Process for making a garment having hanging legs

• US 20050145150A1
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Coenen, Joseph D., Mortell, Heather S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,964,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 112/475.90
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 9/001 Underpants or briefs specially adapted for men A41B9/02; specially adapted for ladies A41B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 7/005 Bathing drawers or trunks A41D7/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 42/00 Multi-step production lines for making clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15723 Partitioning batts; Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15747 Folding; Pleating; Coiling; Stacking; Packaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15804 Plant, e.g. involving several steps

Abstract

A distinctive process for making a garment having a waist opening and a pair of hanging legs is disclosed. The process includes providing a first web and a second web and joining the first web and the second web to provide a crotch seam. Portions of the webs may also be removed to provide a crotch gap. The first web is drawn from the second web and at least a portion of the webs are slit to provide a garment chassis. Edges of the garment chassis may be fastened together to provide the garment.

Claims

1. A process for making a garment having a waist opening and a pair of hanging legs, said process defining a machine direction, a cross-machine direction and an orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to a plane created by said machine direction and said cross-machine direction, said process comprising:

providing a first web defining a first web waist edge, a first web leg edge, a first leading chassis edge, a first web interior surface and a first web exterior surface;

providing a second web defining a second web waist edge, a second web leg edge, a second leading chassis edge, a second web interior surface and a second web exterior surface, said second web interior surface being disposed in a facing relationship with said first web interior surface;

joining said first web to said second web to provide a crotch seam;

selectively removing a portion of said first web at said first web waist edge and a portion of said second web at said second web waist edge to form a crotch gap;

drawing said first web from said second web in said cross-machine direction;

slitting at least a portion of said first web between said first web leg edge and said first web waist edge;

slitting at least a portion of said second web between said second web leg edge and said second web waist edge, wherein said slitting of said first web and said second web provides a first trailing chassis edge, a second trailing chassis edge and defines a garment chassis comprising said first web and said second web between said first and said second leading and trailing chassis edges and joined at said crotch seam; and

fastening said first leading chassis edge to said first trailing chassis edge and said second leading chassis edge to said second trailing chassis edge to provide said garment having said waist opening and said pair of hanging legs.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein fastening said leading chassis edges to said trailing chassis edges forms a pair of side seams and wherein said side seams are lap seams.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein fastening said leading chassis edges to said trailing chassis edges forms a pair of side seams and wherein said side seams are refastenable.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein fastening said leading chassis edges to said trailing chassis edges forms a pair of side seams and wherein said side seams are fastened from said waist edges to said leg edges.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said crotch seam intersects said first web waist edge and said second web waist edge at two locations.

6. The process of claim 1 comprising attaching an absorbent assembly to said garment chassis.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein said absorbent assembly is releasably attached to said garment chassis.

8. The process of claim 6 wherein said absorbent assembly is disposed along said crotch seam.

9. The process of claim 6 wherein said absorbent assembly is attached to said garment waist edges.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein said crotch seam is adjacent said crotch gap.

11. The process of claim 1 comprising applying a waist elastic proximate said first web waist edge and said second web waist edge.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein said waist elastic is applied proximate said first web waist edge on said first web exterior surface and proximate said second web waist edge on said second web exterior surface.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein said process is configured to make a series of said garments and wherein slitting said first web and said second web provides said first leading chassis edge and said second leading chassis edge for a subsequent garment chassis.

14. A continuous process for making garments having a waist opening and a pair of hanging legs, said process defining a machine direction, a cross-machine direction and an orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to a plane created by said machine direction and said cross-machine direction, said process comprising:

providing a first web traveling in a machine direction and defining a first web waist edge, a first web leg edge, a first leading chassis edge, a first web interior surface and a first web exterior surface;

providing a second web traveling in a machine direction and defining a second web waist edge, a second web leg edge, a second leading chassis edge, a second web interior surface and a second web exterior surface, said second web interior surface being disposed in a facing relationship with said first web interior surface;

joining said first web to said second web at a crotch seam;

selectively removing a portion of said first web at said first web waist edge and a portion of said second web at said second web waist edge to provide a crotch gap;

drawing said first web from said second web in said cross-machine direction to define a leading garment waist edge and a trailing garment waist edge;

slitting at least a portion of said first web between said first web leg edge and said first web waist edge, and a portion of said second web between said second web leg edge and said second web waist edge, wherein said slitting of said first web and said second web provides a first trailing chassis edge, a second trailing chassis edge and defines a garment chassis comprising said first web and said second web between said first and said second leading and trailing chassis edges and joined at said crotch seam; and

fastening said first leading chassis edge to said first trailing chassis edge and said second leading chassis edge to said second trailing chassis edge to provide said garment having said waist opening and said pair of hanging legs.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein fastening said leading chassis edges to said trailing chassis edges forms a pair of side seams and wherein said side seams are refastenable.

16. The process of claim 14 wherein fastening said leading chassis edges to said trailing chassis edges forms a pair of side seams and wherein said side seams are fastened from said waist edges to said leg edges.

