Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi – Control means energized in response to activator stimulated... – Responsive to work material – the product or means engaging...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-05
2002-03-05
Vo, Peter (Department: 3721)
Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi
Control means energized in response to activator stimulated...
Responsive to work material, the product or means engaging...
C493S008000, C493S010000, C493S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06352497
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The manufacture of absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, incontinence underwear articles, and the like, typically includes compiling and processing a web substrate as a continuous band of end-to-end or side-to-side work pieces from which respective absorbent articles are eventually derived, typically one absorbent article from each work piece. The compiling and processing includes assembling various elements to the web substrate, and shaping and configuring the thus assembled composite web substrate.
Upon completion of the various manufacturing steps, the web is severed across a transverse dimension of the web, typically across the full width of the web, to thereby separate from the web respective ones of the work pieces as separate and distinct units of absorbent article product.
During the fabrication process, the units of product become progressively defined in the work pieces until such time as the work pieces are severed from the web as separate and distinct units of product. In the web, the work pieces are generally associated with respective repeat elements on the web and the number and positioning of the respective elements in the finished units of product.
Thus, one familiar with the definition of the products to be derived from the web can, by observing the locations and repeat frequencies of respective elements on or in the web, typically perceive the identities and locations of respective ones of the work pieces on the web, and can correspondingly perceive the identities and locations of the respective units of product which will be derived from the web.
In manufacturing certain absorbent articles, trim material pieces are defined in trim areas; and the trim material pieces are severed and removed from the web. Exemplary of such trim areas are cut-outs associated with leg openings such as in, for example, diapers, training pants, incontinence underwear articles, and the like.
Successfully severing the trim material pieces from the web at the trim areas requires that the composite web material be severed about the entirety of the boundary between the trim material and the balance of the web.
Removing apparatus is typically designed for removing a trim piece that has been completely severed, and is typically not designed for completing severance where the trim piece has been only partially severed. Accordingly, successful removal of the trim pieces from the web at the trim areas is generally limited to work pieces where the corresponding web material has been completely severed from the web by the time the respective thus cut-out area, and associated trim piece, arrive at the removing station on the fabrication line.
Thus, successfully removing the trim piece depends heavily on the success of the severing step in severing the trim piece about the entirety of the boundary of the trim area with the web. When the trim piece is not completely severed, there is a high probability that the removing apparatus will not successfully remove the trim piece from the web.
Cutting apparatus typically employed in making leg cut-outs in disposable absorbent diapers periodically fails to completely sever the trim piece from the web. When that happens, the trim piece typically stays with the web, and when the respective work piece is cut from the web, the trim piece stays with the resulting unit of product, as a product defect.
SUMMARY
It is an object of the invention to provide a method of checking for or verifying successful removal of trim material from trim areas at periodic intervals along a web in a processing line fabricating discrete units of product.
It is another object to provide such a method utilizing marking material on trim material pieces, removing the trim pieces which contain the marking material, and then sensing for the marking material to detect trim pieces not successfully removed.
It is still another object to provide such method wherein the marking material on the trim pieces is distinguishable from any indicator material used on the web outside the trim areas.
Yet another object is to apply a sensor for the marking material in sufficient proximity to the web and at suitable orientation to the web, thereby checking for trim material not successfully removed.
Still another object is to provide a web including marking material, confined in the trim areas, and which can be detected by a sensor, whether by visible light, or independently of visible light utilizing, for example, magnetic flux, ultraviolet light, an olfactory sensor, infrared energy, and/or an optical brightener detectable under ultraviolet light.
A more specific object is to provide such web free from the marking material outside the trim areas, such that the sensor can distinguish marking material, on trim material not successfully removed from the web, from other indicator material which may be present on the web.
Yet another object is to provide a method wherein a sensor is effective to sense the marking material through a visually obstructive layer between the sensor and the reference marks.
A further object is to provide apparatus for checking for successful removal of trim material from a web, including a sensor in sufficient proximity to the web, and at suitable orientation to the web, to be activated by marking material which is on the trim material and which comes into sensing proximity to the sensor, thus to check for successful removal of the trim material.
A more specific object is to provide for registering the marking material to a master reference on the respective work piece.
Yet another object is to provide the marking material as marks consistent with sufficient acuity and measurable intensity, and having suitable outline, that images thereof can serve as registration marks against which other elements in the web can be registered.
A yet further specific object is to provide for registering to each other, optionally indirectly, first and second web features, at least one of which is not sufficiently sharply or distinctively defined to be readily located by a sensor.
A more specific object is to provide methods, webs, and apparatus, directed toward reliably determining whether trim material has been successfully removed from leg cut-out trim areas in absorbent personal care articles such as diapers, training pants, incontinence underwear articles, and the like.
A first family of embodiments of the invention comprehends a method of checking for successful removal of trim material from trim areas disposed at periodic intervals along a web in a processing line fabricating discrete units of product from the web, thus to develop cut-outs in the units of product at the trim areas. The method comprises utilizing marking material as images, optionally as reference marks, on trim material pieces, and severing and removing the trim material pieces thus to develop the cut-outs at the trim areas, and after removing the trim material pieces, sensing for the marking material which was on the removed trim material pieces, utilizing at least one sensor at least at and adjacent the trim areas. The method thus detects marking material on trim material pieces which have not been successfully removed from the web. The marking material as perceived by the sensor or sensors is distinguishable from any indicator material used on the web outside the trim areas.
In preferred embodiments, the web, outside the trim areas, is free from the specific marking material used for the registration and/or reference marks, thus enhancing the sensor's capacity to distinguish marking material not successfully removed from the web, from other markings or indicator material or indicia which may exist on the web.
Preferably, the marking material as applied in the trim areas is consistent with sufficient acuity and measurable intensity, and has suitable outline, that images thereof can serve as registration reference marks.
In some embodiments, the marking material as applied is consistent with sufficient acuity and measurable intensity, and has suitable outline, that the images thereof can rea
Hensley Robert Leo
Ungpiyakul Tanakon
Kimberly--Clark Worldwide, Inc.
Tawfik Sam
Vo Peter
Wilhelm Thomas D.
Wilhelm Law Service
LandOfFree
Detectable marks in trim material does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Detectable marks in trim material, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Detectable marks in trim material will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2829784