Absorbent articles and methods for making absorbent articles with frangible pathways

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024000635-A1
Application number	US-202318214750-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2023
Priority date	Jun 30, 2022
Publication date	Jan 4, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles including elastic laminates and to methods and apparatuses for making absorbent articles having elastic laminates in front and/or back waist regions with frangible pathways.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for assembling absorbent articles, the method comprising steps of:
providing an elastic laminate, the elastic laminate comprising inner waist elastic strands and outer waist elastic strands positioned between and connected with a first substrate and a second substrate, the inner and outer waist elastic strands extending in a machine direction, the elastic laminate further comprising a first edge separated from a second edge in a cross direction, wherein the elastic laminate comprises a first laminate width defined by a distance extending in the cross direction between the first edge and the second edge, and wherein the inner waist elastic strands are intermittently bonded with the first substrate and the second substrate along the machine direction to form an unbonded region where the inner waist elastic strands are not bonded with the first substrate and the second substrate; advancing the elastic laminate in the machine direction: forming a first low-stretch zone by severing at least one first inner waist elastic strand in the unbonded region such that the at least one first inner waist elastic strand retracts within the unbonded region; bonding a fastener component to the second substrate in the first low-stretch zone; subsequent to bonding the fastener component, forming a second low-stretch zone by severing at least one second inner waist elastic strand in the unbonded region such that the at least one second inner waist elastic strand retracts within the unbonded region; and subsequent to bonding the fastener component, forming a first frangible pathway extending in the cross direction, the first frangible pathway comprising lines of weakness, wherein inner and outer waist elastic strands intersected by the first frangible pathway are severed at the lines of weakness.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of slitting the elastic laminate along the machine direction to form a first elastic laminate and a second elastic laminate.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of slitting is performed subsequent to the step of bonding the fastener component.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first low-stretch zone further comprises severing the at least one first inner waist elastic strand only once.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the second low-stretch zone further comprises severing the at least one second inner waist elastic strand more than once.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein outer waist elastic strands intersected by the first frangible pathway are severed at the lines of weakness outside of the first low-stretch zone and the second low-stretch zone.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of advancing the elastic laminate between a knife roll and an anvil roll, wherein the knife roll both forms the second low-stretch zone and forms the first frangible pathway.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of forming a second frangible pathway in the elastic laminate separated from the first frangible pathway in the machine direction.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising steps of:
providing a chassis that comprises a body facing surface and a garment facing surface, and an absorbent core positioned between the body facing surface and the garment facing surface, the chassis further comprising a first end region and a second end region separated in a cross direction from the first end region by the crotch region; and bonding the first end region of the chassis with the first elastic laminate overlapping the first low-stretch zone and the second low-stretch zone, wherein the first end region of the chassis is positioned between the first frangible pathway and the second frangible pathway.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first end region of the chassis overlaps portions of the first frangible pathway and the second frangible pathway.

11 . A method for assembling absorbent articles, the method comprising steps of:
providing an elastic laminate, the elastic laminate comprising inner waist elastic strands and outer waist elastic strands positioned between and connected with a first substrate and a second substrate, the inner and outer waist elastic strands extending in a machine direction, the elastic laminate further comprising a first edge separated from a second edge in a cross direction, wherein the elastic laminate comprises a first laminate width defined by a distance extending in the cross direction between the first edge and the second edge, and wherein the inner waist elastic strands are intermittently bonded with the first substrate and the second substrate along the machine direction to form an unbonded region where the inner waist elastic strands are not bonded with the first substrate and the second substrate; advancing the elastic laminate in the machine direction: forming a low-stretch zone by severing inner waist elastic strands in the unbonded region such that the severed inner waist elastic strands retract within the unbonded region; after severed inner waist elastic strands retract, bonding a fastener component to the first substrate in the low-stretch zone; and subsequent to bonding the fastener component, forming a frangible pathway extending in the cross direction, the frangible pathway comprising lines of weakness, wherein inner and outer waist elastic strands intersected by the frangible pathway are severed at the lines of weakness.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising a step of slitting the elastic laminate along the machine direction to form a first elastic laminate and a second elastic laminate.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of slitting is performed subsequent to the step of bonding the fastener component.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of forming the low-stretch zone further comprises severing inner waist elastic strands only once.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein outer waist elastic strands intersected by the frangible pathway are severed at the lines of weakness outside of the low-stretch zone.

16 . An absorbent article comprising:
a first belt comprising an inner wearer facing surface and an outer garment facing surface, the first belt further comprising a laterally extending inner edge and a laterally extending outer edge, the outer edge positioned longitudinally outward of the inner edge, the first belt further comprising inner waist elastic strands and outer waist elastic strands positioned between and connected with a first substrate and a second substrate; a second belt, wherein laterally opposing end portions of the second belt are connected with laterally opposing end portions of the first belt at a first side seam and a second side seam to form a waist opening; a chassis comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet, the chassis comprising a longitudinally extending first side edge and a longitudinally extending second side edge laterally separated from the first side edge by a first end edge and a second end edge longitudinally separate from the first end edge, and wherein longitudinally opposing end regions of the chassis are connected with the first belt and the second belt, wherein a portion of the chassis overlaps the inner wearer facing surface of the first belt to define a chassis overlap region; a first high-stretch zone and a second high-stretch zone separated laterally by a low-stretch zone, wherein the first and second high-stretch zones are elasticated by th

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Rosiak Jeffry
• Long Michael Devin
• Naylor Jason Edward
• Quade Michael Brian
• Gittings Matthew Alexander
• Schneider Uwe
• Raycheck Jeromy Thomas
• Willhaus Keith Richard

Classifications

• A61F13/15723

  Partitioning batts; Cutting · CPC title

• A61F13/15593

  having elastic ribbons fixed thereto; Devices for applying the ribbons · CPC title

• A61F2013/49025

  having multiple elastic strands · CPC title

• A61F2013/15934

  for making non-woven · CPC title

• A61F2013/15406

  Basis weight · CPC title