17. The process of claim 14 comprising attaching an absorbent assembly to said garment chassis.

18. The process of claim 17 wherein said absorbent assembly is releasably attached to said garment chassis.

19. The process of claim 17 wherein said absorbent assembly is disposed along said crotch seam.

20. The process of claim 17 wherein said absorbent assembly is attached to said garment waist edges.

21. The process of claim 14 comprising extending said garment chassis in said machine direction to elongate said garment chassis prior to attaching said absorbent assembly.

22. The process of claim 14 wherein said crotch seam is adjacent said crotch gap.

23. The process of claim 14 wherein drawing said first web from said second web substantially bisects the distance between a pair of adjacent crotch seams.

24. The process of claim 14 comprising applying a waist elastic proximate said first web waist edge and said second web waist edge.

25. The process of claim 14 wherein said waist elastic is applied proximate said first web waist edge on said first web exterior surface and proximate said second web waist edge on said second web exterior surface.

26. The process of claim 25 wherein said waist elastic overlaps said leading garment waist edge and said trailing garment waist edge in an adjacently located configuration.

27. The process of 14 wherein said process is configured to make a series of said garments and wherein slitting said first web and said second web provides said first leading chassis edge and said second leading chassis edge for a subsequent garment chassis.

28. A continuous process for making garments having a waist opening and a pair of hanging legs, said process defining a machine direction, a cross-machine direction and an orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to a plane created by said machine direction and said cross-machine direction, said process comprising:

providing a first web traveling in a machine direction and defining a first web waist edge, a first web leg edge, a first leading chassis edge, a first web interior surface and a first web exterior surface;

providing a second web traveling in a machine direction and defining a second web waist edge, a second web leg edge, a second leading chassis edge, a second web interior surface and a second web exterior surface, said second web interior surface being disposed in a facing relationship with said first web interior surface;

joining said first web to said second web at selected locations to provide a plurality of spaced crotch seams;

removing portions of said first web at said first web waist edge and corresponding portions of said second web at said second web waist edge to provide a plurality of crotch gaps;

drawing said first web from said second web in said cross-machine direction to define a leading garment waist edge and a trailing garment waist edge;

slitting at least a portion of said first web between said first web leg edge and said first web waist edge, and a portion of said second web between said second web leg edge and said second web waist edge, wherein said slitting of said first web and said second web provides a first trailing chassis edge, a second trailing chassis edge and defines a garment chassis comprising said first web and said second web between said first and said second leading and trailing chassis edges and joined at a crotch seam;

extending said garment chassis in said machine direction to elongate said garment chassis;

attaching an absorbent assembly to said garment chassis, wherein said absorbent assembly is disposed along said crotch seam;

separating said garment chassis from said first web and said second web; and

fastening said first leading chassis edge to said first trailing chassis edge and said second leading chassis edge to said second trailing chassis edge to provide said garment having said waist opening and said pair of hanging legs.

29. The process of claim 28 wherein fastening said leading chassis edges to said trailing chassis edges forms a pair of side seams and wherein said side seams are refastenable.

30. The process of claim 28 comprising applying a waist elastic proximate said first web waist edge and said second web waist edge.

31. The process of claim 30 wherein said waist elastic is applied proximate said first web waist edge on said first web exterior surface and proximate said second web waist edge on said second web exterior surface.

32. The process of claim 30 wherein said waist elastic overlaps said leading garment waist edge and said trailing garment waist edge in an adjacently located configuration.

33. A process for making garments, said process defining a machine direction, a cross-machine direction and an orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to a plane created by said machine direction and said cross-machine direction, said process comprising:

providing a first web defining a first web waist edge, a first web leg edge, a first leading chassis edge, a first web interior surface and a first web exterior surface;

providing a second web defining a second web waist edge, a second web leg edge, a second leading chassis edge, a second web interior surface and a second web exterior surface, said second web interior surface being disposed in a facing relationship with said first web interior surface;

joining said first web to said second web to provide a crotch seam;

selectively removing a portion of said first web at said first web waist edge and a portion of said second web at said second web waist edge to form a crotch gap;

drawing said first web from said second web in said cross-machine direction;

slitting at least a portion of said first web between said first web leg edge and said first web waist edge;

slitting at least a portion of said second web between said second web leg edge and said second web waist edge, wherein said slitting of said first web and said second web provides a first trailing chassis edge, a second trailing chassis edge and defines a garment chassis comprising said first web and said second web between said first and said second leading and trailing chassis edges and joined at said crotch seam.

34. A process for making garments having a waist opening and a pair of hanging legs, said process comprising:

providing a first web traveling in a machine direction;

providing a second web traveling in a machine direction;

joining spaced portions of said first and second webs to define a plurality of crotch seams;

selectively removing portions of said first and second webs to provide a plurality of crotch gaps;

drawing said first web from said second web in a cross-machine direction at locations disposed between successive crotch gaps;

slitting said first web and said second web between successive crotch gaps to form a plurality of garment chasses, each garment chassis comprising a first web portion and a second web portion joined at a crotch seam; and

fastening said first web portion to itself and said second web portion to itself to form a garment having a waist opening and a pair of hanging legs.