Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Jack Lee Couillard

Joseph Daniel Coenen

Robert Lee Popp

Christopher Peter Olson

David Arthur Kuen

Shawn Ahmed Quereshi

Michael Lee Lohoff

Brian Robert Vogt

Robin Kurt Nason

Kent William Abel

Charles Robert Tomsovic

Jason Gene Csida

Jesse Paul Sorenson

Richard Mark Konetzke

Michael Andrew Machurick

Gregory Allen MacDonald

William Joseph Meyer

Patricia Katherine Eng

Glenn Chance Dunlap, Iii

Aric Anton Melzl

Daniel Hoo

Chinmay Suresh Betrabet

Kurt Garrett Krupka

David Albert Maxton

Chris Lee Heikkinen

James Melvin Gaestel

Dan James Sorensen

Gregory John Rajala

Henry Louis Carbone, Ii

Tim G Dollevoet

Brian Keith Rhodes

Heather Schenck Mortell

Scott Gerald Chapple

Clinton David Clark

Laurie Couture-Dorschner

Archie Dodds Morgan

Matthew Lee Koele

Daniel James Sorensen

Joseph J Gimenez

Walter Andrew Mattingly

David James VanEperen

Bradley M Marohl

Jeffrey Joseph Samida

Paul Gordon Klemp

James Frederick Roth

Larry Dean Primeau

Michael William Protheroe

Steven L Schnasse

Jeffery Joseph Samida

John P Hillmer

Henry L Carbone Ii

Henry L Ii Carbone

Clinton D Clark

Michael W Protheroe

A method for positioning side panels during manufacture of a pant includes positioning the side panels on side panel transfer devices. The side panels move perpendicular to a pant transport plane as the pant is transported in the machine direction and the side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices. The side panels can include refastenable fastening components. The method and apparatus can move the fastening components closer together in the cross-machine direction or maintain the fastening components at a constant cross-machine position while the side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices.

Garment side panel conveyor system and method

A prefastened absorbent garment is manufactured with its longitudinal axis in the machine direction. A web of garment chassis material extending in the machine direction is overlaid with a side panel web. The side panel web is attached at opposite width borders of the chassis web and has one or more complementary fasteners opposing each other in the longitudinal axis direction of the garment chassis web. The garment can be folded to place the complementary fasteners in releasable engagement and individuated from the combined chassis and side panel webs.

Refastenable absorbent product with overlaid side panels and method of making same in the machine direction

In a method and apparatus for mechanically fastening a partially assembled absorbent undergarment during manufacture, a longitudinal folding device is carried by a transport device and moveable between an open configuration in which it receives a partially assembled undergarment, and a closed configuration in which the undergarment is folded longitudinally by the folding device. A first transverse folding device folds a first fastening portion of the undergarment relative to the folding device and generally toward a second fastening portion, and a second transverse folding device carried by the transport device folds the second fastening portion relative to the folding device and generally toward the first fastening portion to facilitate engagement therebetween. A separate retention member is carried by the transport device and draws at least one of the first and second fastening portions against the retention member while the garment is moved by the transport device.

Apparatus and method for making pre-fastened absorbent undergarments

A method of producing refastenable side seams in an absorbent garment results in an absorbent garment that is adapted to easy application and removal. The refastenable side seams can be produced in either a cross direction, wherein the width of the product is the machine direction, or a machine direction wherein the length of the product is the machine direction. Each of the refastenable side seams includes a lap side seam, which puts the seams under shear strain, as opposed to peel forces. The resulting garment can be opened and closed on either a left side or a right side of the garment.

Process for making a garment with refastenable sides

A method for bonding a strip, such as a leg elastic or the like, to an opening on a web of material. The method includes providing a web that includes at least one opening and defines at least a first bonding surface adjacent each opening. For each opening the method includes: deforming the web to modify the shape of the opening, providing a strip defining a second bonding surface, bonding together at least portions of the first and second bonding surfaces of the modified opening and relaxing the web.

Method for bonding surfaces on a web

A pant-like absorbent garment adapted to easy application and removal has refastenable side seams. The refastenable side seams extend from a waist opening to each of two leg openings between a front panel and a back panel. Each of the refastenable side seams includes a fastening component and a mating fastening component, each of which comprises either a hook material or a loop material. A portion of the mating fastening component can be die-cut in a sinusoidal or other nesting shape. The resulting refastenable seams can be lap seams, dual fastened lap seams, standing butt seams, or dual fastened standing butt seams.

Absorbent article with refastenable sides

In a method and apparatus for making and inspecting pre-fastened articles, such as disposable training pants, having at least two generally flexible elements capable of connection with each other during initial assembly of the article, the elements are arranged in overlapping relationship with each other and connected together to define an engagement seam of the article. The article is arranged to define an interior space thereof whereby the interior space is bounded in part by the engagement seam. The elements are irradiated at the engagement seam by a radiation source within the interior space of the article and an image of the irradiated engagement seam is captured by an image capturing device. In one embodiment, the image capturing device is positioned within the interior space of the article and the radiation source is either within the interior space or exterior of the article.

Apparatus and method for inspecting pre-fastened articles

A prefastened absorbent garment is manufactured with its longitudinal axis in the machine direction. A web of garment chassis material extending in the machine direction is overlaid with a side panel web laying substantially within the garment chassis borders. The side panel web is attached to the chassis web and has fasteners thereon. The side panel web can be split in two and folded to place its fasteners in proximity to complementary fasteners disposed at the opposing end of the garment on the chassis web when the chassis web is folded.

Refastenable absorbent product with Z-folded side panels and method of making same in the machine direction

A method of producing refastenable side seams in an absorbent garment results in an absorbent garment that is adapted to easy application and removal. The refastenable side seams can be produced in either a cross direction or a machine direction. Each of the refastenable side seams is a dual side seam that includes a standing butt seam formed between a front lap seam and a back lap seam. The resulting garment can be opened and closed on either a front side of the garment or a back side of the garment.

Process for making a garment with dual refastenable sides and butt seams

A method and apparatus for folding garments is suitable for use with garments having discrete mechanical fastening components and suitable for the manufacture of prefastened and refastenable garments. The garments or other discrete articles define leading and trailing halves with opposed side panels. A chassis portion and side panels of the garments can be controlled during folding by providing a three piece vacuum puck design and/or a channeled transfer plate as well as a layer of air under the leading side panels.

Methods for improving product chassis and panel control during folding of garment

Efficient high speed methods for making garments with fastening components include positioning first fastening components on one surface of a product assemblage on opposite sides of a machine center line at selected first cross machine direction locations. In particular embodiments, second fastening components are positioned on another surface of the product assemblage on opposite sides of the machine center line at selected second cross machine direction locations. The product assemblage can be processed through bonding devices disposed at selected cross machine direction locations to bond the fastening components to opposite surfaces of the product assemblage. In other embodiments, the product assemblage can be processed through bonding devices subsequent to positioning the first fastening components. The bonding devices can bond the first fastening components to particular zones of side panel strips and form second fastening components comprising discontinuous nonadhesive bonds in other zones of the side panel strips.

Methods for making garments with fastening components

A prefastened absorbent garment is manufactured with its longitudinal axis in the cross machine direction. A web of garment chassis material extending in the machine direction is overlaid within the garment chassis borders. The side panel webs are attached to the chassis web and have hook and loop fasteners thereon. The garment can be individuated from the combined chassis and side panel webs.

Cross direction method for making a refastenable garment with overlaid side panels

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Menasha, WI, United States of America

Jack Lee Couillard