Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi – Bending – Folding
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-15
2003-02-04
Rada, Rinaldi I. (Department: 3721)
Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi
Bending
Folding
C493S434000, C493S441000, C493S450000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06514187
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to processes and apparatus for folding pants, and more particularly to processes and apparatus for making prefastened and refastenable pants.
Garments such as disposable absorbent garments have numerous applications including diapers, training pants, feminine care products, and adult incontinence products. The typical disposable absorbent garment is formed as a composite structure including an absorbent assembly disposed between a liquid permeable bodyside liner and a liquid impermeable outer cover. These components can be combined with other materials and features such as elastic materials and containment structures to form a product that is specifically suited to its intended purposes.
One form of disposable absorbent garment is a two-dimensional product that has open sides. Two-dimensional products, such as conventional diapers and some adult incontinence products, are generally flat and provided in an unfastened configuration. These garments have typically included fasteners such as adhesive tape fasteners or hook and loop type fasteners that releasably connect the front and back waist portions to secure the product about the wearer. Two-dimensional product can be easily applied or removed while the wearer is lying down.
Another form of disposable absorbent garment is a three-dimensional product with closed sides so that the product has a unitary waist opening and two leg openings. The wearer raises and lowers the garment to apply the product. Three-dimensional products are particularly appealing because the pant has a very garment-like look. Children for instance identify diaper products with babies, and most children do not like being identified with or as babies. Consequently, these children do not want to wear baby diapers, and instead prefer to wear training pants that look like adult underwear. Thus, the switch from a traditional diaper to a more garment-like or underwear-like training pant can be an important step in the toilet training process. Similarly, adults seeking the protection of incontinence products prefer the normalcy of a pant product rather than an incontinence product that must be applied in another fashion. Three-dimensional garments have been designed such that they can be torn to remove the garment from the wearer after it has been soiled.
Recently, prefastened and refastenable disposable absorbent garments have been proposed to provide the advantages of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional products. Prefastened and refastenable products can be applied and/or removed either like a conventional diaper or like a conventional training pant. For use as training pants, for example, there may be times when it would be useful to apply the product like a diaper. For instance, it might be more convenient to apply the product like a diaper when there is a desire not to remove the child's shoes. Because it is difficult to know when a particular mode of applying the garment will be needed, it is beneficial to have a garment that is adaptable to being used either as a diaper or as a pant. This is preferable to keeping both types of garments available. A product that can be applied like either a diaper or a pant permits the interior of the product to be easily checked without having to pull the product downward.
Disposable absorbent products present many manufacturing challenges. In part, this is due to the high speed that is necessary to economically produce relatively low cost disposable absorbent products. Further, prefastened and refastenable garments present new challenges for high speed manufacturing. Such products must be folded in a manner that allows the refastenable fasteners to be properly aligned and engaged. Improperly attached or aligned fasteners can lead to many product deficiencies, including machine waste and/or delay, improper fit, fastener delamination during use, fastener disengagement during use, skin irritation, or the like.
Thus, what is lacking and needed in the art are improved processes and apparatus for folding pants, which processes and apparatus are suitable for use with discrete articles including mechanical fastening components and suitable for the manufacture of prefastened and refastenable pants.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the above-referenced unfulfilled need in the art, new processes and apparatus for folding pants have been discovered. One aspect of the present invention pertains to a method of folding pants. One embodiment of the method comprises creating a folding nip between first and second transport devices, where the folding nip includes first and second vacuum rolls operatively associated with the respective first and second transport devices. Separation members are interposed between the first and second transport devices. The separation members are disposed on opposite sides of and outward from a machine center line. A plurality of discrete articles are transported to the folding nip. Each discrete article defines a leading half comprising opposed leading side panels, a trailing half comprising opposed trailing side panels, and an interconnecting region disposed between and interconnecting the leading and trailing halves. With the leading half positioned in proximity to the second vacuum roll and the trailing half positioned in proximity to the first vacuum roll, the interconnecting region is moved into the folding nip. The leading side panels are drawn toward the second vacuum roll and the trailing side panels are drawn toward the first vacuum roll. As the leading and trailing halves are advanced into the folding nip, the leading side panels are positioned on one side of the separation members and the trailing side panels are positioned on an opposite side of the separation members.
In another embodiment of the method, a plurality of discrete articles are transported to the folding nip formed between first and second transport devices and including first and second vacuum rolls. Each discrete article defines a leading half comprising opposed leading side panels, a trailing half comprising opposed trailing side panels, and an interconnecting region. The leading and trailing side panels are outstretched in a cross machine direction. The leading side panels comprise first fastening components, and the trailing half comprises second fastening components capable of refastenably engaging the first fastening components. The leading half and the outstretched leading side panels are positioned in proximity to the second vacuum roll, and the trailing half and the outstretched trailing side panels are positioned in proximity to the first vacuum roll. As the interconnecting region is moved into the folding nip, the outstretched leading side panels are drawn toward the second vacuum roll and the outstretched trailing side panels are drawn toward the first vacuum roll. The leading and trailing halves are advanced into the folding nip. The leading side panels are maintained separate from the trailing side panels while the interconnecting region is moved into the folding nip and until the discrete articles are downstream of the folding nip.
Another embodiment of the method of folding pants comprises: creating a folding nip between first and second transport devices, the folding nip comprising first and second nose rolls operatively associated with the respective first and second transport devices; interposing separation members between the first and second transport devices, the separation members disposed on opposite sides of a machine center line, the separation members disposed outward from the machine center line; transporting a plurality of discrete articles on the first transport device, each discrete article defining a leading half comprising opposed leading side panels, a trailing half comprising opposed trailing side panels, and an interconnecting region disposed between and interconnecting the leading and trailing halves, the leading and trailing side panels outstretched in a cross machine direction, the leading side panels comprising firs
Coenen Joseph Daniel
Csida Jason Gene
Krupka Kurt Garrett
Popp Robert Lee
Desai Hemant M.
Gage Thomas M.
Kimberly--Clark Worldwide, Inc.
Rada Rinaldi I.
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