Apparatus and a method for entrapping an elastomeric material with form-fitting elastomeric regions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12419791-B2
Application number	US-202418912568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2024
Priority date	Oct 11, 2023
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus for fabricating an elasticized material having at least one elastic strand transversely positioned across the apparatus. The apparatus includes a first bonding module and a second bonding module positionable in proximity to the first bonding module. At least one of the first bonding module and the second bonding module has a face with a width dimension and a circumferential axis and is rotatable about a rotation axis in a velocity vector direction, the face having a contour pattern containing a plurality of entrapment elements arranged along a width of the contour pattern, the plurality of entrapment elements having a land and a notch constructed to receive and hold the at least one elastic strand, wherein the contour pattern is arranged at an angle of between −30° and +30° from perpendicular to the at least one elastic strand with respect to the velocity vector direction, during bonding operation, and wherein the land and notch has a longitudinal axis that is at an angle of between −30° and +30° from parallel to the at least one elastic strand with respect to the velocity vector direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for fabricating an elasticized material having at least one elastic strand transversely positioned across the apparatus and along an elastic strand velocity vector direction, the apparatus comprising:
a first bonding module; and
a second bonding module positionable in proximity to the first bonding module,
wherein at least one of the first bonding module and the second bonding module has a face with a width dimension and a circumferential axis and is rotatable about an axis, the face having a repeating contour pattern containing a plurality of ridges,
wherein the plurality of ridges contain at least a first ridge and a second ridge adjacent to the first ridge, the first ridge and the second ridge each comprising lands and notches constructed to receive and hold the at least one elastic strand,
wherein the first ridge comprises a notch aligned with a corresponding notch in the second ridge such that said notch and said corresponding notch are arranged to accept the at least one elastic strand, and
wherein said notch and said corresponding notch each have a different longitudinal axis that is between −30° and +30° from the at least one elastic strand velocity vector direction.

2. The apparatus in claim 1 , wherein:
the other of said at least one of the first bonding module and the second bonding module includes a welding device; and
each of said plurality of ridges has a ridge line that is perpendicular to said elastic strand velocity vector direction.

3. The apparatus in claim 1 , wherein each of the lands has a land width and each of the notches has a notch width, and wherein each of the individual ridges has a land-to-notch ratio of 60:40, or less.

4. The apparatus in claim 1 , wherein the land width is between 0.005 inches and 0.013 inches.

5. The apparatus in claim 1 , wherein the notches have a depth that is between 0.004 inches and 0.015 inches.

6. The apparatus in claim 1 , wherein the notch width is between 0.005 inches and 0.013 inches.

7. The apparatus in claim 1 , wherein the at least one elastic strand is between 300 and 1100 decitex.

8. The apparatus in claim 1 , wherein the lands have a length that is between 0.015 inches and 0.060 inches.

9. The apparatus in claim 1 , wherein the notches have a length that is between 0.015 inches and 0.060 inches.

10. The apparatus in claim 1 , wherein the ridges within the repeating contour pattern have a machine direction spacing of 0.10 inches, or greater.

11. The apparatus in claim 1 , further comprising:
a strand applicator,
wherein the strand applicator is configured to transversely position the at least one elastic strand in a notch on the individual ridges within the repeating contour pattern.

12. The apparatus in claim 11 , further comprising:
an applicator,
wherein the applicator has a strand application end arranged to position and lay the at least one elastic strand in a notch on the individual ridges within the repeating contour pattern, and
wherein the said strand application end is located 150 mm, or less, from the contact line between the first bonding module and second bonding module.

13. The apparatus in claim 11 , further comprising:
an applicator having a strand application end located at a lag distance from the contact line between the first bonding module and second bonding module and configured to position and lay at least one elastic strand in one of the plurality of notches in alignment with the repeating contour pattern,
wherein the applicator moves the at least one elastic strand according to a profile which includes kingpin effect corrections created by the lag distance.

14. The apparatus in claim 13 , wherein a cam profile having the kingpin effect corrections is configured to move the at least one elastic strand transversely across a width of the second bonding module in alignment with the strand applicator end to-and-fro across the width dimension according to individual notches of each ridge within the repeating contour pattern.

15. The apparatus in claim 13 , wherein a minimum radius of a curved section in the repeating contour pattern is a fraction of a king pin lag distance.

16. The apparatus in claim 15 , wherein the minimum radius of the curved section at any point in the repeating contour pattern is 30% less than the king pin lag distance.

17. The apparatus in claim 1 , wherein the at least one elastic strand is between 300 and 1,100 decitex.

18. A system for fabricating an elasticized material having at least one elastic strand transversely positioned across the apparatus, the system comprising:
a supply station; and
a processing station that includes a first bonding module and a second bonding module positionable in proximity to the first bonding module,
wherein at least one of the first bonding module and the second bonding module has a face with a width dimension and a circumferential axis and is rotatable about an axis, the face having a repeating contour pattern containing a plurality of ridges,
wherein the plurality of ridges contain at least a first ridge and a second ridge adjacent to the first ridge, the first ridge and the second ridge each comprising a plurality of entrapment elements containing notches constructed to receive and hold the at least one elastic strand along an elastic strand velocity vector direction,
wherein the first ridge includes a notch aligned with a corresponding notch in the second ridge such that said notch and said corresponding notch are arranged to accept the at least one elastic strand, and
wherein said notch and said corresponding notch each have a different longitudinal axis that is between −30° and +30° from the elastic strand velocity vector direction.

19. The system in claim 18 , further comprising:
an applicator arm having a strand application end located at a lag distance from another of said at least one of the first bonding module and the second bonding;
a driver configured to drive the applicator arm according to a cam profile to position and lay each of the plurality of elastic strands in the plurality of entrapment elements in alignment with curved shape of the ridge,
wherein the cam profile includes kingpin effect corrections to correct for a kingpin effect created by the lag distance.

20. A method for fabricating an elasticized material having a curved elastic section containing the at least one elastic strand, the method comprising:
positioning a first bonding module in proximity to a second bonding module, wherein:
at least one of the first bonding module and the second bonding module has a face with a width dimension and a circumferential axis and is rotatable about an axis, the face having a repeating contour pattern containing a plurality of ridges,
wherein the plurality of ridges contain at least a first ridge and a second ridge adjacent the first ridge, the first ridge and the second ridge each comprising lands and notches constructed to receive and hold the at least one elastic strand along an elastic strand velocity vector direction,
wherein the first ridge comprises a notch aligned with a corresponding notch in the second ridge such that said notch and said corresponding notch are arranged to accept the at least one elastic strand, and
wherein said notch and said corresponding notch each have a different longitudinal axis that is between −30° and +30° from the elastic strand velocity vector direction.

Assignees

• Dukane Ias Llc

Inventors

• Lafferty Justin Marshall
• Mcnichols Patrick Sean
• Lysne Kevin Miles
• Offenstein Melissa Ann
• Snyder Michael A

Classifications

• D04H13/00

  Other non-woven fabrics · CPC title

• B29C65/524

  by applying the adhesive from an outlet device in contact with, or almost in contact with, the surface of the part to be joined · CPC title

• B29C66/924

  by controlling or regulating the pressure, the force, the mechanical power or the displacement of the joining tools · CPC title

• B29C66/93451

  by controlling or regulating the rotational speed, i.e. the speed of revolution · CPC title

• B29L2031/4878

  Diapers, napkins · CPC title