An apparatus for manufacturing an elastic composite structure for an absorbent sanitary product includes an anvil with weld pattern comprising at least one anchoring region and at least one deactivating region. The anchoring region includes anchoring welds that form anchoring bonds that fuse facing web layers and anchor elastic thread(s) in position relative to the facing web layers. The deactivating region includes a break bar constructed to sever the thread(s). A method of manufacturing the elastic composite structure includes positioning a tensioned elastic thread between web layers, fusing the web layers to form an anchored zone that includes anchoring bonds that fuse the web layers and anchor the tensioned elastic thread therebetween, and cutting the thread to form a deactivated zone between adjacent portions of the anchored zone that is free of tensioned threads. The method further includes fusing the web layers within the deactivated zone.

The method of the present invention includes the steps of: arranging a plurality of non-continuous sheets of a predetermined length intermittently and successively in the conveyance direction on the continuous sheet so that the continuous elastic members are sandwiched between the non-continuous sheets and the continuous sheet; in an overlapping area where the non-continuous sheets overlap with the continuous sheet, attaching the continuous sheet and the non-continuous sheets to each other by welding the sheets to each other in a predetermined pattern, thus producing a continuous laminate; and in a non-overlapping area where the non-continuous sheets do not overlap with the continuous sheet, heating the continuous sheet in the same pattern as said pattern.

Disclosed is an array 1 of wearable articles 20, each article comprising a main body 38 and a ring-like elastic belt 40 comprising a front belt and a back belt wherein at least the front belt or the back belt is an elastic member having an elastic member width in the transverse direction and a non-elastic region; wherein a first elastic member of a first article comprises a first non-elastic region; a second elastic member of a second article comprises a second non-elastic region; a third elastic member of a third article comprises a third non-elastic region; wherein the elastic member width of the first, second, and third elastic members are the same; and the first, second, and third non-elastic regions are different from each other.

A stretchable composite sheet, wherein pleat-free regions where no pleats are formed are formed between a plurality of pleat formation regions, the sheet being made by a method, wherein non-continuous coating sections are set so as to correspond to form the plurality of pleat formation regions, and non-coating sections are set so as to correspond to form the pleat-free regions, and an intermittent coating is performed on stretchable elastic members (rubber threads). An apparatus for non-continuously and intermittently applying a hot-melt adhesive comprises an intermittent coating unit, which includes a hot-melt supply control device having a valve mechanism and a coating head having slit grooves in which coating areas are formed, and a non-continuous coating unit, which vertically vibrates rubber threads, passing through the coating areas, between a coating position and a non-coating position.

Disclosed is an array 1 of wearable articles 20, each article comprising a main body 38 and a ring-like elastic belt 40 comprising a front belt and a back belt wherein at least the front belt or the back belt is an elastic member having an elastic member width in the transverse direction and a non-elastic region; wherein a first elastic member of a first article comprises a first non-elastic region; a second elastic member of a second article comprises a second non-elastic region; a third elastic member of a third article comprises a third non-elastic region; wherein the elastic member width of the first, second, and third elastic members are the same; and the first, second, and third non-elastic regions are different from each other.

Absorbent articles having curved elasticized laminates and apparatuses and methods for forming such articles are disclosed. In one embodiment a method of forming an article may comprise moving absorbent assemblies and elasticized laminates in the machine direction. The method may further comprise oscillating the elasticized laminates in the cross-machine direction to impart a curvature, bonding the elasticized laminates to the absorbent assemblies while maintaining the imparted curvature such that at least a portion of the elasticized laminates are disposed outboard of longitudinal side edges of the absorbent assemblies, and finally separating the absorbent assemblies into individual absorbent articles, where the elasticized laminates extend in a curving manner throughout the absorbent articles.

The present invention is intended to prevent cutting of the resilient and elastic members by a welding process. The foregoing issue is solved by passing a first sheet layer, a second sheet layer, and elongated resilient and elastic members continuously disposed in an MD direction between the two sheet layers, between a first roll with joint convex parts provided at circumferential intervals on an outer peripheral surface and a second roll opposed to the first roll, and pressurizing and heating the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer to form sheet joined sections by welding the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer in such a manner as to cross the resilient and elastic members and have MD-direction intervals therebetween, wherein circumferentially continuous grooves are formed on a pressurization surface of the second roll, passage sections of the resilient and elastic members are pressurized and heated in positions including the grooves of the second roll, and non-passage sections of the resilient and elastic members are pressurized and heated in positions not including the grooves of the second roll.

A system for manufacturing elastic strand nonwoven panels including an unwind module, a lamination module and a folding module. Elastic strand material is fed from cores disposed on the unwind module through rollers towards the lamination module, where the elastic strand material is attached to a nonwoven web to form an elastic strand nonwoven web. At the folding module, the elastic strand nonwoven web is folded over itself by operation of plates underneath which the elastic strand nonwoven web is fed under tension.

A personal care absorbent article is disclosed which employs a combination of void spaces, also referred to as channels, in the crotch region of the article in conjunction with shaping elastic members located outside the lateral side edges of the absorbent core, that, when coupled with strategic alignment of certain components and specifically-located folding lines, will create an article with improved convex or outward curvature of the chassis upon unfolding which provides increased spatial separation of the topsheet or body side liner of the article from the genital area of the wearer. In addition, due to the manipulation of the specific location of such elements in the article, gender specific product designs can be created which are specifically tailored to more appropriately deal with the differences in location of the male and female genitalia.

The present disclosure relates to assembling, advancing, reorienting, and/or transferring stretched elastic parts during the assembly of absorbent articles. As described herein, a transfer assembly reorients a stretched elastic part from a first orientation, wherein the direction of stretch is generally parallel to the machine direction, to a second orientation, wherein the direction of stretch is generally perpendicular to the machine direction. The reoriented elastic part is then transferred to a carrier while maintaining the stretched condition of the elastic part. The orientation and/or configuration of vacuum apertures in a carrier surface relative to the direction of stretch of the elastic part and relative to the machine direction helps to prevent the elastic part from contracting, while at the same time helps to allow the elastic part to slide off the carrier surface without snagging and/or sticking to aperture perimeter edges.