A method of manufacturing an absorbent article includes feeding a first web of material in a machine direction, feeding a second web of material in the machine direction, the second web being spaced from the first web by a gap, attaching an absorbent assembly to the first web and the second web such that the absorbent assembly spans the gap between the first and second webs, forming a partial cut line through the second web, folding the first web into face-to-face relationship with the second web after forming the partial cut line, and cutting the first and second webs after folding the first web into face-to-face relationship with the second web to separate the absorbent article from the first and second webs. The partial cut line defines at least one finger tab on the absorbent article.

Absorbent articles comprising connecting portions and methods of manufacture are disclosed. In an embodiment an absorbent article may comprise a chassis having a front half section, a rear half section, a body facing surface, and a garment facing surface. The article further comprises an absorbent body and a of containment flaps attached to the body facing surface of the chassis, each of the pair of containment flaps having a flap distal edge. The article may further comprise a connecting portion in the rear half section where the containment flaps and connecting portion define an opening to the body facing surface. The opening may be defined by a pair of laterally opposed edges having a minimum separation distance within the rear end section of between about one-quarter and about three-quarters of a distance between the flap distal edges of the containment flaps.

A device for applying segments of absorbent articles includes a cutting station for cutting a continuous web into segments and an applicator station for applying each segment on a respective absorbent article. A plurality of carrier units, each includes a pad for retaining and transferring a segment from the cutting station to the applicator station. The pad fully rotates about a main axis to transfer the segment from the cutting station to the applicator station and return to the cutting station and, from the cutting station to the applicator station, rotates at least 90° about its axis of rotation to orient the segment transverse to the feed direction of the absorbent article. A first movement member moves one or more first carrier units about the main axis and a second movement member moves one or more second carrier units separately from the first carrier units about the main axis.

An absorbent article for wearing about the lower torso of a wearer includes a first waist region having a first waist edge, a second waist region having a second waist edge, and a crotch region disposed between the first and second waist regions. The article further includes a first longitudinal edge, a second longitudinal edge, and a chassis comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet. A waist gasketing element is disposed in one of the first or the second waist regions and joined to the chassis in a chassis attachment region. The waist gasketing element comprises an outboard lateral edge and an inboard lateral edge. The chassis attachment region comprises a first zone proximate to the outboard lateral edge and a second zone disposed longitudinally inboard of the first zone. Each of the first and the second zones comprise one or more chassis attachment bonds. The first zone comprises a first total basis weight and the second zone comprises a second total basis weight, wherein the second total basis weight is greater than the first total basis weight.

The method includes providing a thermoplastic web having mechanical fastening elements and a nonlinear line of weakness that extends predominantly in a first direction and demarcates nonlinear edges of two sub-webs but does not sever the thermoplastic web. The method further includes severing the thermoplastic web at the nonlinear line of weakness into the two sub-webs and joining the two sub-webs to a carrier to form the laminate. The two sub-webs are separated in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Severing the thermoplastic web and joining the two sub-webs to the carrier are carried out in-line without offsetting the two sub-webs in the first direction.

Disclosed is a process for making a composite elastic tape, elastically extendable along its longitudinal direction, including: providing a tape of elastic material having a main elongation direction; providing first and second tapes of fibrous and porous material; cutting the tape of elastic material into strips along the direction; tensioning the strips of elastic material along the direction to elastically lengthen and distance them; arranging the first and the second tape of fibrous and porous material respectively above and below the tensioned, elastically elongated and spaced strips; and fixing the strips while being tensioned, elastically elongated and spaced, between the first and the second tape of fibrous and porous material in an undeformed condition, to make a composite elastic material shaped like a tape. Also disclosed is the composite elastic tape thus obtained, suitable for the waist region of a diaper as well as other products incorporating such tape.

A sheet conveying device includes: a holding mechanism configured to hold suction members; and a driving device including a rotary shaft which is rotatable about a second axis parallel to the first axis and a connecting mechanism configured to connect the rotary shaft and suction members to each other; and a support mechanism configured to support the holding mechanism and the drive device. The connecting mechanism is connected to the suction members in a state where the suction members are movable in a radial direction of the circle about the first axis. The support mechanism supports the holding mechanism and the drive device such that the holding mechanism and the drive device are relatively movable from each other in a direction orthogonal to the first axis.

The present disclosure relates to a diaper fastening tab (10) comprising a user's end (70) to be gripped by a user, an opposite manufacturer's end (80), a first and a second major surface, a user's end portion (50) adjacent to the user's end (70), a manufacturer's end portion (60) adjacent to the manufacturer's end (80), wherein the user's end portion (50) comprises on the first major surface a first and at least one second strip (30), (40) of mechanical fastening elements (32), (42) each with a different peel strength as measured according to ASTM D 5170-98, wherein a first strip (30) with a higher peel strength is located towards the user's end (70) and at least one second strip (40) with a lower peel strength is located towards the manufacturer's end (80). The present disclosure further relates to a roll (110) of diaper fastening tape (120) from which such diaper fastening tabs (100) can be obtained as well as to a diaper (150) comprising such a diaper fastening tab (100). The present disclosure moreover relates to a method of making such a diaper fastening tab (100) as well as to a method of making a diaper (150) with such diaper fastening tabs (100).

A process and an apparatus for producing hygienic absorbent articles provided with at least one refastenable side seam from a chain of articles being formed having a first elastic sheet and a second elastic sheet, wherein the process and the apparatus are configured to perform operations on one or both of the elastic sheets in a cross direction, that is, with the elastic sheets parallel to the machine direction.

Disposable absorbent articles are disclosed herein along with method of making the same. The disposable absorbent article has a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent system between the topsheet and the backsheet. The absorbent system has a first absorbent core and a second absorbent core which are offset from one another. An adhesive layer is disposed between the first absorbent core and the second absorbent core, at least in part.