Systems and methods for gap adjustment in response to splice detection

Abstract

A system for ultrasonically welding an elastic composite component, including a first guide roller to receive an elastic composite component including a first and second web layers and a plurality of elastic strands disposed between the web layers. A second guide roller receives the elastic composite component and feeds the elastic composite component in a machine direction. At least one of a working surface defined by a horn and an anvil surface defined by an anvil are moveable to adjust a distance therebetween. The elastic composite component is received between the working surface and the anvil surface from the second guide roller. A bottommost point of the second guide roller is offset from the working surface along a first axis corresponding to a thickness of the elastic composite component such that the elastic composite component is tensioned around an upstream edge of the working surface or the anvil surface.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GAP ADJUSTMENT IN RESPONSE TO SPLICEDETECTIONCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not applicable.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] Not applicable.BACKGROUND

[0003] The present disclosure relates to absorbent sanitary products, and, more specifically to improved systems and methods of for manufacturing an elastic composite component for use in an absorbent sanitary product by promoting elastic strand rethreading and providing an improved splice response system.

[0004] Food containers, bags, single-use medical products, absorbent hygiene products, and other disposal products have become a ubiquitous part of our modem lives, which has been accompanied by an increase in the demand of such products in recent years. As a result, manufacturers of consumer products face growing pressure to increase the production quantity and efficiency while preserving or elevating product quality to maintain customer satisfaction. Failure to comply with growing market pressure can result in missed opportunities and loss of market share, as consumers are more likely to choose manufacturers who can provide the products that they desire promptly than those who do not. Moreover, meeting consumer demand fosters brand loyalty and positive customer relationships, which in turn can lead to repeated business and word- of-mouth referrals. Thus, a deep understanding and commitment to fulfilling consumer demand is at the core of a successful and enduring manufacturing enterprise.

[0005] One facet of such an understanding is the consideration of how consumers respond to the form and fit of a product. For example, consumers generally expect products, such as absorbent sanitary products, to fit uniformly from one product to the next. Correspondingly, the fit of absorbent sanitary products is often provided, in part, by elastic composite components incorporated therein, such as one or more elastic threads or strands. These elastic compositecomponents are positioned at various locations throughout the product, including in the waistbands, leg cuff regions, and throughout portions of the front or back panels of the product.

[0006] During the typical manufacturing process of an elastic composite component, elastic strands are held in a tensioned state and bonded webs of material using, for example, thermal or ultrasonic bonding devices and techniques. However, such bonding techniques can inadvertently cut or sever the elastic strands, leading to broken strands that require manual refeeding. Broken elastic strands typically snap back in an upstream direction due to the tension they are held under by infeed assemblies, which can lead to misaligned strands that may impact the fit and performance of the final product. Moreover, misaligned elastic strands are also more prone to breakage along a manufacturing line than are aligned strands, thus creating a positive feedback loop of strand breakage and misalignment.

[0007] Accordingly, the occurrence of elastic strand breakage or misfeeding often necessitates increased quality control measures to detect and correct these errors. This in turn, can lead to elevated production costs due to machine downtime (e.g., while elastic strands are refed along the manufacturing line), additional labor expenditures due to manual refeeding of broken strands, and a potential increase in waste due to defective products. In addition, severed ends of elastic strands may retract and dislodge from a bonding apparatus, which can significantly impact the elastic qualities of the final product. For example, misaligned elastic strands can result in an incomplete elastic pattern, as well as poor aesthetic and functional characteristics in the final product. Such inconsistencies in product quality can result in diminished consumer satisfaction, which is detrimental to the reputation and success of the brand.

