To A Carrier Web

Related Application

This ap lication claims the benefit of co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/041,876, filed 26 August 2014,

Background of the Invention

This inve tion relates to a apparatus and. method for producing a laminate of elastic material by attaching a non-elongated elastic to a carrier web or webs. While the description provided, rela.tes to diaper manufacturing, the apparatus and methods are easily adaptable to other applications.

Generally, diapers comp ise an abso bent insert or patch and a chassis, which, when the diaper is worn, supports the insert proximate a wearer's body. Additionally, diapers ma i clude other various patches, such as tape tab patches, reusable fasteners and the like. The raw materials used in forming a representative insert are typically cellulose pulp, tissue paper, poly, nonwoven web, acquisition, and elastic, although application specific materials are sometimes utilized. Usually, most of the insert raw materials are provided in roll form, and un ound a d applied in assembly line fashion. In the creation of a diaper, multiple roll- fed web processes are typically utilized. To create an absorbe t insert, the cellulose p lp is unwou d from the provided raw material roll and pulverized by a pulp mill. Discrete pulp cores are formed by a core forming assembly and placed on a continuous tiss e eb. Optionally, super-absorbent powder may be added to the pulp core. The tissue web is wrapped around the pulp core. The wrapped, core is debu Iked by proceeding through a calender unit, which at least partially compresses the core, thereby increasing its density and structural integrity. After debulking, the tissue- wrapped core is passed through a segregation or knife unit, where individual wrapped cores are cut. The cut cores are conveyed, at the proper pitch, or spacing, to a boundary compression unit .

While the insert cores are being formed, other insert components are being prepared to be presented to the boundary compression unit. For instance, the poly sheet is prepared to receive a cut core. Like the cellulose pulp, poly sheet material is usually provided, in roll form. The poly sheet is fed. through a splicer and accumulator, coated with an adhesive in a predetermined pattern, and then presented to the boundary compression unit. In addition to the poly sheet, which may form the bottom of the insert, a two-ply top sheet may also be formed in parallel to the core formation. Representative plies are an acquisition web material and a nonwoven web material, both of which are fed from material rolls, through a splicer and accumulator. The plies are coated with adhesive, adhered together, cut to size, and presented to the boundary compression unit. Therefore, at the boundary compression unit, three components are provided for assembly: the poly bottom sheet, the core, and the two- ply top shee .

A representative boundary compression unit includes a die roller and a platen roller. When all three i sert com one ts are provided to the boundary compression unit, the nip of the rollers properly compresses the boundary of the insert. Thus, provided at the output of the boundary compression unit is a string of interconnected diaper inserts. The diaper inserts are then separated by an insert knife assembly and properly oriented. At this point, the completed insert is ready for placement on a diaper chassis.

A representative diaper chassis comprises nonwoven web material and support structure. The diaper support structure is gene ally elastic and may include leg elastic, waistband elastic and belly band elastic. The support structure is usually sandwiched between layers of the nonwoven web material, which is fed. from material rolls, through splicers and accumulators. The chassis may also be provided with seve al patches, besides the absorbent insert. Representative patches include adhesive tape tabs and resealabie closures.

The process utilizes two main carrier webs; a nonwoven eb which forms an in er liner web, a d an outer web that forms an outwardly facing layer in the finished diaper. In a representative chassis process, the nonwoven web is slit at a slitter station by rotary knives along three lines, thereby forming four webs. One of the lines is on approximately the centerline of the web a d the other two lines are pa allel to and spaced. a short distance from the cente line. The effect of such slicing is twofold; first, to separate the nonwoven web into two inner diaper liners. One liner will become the inside of the front of the diaper, and the second liner will become the inside of the back of that garment, Second, two separate, elati ely nar ow strips a.re formed th may be subsequently used to cover and entrap portions of the leg-hole elastics. The strips can be separated physically by an angularly disposed spreader roll and aligned laterally with their downstream target positions on the inner edges of the formed liners.

After the nonwoven web is sliced, an adhesive is applied to the liners in a predetermined pattern in preparation to receive leg-hole elastic. The leg-hole elastic is applied to the liners and then covered with the narrow strips previously separated from the nonwoven web. Adhesive is applied to the outer web, which is then combined with the assembled inner webs having elastic thereon, thereby forming the diaper chassis. Ne t, after the elastic membe s have been sandwiched between the inner and outer webs, an adhesive is applied to the chassis. The chassis is no ready to receive an insert.

