Apparatuses and Methods for Making Absorbent Articles

摘要

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for controlling the relative placement of advancing substrates and discrete components in diaper converting lines. The diapers may each include a chassis connected with front and back elastic belts. In controlling the relative placement of these elements during the assembly process, a controller may change the machine direction speed and/or position of certain elements and cross direction speed and/or position of other elements such as the advancing substrates and components in order to help achieve proper placement and orientation. During the assembly process, the registration features are detected, and a controller may change the machine direction speeds of the advancing elastic laminates and/or chassis and/or may change the cross directional and/or machine direction position of the advancing elastic laminates and/or chassis.

主权项

1. A method for assembling disposable pant diapers, each pant diaper comprising a chassis having a first end region and an opposing second end region separated from each other by a central region, and having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the chassis comprising: a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the method comprising the steps of:
advancing a first continuous substrate in a first machine direction at a first speed, the first continuous substrate defining a width in a first cross direction, wherein the first continuous substrate includes first registration features arranged along the first machine direction; advancing a second continuous substrate in a second machine direction at a second speed, the second continuous substrate defining a width in a second cross direction, wherein the second continuous substrate includes second registration features arranged along the second machine direction; cutting the second continuous substrate into discrete chassis, wherein each chassis advances such that the longitudinal axis is parallel with the second machine direction; turning each chassis such that the lateral axis is parallel with the first machine direction; bonding the first end regions of each chassis with the first continuous substrate; detecting positions of first and second registration features relative to each other along the first machine direction and along the first cross direction; changing placement of first and second registration features relative to each other along the first machine direction for each chassis subsequently bonded to the first continuous substrate based on detections of first and second registration features relative to each other on chassis previously bonded to the first continuous substrate by at least one of: adjusting the first speed of the first continuous substrate and shifting the second continuous substrate in the second cross direction; and changing the placement of first and second registration features relative to each other along the first cross direction for each chassis subsequently bonded to the first continuous substrate based on detections of first and second registration features relative to each other on chassis previously bonded to the first continuous substrate by at least one of: shifting the first continuous substrate in the first cross direction and adjusting the second speed of the second continuous substrate in the second machine direction.