The present disclosure relates to methods for assembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent article components. Particular aspects of the present disclosure involve 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 activated elastic material; elongating the activated elastic material; 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.

The present disclosure relates to methods for assembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent article components. Particular aspects of the present disclosure involve a spreader mechanism operating to activate an elastic material by stretching the elastic material in to a first elongation. The elastic material is then consolidated to a second elongation, wherein the second the elongation is less than the first elongation. The consolidated elastic material is then joined to one or more substrates. In some configurations, the substrates may be nonwovens, and the elastic material may be an elastic film and/or an elastic laminate.

To prevent or suppress the occurrence of tearing of an elastic film between stretchable regions in an elastic sheet stretchable structure. An elastic sheet stretchable structure is provided, in which an elastic film is laminated between a first sheet layer having air permeability and a second sheet layer having air permeability, and the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are bonded at a large number of sheet bonded portions arranged at intervals. At the boundary between a first stretchable region and a second stretchable region, a separation distance Px in an elastic limit elongation state between a bonded portion located on a side of the boundary of the first stretchable region in a stretchable direction and a bonded portion located on a side of the boundary of the second stretchable region in a stretchable direction is 10 mm or less.

An elastic composite structure includes a first web layer comprising a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion; a second web layer comprising a first portion and a second portion; and a plurality of elastic threads. The first portion of the first web layer is folded over and overlaps the second portion of the first web layer. The folded first portion of the first web layer is directly bonded to one of the second portion of the first web layer and the first portion of the second web layer. A first portion of the plurality of elastic threads is constrained between the folded first portion of the first web layer and the second portion of the first web layer absent adhesive. The third portion is directly bonded to the second portion of the second web layer and traps a second portion of the plurality of elastic threads therebetween.

An apparatus for manufacturing an elastic composite structure includes a first roller configured to transport a web layer in a machine direction and a laydown guide configured to guide a laydown pattern of a plurality of elastic threads. A rotary anvil comprises a first weld line having a first notch formed in a contact surface of the first weld line, the first notch having a first interior configured to receive a portion of a first elastic thread of the plurality of elastic threads and a portion of the web layer therein. The first notch comprises a facing surface defining at least a portion of the first interior. A smallest orientation angle of a first face axis normal to the facing surface with respect to a contact surface axis normal to the contact surface is a first angle that is less than 90 degrees.

A portable table top welder for welding plastic material webs, the portable table top welder including a frame including a carrier housing and a support arm at which a welding device is arranged; at least one transport roller including a rotatable transport roller axle and at least one contact pressure roller that is rotatably supported at the carrier housing, wherein a weight is arranged at an eccentrical element which is rotatably connected at one side by a concentrically supported eccentrical element axle at the carrier housing and rotatably connected at another side by an eccentrically supported contact pressure roller axle at the contact pressure roller. The table top welder handles and transports easily and can be mounted on a table or on another carrier structure in a disengageable manner.

The present disclosure relates more to processes for making a filter element that includes a filter membrane having a strip of thermoplastic polymer material laminated thereto, for example, as a strip along an edge of the filter membrane. For example, one such process includes providing a sheet of filter membrane having a first surface and an opposed second surface; providing a strip of thermoplastic polymer material having a first surface and an opposed second surface; contacting the first surface of the strip of thermoplastic polymer material with the first surface of the filter membrane; and softening the strip of thermoplastic polymer material at at least its first surface by irradiation with laser radiation; such that the softened polymer material of the first surface of the strip of thermoplastic polymer material bonds to the first surface of the filter membrane upon hardening.

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 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.

A sealing device generally includes a rotatable support cylinder having an outer, circumferential surface and a heating element disposed about such surface and secured thereto such that the heating element rotates therewith. The heating element is coiled about the outer surface of the cylinder in the form of an overlapping helical pattern. Juxtaposed film plies may be sealed together by bringing the sealing device into rotational contact with the juxtaposed film plies and heating the heating element to a temperature sufficient to cause the film plies to seal together.