METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STABILIZING TUCKING-IN SIDE SEAMS OF ABSORBENT HYGIENE PANTS

Abstract

The application relates to a method of and an apparatus for tucking a pair of opposing side seams (3, 4) into a body portion (2) of a hygiene pant (1), wherein the side seams (3, 4) are pushed between a front region (20) and a back region (21) of the body portion (2) a distance toward one another, and wherein the tucked side seams (3, 4) are connected in at least one connection region (7) with each other and/or to the body portion (2).

Claims

1. A method of tucking a pair of opposing side seams into a body portion of a hygiene pant, wherein the side seams are pushed between a front region and a back region of the body portion a distance toward one another, wherein the tucked side seams are connected in at least one connection region to each other and/or to the body portion.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the side seams are connected by using one or more techniques selected from adhesive, solvent-based adhesive, polymer dispersion adhesive, hot adhesive, contact adhesive, reactive adhesive, ultrasonic techniques, thermal bonding and/or pressure welds.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the connection region is provided with a predefined breaking area for a manual disconnection upon unfolding the hygiene pant.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein prior to tucking in the side seams, a pre-folded hygiene pant with projecting side seams is opened by moving the front region and the back region at least in an area of a waist opening apart.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein upon pushing the side seams, longitudinal folds with facing crests are created in the side seams.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hygiene pant has fastenable side seams with free ends, wherein the free ends are connected to each other and/or to the body portion.

7. An apparatus for tucking a pair of opposing side seams into a body portion of a hygiene pant, with a device for pushing the side seams between a front region and a back region of the body portion a distance toward one another, wherein a connecting device is provided for connecting the tucked side seams in at least one connection region to each other and/or to the body portion.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the connecting device uses one or more techniques selected from adhesive, solvent-based adhesive, polymer dispersion adhesive, hot adhesive, contact adhesive, reactive adhesive, ultrasonic techniques, thermal bonding and/or pressure welds.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the device for pushing the side seams between the front region and the back region of the body portion comprises a tucking blade and/or a blowing device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an opening device is provided for applying a force to a pre-folded hygiene pant with projecting side seams for moving the front region and the back region at least in an area of a waist opening apart prior to tucking in the side seams.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the opening device is a vacuum device applying a vacuum force to at least one of the front region and the back region.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In the following, an embodiment of the invention will be described in detail based on several schematic drawings in which

[0023] FIG. 1: is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a pre-folded hygiene pant with pair of opposing side seams projecting from a body portion;

[0024] FIG. 2: is a perspective view of the pre-folded hygiene pant of FIG. 1, wherein in an area of the waist opening a front region and a back region of the body portion are moved apart;

[0025] FIG. 3: is a top view (seen from the waist opening) of the pre-folded, opened hygiene pant of FIG. 2, wherein the side seams are pushed between the front region and the back region of the body portion a distance toward one another;

[0026] FIG. 4: is a perspective view of the hygiene pant of FIG. 3, wherein the side seams pushed between the front region and the back region of the body portion are connected in a connection region with one another;

[0027] FIG. 5: is a top view of the hygiene pant of FIG. 4, wherein the front region and the back region are moved back toward one another;

[0028] FIG. 6: is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a pre-folded hygiene pant with pair of opposing side seams projecting from a body portion;

[0029] FIG. 7: is a perspective view of the pre-folded hygiene pant of FIG. 6, wherein in an area of the waist opening a front region and a back region of the body portion are moved apart;

[0030] FIG. 8: is a top view (seen from the waist opening) of the pre-folded, opened hygiene pant of FIG. 6, wherein the side seams are pushed between the front region and the back region of the body portion a distance toward one another;

[0031] FIG. 9: is a perspective view of the hygiene pant of FIG. 8, wherein the side seams pushed between the front region and the back region of the body portion are connected in a connection region with one another; and

[0032] FIG. 10: is a top view of the hygiene pant of FIG. 9, wherein the front region and the back region are moved back toward one another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0033] Throughout the drawings, the same elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view a pre-folded hygiene pant 1. The hygiene pant 1 comprises a body portion 2 with a front region 20 and a back region 21 and two opposing side seams 3, 4 projecting from the body portion 2.

