Methods for Making Diaper Pants with a Design Having a Discontinuous Region between a Belt and Chassis Arranged to Provide a Contiguous Appearance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016302977-A1
Application number	US-201615095375-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 11, 2016
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles and methods for assembling absorbent articles having a design including: a first graphic extending along a first component, a second graphic extending along a second component, and a discontinuous region separating the first graphic from the second graphic. The discontinuous region is configured to provide the appearance that the first and second graphics form a contiguous design while at the same time mitigating the need to precisely align the graphics on separated components to form a contiguous design during the assembly process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for assembling disposable diaper pants, each diaper pant comprising a chassis having a first end region and an opposing second end region separated from each other by a central region, and having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the chassis comprising: a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the method comprising the steps of:
advancing a first continuous elastic laminate in a machine direction comprising an outer longitudinal edge and an inner longitudinal edge defining a width in a cross direction, the first continuous elastic laminate comprising a printed belt substrate comprising a first graphic, the first graphic extending in the machine direction and the cross direction and comprising an end edge adjacent a longitudinal edge of the printed belt substrate, the end edge having a width defined by a distance extending in the machine direction between a first side edge of the first graphic and a second side edge of the first graphic; advancing a second continuous elastic laminate comprising an outer longitudinal edge and an inner longitudinal edge; advancing a chassis in the machine direction, the chassis comprising a first side edge and a second side edge separated from the first side edge in the machine direction, the chassis comprising a printed chassis substrate comprising a second graphic comprising an end edge extending in the cross direction and adjacent a side edge of the printed chassis substrate, the end edge comprising a length defined by a distance extending between a first side edge of the second graphic and a second side edge of the second graphic; and positioning the chassis onto the first continuous elastic laminate and the second continuous elastic laminate to define a discontinuous region devoid of printing and separating the first graphic from the second graphic, the discontinuous region defined by a substantially trapezoidal-shaped perimeter extending between the end edge of the first graphic and the end edge of the second graphic, defining an imaginary continuous extension of an established direction of the first graphic to the second graphic.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: folding the chassis along the lateral axis to position the first continuous elastic laminate into a facing relationship with the second continuous elastic laminate.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: cutting the first and second continuous elastic laminates in the cross direction to form discrete diaper pants.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
advancing a continuous length of chassis in a machine direction; and cutting the continuous length of chassis in a cross direction to form a discrete chassis.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the printed chassis substrate is a backsheet of the chassis and wherein the end edge of the second graphic is positioned laterally inboard of the first side edge of the chassis.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first continuous elastic laminate further comprises a second substrate, and wherein the printed belt substrate comprises a first surface and an opposing second surface, and the second substrate comprises a first surface and an opposing second surface, and wherein elastic material is bonded between the first surfaces of the printed belt substrate and the second substrate.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first graphic is printed on the first surface of the printed belt substrate.

8 . A method for assembling disposable diaper pants, each diaper pant comprising a chassis having a first end region and an opposing second end region separated from each other by a central region, and having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the chassis comprising: a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the method comprising the steps of:
advancing an elastic laminate in a machine direction, the elastic laminate comprising a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, the elastic laminate further comprising a first graphic extending in the machine direction and the cross direction; cutting the elastic laminate along the machine direction and through the graphic to form a first elastic laminate comprising a first portion of the first graphic and a second elastic laminate comprising a second portion of the first graphic, wherein the first and second elastic laminates each include an inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge, wherein the first portion of the first graphic comprises an end edge coincident with the inner longitudinal edge of the first elastic laminate, and wherein the second portion of the first graphic comprises an end edge coincident with the inner longitudinal edge of the second elastic laminate; separating the first elastic laminate in the cross direction from the second elastic laminate to define a gap between the inner longitudinal edge of the first elastic laminate and the inner longitudinal edge of the second elastic laminate; advancing a chassis in the machine direction, the chassis including a first side edge and a second side edge separated from the first side edge in the machine direction, wherein the chassis comprises a printed chassis substrate comprising a second graphic comprising a first end edge and a second end edge each extending in the cross direction and adjacent a side edge of the printed chassis substrate; and positioning the chassis across the gap and onto the first elastic laminate to define a first discontinuous region devoid of printing and separating the first portion of the first graphic from the second graphic, the discontinuous region defined by a substantially trapezoidal-shaped perimeter extending between the end edge of the first portion of the first graphic and the first end edge of the second graphic.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of: positioning the chassis onto the second elastic laminate to define a second discontinuous region devoid of printing and separating the second portion of the first graphic from the second graphic, the discontinuous region defined by a substantially trapezoidal-shaped perimeter extending between the end edge of the first portion of the first graphic and the second end edge of the second graphic.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of: folding the chassis along the lateral axis to position the first elastic laminate into a facing relationship with the second elastic laminate.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of: cutting the first and second elastic laminates in the cross direction to form discrete diaper pants.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
advancing a continuous length of chassis in a machine direction; and cutting the continuous length of chassis in a cross direction to form a discrete chassis.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the printed chassis substrate comprises a backsheet of the chassis.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the elastic laminate comprises a first substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, a second substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, and elastic material bonded between the first surfaces of the first and second substrates.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first graphic is printed on the first surface of the first substrate.

16 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
advancing the first elastic laminate unde

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Zink Ii Ronald Joseph
• Greening Ii Nelson Edward
• Sauer Linda Ann
• Litchholt John Joseph
• Wagner Jason Ashley
• Wolfe Sarah Nicole

Classifications

• A61F13/5511

  characterized by the container (A61F15/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61F13/15747

  Folding; Pleating; Coiling; Stacking; Packaging · CPC title

• B32B38/0004

  Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details (cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61F13/496 Primary

  in the form of pants or briefs · CPC title

• A61F13/49011 Primary

  the elastic means is located at the waist region · CPC title