Methods for making garments with fastening components

Details Methods for making garments with fastening components Methods for making garments with fastening components

2003-01-21

2004-10-26

Sells, James (Department: 1734)

Stock material or miscellaneous articles

Structurally defined web or sheet

Including fastener for attaching to external surface

C428S099000, C428S198000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06808787

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to methods for making garments with fastening components, and more particularly to methods for making disposable absorbent articles with mechanical fastening components.
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 products 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. This can be a significant consideration, for example, with children who prefer to wear training pants that look like adult underwear rather than diapers, and with adults who prefer the normalcy of a pant product rather than an incontinence product that must be applied in another fashion.
In addition, prefastened and refastenable disposable absorbent garments have recently 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 incorporating fastening components 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. The challenges are particularly significant for prefastened and refastenable garments. Such products must be assembled in a manner that allows the fastening components 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 methods for making garments with fastening components, and in particular disposable absorbent articles with mechanical fastening components, where such methods are compatible with the manufacture of prefastened and refastenable garments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the above-referenced unfulfilled need in the art, new methods for making garments with fastening components have been discovered. The methods are particularly suited for the manufacture of disposable absorbent articles with mechanical fastening components. In one embodiment, a method of making garments with fastening components, comprises: transporting a continuous product assemblage in a machine direction, the product assemblage defining opposite first and second major surfaces; positioning first fastening components on the first major surface, the first fastening components disposed on opposite sides of a machine center line, the first fastening components disposed at selected first cross machine direction locations; positioning second fastening components on the second major surface, the second fastening components being refastenably engageable with the first fastening components, the second fastening components disposed on opposite sides of the machine center line, the second fastening components disposed at selected second cross machine direction locations; subsequent to positioning the first and second fastening components, processing the product assemblage through a pair of bonding devices, the bonding devices disposed on opposite sides of the machine center line, each bonding device defining an operative bonding width, the bonding devices disposed at selected cross machine direction locations such that the operative bonding widths overlap at least part of the first cross machine direction locations and at least part of the second cross machine direction locations; activating each bonding device such that each bonding device bonds both a first fastening component to the product assemblage and a second fastening component to the product assemblage; and cutting the product assemblage at spaced locations to form a plurality of discrete garments with fastening components.
In another embodiment, a method of making garments with fastening components comprises: transporting a continuous product assemblage in a machine direction, the product assemblage defining a longitudinal center line and opposite first and second major surfaces, the product assemblage comprising a plurality of pairs of opposed side panel strips, each pair comprising a side panel strip extending transversely outward from the longitudinal center line on both sides of the longitudinal center line, the plurality of pairs of opposed side panel strips being spaced from one another in the machine direction; positioning first fastening components on the first major surface of each pair of opposed side panel strips, the first fastening components disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line, the first fastening components disposed at selected first cross machine direction locations; positioning second fastening components on the second major surface of each pair of opposed side panel strips, the second fastening components being refastenably engageable with the first fastening components, the second fastening components disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line, the second fastening components disposed at selected second cross machine direction locations, the second fastening components being spaced in the machine direction from the first fastening components; subsequent to positioning the first and second fastening components, processing the product assemblage through a pair of bonding devices, the bonding devices disposed on opposite sides of the machine center line, each bonding device defining an operative bonding width, the bonding devices disposed at selected cross machine direction locations such that the operative bonding widths overlap at least part of the first cross machine direction locations and at least part of the second cross machine direction locations; activating each bonding device such that each bonding device bonds both a first fastening component to the side panel strips and a second fastening component to the side panel strips; and cutting the product assemblage through each pair of opposed side panel strips to form a plurality of discrete garments, each discrete garment defining a

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Methods for making garments with fastening components does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Methods for making garments with fastening components, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Methods for making garments with fastening components will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3299413