[0008] One conventional technique that is used by manufacturers to minimize machine downtime includes splicing or joining multiple rolls of precursor material together, which eliminates the need to halt production and manually replace an expiring roll of precursor material. However, splicing two materials together can create discontinuities along the combined product, which may be characterized as “splices” or “spliced regions” that have increased thickness and / or decreased resiliency in comparison with other regions of the material(s) (e.g., “non-spliced regions”). Such discontinuities can cause downstream feeding issues along the manufacturing line, particularly when splices are fed through components with precise clearances (e.g., nip gaps) that correspond to normal dimensions of the material. For example, a spliced region of a material may be larger than a clearance provided in a bonding apparatus (e.g., a gap defined between a horn andan anvil), which can cause the material to become lodged within the gap and lead to tearing or snagging. Once the material tears, production is halted to allow an operator to manually remove the tom material and refeed an intact portion of the material (e.g., manually refeeding broken elastic strands). Thus, tearing due to spliced regions of material can further increase production cost and lead to decreased production efficiency, which in turn can reduce a manufacturers ability to meet demand and / or product quality expectations.

[0009] Accordingly, there remains a need for improved systems and methods for fabricating an elastic composite component of an absorbent sanitary product that automatically refeeds severed ends of elastic strands along a manufacturing line and prevents web materials from being improperly cut or torn due to size tolerances along the manufacturing line. That is, there remains a need to ensure product quality to maintain consumer satisfaction. There also remains a need to reduce or minimize manufacturing cost by reducing material waste, and promoting even wear on bonding devices over time during normal operation.

[0010] The current disclosure addresses these and other issues.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0011] In an aspect of the invention there is provided a system for welding an elastic composite component including a first guide roller to receive an elastic composite component. The elastic composite component includes a first web layer, a second web layer, and a plurality of elastic strands disposed between the first web layer and the second web layer. The system includes a second guide roller to receive the elastic composite component from the first guide roller and to feed the elastic composite component in a machine direction. The system further includes an anvil defining an anvil surface and a horn defining a working surface offset from the anvil surface, at least one of the anvil surface and the working surface being moveable to adjust a distance therebetween. The elastic composite component is received between the working surface and the anvil surface from the second guide roller. A bottommost point of the second guide roller is offset from the working surface of the horn along a first axis corresponding to a thickness of the elastic composite component as received between the anvil surface and the working surface of the horn such that the horn receives the elastic composite component and the elastic composite component is tensioned around an upstream edge of one of the working surface of the horn or the anvil surface of the anvil.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the anvil is a rotary anvil, and the anvil surface is configured to contact the first web layer of the elastic composite component.

[0013] According to an embodiment, a plurality of projections are disposed on the anvil surface.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the plurality of projections include ridges extending outward from the anvil surface.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the plurality of projections include a plurality of discrete raised protrusions extending outward from the anvil surface.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the system further includes a third guide roller to feed the first web layer to the second guide roller.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the horn and the anvil comprise an ultrasonic bonding device.

[0018] According to an embodiment, an acute angle is defined between the elastic composite component exiting the second guide roller and a second axis that is parallel with respect to the machine direction.

[0019] According to an embodiment, the working surface of the horn includes a plurality of grooves to receive the plurality of elastic strands.

[0020] According to an embodiment, the horn is configured to weld the first web layer and the second web layer together such that the plurality of elastic strands are entrapped therebetween.

[0021] In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for welding an elastic composite component including receiving, via a first guide roller, an elastic composite component including a first web layer, a second web layer, and a plurality of elastic strands disposed between the first web layer and the second web layer. The method further includes receiving, via a second guide roller, the elastic composite component from the first guide roller and feeding the elastic composite component in a machine direction between an anvil surface and a working surface of a horn, the second guide roll being offset from a plane defined by the working surface of the horn in a direction corresponding to a thickness of the elastic composite component such that the elastic composite component is tensioned against an upstream edge of the working surface of the horn.

[0022] According to an embodiment, the method further includes receiving the plurality of elastic strands within a plurality of grooves on the working surface of the horn.