To assemble the final diaper product, the insert must be combined with the chassis. The placement of the insert onto the chassis occurs o a placeme t drum or at a patch applicator. The inserts are provided to the chassis on the placement drum at a desired pitch or spacing. The gene ally flat chassis/insert combination is then folded so that the inner webs face each other, and the combination is trimmed, A sealer bonds the webs at appropriate locations prior to individual diapers being cut from the folded and sealed webs . The current practice in applying a stretchable web such as a poly web to a second web is involved continuously feeding the poly web into the process which results in poly running full length of product, or alternatively, full length of a constructed insert co e which is the placed onto a nonwoven-type chassis. Not all machine configurations can be adapted from a full length poly chassis to a poly insert configu ation due to space and/or cost restrictions . It should be understood that application of the poly web along the entire length of the product, rather than only where it is useful, increases the amount of poly material which must be utilized. This is a waste of the material resource and adds additional cost to the product . It is therefore desirable to create a lower cost product by pu ting poly i to the product only where it is useful, instead of the complete product.

However, typical slip/cut application of poly patch to a continuous web does not work well because of the elasticity of the poly web. The slip/cut process allows the poly to slip on anvil prior to being cut causing the poly to violently snap back at the moment of cut. This can result in a short patch-long patch output from the slip/cut where one or more of the resul ing poly pa ches are extremely disto ted on the carrier web.

In certain instances, it is desirable to eliminate or minimize the use of adhesives in the manufacturing process. This results in a materrar savings. Also, it is desirable to reduce significant strains applied to elongated elastics that are held under signi icant strain of 50-400%. At this level of elongation, there is a lot of stress on the elastic and the elastic has an increased likelihood of breaking, which can lead to machine downtime.

In prior art systems, such as U.S. Patent 6,291,039, it is known to capture elastics between layers of nonwoven materials. For instance, as taught therein, elastics can be placed into a he of nonwoven material, and when the nonwoven material is bonded onto itself at the hem, the elastic can be captured within the folded over layer of material.

In U.S. Patent 7,642,398 an elasticized web has a gatherable substrate and a multi-strand elastic yarn affixed to the gatherable substrate at a plurality of fixation locations. So that the yarn can be affixed to the substrate without the use of an adhesive, the yarn is subjected to forces to create partial delamina tion of the yarn at the fixation locations and. a portion of the gatherable substrate is caused to pass betwee the thus delaminated strands of the multi- strand, elastic yarn. A patterned, surface is disclosed in which the distribution density of raised heels varies over the surface area of the patterned surface. The patterned surface comprises o e or more regions along the length of the yarn in which no raised heels are present, so that the elasticized web produced using this patterned surface will have regions along the length of the elastic yarn at which no bonds are present. Accordingly, the elastic yarn will be able to move independentl of the substrate or substrates in such regions.

Summary of the Invention

One aspect of the invention is a method including providi g a base non-woven layer, and applying thereto an elastic strand, strip or web. Throughout the specification, nonwoven webs are referred to. The references to nonwoven webs should be considered to extend, to bondable webs generally, but alternative web materials are considered within the scope the invention. Examples of bondable webs which could be used in the present inventio when nonwovens are referred to, are any film webs, including polypropylene or polyethylene. Commonly elastics are applied under elongation/tension to carrier webs. In the present invention, non-elongated elastics, or elastics at low tension, are provided to a carrier web. In one embodiment, the carrier web is accumulated in valleys and the elastic is bonded to the carrier web at peaks. Such bonding could be done with, but not limited to, adhesives, ultrasonics, or pressure . After bonding, the carrie web is returned. to its unaccumulated state thereby elongating the elastic (s) in the process. A simple relationship between the amount of material accumulated and the distance between bond sites determines the final elongation, or strain, of the elastic (s) .

In another embodiment of the present invention, elastic filaments can be separated from one another through ultrasonic, force, electrostatic separation, or tension on the elastic yarn. With an electrostatic charge on the elastic filaments, the filaments separate and the filaments and nonwoven layer bond with minimal severing of the filaments.

