A wearable article production method for a stretchable sheet having partially weakened stretchability includes a welding step of ultrasonically welding two sheet bodies and an elastic film to each other at plural joints separated from each other in a predetermined transport direction in a region including a predetermined attachment location by transporting a sheet laminate formed by sandwiching the elastic film in an elongated state between the two sheet bodies in the transport direction so that the sheet laminate passes between an anvil roll and an ultrasonic horn to form a stretchable sheet; a weakening step of forming weakened regions, where stretchability of the elastic film is weakened, at least at a part of the attachment location in the stretchable sheet after the welding step; and an attachment step of attaching an absorbent main body to the attachment location so that the absorbent main body overlaps the weakened regions.

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.

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.

A rotary welding device which includes a rotary part rotating about its axis of rotation, one or more supporting elements for supporting a continuous strip, specifically a strip of nappies, supported by the rotary part, and a plurality of welding units, mounted on the rotary part, for welding the continuous strip; each welding unit is configured to pass from a non-operating position to an operating position and vice versa; each welding unit includes a respective welding tip and a respective anvil element which is movable relative to the welding tip; each welding unit includes respective first movement means configured to drive the anvil element in rotation relative to the welding tip from an initial position, where the anvil element is angularly spaced from the welding tip, to a final position, where the surface of the welding tip and the surface of the anvil element are parallel and aligned with each other along the same axis, and vice versa.

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.

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

The present disclosure relates to methods for making elastomeric laminates that may be used as components of absorbent articles. The elastomeric laminates may include a first substrate, a second substrate, and an elastic material located between the first and second substrates. During assembly of an elastomeric laminate, a beam is rotated to unwind the elastic strands from the beam, wherein the strands may include a spin finish. First bonds are applied to bond discrete lengths of the stretched elastic strands with and between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the discrete first bonds are arranged intermittently along the machine direction. In addition, second bonds are applied between consecutive first bonds to bond the first and second substrates directly to each other, wherein the second bonds extend in the machine direction and may be separated from each other in a cross direction by at least one elastic strand.