An absorbent article includes: a first sheet-like member; a second sheet-like member; an elastic member that is inserted along a lateral direction between a pair of mutually-opposing facing surfaces of the first sheet-like member; joining portions that join the pair of mutually-opposing facing surfaces and that are spaced apart in the lateral direction; and side-seal sections that are disposed at each lateral end portion of the absorbent article. The joining portions are disposed on two sides of the elastic member in a vertical direction, which intersects the lateral direction and a front-rear direction, so that the elastic member is sandwiched and pressed between the joining portions.

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.

In one example, a method of fabricating a product, such as a diaper, includes a step of folding a substrate of the product to form a plurality of pleats in the substrate. The method includes a step of applying a liquified elastic to the substrate such that the liquified elastic adheres to the substrate and extends across the plurality of pleats. The method includes a step of allowing the liquified elastic to solidify on the substrate.

A stretchable structure is provided with an elastic member provided between a first sheet layer and a second sheet layer. A stretchable region and a non-stretchable region are alternatively repeated three or more regions from end to end in the stretching direction of the stretchable structure. Both ends are the stretchable region. Both of the ends have an adhesive region of a hot melt adhesive, where the elastic member is adhered to the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer, in a spread state, intervals between adhesive regions adjacent in the stretching direction are all the same, twice of a stretching direction length of the adhesive region positioned on both ends in the stretching direction of the stretchable structure and a stretching direction length of the adhesive region positioned at an end portion on the non-stretchable region side of the stretchable region are all the same.

The methods herein relate to assembling an elastic laminate with a first elastic material and a second elastic material bonded between first and second substrates. During assembly, an elastic laminate may be formed by positioning the first and second substrates in contact with stretched central regions of the first and second elastic materials. The elastic laminates may include two or more bonding regions that may be defined by the various layers or components of the elastic laminate that are laminated or stacked relative to each other. In some configurations, a first plurality of ultrasonic bonds are applied to the elastic laminate to define a first bond density in the first bonding region, and a second plurality of ultrasonic bonds are applied to the elastic laminate to define a second bond density in the second bonding region, wherein the second bond density is not equal to the first bond density.

Ultrasonic welding is performed by passing a first sheet layer, a second sheet layer, and an elastic film interposed therebetween in a stretched state in a machine direction between an anvil roll having a large number of protrusions and an ultrasonic horn. The anvil roll includes a region having the protrusions and in the region. A site, in which welding is performed by one ultrasonic horn, has a portion in which an area rate of the protrusions changes in a roll circumferential direction and a roll length direction. A difference between a maximum value and a minimum value in a change of the area rate of the protrusions in the roll circumferential direction is 4.5% or less, and a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value in a change of the area rate of the protrusions in the roll length direction is 1.5% or less.

The present disclosure relates to methods for assembling elastomeric laminates, wherein elastic material may be stretched and joined with either or both first and second substrates. A first beam is rotated to unwind a first plurality of elastic strands from the first beam in the machine direction. The first plurality of elastic strands are positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate to form the elastomeric laminate. Before the first plurality of elastic strands are completely unwound from the first beam, a second beam is rotated to unwind the second plurality of elastic strands from the second beam. Subsequently, the advancement of the first plurality of elastic strands from the first beam is discontinued. Thus, the elastomeric laminate assembly process may continue uninterrupted while switching from an initially utilized elastic material drawn from the first beam to a subsequently utilized elastic material drawn from the second beam.

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for assembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent article components. Particular aspects of the present disclosure include providing a first substrate and a second substrate, the first substrate and the second substrate, each having a width in a cross direction; providing an elastic material; elongating the activated elastic material using a spreader mechanism; and ultrasonically bonding the first substrate together with the second substrate with the elongated activated elastic material positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate using an anvil and an ultrasonic device.

An apparatus and method for applying a first web to a base web in a nonlinear pattern as the base web is advanced in a machine direction in contact with a back-up roller are disclosed. The apparatus can include a guide roller and a guide roller translations system. The guide roller can be configured to define a nip with the back-up roller. The guide roller translation system can be configured to allow the guide roller to move with respect to the back-up roller to control the position of the nip to allow the first web to be applied to the base web in the non-linear pattern in the machine direction.

The present disclosure relates to methods for making elastomeric laminates that may be used as components of absorbent articles. Aspects of the methods for assembling elastomeric laminates may utilize elastic strands supplied from beams that may be joined with first and second substrates, and may be configured to carry out various types of operations, such as bonding and splicing operations.