Method of manufacturing a body adhering absorbent article oriented in the machine direction with reduced curl

• US 9,468,564 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Popp, Robert Lee, Gottleib, Jay David, Coenen, Joseph Daniel, Turchan, Gary Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): SELLS, JAMES D
• Application Number:
  US14/280,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20140305572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 156/73.1, 156/580.1, 156/580.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15707 Mechanical treatment, e.g. notching, twisting, compressing, shaping
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15723 Partitioning batts; Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15739 Sealing, e.g. involving cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15764 Transferring, feeding or handling devices; Drives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15804 Plant, e.g. involving several steps
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/82 with means for attaching to the body
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/04 Time
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/028 using vibration, e.g. sonic or ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2555/02 Diapers or napkins
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/144 using layers with different mechanical or chemical conditions or properties, e.g. layers with different thermal shrinkage, layers under tension during bonding constructional features for tensioning B32B38/1825
• 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 38/0008 Electrical discharge treatment, e.g. corona, plasma treatment; wave energy or particle radiation heat treatment B32B38/0036
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/06 Embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/1858 using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 Flash, trim or excess removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1084 of continuous or running length bonded web

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods of manufacturing a body adhering absorbent article oriented in the machine direction wherein the body adhering absorbent articles have reduced or eliminated curl. The articles are manufactured with reduced curl by selectively reducing or eliminating the shell elastic tension in regions where components of the body adhering absorbent article are to be attached to form the composite absorbent article web. In certain aspects the body adhering absorbent articles are manufactured by supplying an elastic web of shell material having a longitudinal and transverse direction, stretching the web of shell material in the longitudinal direction, deadening at least one region of the stretched web of shell material, attaching at least one absorbent article component to at least a portion of the longitudinal deadened zone to form a composite web material, and cutting the composite web material to form a body adhering absorbent article.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a body adhering absorbent article oriented in the machine direction comprising:

a. supplying an elastic web of shell material having a longitudinal and transverse direction;

b. maintaining the elastic web of shell material in an untensioned state;

c. attaching at least one adhesive transfer layer and an absorbent component to the untensioned elastic web of shell material to form a composite web material wherein the adhesive transfer layer and the absorbent component are spaced apart from each other in the machine direction; and

d. cutting the composite web material to form the body adhering absorbent article having a predetermined size and shape.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of attaching comprises laminating, adhesive attachment, thermal bonding, pressure bonding or ultrasonic bonding.

3. A method of manufacturing a body adhering absorbent article oriented in the machine direction comprising:

a. supplying an activatable web of shell material having a longitudinal and transverse direction;

b. intermittently activating a portion of the web of shell material in the longitudinal direction to create activated and nonactivated portions of the web of shell material in the longitudinal direction;

c. attaching at least one adhesive transfer layer and an absorbent component to the at least one nonactivated portion of the web of shell material to form a composite web material wherein the adhesive transfer layer and the absorbent component are spaced apart from each other in the machine direction; and

d. cutting the composite web material to form the body adhering absorbent article having a predetermined size and shape.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the activatable web of shell material is a mechanically activatable web of shell material.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the mechanically activatable web of shell material is a composite comprising at least one inelastic material and at least one elastic material.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the activatable web of shell material is a mechanically activatable web of shell material and the step of activating comprises mechanically activating the web of shell material by passing the web of shell material through a pair of interconnecting laterally grooved rolls.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the activatable web of shell material is a heat activatable web of shell material.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the heat activatable web of shell material is selected from a group consisting of microwave activated shell materials and heat activated shell materials.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the activatable web of shell material is a heat activatable web of shell material and the step of activating comprises intermittently heating the web of shell material.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of activating comprises passing the web of shell material through an apparatus configured for zoned heated compression of the web of shell material.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of attaching comprises laminating, adhesive attachment, thermal bonding, pressure bonding or ultrasonic bonding.

12. A method of manufacturing a body adhering absorbent article oriented in the machine direction comprising:

a. supplying a web of shell material having elastic and nonelastic zones;

b. attaching at least one adhesive transfer layer and an absorbent component to the nonelastic zone of the web of shell material to form a composite web material wherein the adhesive transfer layer and the absorbent component are spaced apart from each other in the machine direction; and

c. cutting the composite web material to form the body adhering absorbent article having a predetermined size and shape.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of attaching comprises laminating, adhesive attachment, thermal bonding, pressure bonding or ultrasonic bonding.