[0023] According to an embodiment, the method further includes feeding the first web layer to the second guide roller via a third guide roller.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the method further includes welding the first web layer and the second web layer together such that the plurality of elastic strands are entrapped therebetween.

[0025] According to an embodiment, welding the first web layer and the second web layer includes ultrasonically bonding the first web layer to the second web layer.

[0026] According to an embodiment, welding the first web layer and the second web layer includes via a plurality of projections on the anvil surface and a plurality of land surfaces on the working surface of the horn.

[0027] In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a system for welding at least one continuous web including at least one web infeed assembly to feed at least one continuous web along a machine direction. The system includes a bonding apparatus including a horn to receive the at least one continuous web on a working surface thereof and a rotary anvil that defines a gap with the horn. The system further includes an actuator assembly including an actuator coupled to the bonding apparatus and a control system including a first control path defining a first pressure regulated supply path from a supply manifold to a first side of the actuator. The control system includes a second control path defining a second pressure regulated supply path from the supply manifold to a second side of the actuator and a third control path defining a third pressure regulated supply path from the supply manifold to a head side of the actuator. The system further includes a splice detection system positioned upstream of the bonding apparatus, and the splice detection system is configured to detect a spliced region within the at least one continuous web. The actuator assembly is configured to actuate the actuator to adjust a height of the gap in response to a detected splice region.

[0028] According to an embodiment, the control system includes a cylinder engaging valve, a shuttle valve, and a pressure regulating valve coupled in parallel with a proportional valve. The pressure regulating valve and the proportional valve are coupled in series between the cylinder engaging valve and the shuttle valve.

[0029] According to an embodiment, the actuator includes a pneumatic actuator.

[0030] According to an embodiment, the first pressure regulated supply path and the third pressure regulated supply path each operate at a higher pressure than the second pressure regulated supply path.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the actuator is coupled to the horn.

[0032] According to an embodiment, the actuator is coupled to the rotary anvil.

[0033] In still another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of adjusting a bonding apparatus including receiving at least one continuous web within a gap defined between a horn and a rotary anvil of the bonding apparatus. The method includes bonding the at least one continuous web using the horn and the rotary anvil, detecting a spliced region within the at least one continuous web, and actuating an actuator coupled to the bonding apparatus to move one of the horn and the rotary anvil from a first position to a second position to increase a height of the gap, the actuator including one of a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, and a servo-driven actuator. The method further includes actuating the actuator to return the one of the horn and the rotary anvil to the first position after the spliced region passes through the bonding apparatus.

[0034] According to an embodiment, the step of actuating the actuator to move the one of the horn and the rotary anvil from the first position to the second position includes de-energizing a plurality of valves.

[0035] According to an embodiment, the step of actuating the actuator to move the one of the horn and the rotary anvil from the first position to the second position includes controlling a plurality of valves to define a direct air flow path between a supply manifold and the pneumatic actuator.

[0036] According to an embodiment, the step of actuating the actuator to return the one of the horn and the rotary anvil to the first position includes energizing a plurality of valves.

[0037] According to an embodiment, the plurality of valves includes a proportional regulator, a cylinder engaging valve, and a pressure regulating valve.

[0038] These and other advantages and features will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention that is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The features, aspects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such detailed description makes reference to the following drawings.

[0040] FIG. l is a schematic view of a portion of a manufacturing line for fabricating an elastic composite component.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the portion of the manufacturing line of FIG. 1.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the portion of the manufacturing line of FIG. 1.

[0043] FIG. 4 is a detail view of an elastic composite component wrapped around a horn that is positioned along the manufacturing line of FIG. 1.

[0044] FIG. 5 is a top view of a working surface of the horn of FIG. 5.

[0045] FIG. 6 is a detail schematic view of an elastic composite component wrapped around the horn that is positioned along the manufacturing line of FIG. 1.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of another portion of a manufacturing line for fabricating an elastic composite component and including a splice detection system.

