A thin ribbon spirally wound polymer conduit and method of forming, wherein a helical reinforcing bead is interposed adjacent overlapping layers of ribbon. Further, a method of continuously forming spirally wound conduit wherein a sacrificial layer, preferably having a different base polymer to that of the conduit, is first applied to the former before the conduit is formed overtop.

A method for producing a breathable web, comprising: feeding a web on the surface of an anvil roller rotatable about its axis and having a plurality of welding protrusions cooperating with a welding element, welding said web at a plurality of welding spots on head surfaces of said welding protrusions and forming respective annular welding seams at said welding spots, about respective welding projections, and respective thin membranes located within said annular welding seams and adjacent to the head surfaces of said welding protrusions, and removing said thin membranes after said welding by means of a peeling roller having an outer surface tangent to said head surfaces of said welding protrusions.

Apparatus and methods are provided to allow for creation of an elastic laminate. Non-stretched elastic can be laid at peaks over a nonwoven layer contained in valleys and atop peaks. Stretched elastic can be laid over tented nonwoven to create nonwoven tunnels when a second nonwoven is laid atop the first nonwoven and elastic, and the tunnels resist un-stretching of stretched elastic strands by frictional or obstruction forces. An elastic assembly or structure comprising a first and second layer of material bonded at spaced apart bond sites is disclosed, with a plurality of elastic strands disposed in a non-linear manner between said first and second layer of material, so that said strands meander in a cross-machine direction and traverse a machine direction line, restraining movement of the strands by frictional forces between the strands and the non-woven layers.

A lamination system includes a film supply, a non-woven material supply, and a laminator. The laminator causes a film from the film supply to be laminated to a sheet from the non-woven material supply to establish a laminated sheet.

A method for producing an underpants-type disposable diaper including a stretchable region stretchable at least in one direction in an outer body. The stretchable region is formed by stacking an elastic film between a first sheet layer composed of a nonwoven fabric and a second sheet layer composed of a nonwoven fabric. When the elastic film is stretched in the stretching and contracting direction, the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are joined via through holes formed in the elastic film at a large number of sheet bond portions arranged at intervals in each of a stretching and contracting direction and a direction orthogonal thereto, and in the sheet bond portions, the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer (20B) are joined at least by a melted and solidified material of the elastic film among the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer.

In order to prevent degradation of appearance, prevent a decrease in flexibility, and improve non-elasticity in a non-stretchable region in an elastic film stretchable structure, the invention is characterized by having an elastic film stretchable structure (20X) formed by stacking an elastic film (30) between a first sheet layer (20A) and a second sheet layer (20B), wherein a region having the elastic film stretchable structure (20X) includes a non-stretchable region (70) and a stretchable region (80) provided at least at one side of the non-stretchable region (70) in a stretching and contracting direction, the stretchable region (80) being stretchable in the stretching and contracting direction, the first sheet layer (20A) and the second sheet layer (20B) are joined via through holes (31) penetrating the elastic film (30) at the large number of sheet bond portions (40) arranged at intervals, and the non-stretchable region (70) does not have a section in which the elastic film (30) linearly continues along the stretching and contracting direction, due to presence of the through holes (31), even though the elastic film (30) continues in the stretching and contracting direction.

In order to prevent degradation of appearance, prevent a decrease in flexibility, and improve non-elasticity in a non-stretchable region in an elastic film stretchable structure, the invention is characterized by having an elastic film stretchable structure (20X) formed by stacking an elastic film (30) between a first sheet layer (20A) and a second sheet layer (20B), wherein a region having the elastic film stretchable structure (20X) includes a non-stretchable region (70) and a stretchable region (80) provided at least at one side of the non-stretchable region (70) in a stretching and contracting direction, the stretchable region (80) being stretchable in the stretching and contracting direction, the first sheet layer (20A) and the second sheet layer (20B) are joined via through holes (31) penetrating the elastic film (30) at the large number of sheet bond portions (40) arranged at intervals, and the non-stretchable region (70) does not have a section in which the elastic film (30) linearly continues along the stretching and contracting direction, due to presence of the through holes (31), even though the elastic film (30) continues in the stretching and contracting direction.

A stretchable elastic film is interposed in a stretched state between a first sheet layer having no elasticity and a second sheet layer having no elasticity. Heat melt energy is applied to a region of a large number of bonded portions spaced apart from each other by a heat melting apparatus from the outside of the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer to melt the elastic film. The first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are bonded directly or via an elastic film at the large number of bonded portions. The elastic film is caused to pass through the counter roll and the nip roll to pass along the counter roll and then pass along the anvil roll. The elastic film is stretched by making the circumferential speed of the anvil roll faster than the circumferential speed of the counter roll.

In order to prevent degradation of appearance, prevent a decrease in flexibility, and improve non-elasticity in a non-stretchable region in an elastic film stretchable structure, the invention is characterized by having an elastic film stretchable structure (20X) formed by stacking an elastic film (30) between a first sheet layer (20A) and a second sheet layer (20B), wherein a region having the elastic film stretchable structure (20X) includes a non-stretchable region (70) and a stretchable region (80) provided at least at one side of the non-stretchable region (70) in a stretching and contracting direction, the stretchable region (80) being stretchable in the stretching and contracting direction, the first sheet layer (20A) and the second sheet layer (20B) are joined via through holes (31) penetrating the elastic film (30) at the large number of sheet bond portions (40) arranged at intervals, and the non-stretchable region (70) does not have a section in which the elastic film (30) linearly continues along the stretching and contracting direction, due to presence of the through holes (31), even though the elastic film (30) continues in the stretching and contracting direction.

A disposable wearable article includes an elastic film stretchable structure in which an elastic film is laminated between a first sheet layer and a second sheet layer. The first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are bonded to each other through holes passing through the elastic film with many bonded portions arranged at intervals. A region having the elastic film stretchable structure includes a stretchable region that elastically stretches and contracts together with the elastic film. The stretchable region includes a plurality of elastic films disposed so as to have an overlapping portion. The number of laminated layers of the elastic film in a region located in an intermediate portion of the stretchable region in an orthogonal direction (XD) orthogonal to a stretchable direction (ED) is different from that in each of second regions adjacent to both sides of the first region.