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

• US 9,301,882 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fameccanica Data SpA (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Fameccanica Data SpA (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Sablone, Gabriele
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, Linda L
• Application Number:
  US13/578,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20120304363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15747 Folding; Pleating; Coiling; Stacking; Packaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15756 Applying tabs, strips, tapes, loops; Knotting the ends of pads
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5622 specially adapted for diapers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/565 pants type diaper
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0004 Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/10 Removing layers, or parts of layers, mechanically or chemically
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1049 Folding only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 by folding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1077 Applying plural cut laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1092 All laminae planar and face to face
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1097 Lamina is running length web

Abstract

Sanitary articles (1) that can be worn as a pair of pants, said articles (1) comprising a central body (2), which can be set around the crotch region of the user, said central body (2) extending m a longitudinal direction (X1) between two opposite ends, and at least one pair of side panels (3), which are connected to one of the ends of the central body (2) and extend on opposite sides of said central body (2) to define at least in part the waistband of the article (1). The side panels (3) are connected to the central body (2) while they are in a folded condition. The aforesaid panels are preferentially obtained in a folded condition, with the distal edge (7) set in the proximity of the proximal edge (6).

Claims

1. A method of producing a sanitary article wearable as pants, the article 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 a waist line of the article, the side panels of said at least one pair having each a proximal edge connected to said central body and a distal edge carrying closure formations for the article at its waist line,

wherein the method comprises;

producing said central body,

producing said at least one pair of side panels, and

connecting the side panels of said at least one pair of side panels to said central body with said side panels in a folded condition,

wherein the method also comprises;

i) producing the side panels, of said at least one pair in a folded condition by providing;

an inner portion to connect to said central body at said proximal edge, and

an outer portion carrying a closure means at said distal edge said inner portion and said outer portion being connectable to each other at an intermediate region of the respective side panels,

ii) folding over one of said inner portion and said outer portion to form an end pleat at said intermediate region,

iii) applying said outer portion against said inner portion by connecting them via said end pleat at said intermediate region, and

iv) connecting said inner portion to said central body at said proximal edge, whereby the side panels of said at least one pair are connected to said central body in a folded condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in said folded condition, said side panels have their distal edge in proximity of said proximal edge.

3. The method of claim 1, including folding over said inner portion at said intermediate region by forming said end pleat.

4. The method of claim 1, including folding over said outer portion at said distal edge.

5. The method of claim 1, including:

producing said inner portion in the form of a continuous web having connected thereto the outer portions of a plurality of respective side panels,

subjecting said continuous web to segmentation to form stubs each to produce one of said side panels of said at least one pair.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the side panels of said at least one pair have an inner side with respect to the longitudinal direction of the article, the method including providing at said inner side a shaping cut for one of a side opening for a leg of a user of the article.

7. The method of claim 1, including making a shaping cut exclusively at said inner portion, whereby the outer portion connected thereto is not cut during the shaping cut.

8. The method of claim 1, including connecting to said central body a further pair of side panels connected to the end of said central body opposed to the end to which said at least one pair of side panels is connected, the panels of said further pair having an end pleat at the respective distal edge.

9. The method of claim 5, including:

leaving, in said continuous web, separation zones between said inner portions connected to said continuous web, and

producing the side panels of said further pair from said separation zones left in said continuous web.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the side panels of said further pair have an inner side with respect to the longitudinal direction of the article, the method including providing at said inner side a shaping cut for one of a side opening for a leg of a user of the article.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said shaping cut includes:

a proximal curved section, and

a rectilinear distal section, orthogonal to the main axis of the article, located at a pleat of the respective panel.

15. The method of claim 3, wherein said end pleat is folded towards the inside of the article.

16. The method of claim 4, wherein the folding over said outer portion at said distal edge occurs before connection to said inner portion at said intermediate region.

12. A sanitary article wearable as pants, 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 side panels of said at least one pair each having a proximal edge connected to said central body and a distal edge having closure formations for the article at its waist line, wherein;

i) the side panels of said at least one pair include an inner portion connected to said central body at said proximal edge and an outer portion carrying said closure means at said distal edge, said inner portion and said outer portion being connected to each other at an intermediate region of the respective side panel, ii) one of said inner portion and said outer portion is folded over at said intermediate region to form an end pleat, and iii) said outer portion is applied against said inner portion and connected thereto via said end pleat at said intermediate region.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein said end pleat is in said inner portion and is folded towards the inside of the article.

14. The article of claim 12, including a further pair of side panels connected to the end of said central body opposed to the end to which said at least one pair of side panels is connected, wherein the panels of said further pair include respective selectively deployable, folded over distal edges.