Flangeless seam for use in disposable articles

• US 6,120,489 A
• Filed: 05/15/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Weirich, David Michael, Johnson, Larry Kenneth, Lange, Stephen Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Polutta, Mark O.
• Application Number:
  US08/855,651
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 604/386, 604/392, 604/393, 604/394, 604/396, 604/387, 2/275, 2/400, 2/403, 2/406
• US Class Current: 604/386
• 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 13/493 adjustable by adding or removing material, e.g. umbilical cord arrangements adjustable by the fastening A61F13/5638, A61F13/5655
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/496 in the form of pants or briefs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5655 adjustable pants type diapers adjustable otherwise than by the fasteners A61F13/493
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/76 Making non-permanent or releasable joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/004 Preventing sticking together, e.g. of some areas of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/431 Joining the articles to themselves B29C66/4322 and B29C66/4332 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/433 Casing-in, i.e. enclosing an element between two sheets by an outlined seam for bookbinding B42C11/06; for packaging B65B; by laminating B32B37/00; enclosing tubular articles between substantially flat elements B29C66/53261
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/712 the composition of one of the parts to be joined being different from the composition of the other part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7294 Non woven mats, e.g. felt
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/4878 Diapers, napkins

Abstract

A flangeless seam especially useful in disposable articles, such as training pants, incontinence articles and the like. The first member preferably has a first proximal portion and a first distal portion. The first distal portion is preferably folded upon at least a portion of the first proximal portion to provide a common interface between the first distal portion and the first proximal portion when the seam is in the seaming configuration. The first proximal portion preferably has a first melting point and the first distal portion preferably has a second melting point which is relatively lower than the first melting point. The seam also includes a second member preferably having a second proximal portion and a second distal portion. The second member preferably has a third melting point which is lower than the first melting point. The first distal portion and the second distal portion are joined to one another at a temperature which is relatively lower than the first melting point of the first proximal portion and at least a part of the first proximal portion is not joined to at least a part of the first distal portion such that the unjoined parts of the first proximal portion and the first distal portion may be separated to provide the seam in its open configuration.

Claims

1. A flangeless seam for use in a disposable article having an open configuration and a seaming configuration, the seam comprising:

a first member having a first proximal portion and a first distal portion, the first distal portion folded upon at least a portion of the first proximal portion to provide a common interface between the first distal portion and the first proximal portion when the seam is in the seaming configuration;

the first proximal portion having a first melting point and the first distal portion having a second melting point which is relatively lower than the first melting point; and

a second member having a second proximal portion and a second distal portion, the second member having a third melting point which is lower than the first melting point, the first distal portion and the second distal portion being joinable to one another at a temperature which is relatively lower than the first melting point of the first proximal portion;

at least a part of the first proximal portion is not joined to at least a part of the first distal portion such that the unjoined parts of the first proximal portion and the first distal portion may be separated to provide the seam in the open configuration.

2. The flangeless seam of claim 1 wherein the third melting point is equal to the second melting point.

3. The flangeless seam of claim 1 wherein the first member comprises a fold.

4. The flangeless seam of claim 1 wherein the first member comprises more than one fold.

5. The flangeless seam of claim 1 wherein the second member comprises a fold.

6. The flangeless seam of claim 1 wherein the joining means includes bonding means selected from the following group:

heat, pressure, heat and pressure, and ultrasound.

7. The flangeless seam of claim 1 wherein the first proximal portion includes a polyester film and the first distal portion, the second proximal portion and the second distal portion include a polypropylene film.

8. The flangeless seam of claim 1 wherein the first proximal portion includes a polypropylene film and the first distal portion, the second proximal portion and the second distal portion include a polyethylene film.

9. The flangeless seam of claim 1 wherein the first proximal portion includes polyester fibers and the first distal portion, the second proximal portion and the second distal portion include polypropylene fibers.

10. The flangeless seam of claim 1 wherein the first proximal portion includes polypropylene fibers and the first distal portion, the second proximal portion and the second distal portion include polyethylene fibers.

11. A disposable article for wearing about the torso of a wearer, comprising:

a chassis having a front portion, a rear portion, and a crotch portion disposed between the front portion and the rear portion; and

the flangeless seam of claim 1 joining the front portion with the rear portion to form at least one leg opening.

12. The disposable article of claim 11 comprising a pair of flangeless seams joining the front portion with the rear portion to form two leg openings and a waist opening.

13. The disposable article of claim 11 wherein the chassis comprises a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet.

14. The disposable article of claim 11 wherein the chassis further comprises a pair of laterally opposed longitudinal side regions, each of the side regions comprising a first member disposed in the waist portion and a second member disposed in the rear portion.

15. The disposable article of claim 11 wherein the flangeless seam joins the first member with the second member.

16. A method for making a flangeless seam for use in a disposable article having an open configuration and a seaming configuration, the method comprising:

providing a first member having a first proximal portion and a first distal portion, the first distal portion folded upon at least a portion of the first proximal portion to provide a common interface between the first distal portion and the first proximal portion when the seam is in the seaming configuration;

the first proximal portion having a first melting point and the first distal portion having a second melting point which is relatively lower than the first melting point; and

providing a second member having a second proximal portion and a second distal portion, the second member having a third melting point which is lower than the first melting point,

joining the first distal portion and the second distal portion to one another at a temperature which is relatively lower than the first melting point of the first proximal portion such that

at least a part of the first proximal portion is not joined to at least a part of the first distal portion;

separating that the unjoined parts of the first proximal portion and the first distal portion to provide the seam in its open configuration.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first member is folded between the first distal portion and the first proximal portion.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said first member includes more than one fold.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the second member is folded between the second distal portion and the second proximal portion.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the first distal portion and the second distal portion are joined by means of selected from the following group:

heat, pressure, heat and pressure, and ultrasound.