superior grip, thereby enabling a user to comfortably hold the applicator with little or no involuntary rotation and to eject the tampon from the applicator and more accurately control the placement of the tampon. '178 patent, col. 2, II. 29-33. Contemporaneous applicator designs had cylindrically-shaped finger grip areas that allowed the tampon to rotate involuntary during insertion, making it difficult to properly position the tampon. 4 P & G manufactures and sells a tampon called Tampax Pearl Plastic. The Tampax Pearl applicator is almost identical to the applicator represented in the '178 patent, with the exception that its finger grip area is continuously curved. The curvature was added to the finger grip area of the product in an effort to design around the '178 patent. 5 The '178 patent was issued without amendment. It has a total of 14 claims. Claims 1 and 11 are independent; the remaining claims are dependent. Only claims 1 and 9 are at issue in this proceeding. Claim 1 provides:
6 a tubular barrel adapted to house and carry a tampon therein and a slideable, tubular plunger telescopically engageable with said barrel and operable to push the innermost end of the tampon within the barrel out of the forward end of the barrel into a vagina; 7 said tubular barrel comprising: 8
9 (b) a rearward portion adapted to partially house and engage said plunger, said rearward portion of said barrel comprising two diametrically opposed, substantially flattened surfaces; and 10 (c) a transitional section between said rearward portion and said front portion, said transitional section having a reduced diameter relative to said front portion of said barrel; 11 whereby said flattened surfaces and said transition section provide a finger and thumb hold enabling a user to comfortably eject and control the position of said tampon. 12 '178 patent, cols. 5-6 (emphasis added). The written description of the '178 patent does not specifically define the term substantially flattened surfaces. However, during prosecution of the '178 patent, Playtex distinguished the claimed substantially flattened surfaces from those tampon applicators well-known in the art containing substantially, relatively, or generally cylindrical surfaces. As set forth in the '178 patent the substantially flattened surfaces perform two functions: (1) they provide the user with greater control of positioning and (2) they reduce rotational movement and play. '178 patent, col. 2, II. 28-33. 13 The district court's construction of dependent claim 9 is also challenged on appeal. It reads as follows: 14 The applicator of claim 1 further comprising means for limiting the movement of said plunger through said rearward portion of said barrel. 15 '178 patent, col. 6 (emphasis added). The parties agree that claim 9 is a means-plus-function claim under 35 U.S.C. § 112 ¶ 6. The written description of the '178 patent expressly provides a corresponding structure for the limiting means. The abstract reveals that [o]ne manner of limiting the movement of the plunger is by providing at least one curled lip integral with the inner end of the plunger and engageable with the angled shoulders and preferably a second curled lip integral with the outer end of the plunger and engageable with the plunger entry area of the barrel. '178 patent, col. 4-5 (emphases added). The only drawing in the specification depicting the limiting means shows a plunger with a curved lip at both ends.