In another aspect of the present invention, elastics are captured within layers of nonwoven materials, with the elastics laid down and captured between the nonwoven layers in a meandering pattern between bond points of nonwoven materials of the laminate. In this configuration, differently shaped and configured pins or protrusions on a roll or drum can urge the elastics to meander between bond points. In other words, the elastics can be trained to run straight, curved, meandering, or any combination of those lay down patterns, and then retained in that laydown position due to friction between the elastic material and the nonwoven material, particularly if the elastics are meandering through non-linear bond points.

Several pin and protrusion configurations

(oblong, curved, rectangular, circular) can be used in different patterns on a rotating drum, such as variably spaced patterns, offset patterns, curved patterns or the like, to establish a complex pattern of elastics meandering through bond points in the nonwoven layers cap uri g the elastics, and he friction between the elastic and the material retains the elastic sufficiently in place to minimized adhesive bonding betwee the elastics and. the nonwoven requi ed to create the laminate.

Br ef Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side view of a apparatus and. method of forming an elastic laminate;

Fig, 2 is a side view of an elastic laminate with an unstretched elastic and. a slack base layer;

Fig. 3a is a side view of an elastic laminate with a tensioned elastic layer and a stretched or tensioned. base layer;

Fig. 3b is a side view of an elastic laminate with a tensioned elastic layer and a stretched or tensioned base layer, and a second material layer coupled to the elastic layer;

Fig. 4a is a side view of an elastic laminate with a tensioned elastic layer and a stretched or tensioned base layer, and a second material layer coupled to the base layer (or first, mate ial layer) at discrete bond points, with the elastic layer positioned betwee the first a d seco d material layers;

Fig. 4b is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention, with pins (or anvil bond points) placed about an anvil roll and car ying the first material layer, and. elastic strands laid atop the first non-woven layer tented by the pins, with a second material layer laid over the elastic strands and first material layer, and the trilaminate bonded together and passed downstream for further processing;

Fig- 4c is a perspective; view of the machine of Fig, 4b, with elastic strands laid, down atop the first material layer, and the elastic strands allowed to or enco raged to wander about the a vil bond poi ts to be laid down and the first and second layers bonded at the bond points to secure the elastics therebetween in meandering fashio ;

Fig. 4d. is a side view o a machine for joining the elastic and first material layer at bond points, bringing first material layer to a taut condition, and. bonding a. second material laye to the laminate during a second bonding operation;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the unit of Fig, 4c, showing the trilaminate formation, with the meandering elastics trapped between the bond points of the first and second layers;

Fig. 6 is an alternate embodiment of the pinned, anvil arrangement, with slots provided, about the anvil . Fig. 7 is an alternate anvil bond point configuration ;

Fig. 8 is a second alternate anvil bond, point configuration encouraging circuitous path of the elastic strands about the anvil bond points, the spaces between the anvil bond points {where the first and second material layers will become bonded, creating short tunnels to encourage the lacing action of the elastics between these tunnels to limit creep) ;

Fig. 9 is a third alternate anvil bond point configuration;

Fig, 10 is a perspective; view of elastic material contained in a single material hem;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of elastic material contained between two materials to create a trilami ate ;

Fig. 12 is a fourth alternate anvil bond point. configuration;

Fig, 13 is a fifth alternate a il bond point configuration.

Descri tion of the P efe red. Embodiment

Although the disclos re hereof is detailed, and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention.

It is noted that the present techniques and apparatus are described herein with respect to products such as diapers, but as previously mentioned, can be applied to a. wide variety of processes in which discrete components are applied sequentially. Referring now to Fig, 1, a side view of an apparatus and method of forming an elastic laminate is shown. A base support structure 18 is provided with peaks and valleys, which can be a "V" shape. A preferably non-woven layer 12 is laid into the valleys. A top the nonwove 12 is laid, an unstretched. or relatively unstretched elastic layer 14, which can comprise strands or a web of elastic. This elastic 14 is bonded to the non-woven layer 12 at bond points 16. Such bonding could be done with, but not limited to, adhesives, ultrasonics, or pressure.

Fig, 2 is a side view of an elastic laminate with an unstretched elastic 14, and a slack base layer 12, shown ust after bonding the two layers together.

