Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-13
2004-03-30
Aftergut, Jeff H. (Department: 1733)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S160000, C156S161000, C156S163000, C156S229000, C156S250000, C156S073100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06712922
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to manufacture of, e.g. absorbent, personal care articles, especially to methods and apparatus for assembly of multiple component extensible webs, and personal care articles manufactured from such webs. More specifically, this invention relates to methods and apparatus for assembly of webs, preferably extensible webs, and personal care articles manufactured therefrom wherein the methods and apparatus of the invention diminish inefficient attributes of methods associated with conventional processes for manufacturing personal care articles. While embodiments of the present invention are described herein in terms of personal care articles such as pull-on pants or adult incontinence briefs, the invention includes, and is equally applicable to, infant diapers, training pants, and like personal care articles.
In conventional methods for fabricating personal care absorbent articles, it is known to build workplaces on a uniform, continuous web or webs as the web or webs advance through a series of work stations on a manufacturing line, wherein each work station effects a modification to a web or workpiece element, such as cuts or additions of absorbent article components to such web, webs, or workpiece element. Individual workplaces are then severed from the uniform continuous web or webs to form individual absorbent personal care articles or article blanks. In such conventional methods for fabricating personal care articles, ancillary components, such as fastener tabs and fastening areas or landing zones, are affixed to such articles or article blanks either at the work stations of such manufacturing line or at a subsequent stage in the manufacturing process after separation of such articles or article blanks from the web or webs.
A need exists for improved methods for production of personal care absorbent articles wherein the methods are effective to reduce material waste and to improve time efficiency of the manufacturing process as well as to reduce financial waste inevitably associated with time inefficiency of such manufacturing process. A need exists for improved methods for production of personal care absorbent articles wherein the methods are effective to attenuate material waste and time inefficiency associated with conventional manufacturing processes as well as to reduce the financial burden associated with such inefficiencies and waste.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide improved methods for production of personal care absorbent articles which implement a more “manufacture-friendly” extensible web as a base structure from which to assemble personal care absorbent articles, enabling a manufacturer to assemble such articles while employing relatively fewer work stations on the manufacturing line, compared to conventional methods, thus reducing production time.
It is another object of the invention to provide improved manufacturing methods which include fabricating a web of indefinite length by adding alternating workpieces and intervening elements to the web segment so as to develop a self-supporting web of indefinite length, wherein support of such self-supporting web along the indefinite length of such web is primarily defined by the alternating workpieces and intervening elements making up the web.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide improved manufacturing methods including defining, in the workpieces, mechanical fasteners effective to engage the intervening elements.
It is a further object of the invention to provide improved manufacturing methods wherein the releasable attachment of the workpieces to the intervening elements comprises the only attachment between the workpieces and the intervening elements.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide improved manufacturing methods which reduce the relative quantity of raw material which is wasted in the manufacturing of personal care-type articles.
SUMMARY
In a first family of embodiments, the invention comprehends a method of fabricating a web suitable for use in making a personal care absorbent article. The method comprises fabricating a resiliently extensible web by bringing together and securing to each other web substrate elements and resiliently stretchable elastic elements in stretched condition. The securement between the elastic elements and the web substrate elements is defined by alternating zones of securement and non-securement of the elastic elements to at least one of the web substrate elements along a length of the web substrate. The method also includes deactivating elastic elements in the non-securement zones thereby to attenuate resilient retraction of the web in such non-securement zones in response to activity of the elastics, and correspondingly, to distinguish the securement zones as relatively more resiliently stretchable and the non-securement zones as relatively less resiliently stretchable. The method further includes applying, to the relatively non-stretchable non-securement zones, patches of mechanical fastener material extending generally between respective adjacent ones of the relatively more resiliently stretchable securement zones.
In preferred embodiments, the invention comprises fabricating a workpiece suitable for use in a personal care article including defining a first end of such workpiece in the web by defining a free end of the web through a respective patch of the hook fastener material, and separating the workpiece from the web through a second respective patch of the hook fastener material such that hook fastener patch material is defined at opposing end portions of the respective workpiece.
In such preferred embodiments, the invention can comprise fabricating an extensible web from respective ones of first and second workpieces, wherein such web is suitable for use as a substrate in making a personal care article. The method comprises arranging workpieces in generally end-to-end relationship with intervening elements, and releasably attaching the hook material on the workpieces to hook receptive areas on the intervening elements, thus to releasably attach the workpieces to the intervening elements in fabricating a length of the extensible web.
The releasable attachment of the workpieces to the intervening elements comprises the primary structural attachment, and preferably the only attachment, between the workplaces and the intervening elements.
The method can comprise developing an alternating arrangement of the workpieces and the intervening elements such that each such workplace is between two such intervening elements and each such intervening element is between two such workpieces.
In some embodiments, the method comprises arranging workpieces in generally end-to-end relationship with intervening elements, respective ones of the intervening elements having lengths and widths defining respective surface areas, the hook receptive areas of such respective intervening elements generally corresponding to such surface areas. Such method includes releasably attaching the hook material on the workpieces to the intervening elements at the hook receptive areas, thus to releasably attach the workpieces and the intervening elements to each other in fabricating a length of the extensible web.
Methods of the invention typically include deactivating elastic elements in the non-securement zones preferably by cutting such elastic elements or by applying ultrasonic energy to such elastic elements optionally through an intervening layer.
In a second family of embodiments, the invention comprehends a method comprising fabricating a base web comprising multiple workpieces, applying patches of mechanical fastener material to such base web, and defining a first end of such workpiece by defining a free end of the base web through a respective patch of the fastener material, and separating the workpiece from the base web through a second respective patch of the fastener material such that a patch of fastener material is defined at both opposing end portions of the respective workpiece.
In preferred embodiments, the m
Christoffel Paul William
Sanders Donald Joseph
Sorenson Jesse Paul
Aftergut Jeff H.
Dority & Manning P.A.
LandOfFree
Method of fabricating a multiple component web does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method of fabricating a multiple component web, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method of fabricating a multiple component web will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3226117