[0035] Each of the front region 20 and the back region 21 have a waist area 200, 210 and a crotch area 201, 211, wherein the front region 20 and the back region 21 are connected to each other at the crotch areas 201, 211. The side seams 3, 4 together with an upper edge of the front region 20 and an upper edge of the back region 21 form a waist opening, and together with side edges of the front region 20 and the back region 21 form two leg openings. The side seams 3, 4 in the depicted embodiment are continuous stripes provided with a resilient component. In other embodiments, refastenable side seams are provided, which are capable of releasable attachment, separation, and subsequent releasable reattachment without substantial permanent deformation or rupture for at least one cycle.

[0036] The design and shape of the side seams 3, 4 and the body portion 2 of the hygiene pant 1 shown in the figures are only by way of example and various modifications are conceivable. Further, the material and structure of the components of the hygiene pant 1 can be chosen suitably be the person skilled in the art depending on the intended user group of the hygiene pant 1. As generally known, the body portion 2 in embodiments comprises several layers with different properties. The side seams 3, 4 can be formed together with one or both of the front region 20 and the back region 21 and/or joined with the body portion 2.

[0037] As generally known, hygiene pants 1 are typically folded prior to a packaging.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1, in the pre-folded state of the hygiene pant 1, the side seams 3, 4 project from the body portion 2. For a further processing of the hygiene pant 1, in particular for packing the hygiene pant 1 into a bag (not shown), the side seams 3, 4 are tucked into the body portion 2 as schematically shown in FIGS. 2 to 5.

[0039] In the method shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the pre-folded hygiene pant 1 is opened by moving the front region 20 and the back region 21 at least in the area of the waist opening apart from one another as shown in FIG. 2. This is achieved in one embodiment by applying a vacuum force on either one of the front region 20 and the back region 21 as schematically indicated by arrows in FIG. 2. However, the invention is not limited to the use of an opening device applying a vacuum force and other opening devices are conceivable for moving the front region 20 and the back region 21 apart from one another. In the embodiment shown, only the waist areas 200, 210 of the front region 20 and the back region 21 are moved apart, whereas the crotch areas 201, 211 of the front region 20 and the back region 21 remain in contact with each other.

[0040] Next, the side seams 3, 4 are pushed between the front region 20 and the back region 21 of the body portion 2 a distance toward one another as shown in FIG. 3. In the embodiment shown, two tucking blades 5, 6 are provided for pushing the side seams 3, 4 toward one another. In an alternative embodiment, a blowing device is provided for pushing the two side seams 3, 4 toward one another.

[0041] Upon tucking in the side seams 3, 4, longitudinal folds with facing crests 30, 40 are created in the side seams 3, 4. Depending on the length of the side seams 3, 4 and/or a width of the body portion 2, the facing crests 30, 40 of the side seams 3, 4 contact each other or not.

[0042] In the embodiment shown, the facing crests of the side seams 3, 4 contact each other and the tucked side seams 3, 4 are connected to each other in a connection region 7 at the crest 30, 40. The connection of the side seams 3, 4 is achieved for example by using one or more techniques selected from adhesive, e.g. solvent-based adhesive, polymer dispersion adhesive, hot adhesive, contact adhesive, reactive adhesive, ultrasonic techniques, thermal bonding and/or pressure welds. In one embodiment, the side seams 3, 4 are directly connected to each other. In other embodiments, in particular in case the crest 30, 40 do not contact each other, a connection patch is provided, wherein the side seams are indirectly connected to each other via the connection patch.

[0043] In still another embodiment (not shown), the side seams 3, 4 are not connected to each other, but to the body portion 2.