[0047] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an actuator that includes control paths for adjusting a position of a horn positioned along the manufacturing line of FIG. 7.

[0048] FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of a servo-driven actuator coupled to a crank shaft and a drag link for adjusting a position of a horn positioned along the manufacturing line of FIG.7.

[0049] FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of a servo-driven actuator coupled to a lead screw mechanism for adjusting a position of a horn positioned along the manufacturing line of FIG. 7.

[0050] FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a method of wrapping a working surface of a horn with an elastic composite component to promote elastic strand rethreading.

[0051] FIG. 12 is a flow chart of a method of adjusting a position of a horn in response to detecting splices within an elastic composite component.

[0052] FIG. 13 is a flow chart of a method of adjusting a position of a horn and / or an anvil in a cross-machine direction to promote even wear within a bonding apparatus.

[0053] The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements in different figures have like reference numerals.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] As generally mentioned above, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for elastic strand rethreading and / or gap adjustment after splice detection in manufactured articles or components. In some examples, manufactured components can include non-disposable or disposable products such as, for example, paper products, plastic products, medical products, hygiene products, outdoor products, sporting good products, etc. Such components may incorporate an elastic composite component comprising one or more continuous web layers and one or more elastic strands. For example, an elastic composite component may be a waistband for an absorbent sanitary product (e.g., a diaper, disposable adult pant, or feminine care product) that includes activated or elasticized zones and deactivated or inelastic zones.

[0055] In conventional folding processes, web layers and elastic strands can be provided to one or more idler rollers to arrange the web layers and elastic strands into an elastic composite component. An elastic composite component can be fed into a bonding apparatus to bond or weld the web layers to one another and sandwich the elastic strands therebetween. During bonding, the elastic strands may be cut or severed, which can result in a loss of tension and incorrect arrangement of the elastic strands within the elastic composite component. However, many conventional manufacturing techniques fail to account for such cutting, and thus fail to produce uniform products with standard elastic characteristics. This in turn can result in a variety of undesirable consequences to manufacturers and a consumers, as discussed above.

[0056] The present disclosure can provide improvements upon conventional techniques for manufacturing elastic composite components. In particular, the present disclosure relates to improved splice management systems that are capable of automatically rethreading cut or misaligned elastic strands along a manufacturing line. Additionally, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods of improving gap adjustment in response to splice detection along a manufacturing line to prevent web layers from being cut or perforated due to insufficient clearance within a bonding apparatus, as well as reducing the number of unbonded products that pass through the bonding apparatus. Further, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods of varying positions of bonding apparatus components during fabrication to promote even wear along such components, thereby increasing the longevity of the manufacturing line as a whole.

[0057] Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, a portion of an exemplary manufacturing line 10 is illustrated that can be used to fabricate an elastic composite component that may be incorporated within an absorbent sanitary product. As shown, a first web layer 12 can be provided by a first webinfeed assembly 14, and a second web layer 16 can be provided by a second web infeed assembly 18. In some examples, the first web layer 12 and the second web layer 16 can be materials that are capable of fusing to one another upon application of an applied energy that causes one or both of the web layers 12, 16 to soften or melt and join together, with or without the use of an intermediate layer of adhesive material (e.g., glue). Further, the web layers 12, 16 may comprise the same type of material or different materials. As non-limiting examples, first and second web layers 12, 16 may include nonwoven materials, woven materials, films, foams, and / or composites or laminates of any such materials.

[0058] Together or separately, the web layers 12, 16 can be fed along the manufacturing line 10 by the respective web infeed assemblies 14, 18 in a machine direction 20 (z.e., a downstream direction). In particular, the web layers 12, 16 can be provided to one or more feeding assemblies (e.g. , a first guide roller 22 and / or a second guide roller 24) to further direct and / or tension the web layers 12, 16 along the machine direction 20 and through the manufacturing line 10. In some aspects, the first guide roller 22 can be configured to receive the first web layer 12, and the second guide roller 24 can be configured to receive the second web layer 16. However, the first guide roller 22 may be omitted in some examples, meaning that that the second guide roller 24 can receive both web layers 12, 16 directly from the respective web infeed assemblies 14, 18. Further, the second guide roller 24 may be positioned downstream of the first guide roller 22 along the manufacturing line 10 (z.e., further along the machine direction 20). Thus, the second guide roller 24 may be configured to receive the first web layer 12 from the first guide roller 22.

