The present disclosure relates to assembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent article components. Methods herein may include an anvil adapted to rotate about an axis of rotation, wherein first and second spreader mechanisms adjacent the anvil roll are axially and angularly displaced from each other with respect to the axis of rotation. During the assembly process, a substrate may be advanced in a machine direction onto the rotating anvil. The first spreader mechanism stretches a first elastic material in the cross direction, and the second spreader mechanism stretches a second elastic material in the cross direction. The stretched first and second elastic materials advance from the spreader mechanisms and onto the substrate on the anvil roll. The combined and elastic materials may then be ultrasonically bonded together on the anvil to form at least one elastic laminate.

An absorbent article may include an inner elasticised chassis. An opening may be formed through the inner elasticised chassis. The absorbent article may include an outer elasticised chassis, and an absorbent member located between the inner elasticised chassis and the outer elasticised chassis. The inner elasticised chassis may include sets of elastic strands surrounding the absorbent member. The opening may be located in a space between the sets of elastic strands

A patterned apertured web includes a plurality of land areas in the patterned apertured web and a plurality of apertures defined in the patterned apertured web. At least some of the land areas surround at least some of the apertures. The patterned apertured web has an Effective Open Area in the range of about 5% to about 50%, according to the Aperture Test. The patterned apertured web has a plurality of Interaperture Distances, according to the Aperture Test. The Interaperture Distances have a distribution having a median and a mean. The mean is greater than the median.

A breathable structural web includes a layered structure having at least a layer of a non-woven material. The layered structure includes a base layer portion that has opposite first and second sides, a plurality of hollow protrusions that are disposed at the first side and that protrude and that are tapered from the base layer portion in a first direction, and a plurality of indented portions that are disposed at the second side, that extend from the base layer portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and that respectively define a plurality of recesses which open in the first direction. The hollow protrusions are scattered among the indented portions.

Patterned apertured webs are provided. The patterned apertured webs include a plurality of land areas and a plurality of apertures defined in the patterned apertured webs. At least some land areas of the plurality of land areas surround at least some apertures of the plurality of apertures. The patterned apertured webs have an Effective Open Area in the range of about 3% to about 30%, according to the Aperture Test.

The present disclosure relates to assembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent article components. Methods herein may include an anvil adapted to rotate about an axis of rotation, wherein first and second spreader mechanisms adjacent the anvil roll are axially and angularly displaced from each other with respect to the axis of rotation. During the assembly process, a substrate may be advanced in a machine direction onto the rotating anvil. The first spreader mechanism stretches a first elastic material in the cross direction, and the second spreader mechanism stretches a second elastic material in the cross direction. The stretched first and second elastic materials advance from the spreader mechanisms and onto the substrate on the anvil roll. The combined and elastic materials may then be ultrasonically bonded together on the anvil to form at least one elastic laminate.

The present disclosure relates to elastic laminates and methods for assembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent article components. Elastic laminates may include one or more reinforcement layers positioned between unstretched portions of elastic materials and substrates to which the elastic materials are bonded.

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for printing and drying inks on substrates. Printing systems may include a metering device positioned between a printing station and a light source. During operation, the printing station deposits ink onto a substrate to define a printed region. And the light source directs infrared light onto the substrate to define an illumination zone. The printed region is advanced from the printing station to the metering device and from the metering device through the illumination zone, wherein the ink is dried with infrared light traveling from the light source, which also heats the substrate and changes the modulus of elasticity of the substrate. In turn, the metering device isolates the printing station from the change in the modulus of elasticity to help reduce phase shifts caused by changes in the modulus of elasticity resulting from heat in the substrate.

A method of manufacturing an activated composite web includes laminating a film layer to a nonwoven web to form a composite web, forming a plurality of apertured protuberances in the film layer, and passing the composite web through intermeshing elements to form an activated composite web. The intermeshing elements form a plurality of first lanes, with first widths, substantially unaffected by activation, and a plurality of second lanes, with second widths. The second widths are less than the first widths. Portions of the plurality of apertured protuberances define first apertures in the first lanes and second apertures in the second lanes. The cross-sections of the second apertures are larger than the first apertures. The first apertures have their major axes substantially aligned in the first direction while the second apertures have their major axis substantially aligned in the second direction. An activated composite web also is provided.

Process for making discrete fibrous layers, comprising the steps of continuously depositing fibers in an endless series of molds, with two neighboring molds connected by a connecting section, transferring the resulting continuous fibrous layer to another endless moving surface and cutting the continuous fibrous layer at the connecting sections to form discrete fibrous layers. The molds comprise at least one raised element that prevents fiber deposition in the raised element area.