Method for making an undergarment having side seams

• US 5,772,825 A
• Filed: 06/20/1997
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Schmitz, Christoph Johann
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnstone, Adrienne C.
• Application Number:
  US08/849,981
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 2/400, 2/401, 2/402, 2/403, 2/406, 604/385.1, 604/385.2, 604/393, 604/396, 156/73.1, 156/163, 156/164, 156/211, 156/217, 156/222, 156/226, 156/227, 156/264, 156/267, 156/269, 156/270, 156/292, 156/308.4, 156/443, 156/494, 156/495, 156/496 , 156/510, 156/516, 156/522, 156/538, 156/539, 156/543, 156/552, 156/556, 156/562, 156/566, 156/580.1
• US Class Current: 156/164
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15747 Folding; Pleating; Coiling; Stacking; Packaging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1026 with slitting or removal of material at reshaping area prior to reshaping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1036 Bending of one piece blank and joining edges to form article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1049 Folding only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 by folding
• 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 156/108 Flash, trim or excess removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1317 Means feeding plural workpieces to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1343 Cutting indefinite length web after assembly with discrete article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/17 Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1702 For plural parts or plural areas of single part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1712 Indefinite or running length work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1768 Means simultaneously conveying plural articles from a single source and serially presenting them to an assembly station

Abstract

A method for forming an undergarment having side seams from a two-dimensional preform comprises the steps of cutting a continuous web along transverse cut lines to form individual preforms; cutting each preform along a leg contour extending along each longitudinal side of the preform in the region of a central section, wherein each leg contour does not touch the respective longitudinal side, thus forming two gripping flaps; gripping the preform at the gripping flaps; pulling the gripping flaps outwardly away from the longitudinal sides such that the preform is doubled over along a transverse centerline and such that sealing areas in the region of back waist sections are placed in a superimposed relationship with sealing areas in the region of front waist sections; mutually connecting the sealing areas.

Claims

1. Method of making an undergarment (1) having side seams (7, 9) from a two-dimensional preform (17), the preform (17) comprising:

two longitudinal sides (27,

     29), each longitudinal side having a central section (40, 40'"'"'), a front waist section (41, 41'"'"') and a back waist section (39, 39'"'"'), two transverse sides (31,

     33), a transverse centerline (16) located midway between the transverse sides (31,

     33), and four sealing areas (43, 45, 47,

     49) located in the region of the front and the back waist sections (41, 41'"'"';

39, 39'"'"'), the method comprising the steps of

cutting a continuous web (50) along transverse cut lines (76, 76'"'"') to form individual preforms,

cutting each preform (17) along a leg contour (55,

     56) extending along each longitudinal side (27,

     29) in the region of the central section (40, 40'"'"'), wherein each leg contour (55,

     56) does not touch the respective longitudinal side (27,

     29), thus forming two gripping flaps (53,

     54),

gripping the preform (17) at the gripping flaps (53,

     54),

pulling the gripping flaps (53,

     54) outwardly away from the longitudinal sides (27,

     29) such that the preform (17) is doubled over along the transverse centerline (16),

placing the sealing areas (43,

     45) in the region of the back waist sections (39, 39'"'"') in a superimposed relationship with the sealing areas (47,

     49) in the region of the front waist sections (41, 41'"'"'), and

mutually connecting the sealing areas.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein the preform (17) comprises a liquid pervious topsheet (21), a liquid impervious backsheet (23, 23'"'"') and an absorbent core (25) interposed between the topsheet (21) and the backsheet (23, 23'"'"'), such that the undergarment forms a disposable absorbent article.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the topsheet (21) and the backsheet (23, 23'"'"') extend into the sealing areas (43, 45, 47, 49, 140, 142).

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein an elastic element (35, 37) is placed along at least one of the transverse sides (31, 33).

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein an elastic element (35, 37) is placed along each transverse side (31, 33).

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the elastic element (35, 37) is applied in a pre-stretched form.