[0059] With continued reference to FIGS. 1-4, the second guide roller 24 can receive one or more elastic strands 26. The elastic strands 26 can be provided along the machine direction 20 and kept under tension by a creel assembly 28 or similar tensioning device. Further, the elastic strands 26 may be composed of any suitable elastic material including, for example, sheets, strands or ribbons of thermoplastic elastomers, natural or synthetic rubber, or LYCRA, as non-limiting examples. Each elastic strand 26 may be provided in the form of an individual elastomeric strand or be a manufactured multi-filament product that includes many individual elastomeric filaments joined together (e.g., using a dry-spinning manufacturing process) to form a single, coalesced elastic strand 26. Further, the elastic strands 26 may have any suitable cross-sectional shape that facilitates formation of an elastic composite component having desired elasticity, visual aesthetic, and manufacturability qualities as discussed above. For example, the elastic strands 26 may eachhave a cross-sectional shape that is round, rectangular, square, or irregular, as may be the case where each elastic strand 26 is a multifilament product.

[0060] Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the elastic strands 26 can be received by a strand guide 30 (e.g. , a guide roller, a comb guide, a brush guide, a non-rotary flat plate guide that includes grooves, individual eyelets for each strand, individual bearing rollers for each strand, a groove-free roller with a compliant or smooth surface, one or more tubes that receive the strands, etc.) that is configured to direct and / or tension the elastic strands 26 as they move in the machine direction. In the non-limiting examples illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the strand guide 30 can define a plurality of grooves 32 in which to receive the elastic strands 26 and space them apart from one another. That is, the grooves 32 of the strand guide 30 can maintain the elastic strands 26 in a desired spacing configuration, which can help provide uniform elastic properties across different products that are fabricated using the manufacturing line 10, as discussed above.

[0061] Referring again to FIGS. 1-4, the strand guide 30 can then provide the elastic strands 26 to the second guide roller 24 such that the elastic strands 26 are positioned or sandwiched between the first web layer 12 and the second web layer 16 to define a combined elastic composite component 34. Put another way, the elastic strands 26 can be captured between the first and second web layers 12, 16 as the web layers 12, 16 and the elastic strands 26 wrap around the second guide roller 24. While first web layer 12 and second web layer 16 are illustrated and described herein as physically separate components, it is contemplated that some examples may utilize a unitary web structure that is folded to capture the elastic strands 26 between upper and lower) layers of the unitary web structure. In such an example, the portion of the unitary structure positioned on a first side of (z.e., below) the elastic strands 26 may be referred to as the first web layer 12 and the portion of the unitary structure positioned on a second side of (z.e., above) the elastic strands 26 may be referred to as the second web layer 16.

