Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Patent
1997-06-20
1998-06-30
Johnstone, Adrienne C.
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
2402, 156163, 156211, 156217, 156226, 156227, 156264, 156267, 156292, 1563084, 156443, 156494, 156516, 156522, 156538, 156539, 156543, 156566, 604396, A41B 912, A61F 1315, B32B 3118, B32B 3120
Patent
active
057728259
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method of making an undergarment having side seams from a two-dimensional preform.
The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out said method and to a preform for making such an undergarment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Undergarments, in particular disposable absorbent articles having side seams, are known from EP-B-0187728. These articles have butt-type or overlapping side seams which are formed by superimposing the sealing areas at the front and the back waist regions and connecting the front waist region to the back waist region by adhesive-, fusion, ultrasonic or other bonds.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of forming an undergarment having side seams which can be accurately produced at high speeds.
It is another object of the invention to provide an accurate and high-speed method for making an undergarment having side seams and comprising an active elastic element along at least one transverse side, for instance a pre-stretched elastic element.
It is again another object of the invention to provide an apparatus for forming an undergarment, in particular a disposable absorbent article having side seams.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method of forming an undergarment in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of cutting a continuous web along transverse cut lines to form individual preforms, side in the region of a central section thereof, wherein each leg contour does not touch the respective longitudinal side, thus forming two gripping flaps, that the preform is doubled over along the transverse centerline and such that the sealing areas in the region of the back waist sections can be placed in a superimposed relationship with the sealing areas in the region of the front waist sections, and
By cutting the leg contours in the preform such that the cut-out sections remain attached to the preform, the preform can be gripped at the cut-out sections. When the cut-out sections, or gripping flaps, are gripped at the hight of the transverse center line and are pulled outwardly, the preform is folded about its transverse centerline. The sealing areas in the front and back waist regions can in this way be accurately superimposed because the positions in which the preform is gripped on the gripping flaps are fixed at each stage of the folding process. No hand-over of the preform is necessary between for instance the application of leg- or waist elastics to the preform and the folding- and sealing step. In this way good process control is obtained which allows high speed production, for instance at speeds of 120 meters per minute or more. Furthermore, the method according to the invention allows to handle webs which are contracted by elastic elements both in the length direction of the web and in a direction transversely thereto.
The preform can comprise a single sheet of material such as a polyethylene film or a non-woven material, which can be an elastic or non-elastic non-woven material. The preform can also be a laminate of a non-woven material and a thermoplastic film, or can be formed by the combination of a liquid-pervious topsheet and a liquid-impervious backsheet between which an absorbent element is encased. Alternatively, the preform can comprise an absorbent element of the insert-type comprising a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent core, the insert absorbent element being connected to the preform material and optionally being detachable therefrom for disposal.
An embodiment of the method according to the invention comprises the steps of below a rotatable supply roll having an axis of rotation located generally perpendicular to the direction of transport, across at least a part of the width of the preform, wherein the supply roll comprises a peripheral cutting element, along the leg contours to form the gripping flaps,
By combining the application of the waist elastics and the cutting of the leg contours, accurate control of the position of the waist edges of the preform is obtained. By
REFERENCES:
patent: 5536350 (1996-07-01), Klemp
patent: 5626711 (1997-05-01), Herrmann
Cummings Theodore P.
Johnstone Adrienne C.
Miller Steven W.
Rasser Jacobus C.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
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