Process for producing sanitary articles that can be worn as a pair of pants, and corresponding intermediate product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9408754-B2
Application number	US-201113578884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2011
Priority date	Feb 16, 2010
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

The process enables production of sanitary articles that can be worn as a pair of pants (such as, for instance, nappies or bariatric pants) comprising a central body ( 2 ), which can be set in a concave configuration around the crotch region of the user and at least one pair of side panels ( 3, 4 ), which are connected to the central body ( 2 ) and are to define at least in part the waistband of the article ( 1 ). The process envisages obtaining an intermediate product constituted by one or more assembly webs ( 1000; 1000 a, 1000 b ) which carries/carry applied thereon, on at least one of its sides, a plurality of said side panels ( 3, 4 ), each having a proximal edge ( 6 ) applied on said assembly web ( 1000; 1000 a, 1000 b ). The side panels ( 3, 4 ) are connected to the central body ( 2 ) by connecting to the central body ( 2 ) itself a portion of assembly web ( 1000; 1000 a; 1000 b ) which carries applied thereon a respective side panel ( 3, 4 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of producing sanitary articles wearable as pants, the articles including:
a central body to be arranged around the crotch portion of the user, said central body extending in a longitudinal direction between two opposed ends, and
at least one pair of side panels connected to one of the ends of said central body and extending from opposite sides of said central body to define at least a portion of the waist line of the article,
the method including:
providing at least one assembly tape and applying onto said assembly tape a plurality of pairs of said side panels wherein each pair includes side panels extending from opposite sides of said assembly tape, and wherein each side panel has a proximal edge applied onto said assembly tape,
connecting said side panels to said central body by connecting to said central body a portion of said assembly tape having at least one respective side panel applied thereon, whereby the proximal edges of said side panels are indirectly connected to said central body,
longitudinally subdividing said assembly tape to form two further assembly tapes, each having a plurality of said side panels extending from one side thereof,
connecting at least one pair of said side panels to said central body by connecting to the opposite sides of said central body portions of said further assembly tapes each having at least one respective side panel applied thereon.

2. The method of claim 1 , including:
providing at least one pair of assembly tapes with a plurality of said side panels extending from at least one side of each said assembly tapes, each side panel having a proximal edge applied onto an assembly tape,
connecting said side panels to said central body by connecting to the opposite sides of said central body portions of said assembly tapes each having at least one respective side panel applied thereon.

3. The method of claim 1 , including applying onto said assembly tape extending from at least one side of said assembly tape, a first plurality of first side panels and a second plurality of second side panels, said first side panels being different from said second side panels; said first side panels and said second side panels extending from said at least one side of said assembly tape as an alternate sequence of first and second side panels.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each pair includes mirror-symmetrical side panels extending on opposite sides of said assembly tape.

5. The method of claim 1 , including:
forming at least one plurality of side panels to apply onto said assembly tape extending from at least one side of said assembly tape by segmenting a respective web element by cutting operations (a, b) at least part (a) of which is effected in an oblique direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of said respective web element, and
imparting on every other panel of the side panels thus formed, in an alternate sequence, before applying them onto said assembly tape, a 180° rotation movement, whereby, after said rotation movement, the panels in said at least one plurality all have the same orientation to be applied onto said assembly tape.

6. The method of claim 1 , including imparting onto at least one plurality of side panels to apply onto said assembly tape a V-fold to bring the distal edge of the side panel in proximity of the proximal edge of the side panel.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said assembly tape has a width (H) less than 32 cm.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said assembly tape is of a flexible laminar material.

9. The method of claim 1 , including applying said side panels onto said assembly tape and connecting said assembly tape to said central body with an operation selected out of glueing, ultrasound welding, thermal welding.

10. A product for realizing the method of claim 1 , said product including said assembly tape having applied thereon and extending from at least one side thereof a plurality of said side panels each having a proximal edge applied onto said assembly tape.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said assembly tape has a width (H) less than 8 cm.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said assembly tape is of a flexible laminar material, and wherein the flexible laminar material is a non-woven material.

13. A method of producing sanitary articles wearable as pants, the articles including:
a central body to be arranged around the crotch portion of the user, said central body extending in a longitudinal direction between two opposed ends, and
at least one pair of side panels connected to one of the ends of said central body and extending from opposite sides of said central body to define at least a portion of the waist line of the article,
the method including:
providing at least one assembly tape and applying onto said assembly tape a plurality of pairs of said side panels wherein each pair includes side panels extending from opposite sides of said assembly tape, and wherein each side panel has a proximal edge applied onto said assembly tape,
connecting said side panels to said central body by connecting to said central body a portion of said assembly tape having at least one respective side panel applied thereon, whereby the proximal edges of said side panels are indirectly connected to said central body,
imparting onto at least one plurality of side panels to apply onto said assembly tape a V-fold to bring the distal edge of the side panel in proximity of the proximal edge of the side panel,
longitudinally subdividing said assembly tape to form two further assembly tapes, each having a plurality of said side panels extending from one side thereof,
connecting at least one pair of said side panels to said central body by connecting to the opposite sides of said central body portions of said further assembly tapes each having at least one respective side panel applied thereon.

14. The method of claim 13 , including:
providing at least one pair of assembly tapes with a plurality of said side panels extending from at least one side of each said assembly tapes, each side panel having a proximal edge applied onto an assembly tape,
connecting said side panels to said central body by connecting to the opposite sides of said central body portions of said assembly tapes each having at least one respective side panel applied thereon.

15. The method of claim 13 , including applying onto said assembly tape extending from at least one side of said assembly tape, a first plurality of first side panels and a second plurality of second side panels, said first side panels being different from said second side panels; said first side panels and said second side panels extending from said at least one side of said assembly tape as an alternate sequence of first and second side panels.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein each pair includes mirror-symmetrical side panels extending on opposite sides of said assembly tape.

17. The method of claim 13 , including:
forming at least one plurality of side panels to apply onto said assembly tape extending from at least one side of said assembly tape by segmenting a respective web element by cutting operations (a, b) at least part (a) of which is effected in an oblique direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of said respective web element, and
imparting on every other panel of the side panels thus formed, in an alternate sequence, before applying them onto said assembly tape, a 180° rotation movement, whereby, after said rotation movement, the panels in said at least one plurality all have the same orientation t

Assignees

• Sablone Gabriele
• Fameccanica Data Spa

Inventors

• Sablone Gabriele

Classifications

• A61F13/15756 Primary

  Applying tabs, strips, tapes, loops; Knotting the ends of pads · CPC title

• A61F13/49015

  the elastic means being elastic panels · CPC title

• A61F13/565

  pants type diaper · CPC title

• Y10T156/10

  Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor · CPC title

• Y10T156/1051

  by folding · CPC title