Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-18
2001-07-03
Gray, Linda (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S160000, C156S176000, C156S201000, C156S204000, C156S227000, C156S269000, C156S300000, C156S302000, C156S436000, C156S465000, C156S519000, C156S520000, C156S552000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254714
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to apparatus for fabricating a undergarment assembly similar to disposable diapers but without an integral absorbent pad, and having a front panel opening.
Machinery for making disposable diapers includes pulp roll advancement and de-fiberizong equipment to product absorbent fluff for the pad, and components for intergating the pad, garment facing and backing sheets.
U.S. Class 604 includes literally hundreds of disposable diaper patents involving materials and features of the absorbent pad as part of the diaper.
Undergarment briefs produced by the instant apparatus are described in U.S. Class 2 which includes a variety of undergarments having, or made to accept, separate absorbent pads.
Undergarment briefs of this type, but with an openable front panel are describd in U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,890. The apparatus for making the '890 product is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/901914, U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,802.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/901914, U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,802 has provision to accept and combine absorbent pads made separately ,but it is primarily intended to describe apparatus for making briefs with a front opening.
That feature permits the user to ‘step into’ the garment for wear with or without adding a commercially available hygienic or absorbent pad specifically designed for the amount of bodily fluids being expelled.
Because the product of U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,890 is a completed garment, the apparatus for making them requires a carrier drum to advance segments, fold the front panel over the rear panel, and means to fold and secure flaps protruding from the side margins to complete the leg and waist apertures.
The product made with the instant apparatus is not a completed garment and therefore certain elements of the earlier U.S. Ser. No. 08 901,914, U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,802 teaching are eliminated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/901914 for apparatus used to make the completed brief of U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,890.
Unlike '914, this invention describes apparatus to produce stacks of brief assemblies that do not have leg and waist apertures until certain folding and tape securement tasks are completed by the user, like disposable diapers.
The apparatus of '914 uses a folding drum having movable folding fingers according to earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,433, and the instant invention eliminates the folding devices and drum by using other unique combinations of machine components.
For stacks delivered in flat form, the inventive apparatus can use stacking devices similar to U.S. Pat. No. 3,141,667 of Novich or U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,683 of Stroud.
For lower bulk, briefs can be folded for packaging using the apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,889 of Nystrand or U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,935 of Guichard.
In the instant apparatus, combined webs are advanced through fabrication steps including adhesive printing of pre-selected areas to bond selected areas between plies, and application of other product components requiring vacuum transfer.
The high speed operation of disposable diaper machines is due largely to the fabrication of materials while they are in web form.
Similar methods are used in this invention to fabricate briefs with a front opening or ‘fly’ in the front panel.
The apparatus advances two webs, each of about half width of the product, and using ‘reverse’ folding plates to apply a reinforcing strip on one or more edges, web paths are arranged to partially overlap.
The instant apparatus advances two half width webs, applies adhesive to pre-selected areas of one web, joins the webs in overlapping relationship to bond the rear panel portions together, adds a closure tape to connect non-bonded front panel portions which define a front opening, attach cs tapes that protrude from each side margin of the rear panel (like disposable diapers), and cuts the assembly into discreet units that are later placed around the crotch of the user and attached at both sides to complete the garment leg and waist apertures.
The primary object of the invention is to define apparatus for making brief assemblies having a reclosable opening but without the front and rear panels connected.
Another object is to eliminate the movable folding fingers and carrier drum used in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/901914, U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,802 and described in earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,795, 433.
Another object is to make brief assemblies and deliver stacks of flat or folded briefs for package size reduction.
Other objects of the invention may be seen in the ensuing specifications.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4578133 (1986-03-01), Oshefsky et al.
patent: 5584954 (1996-12-01), Van Der Klugt
patent: 6017406 (2000-01-01), Vogt
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