Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

James Bennington Stopher

Patrick Sean McNichols

Robert Eugene Vogt

Jennifer Elizabeth Pozniak

Gary Lee Travis

Tim Joseph Janssen

Laura Linda Elsberg

Bruce Reed Shafer

June Marie De Valk

Brian Walter Angielski

Timothy James Blenke

Gary Mack Reynolds

David James VanEperen

Gene M Gregory

Adam Lewis Daniels

Robert Micheal Letterman

Steven Michael Parsons

Kevin Lester Fiedler

A method of making a prefastened refastenable diaper or other undergarment includes the steps of forming a web of diaper material, cutting holes in the center of the web as precursor leg cutouts and, placing a fastening system divided between front and back waist sections onto each diaper section of the web to prepare inchoate diapers having their long axes in the cross machine direction of the web. Then the web is cut to define the web into individual diapers. The diapers are then folded in half at the crotch section, placing the fastening system section in lapping alignment and fastening the system together. The diapers are then removed by the leg holes to bundle and place the diapers in point of sale containers. The method lends itself to simple in-line process machinery for accomplishing the manufacture of the diapers. The method creates diapers which are useful upon removal from the point of sale container as pull on training pants and which may be easily removed in the fashion of a diaper by separating the fasteners.

Method of making a prefastened undergarment in a cross machine direction and apparatus for carrying out said method

The present invention provides a distinctive process and apparatus ( ) for forming an article. The technique of the invention includes a providing of a first panel layer ( ), and a positioning of a second panel layer ( ) onto the first panel layer ( ). An inboard portion ( ) of the first panel layer ( ) is attached to an inboard portion ( ) of the second panel layer ( ), and a side region ( ) of a tab web ( ) is attached to the inboard portion ( ) of at least one of the first and second panel layers ( ) to provide a first assembly web ( ). A fastening mechanism ( ) is attached to the tab web ( ), and an outboard portion ( ) of at least one of the first and second panel layers ( ) is folded to provide a folded layer ( ) and a protruding layer ( ). A protruding layer portion ( ) of a panel assembly ( ) is attached to a first waistband portion ( ) of an article segment ( ), and the article segment ( ) is transversely folded to provide a folded article segment. A folded layer portion ( ) of the panel assembly ( ) can then be attached a second waistband portion ( ) of the folded article segment.

Process and apparatus for making a pre-fastened diaper

The present invention provides a process and apparatus for applying a web component ( ) to a moving substrate ( ). The process aspect includes a delivering of the web component ( ) to a rotatable applicator wheel ( ). The applicator wheel has an entry surface-region ( ), an exit surface-region ( ), a transport surface-region ( ), and an applicator wheel diameter ( ). The web component ( ) is contacted onto the entry surface-region ( ) of the applicator wheel ( ), and the applicator wheel is rotated to move the web component along a substantially circumferential, applicator path along the transport surface-region ( ) of the applicator wheel. The applicator wheel ( ) is oscillated about a pivot axis ( ) which is spaced from the moving substrate ( ) by a pivot distance ( ), and the web component ( ) is operatively applied from the exit surface-region ( ) of the applicator wheel ( ) onto the moving substrate ( ) to provide a desired curved web configuration. In a particular aspect, the applicator wheel diameter ( ) can be at least a selected percentage of the pivot distance ( ).

Method and apparatus for applying a curved component to a moving web

A disposable absorbent article includes an absorbent chassis, at least one fit panel, a pair a primary fasteners and an integral waist size adjustment mechanism. The fit panel is located in one of the waist regions of the absorbent chassis and defines a waist edge, a pair of laterally opposed outboard edges which are located laterally beyond the side edges of the absorbent chassis, and an inward edge which is located longitudinally inward from the waist edge. The pair of primary fasteners are located on the laterally opposed outboard edges of the fit panel and are configured to releasably engage the opposite waist region of the absorbent chassis to provide the disposable absorbent article. The waist size adjustment mechanism may include a secondary fastener tab which is integral with the fit panel.

Disposable absorbent articles having a stretch panel and an integrated waist size adjustment mechanism

A prefastened, refastenable, disposable absorbent article includes an absorbent chassis, at least one stretch panel, and a pair a primary fasteners. The absorbent chassis defines a pair of longitudinally opposed end edges and a pair of laterally opposed side edges. The stretch panel is located in one of the waist regions and defines a waist edge, a pair of laterally opposed outboard edges which are located laterally beyond the side edges of the absorbent chassis, and an inward edge which is located longitudinally inward from the waist edge. The pair of primary fasteners are located on the laterally opposed outboard edges of the stretch panel and are releasably prefastened to an opposite waist region of the absorbent chassis to releasably engage a front waist region to a rear waist region to provide the prefastened disposable absorbent article.

Prefastened disposable absorbent articles having a stretch panel

Methods and apparatus for applying elastic material in a curvilinear pattern on a continuously moving substrate. The method moves a substrate along a substrate path, supplies the elastic material to an oscillation unit first roll mounted for pivoting and rolling engagement with a transfer roll, oscillates the oscillation unit in a path generally transverse to the substrate path, applies the elastic material from the first roll to the transfer roll in the desired curvilinear path configuration, then applies the elastic material from the transfer roll to the substrate and bonds the elastic material to the substrate. Optionally the first roll may apply the elastic material directly to the substrate. Also at least two webs of elastic materials may be applied to a continuously moving substrate in at least two curvilinear substrate paths by supplying the elastic materials to a single transfer roll, applying the elastic materials from the transfer roll to the substrate and bonding the elastic materials to the substrate.

Methods and apparatus for applying an elastic material in a curvilinear pattern on a continuously moving substrate

The present invention provides a combination roller, a machine and process for cutting workpieces from a web moving at a first speed and depositing them on and bonding them to a substrate web moving at a second speed with the functions of cutting, transferring, and bonding all carried out on a single roller. The reduction in roller mass achieved by this roller and machine design permits driving the combination roller at variable speeds by means of a servomotor and servomotor controller. The resulting machine permits electronic rather than machine grade changes as the machine and process are used to produce products having different configurations.

Growing community of inventors

Neenah, WI, United States of America

James Bennington Stopher