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.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a gathered material, wherein the material consists of two material web portions and a thread positioned between the material web portions and the two material web portions are connected to one another at two connecting surfaces, wherein the thread is disposed between the two connecting surfaces such that the thread is connected to the material web portions, wherein the apparatus comprises a sonotrode having a first sealing surface and a counter tool having a second sealing surface, wherein the counter tool is cylindrical with a lateral surface and a cylinder axis and the second sealing surface is disposed on the lateral surface, wherein the sonotrode and the counter tool are disposed with respect to one another in a processing position such that the material web portions and the thread can be guided through a gap formed by the first and the second sealing surface in a feed direction tangential to the lateral surface of the counter tool. To overcome or at least mitigate the described drawbacks, it is proposed according to the invention that the sonotrode comprise a groove which is oriented in feed direction and extends over the entire first sealing surface for receiving the thread.

The present welding system includes: a transport device that transports a work in a state where a plurality of webs are overlaid on each other; an anvil roller that includes an anvil which intermittently makes contact with the first surface of the work being transported; an ultrasonic horn that is opposite the second surface of the work and that cooperates with the anvil to apply vibration energy to the work so as to intermittently weld the webs; a speed changing device that lowers the transport speed of the work supplied between the horn and the anvil when the welding is performed; and a pressing device that presses the first surface of the work to the anvil when the welding is performed.

An assembly to connect together first and second sheet members. The assembly includes a pressure device that applies pressure to the sheet members while the sheet members are in an overlapping arrangement and positioned on a support platform. A sensing system that includes one or more thin film pressure sensors detects the positions of the leading and trailing edges. A connection device connects the members together in an overlapping arrangement.

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 methods and apparatuses configured to bond elastic laminates together between a rotating drum and anvil. The drum includes a fluid nozzle and a press member. As such, a first elastic laminate and a second elastics laminate may be advanced in a machine direction onto the rotating drum. A fluid is heated to a temperature sufficient to partially melt substrate layers of the first and second elastic laminates. As the drum rotates, the press member shifts radially outward from the drum wherein a length, L, of the pattern surface extends in the cross direction across a plurality of elastic strands of first and/or second elastic laminates. And the partially melted portion of the substrate layers of the first and second elastic laminates and the plurality of elastic strands are then bonded together by being compressed between the pattern surface and the anvil roll.

In an underpants-type disposable diaper, three-dimensional gathers are provided on both sides in the width direction of an inner member. A fallen portion of each of the three-dimensional gather has a fallen non-stretchable portion to which a contraction force of gather elastic members does not act. A character representation is printed at a position in the fallen non-stretchable portion of the inner member, and this character representation is made visible from the inside of the diaper.

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.

An absorbent article includes a novel design printing portion suitable for a stretchable region. An absorbent article has an elastic film stretchable structure, in which an elastic film is stacked between a first sheet layer and a second sheet layer. The first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are bonded together directly or through the elastic film by a large number of sheet bonded portions arranged at intervals. A region having the elastic film stretchable structure includes a stretchable region. The stretchable region is contracted in a stretchable direction by a contraction force of the elastic film is extensible in the stretchable direction. A design printing portion is provided in a portion located in the stretchable region in the elastic film.

An apparatus for manufacturing an elastic composite structure is provided. The apparatus includes an anvil having a face with a first edge and a second edge separated in a cross-machine direction and a first contact surface extending out from the face, the first contact surface including a first notch. The first notch has an interior configured to receive a portion of an elastic thread and a portion of a web layer therein, and the first notch includes a first facing surface and a second facing surface defining at least a portion of the interior. Each of the first facing surface and the second facing surface are in a non-perpendicular orientation relative to the first contact surface and angled toward the first edge of the face.