ABSORBENT WEARING ARTICLE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME

• US 20080132871A1
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Otsubo, Toshifumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,057,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/385.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15593 having elastic ribbons fixed thereto; Devices for applying the ribbons
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15699 Forming webs by bringing together several webs, e.g. by laminating or folding several webs, with or without additional treatment of the webs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15739 Sealing, e.g. involving cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49011 the elastic means is located at the waist region
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51458 being air-pervious or breathable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5146 having apertures of perforations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51478 being a laminate, e.g. multi-layered or with several layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51484 being inhomogeneous in the plane of the sheet, i.e. having zones of different properties or structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51496 having visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8497 having decorations or indicia means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1056 Perforating lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1057 Subsequent to assembly of laminae
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 Prior to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1075 of plural laminae from single stock and assembling to each other or to additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1077 Applying plural cut laminae to single face of additional lamina

Abstract

An absorbent wearing article including an air permeable and liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-retentive absorbent structure placed on the backsheet. An outer sheet has having elastic members is placed on and bonded to a surface of the backsheet opposed to its surface bonded to the absorbent structure. The outer sheet has the elastic members intermittently bonded under tension thereto, and is formed in a region thereof facing the absorbent structure with an opening. The elastic members extend laterally under tension from a peripheral edge of the opening beyond the absorbent structure and the first backsheet is exposed through the opening.

Claims

1. An absorbent wearing article comprising:

an air permeable and liquid-impervious first backsheet and a liquid-retentive absorbent structure placed on said first backsheet;

an outer sheet having elastic members and an area larger than that of said first backsheet being placed on and bonded to a surface of said first backsheet opposed to its surface bonded to said absorbent structure;

said outer sheet having said elastic members intermittently bonded under tension thereto and being formed in a region thereof facing said absorbent structure with an opening;

said elastic members extending laterally under tension from a peripheral edge of said opening beyond opposite side edges of said absorbent structure; and

said first backsheet being exposed through said opening.

2. The absorbent wearing article according to claim 1, wherein:

said absorbent wearing article is symmetric about a center line when said absorbent wearing article is developed in a flattened state;

said absorbent wearing article comprises a front waist region, a crotch region and a rear waist region in this order as viewed in a direction orthogonal to said center line;

said opening of said outer sheet is formed so as to extend from said front waist region to said rear waist region;

said absorbent structure extends from said front waist region to said rear waist region so as to cover said opening; and

said elastic members extend under tension in a direction substantially orthogonal to said center line in said front waist region and said rear waist region.

3. The absorbent wearing article according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral edge of said opening formed through said outer sheet is bonded to said first backsheet.

4. The absorbent wearing article according to claim 1, wherein:

said outer sheet comprises a second backsheet bonded to said first backsheet and an outer covering sheet placed upon and bonded to said second backsheet; and

said elastic members are sandwiched between said second backsheet and said outer covering sheet.

5. The absorbent wearing article according to claim 1, including a plurality of said openings.

6. A process for making an absorbent wearing article including an air permeable and liquid-impervious first backsheet and a liquid-retentive absorbent structure placed upon said first backsheet, comprising the steps of:

continuously feeding continuous elastic members in a direction parallel to a machine direction to a continuous outer sheet continuously fed in said machine direction while said continuous elastic members are intermittently bonded under tension to the continuous outer sheet;

making cuts extending orthogonally to said machine direction in the continuous outer sheet having said continuous elastic members bonded thereto so that said continuous elastic members are at least partially chopped off; and

bonding the side of said absorbent structure facing said first backsheet to said continuous outer sheet.

7. The process for making the absorbent wearing article according to claim 6, wherein:

said absorbent wearing article is symmetric about a center line when said absorbent wearing article is developed in a flattened state;

said absorbent wearing article comprises a front waist region, a crotch region and a rear waist region in this order as viewed in a direction orthogonal to said center line;

said center line is orthogonal to said machine direction of said continuous outer sheet;

said continuous elastic members are fed to said front waist region and said rear waist region;

said cuts are made in a direction parallel to said centerline so as to extend from said front waist region to said rear waist region; and

the first backsheet of said absorbent structure is bonded to said outer sheet from said front waist region to said rear waist region so as to cover said opening.

8. The process for making the absorbent wearing article according to claim 6, including a step of coating the regions along which said cuts are made with hot melt adhesive in the direction orthogonal to said machine direction before the step of making the cuts in said continuous outer sheet.

9. The process for making the absorbent wearing article according to claim 6, wherein:

said outer sheet comprises a continuous second backsheet bonded to said first backsheet and a continuous outer covering sheet bonded placed upon and bonded to said second backsheet;

said continuous elastic members are interposed between said continuous second backsheet and said continuous outer covering sheet and bonded thereto; and

said first backsheet on a side of said first backsheet is bonded to said continuous second backsheet.

10. The process for making the absorbent wearing article according to claim 6, including a step of making a plurality of cuts spaced one from another along said machine direction for forming a plurality of individual diapers from said continuous outer sheet, continuous elastic members and a plurality of absorbent structures.