After bonding, the; carrier web 12 is returned, to its unaccumulated, state thereby elongating the elastic (s) 14 in the process, as shown in Fig. 3a. If considered mathe atically, a relationship between the amount of material accumulated within the valleys, and the distance between the peaks determines the final elongation or strain ∈)( of the elastics. Twice the distance from peak to valley, divided by the distance between peaks, defines∈)( of the elastics. Put another way, twice the distance from peak to valley ill measure the distance between bond poi ts of nonwoven 12 in a non-accumulated state.

If desired, as shown in Fig, 3b, a second material layer 20 (preferably nonwoven} can be coupled to the elastic 14, or in an alternate configuration, coupled to the first material layer (Fig. 4a} .

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention as shown in Fig.4b, The forming technique described with reference to Fig. 4a is shown in side view in Fig, 4b. Pins or protrusions or anvil bond points 52 are placed about an anvil roll 50, and elastic stra ds 14 laid, atop a nonwoven laye 12 te ted, by the pins 52. Adjacent tented nonwoven 12 peaks create somewhat of a tunnel when coupled with, top nonwoven 12, and elastic 14 is carried in the tu nel in circuitous or meandering ways as shown in Fig. 4c. The result is that the elastic 14 is restrained from lateral (or cross-machine direction} movement by encountering bond points between the first and second material layers 12 and 20 respectively, created by points 52 acting against ultrasonic horn 54. Alternatively, adhesives can be used in

Still referring to Fig. 4c, and also to Fig. 5, protrusions 52 on an anvil roll 50 carry nonwoven 12, and. create a te ting effect by raising the portions of the nonwoven 12 carried by the protrusions 52. It is between and about these adjacent and downstream bond points that the elastic 14 is allowed to, or encouraged to, meander generally in the machine direction as opposed to traveling linearly in the machine direction. Elastic 14 is laid, dow ith te sion in a. circuitous path over and about the protrusions 52. The elastic 14 forces the nonwoven 12 down around protrusions 52 and the p otrusio s 52 are used to ult asonics lly bo d a second, top nonwoven layer 12 to the first nonwoven 12. The elastic 14 experiences a fairly high frictional force against the; bonded segments of the nonwoven layers 12 because of the serpentine (meandering) path of the elastic 14 about the bond points and. against the; material layers 12 and 20 themselves, keeping the elastic 14 from creeping .

Referring now to Fig. 4d, a forming technique described with reference to Fig. 3b is shown in side view in Fig, 4. In particular, after joining initially relaxed, elas ic 14 and. initially relaxed first, material layer 12 at bond points 16 by bonding unit 54, first material layer 12 and elastic layer 14 can be brought taut by elongating elastic 14. After first material layer 12 is sufficiently taut, second material layer 20 (preferably non woven) is introduced to the laminate 12/14, and. a second, bonding operation occurs between material layer 20 and laminate 12/14. This bonding can be performed by adhesive (not shown) or by an ultrasonic horn 54 operating against, drum 70.

Referring now to Fig. 6, an alternate embodiment of the pinned anvil arrangement of Figs. 4 and 5 is shown, with slots 54 provided about the anvil roll 50. First nonwove layer 12, and atop th t layer, the elastic 14 is laid down in slots 54, and a top nonwoven layer 12 is laid down and bonded to first nonwoven layer 12. This creates a tunnel of nonwoven, and the tight elastic 14 is resistant to creeping as described previously.

In addition to the techniques described, above, modifications to the physical properties of the elastic 14 can assist providing the desired frictional resistance between the elastic 14 and. nonwoven 12. For instance, ultrasonic force applied to the strands can cause the strands to unravel; those unraveled ends would choke any created tunnels in the nonwoven. Alternatively or additionally, the nonwoven layers 12 could be bonded through the unraveled strands 14, or could be unraveled without bonding.

Still alternatively o additionally, a polymer coating such as Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) could be intermittently applied on the stretched elastic strands 14, to create rings or collars of eventually solidified polymer. The eventually solidified polymer on the elastic strands 14 would provide a physical bar ier on c eated o imp ovised tunnels and. might even get bonded, into the nonwoven bonds that form the tunnel .