[0062] Furthermore, the one or more feeding assemblies (e.g., the guide rollers 22, 24 and the strand guide 30) can be positioned along the manufacturing line 10 to accurately arrange and / or tension the elastic composite component 34 as it travels in the machine direction 20 (z.e., a direction corresponding to a length of the elastic composite component 34). The manufacturing line 10 can further include a third guide roller 36 that is positioned downstream of the second guide roller to further tension the elastic composite component 34 before it is received by a bonding apparatus 38. In this way, and referring specifically to FIG. 1, the guide rollers 22, 24, 36 maydefine an S-wrap web path in which the elastic composite component 34 wraps around the second guide roller 24 (e.g., around a portion of the second guide roller 24 and / or a first predefined number of degrees of wrap 25) and also wraps around third guide roller 36 (e.g., around a portion of the third guide roller 36 and / or a second predefined number of degrees of wrap 37). In some examples, each of the first and second predefined number of degrees of wrap 25, 37 may be between about 60 degrees and about 240 degrees, or between about 90 degrees and about 180 degrees, or between about 90 degrees and about 150 degrees, or between about 110 degrees and about 130 degrees, or about 120 degrees. In some aspects, the first and second predefined number of degrees of wrap 25, 37 is accomplished by locating the second guide roller 24 closer to the bonding apparatus 38 than the first guide roller 22 and / or the third guide roller 36 with respect to the machine direction 20. That is, the second guide roller 22 can define a first distance 40 to the bonding apparatus 38 measured along the machine direction 20 that is less than a second distance 42 defined between the third guide roller 24 and the bonding apparatus 38 and measured along the machine direction 20. Such an arrangement can optimize the tension of the elastic composite component 34 before it enters the bonding apparatus 38, which can maintain elastic strand 26 spacing and alignment.

[0063] Further, the S-wrap web path defined by the guide rollers 24, 36 promotes rethreading of elastic strand 26. As discussed above, the elastic strands 26 may be inadvertently severed downstream of the third roller 36 (e.g., during bonding using the bonding apparatus 38), which can cause the elastic strands 26 to retract in an upstream direction due to the tension provided by the creel assembly 28. This in turn can result in misaligned elastic strands 26 (i.e., non-uniform spacing between the elastic strands 26) which can affect the elastic properties of the final product and increase machine downtime to allow the elastic strands 26 to be manually refed and / or realigned along the manufacturing line 10.

[0064] However, the S-wrap web path defined by the second and third guide rollers 24, 36 overcomes these and other obstacles by entrapping the elastic strands 26 between the first and second web layers 12, 16. As discussed above, the elastic strands 26 are sandwiched between the first and second web layers 12, 16 when the elastic composite component 34 exits the second guide roller 24. If an elastic strand 26 break occurs, severed ends of the elastic strand 26 are prevented from retracting upstream of the second guide roller 24 due to the friction and / or pressure between the web layers 12, 16 and the elastic strands 26. That is, severed ends of the elastic strands 26 are held in place by the tension within the elastic composite component 34 that is provided by the S-wrap web path of the second and third guide rollers 24, 36. Accordingly, normal operation of the manufacturing line 10 automatically refeeds the elastic strands 26 across the third guide roller 36 and into the bonding apparatus 38, thereby obviating the need to deactivate the manufacturing line 10 to manually refeed severed ends of the elastic strands 26.

[0065] It is contemplated that the third guide roller 36 may be positioned closer to the bonding apparatus 38 than the second guide roller 24 in some examples. Such an arrangement may be advantageous, for example, to minimize the distance travelled by the elastic composite component 34 between the third guide roller 36 and the bonding apparatus 38, which can further prevent the elastic strands 26 from becoming misaligned. Further, it is contemplated that the guide rollers 22, 24, 36 and / or the strand guide 30 may be replaced with other known types of feeding assemblies and / or replaced by a single roller unit or other known type of feeding assembly in other examples.

