Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatuses for manufacturing absorbent articles, wherein discrete zones of protrusions may be formed on a substrate. In some configurations, the protrusions may be formed as hooks. When forming the discrete zones of protrusions, localized speed variances may be imparted to the advancing substrate to ensure the adequate time to form the protrusions is provided. As such, protrusions may be formed on portions of the substrate that have been temporarily stopped or slowed to relatively slow speeds. The substrates with zones of protrusions may then be incorporated into products, such as assembled absorbent articles, so as to place the protrusions in desired positions on the absorbent articles. As such, the methods and apparatuses herein allow for the use of hook forming techniques on substrates in article manufacturing processes that provide flexibility in such configurations without sacrificing desired manufacturing speeds.

The method of the present invention includes the steps of: arranging a plurality of non-continuous sheets of a predetermined length intermittently and successively in the conveyance direction on the continuous sheet so that the continuous elastic members are sandwiched between the non-continuous sheets and the continuous sheet; in an overlapping area where the non-continuous sheets overlap with the continuous sheet, attaching the continuous sheet and the non-continuous sheets to each other by welding the sheets to each other in a predetermined pattern, thus producing a continuous laminate; and in a non-overlapping area where the non-continuous sheets do not overlap with the continuous sheet, heating the continuous sheet in the same pattern as said pattern.

Reusable absorbent accessories are configured to be worn by a wearer, are configured to be washed and re-worn numerous times, and comprise adhesive bonds within a bonded region; a base; a moisture capture assembly bonded to the base within the bonded region and comprising a moisture retention portion configured to absorb and retain moisture from the wearer, and an anti-leak portion configured to restrict moisture from exiting the moisture retention portion and positioned toward the assembly exterior side of the moisture capture assembly relative to the moisture retention portion.

An apparatus for manufacturing an elastic composite structure for an absorbent sanitary product includes an anvil with weld pattern comprising at least one anchoring region and at least one deactivating region. The anchoring region includes anchoring welds that form anchoring bonds that fuse facing web layers and anchor elastic thread(s) in position relative to the facing web layers. The deactivating region includes a break bar constructed to sever the thread(s). A method of manufacturing the elastic composite structure includes positioning a tensioned elastic thread between web layers, fusing the web layers to form an anchored zone that includes anchoring bonds that fuse the web layers and anchor the tensioned elastic thread therebetween, and cutting the thread to form a deactivated zone between adjacent portions of the anchored zone that is free of tensioned threads. The method further includes fusing the web layers within the deactivated zone.

Reusable absorbent accessories are configured to be worn by a wearer, are configured to be washed and re-worn numerous times, and comprise adhesive bonds within a bonded region; a base; a moisture capture assembly bonded to the base within the bonded region and comprising a moisture retention portion configured to absorb and retain moisture from the wearer, and an anti-leak portion configured to restrict moisture from exiting the moisture retention portion and positioned toward the assembly exterior side of the moisture capture assembly relative to the moisture retention portion.

A system for ultrasonic bonding of elastic includes a rotating roll. The rotating roll has an exterior surface. A removable shell layer is attached to the external surface. The removable shell layer includes one or more patterned segments. The patterned segments include a shell channels formed through the removable shell layer to form a pattern.

A composite web including: a first continuous web; at least one molded segment having at least one protrusion and a base portion at least partly delimiting the protrusion, the molded segment being obtained from a second continuous web; the molded segment being joined to the first continuous web by the base portion, the first continuous web and the molded segment delimiting at least one cavity at the protrusion.

An elastic film stretchable structure in which an elastic film is stacked between a first sheet layer having air permeability and a second sheet layer having air permeability, the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are bonded through bonding holes penetrating the elastic film at a number of sheet bonded portions arranged at intervals. A region having the elastic film stretchable structure has a stretchable region that is stretchable in a stretchable direction, and the stretchable region is contracted in the stretchable direction by a contraction force of the elastic film and is extensible in the stretchable direction, and vent holes are formed on the elastic film at sites where the elastic film does not overlap with the sheet bonded portions.

The front and back portions are joined in a first and a second side seam along opposing side edges of the front and back portions and comprising a stretch-bonded laminate web including an elastic film which is stretch-bonded between two nonwoven webs. The side seams are constituted by fusion bonds formed by laser bonding and extend along the side edges of the front and back portions of the pant-type garment. The side seams have a width in the width direction of the pant-type garment in the range of from 0.3 to 1.5 millimetres, and a thickness in the range of from 0.2 to 1.5 millimeters, the thickness of the side seams being perpendicular to the width direction and the length direction of the pant type garment.

A pant-type garment having a length direction and a width direction and being divided in the length direction into a front portion, a back portion and a crotch. The front and back portions are joined in a first and a second side seam arranged in first and second side seam regions and are formed as fusion bonds formed by laser bonding of superposed layers of the front and back portions along opposing side edges of the front and back portions. The side seams have a length in the length direction of the pant-type garment and are constituted by fused thermoplastic material. Each side seam has a generally rectangular cross-sectional area, a width in the width direction of the pant-type garment and a thickness perpendicular to the width direction (W) and the length direction (L) within 80% to 100% of the length (l.sub.s) of each side seam.