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EP-4096606-B1 - ELASTICIZED WAISTBAND FOR USE IN AN ABSORBENT GARMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

EP4096606B1EP 4096606 B1EP4096606 B1EP 4096606B1EP-4096606-B1

Inventors

  • ANDREWS, ROBERT, E.
  • SCHWARTZ, Christopher, A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20210125

Claims (8)

  1. An apparatus for manufacturing an elasticized waistband (111, 112) for a refastenable absorbent garment (117) comprising: a perforation cutter (36) configured to form a series of perforation cuts (38) in a continuous waist web (18) comprising one or more elastic elements (12) positioned between facing web layers (14, 16); a folding assembly (54) configured to fold a panel web (48) along fold axes (56, 58, 60, 62) aligned with a machine direction (63); a tape applicator (68) configured to apply a releasable fastener component (74) to the panel web (48); a panel applicator (84) configured to cut the folded panel web (48) comprising refastenable, fastener material (70) into discrete panels (86) and attach the discrete panels (86) to the continuous waist web (18) about the perforation cut; and a breakage system (100) configured to separate the continuous waist web (18) at the perforation cuts and unfold the discrete panels (86), wherein the breakage system (100) comprises rollers (102, 104) spaced apart in a machine direction.
  2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the continuous waist web (18) has at least one elastic strand attached thereto.
  3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the continuous waist web (18) comprises a stretch film.
  4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a temporary bonding unit (80) configured to create temporary tack bonds between the discrete panels (86) and the continuous waist web (18).
  5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a bonding apparatus (162) configured to bond together facing layers of the continuous waist web (18) on opposing sides of the perforation cut.
  6. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the bonding apparatus and the perforation cutter are located on a common roller assembly (28).
  7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a break assembly (28) configured to break tensioned elastic threads contained within the continuous waist web (18).
  8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second panel applicator (142) configured to cut a second folded panel web (134) comprising refastenable, fastener material (70) into discrete panels (136) and attach the discrete panels (136) to the continuous waist web (18) about other perforation cuts.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/966,112, filed 27 January 2020. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for making an elasticized waistband material with elastic activation and deactivation zones. Disposable products of the children's training pant type or of the adult incontinence type are typically provided with waist elastics on opposite sides of a garment blank, which, after folding together, are sealed or adhered together at formed side seams to entirely encircle the waist area of the finished garment. The construction of the side seams in this manner allows the product to be donned as one would don undergarment briefs or pants. That is, by inserting one's feet and legs through the leg openings of the training pant and pulling the pants up to the wearer's waist, the training pant can be worn without needing to fold and fasten ears of a disposable product constructed in a manner similar to that of baby diapers. However, the construction of the side seams of the training pant in this manner prevents non-destructive separation of a portion of the waist area therefrom. For example, in the case where the training pant is to be removed from the wearer by opening the waist section and therefore the leg openings in order to remove the training pant without sliding it down the legs of the wearer, the waist section must be broken in a destructive manner. Once broken, the waist section of the training pant can no longer be used by itself to support the product around the waist of the wearer. US2004103972A1 describes an apparatus for breaking a perforation of a moving web which includes a web conveyor adapted to move a web in a machine direction, wherein the web has at least one perforation, and at least one breaking member moveable between a first position and a second position. The at least one breaking member is adapted to be positioned remote from the at least one perforation at the first position and is adapted to be positioned adjacent the at least one perforation at the second position. A tensioning device is adapted to sufficiently tension the web against the at least one breaking member such that the at least one perforation is broken. A system and method for breaking a perforation of a moving web is also provided. US2003051805A1 describes a method for assembling a refastenable absorbent garment which includes moving a landing material in a machine direction, wherein the landing material has opposite lateral side edges, moving a fastener material in a machine direction, wherein the fastener material comprises a refastenable portion and a base portion, and removeably attaching the refastenable portion of the fastener material to at least one of the side edges of the landing material. The method preferably further includes successively cutting the landing material with the fastener material removeably attached thereto along a cross direction and thereby forming a plurality of landing members with a fastener member removeably attached thereto and successively rotating each of the plurality of landing members with the fastener member removeably attached thereto. The method preferably further includes moving a base web in a machine direction, successively attaching each of the landing members to the base web and attaching the base portion of the fastener member to the base web. An apparatus for fabricating the refastenable absorbent garment is also provided. WO0037007A1 describes a method of making a refastenable, pant-like, disposable absorbent article that includes attaching a pair of opposed side panels to the side edges of an absorbent chassis such hat they extend laterally outward from and between the front and back waist regions of the article. One of the side margins of each side panel is permanently attached to the side edge of the absorbent chassis in one of the waist regions and the other side margin of each side panel is refastenably attached to the side edge of the absorbent chassis in the opposite waist region. The side panels are refastenably attached before the article is packaged to provide the pant-like disposable absorbent article. US2015119219A1 describes a method for manufacturing absorbent articles which comprises delivering a continuous web assembly including a backsheet material, a liquid permeable bodyside liner material, and an absorbent structure interposed between the backsheet material and the bodyside liner material, the web assembly having a body-facing side and a garment-facing side; attaching a discrete segment of first waist elastic material to the body-facing side of the web assembly; attaching a discrete segment of second waist elastic material to the garment-facing side of the web assembly such that the web assembly is interposed between the discrete segments of first and second waist elastic materials; and cutting the web