[0044] After the side seams 3, 4 are connected to each other and/or to the body portion 2, the body portion 2 is closed by moving the front region 20 and the back region 21 back toward each another as shown in FIG. 5. The thus folded hygiene pant 1 with the tucked in and fixed side seams 3, 4 in one embodiment is compressed by advancing the hygiene pant 1 between two conveyor lines (not shown) as generally known by the person skilled in the art.

[0045] By connecting the side seams 3, 4 to each other and/or to the body portion 2, it is avoided that the side seams 3, 4 become loose and project from the body portion 2 during a further processing of the hygiene pant 2. The connection is chosen by the person skilled in the art such that the side seams 3, 4 can be easily disconnected from one another and/or from the body portion 2 by a user when unfolding the hygiene pant 1 prior to the hygiene pant 1 being applied to a wearer.

[0046] FIGS. 6 to 10 show in perspective views a second embodiment of a pre-folded hygiene pant 1 with a body portion 2 and two opposing side seams 3, 4 projecting from the body portion 2. The body portion 2 has a front region 20 and the back region 21, wherein each of the front region 20 and the back region 21 has a waist area 200, 210 and a crotch area 201, 211, and wherein the front region 20 and the back region 21 are connected to each other at the crotch areas 201, 211. In contrast to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 10 the side seams 3, 4 are formed integrally with the front region 20 and prior to a use of the hygiene pant 1, the side seams 3, 4 are not attached or connected to the back region 21. In one embodiment, the side seams 3, 4 are capable of releasable attachment to the back region 21, separation, and subsequent releasable reattachment without substantial permanent deformation or rupture for at least one cycle. In other embodiments, the side seams 3, 4 are not releasably attached to the back region 21 when putting on the hygiene pant 1.

[0047] For packaging the hygiene pant 1 shown in FIG. 6, the pre-folded hygiene pant 1 is opened by moving the front region 20 and the back region 21 at least in the area of the waist opening apart from one another as shown in FIG. 7. This is achieved in one embodiment by applying a vacuum force on either one of the front region 20 and the back region 21 as schematically indicated by arrows in FIG. 2. However, the invention is not limited to the use of an opening device applying a vacuum force and other opening devices are conceivable for moving the front region 20 and the back region 21 apart from one another. In the embodiment shown, only the waist areas 200, 210 of the front region 20 and the back region 21 are moved apart, whereas the crotch areas 201, 211 of the front region 20 and the back region 21 remain in contact with each other.

[0048] Next, the side seams 3, 4 are pushed between the front region 20 and the back region 21 of the body portion 2 a distance toward one another as shown in FIG. 8, for example using two tucking blades 5, 6. As shown in FIG. 8, in the embodiment shown, the back region 21 is provided with two tabs 103, 104, which are also tucked into the body portion 2.

[0049] Depending on the length of the side seams 3, 4 and/or a width of the body portion 2, free ends 32, 42 of the side seams 3, 4 contact each other or not.

[0050] In the embodiment shown, the free ends 32, 42 of the side seams 3, 4 contact each other and the tucked side seams 3, 4 are connected to each other in a connection region 7 at the free ends 32, 42. The connection of the side seams 3, 4 is achieved for example by using one or more techniques selected from adhesive, e.g. solvent-based adhesive, polymer dispersion adhesive, hot adhesive, contact adhesive, reactive adhesive, ultrasonic techniques, thermal bonding and/or pressure welds. In other embodiments, in particular in case the free ends 32, 42 do not contact each other, a connection patch is provided, wherein the side seams are indirectly connected to each other via the connection patch. In still another embodiment (not shown), the side seams 3, 4 are not connected to each other, but to the body portion 2.

[0051] After the side seams 3, 4 are connected to each other and/or to the body portion 2, the body portion 2 is closed by moving the front region 20 and the back region 21 back toward each another as shown in FIG. 10.