Sewing – Method of sewing – Workpiece manipulation other than straight line feeding
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-15
2002-11-19
Izaguirre, Ismael (Department: 3765)
Sewing
Method of sewing
Workpiece manipulation other than straight line feeding
C112S475090, C112S306000, C112S153000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06481362
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to processes and apparatus for making garments, and more particularly to processes and apparatus for making prefastened garments.
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.
Manufacturing techniques for making conventional garments are in some respects inadequate for making new product forms, such as prefastened garments. Hence, what is lacking and needed in the art are processes and apparatus for making prefastened garments, including prefastened and refastenable disposable absorbent garments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the above-referenced unfulfilled need in the art, new processes and apparatus for making prefastened disposable absorbent articles have been discovered. One aspect of the invention concerns a method for positioning side panels during manufacture of a pant. The method comprises transporting a pant in a machine direction, where the pant has at least one waist region comprising opposite side panels. A panel positioning system is activated to move a side panel in a direction generally perpendicular to the machine direction while the pant is transported in the machine direction. The panel positioning system comprises a drive mechanism, a positioning mechanism operatively connected to the drive mechanism, and a head connected to the positioning mechanism. The drive mechanism and the positioning mechanism cause the head to contact a side panel while moving in an orbital profile having an x-direction component generally parallel to the machine direction and a y-direction component perpendicular to the x-direction component.
The orbital profile can lie in a plane generally perpendicular to a pant transport plane containing the pant, or in a plane oblique to a pant transport plane. As used herein, the term “orbital profile” refers to the repeating and revolving path of movement of the head. The head does not maintain a fixed orientation relative to the center of rotation of the head.
The present invention also concerns a method for making prefastened and refastenable pants. The method comprises transporting a stream of discrete, partially assembled and folded pants in a machine direction. Each pant comprises a first waist region with opposed first side panels and a second waist region with opposed second side panels. The first side panels comprise first fastening components and the second side panels comprise second fastening components capable of refastenably engaging the first fastening components. The first side panels can be inwardly folded. Panel positioning systems are activated to inwardly fold the second side panels into overlapping position with the folded first side panels. Each panel positioning system comprises a drive mechanism, a positioning mechanism operatively connected to the drive mechanism, and a head connected to the positioning mechanism. The drive mechanisms and the positioning mechanisms cause the heads to move in orbital profiles and contact the second side panels. The method also comprises refastenably engaging the first and second fastening components.
In another aspect, the present invention concerns an apparatus for positioning side panels during manufacture of a pant. The apparatus comprises a transportation device for transporting pants in a machine direction and defining a machine center line. Panel positioning systems are disposed transversely outward from the machine center line. Each panel positioning system comprises a drive mechanism, a positioning mechanism operatively connected to the drive mechanism, and a head connected to the positioning mechanism. The drive mechanism and the positioning mechanism are adapted to move the head in an orbital profile having an x-direction component generally parallel to the machine direction and a y-direction component perpendicular to the x-direction component.
Another aspect of the invention concerns an apparatus for making prefastened and refastenable pants. The apparatus comprises a transportation device for transporting discrete, partially assembled and folded pants in a machine direction and defining a machine center line. Each folded pant comprises a first waist region with opposed first side panels and a second waist region with opposed second side panels. The first side panels comprise first fastening components and the second side panels comprise second fastening components capable of refastenably engaging the first fastening components. Folding devices are disposed transversely outward from the machine center line. The folding devices are positioned in proximity to the transportation device and adapted to inwardly fold the first side panels. Panel positioning systems are disposed transversely outward from the machine center line. Each panel positioning system comprises a drive mechanism, a positioning mechanism operatively connected to the drive mechanism, and a head connected to the positioning mechanism. The drive mechanism and the positioning mechanism are adapted to move the head in an orbital profile having an x-direction component generally parallel to the machine direction and a y-direction component perpendicular to the x-direction component. The panel positioning systems are adapted to inwardly fold the second side panels into overlapping position with the folded first side panels.
The pants can include refastenable or non-refastenable side seams. Nonrefastenable bonded seams can be formed by ultrasonic bonds, thermal bonds, adhesive bonds, sewing, or the like. Fastening components to form refastenable seams can comprise separate elements bonded to another component of the pant. Alternatively, the fastening components can comprise a portion of another element of the pant, such as the bodyside liner, the outer cover, separate side panels if employed, integral side panels if employed, a belt-type component extending transversely across the chassis if employed, or the like. Thus, unless otherwise specified, the term “fastening component” includes both separate components which function as fasteners and regions of materials such as side panels, liners, outer covers or the like which function as fasteners. Moreover, a single material can define multiple fastening components to the extent that different regions of the material function as separate fasteners. The fastening components can be located on the side panels, between the side panels such as on the absorbent chassis, or a combination of the two. The fastening components can have any desired shape, such as square, rectangular, round, curved, oval, irregularly shaped, or the like. Each fastening component can comprise a single fastening element or multiple fastening elements.
The fastening components can comprise any refastenable fasteners suitable for absorbent articles, such as adhesive fasteners, cohesive fasteners, mechanical fasteners, or the like. In particular embodiments the fastening components comprise mechanical fastening elements for improved performance. Suitable mechanical fastening elements can be provided by interlocking geometric shaped materials, such as hooks, loops, bulbs, mushrooms, arrowheads, balls on stems, male and female mating components, buckles, snaps, or the like. In particular embodiments, the fastening components and mating fastening components comprise hook-and-loop fastening elements. One skilled in the art will recognize that the shape, density and polymer composition of the hooks and loops may be selected to obtain the desired level of securement between the fastening components and the mating fastening components. A more
Coenen Joseph Daniel
Hietpas Lloyd Carl
Kuen David Arthur
Maxton David Albert
Popp Robert Lee
Gage Thomas M.
Izaguirre Ismael
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