Still alternatively or additionally, two or more elastic st ands 14, ca be t isted, togethe , those entwined fibers 14 also physically resist travel through the created tunnels as the elastic 14 tries to relax. Additionally, a single elastic strand 14 can be rolled to make a bulky twisted structure that resists creep through the tunnel more effectively than elastic 14 that is simply stretched. Alte ati ely or additionally, the elastic 14 can be f ayed or icked, with a rough surface such as sandpaper; it may pull the individual fibers apart or roughen the surface to i:atten it up.

Referring now to Fig. 7, an alternate anvil bond point 52 configuration is shown. Bond, points 52 are spaced apar in the machine di ection by spaci g y, and spaced apart in the cross-machine direction by spacing x, X and y can both vary and be variable betwee adjace t, bond points 52. That is, the poi ts can be closely spaced apart in the cross-machine or machine directions, or more distantly spaced apart, and the spacing can vary from one row to the next, and from one column to the next.

For instance, as shown in a second alternate anvil bond point configuration of Fig. 8, the bond points 52 can be spaced, to e courage a circui ous path of the elastic strands 14 about the anvil bond points (noting that in a preferred embodiment that a nonwoven will be draped over the bond points 52 and the nonwoven is not. shown in Fig. 8) , In this configuration, a cross machine direction spacing ' offset is provided in a column of bond points 52, The spaces betwe;en the anvil bond, points 52 {where the first and second material layers 12 and 20 will become bonded) creating short tunnels to encourage the lacing action of the elastics 14 between hese tunnels to limit; creep.

Referring to Fig. 9, third alternate anvil bond point 52 configuration varies machine direction spacing y', y1' and y' ' by an offset provided between adjacent rows of bond points 52. As such, both y and x can be varied to encourage tunnel formation and encourage meandering elastics 14. Alte atively as sho in Fig. 9, the protrusio s can be staggered such that protrusions of a first series of adjacent rows are not staggered in the cross machine direction. This would e courage a st aigh n of elastics (at the too of Fig. 9), and downstream in the machine direction, a second series of adj acent ows can be staggered or offset by a d.i stance ' to enco rage a cur ed run (middle portion of Fig. 9}, or the staggering of x" and y' can be more random resulting in a meandering pattern of elastics 14.

Referring now to Fig. 10 elastic material 14 can be used in the present invention by single material hem of material 12. In this manner, the meandered elastic will be captured between a laminate of the first material 12 portions after folding over an outboard portion of web 12, for instance by a folding plow (not shown) .

R.eferring now to Fig. 11, a perspective view of elastic material 14 contained between two materials 12 and 14 to create a trilaminate is shown. As can be seen, the elastic 14 meanders arou d bond oints between material layers 12 and 14.

Referring now to Fig. 12 is a fourth alter ate anvil bo d poi t config ration is sho n. A series of curved protrusions 56 can be used instead of or in addition to pins or protrusions 52 placed about an a vil roll 50 shown on Figs. 4 and 5. In this embodiment, material layer 12 is introduced atop the roll 50, and carried in part by curved protrusions 56. Material layer 12 will somewhat drape over and about protrusions 56 to create channels encouraging elastic 14 to be laid down in a somewhat meandering pattern, such that when material layers 12 and 20 are bonded {see, e.g., Fig. 4a), the bond points between material layers 12 and 20 will result in friction between elastic 14 meandering through the bond points of material layers 12 and 20, This friction prevents elastic 14 from sliding or creeping, i.e, elastic 14 is generally retained by frictional forces in its laid down mea dering pattern .

Referring now to Fig. 13, shaped protrusions 58, generally having preferably rounded corners to prevent material defects as a result of machine processing, can be used. The shape of protrusions 58 can be changed, with the spacing between shapes, and the shapes of the protrusions 58 themselves changed to accommodate the creation of frictional holding forces between elastic 14 and material layers 12 and 20, specifically between elastic 14 and bonding points between material layers 12 and 20 which elastic 14 is sandwiched between. This configuration shows a larger surface area bond point, and a patterned profile of protrusions 52 is used to provide increased frictional resistance between elas ic 14, the surroundi g layers 12 and 20 and their bond points. In essence, a maze is provided for the elastic 1 to go th ough during manufacture, and. rounded cor ers of protrusions 52 can urge the elastic 14 to be laid down in those maze patterns during the elastic laydown and bonding processes previously described.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numero s modifications and changes will eadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. While the preferred embodime t has been described, the details m y be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims .