Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-24
2001-06-12
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S229000, C156S324000, C156S361000, C226S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06245168
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to processes and apparatus for making disposable absorbent articles, and particularly to processes and apparatus for making disposable absorbent articles having registered components.
Various products are fabricated in a continuous production line by the sequential addition of components to previously supplied components. This is particularly advantageous when one or more of the components can be supplied in the form of a single continuous layer. For example, in the formation of disposable absorbent articles, such as training pants, diapers, incontinence articles, feminine care products, or the like, a layer is normally supplied at a point in the fabrication line in the form of a continuous roll, and absorbent pads, waist elastic bands, leg elastic bands, stretchable side panels, and/or other elements or components can be individually, separately supplied at different points in the fabrication line as discrete objects to that layer.
Various methods and apparatus are available for bringing these individual, separate components of a single product together so that the components in the composite product are in a desired relation with respect to each other. In bringing these individual, separate components properly together, various known methods and apparatus are used to note the position of a particular component, and then to adjust the placement of subsequent components in order to properly position them.
One problem with current methods and apparatus is that they do not provide an adequate means for registering two continuously moving layers, and particularly when one of the layers has a pre-printed or pre-positioned component or the like that is to be registered with a pre-printed or pre-positioned component or the like on the other of the layers during the manufacture of a plurality of products having a desired registration of components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the discussed difficulties and problems encountered in the prior art, the present invention provides a process and apparatus for registering a plurality of components on one continuously moving layer with a respective plurality of components on another continuously moving elasticized layer.
In one form of the present invention there is provided a process for controllably registering a plurality of components of a continuously moving first layer with a plurality of components on a continuously moving elasticized second layer, comprising the steps of:
(1) providing a continuously moving first layer including a plurality of components, (2) providing a continuously moving elasticized second layer including a plurality of components, (3) representing the components of the continuously moving elasticized second layer with a respective plurality of reference marks, (4) sensing each of the reference marks and generating a reference mark signal in response thereto, (5) measuring the distance between two successive reference mark signals and generating a repeat corrective control signal in accordance with preprogrammed instructions, (6) adjusting the distance between two successive reference marks in response to a generated repeat corrective control signal, (7) superimposing the continuously moving first layer and the continuously moving elasticized second layer together, (8) sensing a reference mark of the continuously moving elasticized second layer and its corresponding component of the continuously moving first layer, and generating a placement corrective control signal in accordance with preprogrammed instructions, and (9) adjusting the speed of the continuously moving elasticized second layer in response to a generated placement corrective control signal to controllably register a reference mark on the continuously moving elasticized second layer with its corresponding component on the continuously moving first layer.
In another form of the present invention there is provided a process for controllably registering a plurality of reference marks of a continuously moving first layer with a plurality of corresponding reference marks of a continuously moving elasticized second layer, comprising the steps of: (1) providing a continuously moving first layer including a plurality of reference marks selectively positioned thereon, (2) providing a continuously moving elasticized second layer including a plurality of corresponding reference marks selectively positioned thereon, (3) sensing each of the reference marks of the continuously moving elasticized second layer and generating a reference mark signal in response thereto, (4) measuring the distance between two successive reference mark signals and generating a repeat corrective control signal in accordance with preprogrammed instructions, (5) adjusting the length of the continuously moving elasticized second layer in response to a generated repeat corrective control signal, (6) superimposing the continuously moving layers together, (7) sensing a reference mark of the continuously moving elasticized second layer and its corresponding reference mark of the continuously moving first layer and generating a placement corrective control signal in accordance with preprogrammed instructions, and (8) adjusting the speed of the continuously moving elasticized second layer in response to a generated placement corrective control signal to controllably register a reference mark of the continuously moving elasticized second layer with its corresponding reference mark on the continuously moving first layer.
In yet another form of the present invention there is provided a process for controllably registering a plurality of components of a continuously moving first layer with a plurality of components on a continuously moving second layer, comprising the steps of: (1) providing a continuously moving first layer including a plurality of components, (2) providing a continuously moving second layer including a plurality of components being represented with a respective plurality of reference marks, (3) elasticizing the continuously moving second layer, (4) sensing each of the reference marks and generating a reference mark signal in response thereto, (5) measuring the distance between two successive reference mark signals and generating a repeat corrective control signal in accordance with preprogrammed instructions, (6) relaxing the continuously moving elasticized second layer in response to a generated repeat corrective control signal to adjust the distance between two successive reference marks, (7) superimposing the continuously moving first layer and the continuously moving elasticized second layer together, (8) sensing a reference mark of the continuously moving elasticized second layer and its corresponding component of the continuously moving first layer, and generating a placement corrective control signal in accordance with preprogrammed instructions, and (9) registering a reference mark on the continuously moving elasticized second layer with its corresponding component on the continuously moving first layer.
In still another form of the present invention there is provided a process for controllably registering a plurality of reference marks of a continuously moving first layer with a plurality of corresponding reference marks of a continuously moving elasticized second layer, comprising the steps of: (1) providing a continuously moving first layer including a plurality of reference marks selectively positioned thereon, (2) providing a continuously moving elasticized second layer including a plurality of corresponding reference marks selectively positioned thereon, (3) sensing each of the reference marks of the continuously moving elasticized second layer and generating a reference mark signal in response thereto, (4) measuring the distance between two successive reference mark signals and generating a repeat corrective control signal in accordance with preprogrammed instructions, (5) adjusting the tension of the continuously moving elasticized second layer in response to a generated repeat correctiv
Brandon Robert Griffiths
Chapdelaine Louis Maurice
Coenen Joseph Daniel
Kastman Scott Lee
Popp Robert Lee
Crispino Richard
Gage Thomas M.
Kimberly--Clark Worldwide, Inc.
Purvis Sue A.
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