[0066] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, the elastic composite component 34 can be fed from the third guide roller 36 to the bonding apparatus 38 along the machine direction 20, meaning that the elastic composite component 34 crosses the bonding apparatus 38 along the machine direction 20. It is contemplated that the bonding apparatus 38 may be implemented using any known ultrasonic welding system such as, for example, rotary ultrasonic welding systems and / or blade ultrasonic welding systems. In the illustrated non-limiting example, the bonding apparatus 38 can include one or more ultrasonic blade horns 44 (e.g., a sonotrode) and one or more rotary anvils 46 that are arranged in an opposing configuration with one another. In some examples, the horn 44 and / or the anvil 46 are moveable with respect to one another such that a distance or clearance therebetween can be adjusted. For example, the horn 44 and the anvil 46 may be distanced sufficiently close to one another to effect a weld, or the horn 44 and the anvil 46 may be in contact with each other such that no clearance exists therebetween. In some aspects, a gap 48 can be defined between the horn 44 and the anvil 46, and the size of the gap 48 may be determined based on parameters of the manufacturing process to facilitate bonding between the web layers 12, 16 without damaging the elastic composite component 34, as discussed below. In some aspects, the horn 44 can define a working surface 50 that opposes the rotary anvil 46, and the working surface 50 of the horn 44 may define a plurality of horn grooves 52 (see FIG. 5) thereon that are substantially parallel with respect to the machine direction 20. Accordingly, the horn grooves 52 (see FIG. 5) can be configured to receive the elastic strands 26 therein to maintain elastic strand alignment throughout the bonding process, which in turn can improve elastic performance of thefinal product. It will be understood that while more horn grooves 52 are illustrated in FIG. 5 than the number of elastic strands 26 (see FIG. 2), the working surface 50 of the horn 44 may include any suitable number of horn grooves 52 to receive the elastic strands 26 (see FIG. 2), or the working surface 50 may be a smooth working surface. A curved upstream edge 60 can be formed between the working surface 50 and an upstream facing surface 51 of the horn 44. The upstream facing surface 51 can be substantially perpendicular to the working surface 50, or alternatively angled or curved.

[0067] Referring specifically to FIGS. 1 and 4, the working surface 50 of the horn 44 can be arranged opposite to an anvil surface 54 defined by the anvil 46 (e.g., a circular or curved surface). In some aspects, the anvil surface 54 can also be smooth or grooved, meaning that the anvil surface 54 may include a plurality of projections 56 disposed thereon. In the non-limiting example, the anvil surface 54 includes a plurality of linear projections 56, although it is contemplated that the anvil surface 54 can include any suitable projection pattern that extends outward therefrom to form a corresponding bonding pattern on a product. For example, the anvil surface 54 may include curved or wave-like projections, linear projections, non-linear projections, a plurality of land surfaces and / or notches, a smooth land surface, discrete meandering patterns of raised protrusions (e.g., dots or other geometric shapes), and / or any other suitable bonding pattern, such as the patterns described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,889,066 and U.S. Pat. No. 11,701,268, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In particular, the anvil surface 54 can include a projection pattern in which adjacent projections or ridges are positioned at angles relative to one another (e.g., ridges that are arranged along axes that are oblique and / or perpendicular with respect to one another), or ridges that are arranged along axes that are parallel with respect to one another, or any combination thereof.

[0068] In some examples, the horn 44 and the rotary anvil 46 are arranged differently along the manufacturing line 10. For example, the working surface 50 of the horn may include a plurality of projections thereon while the anvil surface 54 of the anvil 46 may be substantially flat or grooved so as to receive the elastic strands thereon 26. That is, the elastic composite component 34 may be wrapped around a portion of the anvil 46, and the anvil 46 can be rotated to place the elastic composite component 34 in contact with the projection pattern defined on the working surface 50 of the horn 44 to impart a bonding pattern on the elastic composite component 34. Insuch a configuration, the positions of the horn 44 and the anvil 46 may be opposite of what is illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0069] During bonding, the elastic composite component 34 can be received between the horn 44 and the rotary anvil 46, which can cooperate with one another to bond or fuse the elastic composite component 34. That is, the horn 44 and anvil 46 can be positioned in an opposing configuration relative to one another to facilitate ultrasonic bonding the first and second web layers 12, 16 while the elastic strands 26 are tensioned. Specifically, the working surface 50 of the horn 44 can selectively contact the anvil surface 54 of the anvil 46 to form a bonding pattern on the elastic composite component 34, and the horn 44 can be moved away from the anvil surface 54 to selectively define the gap 48 to facilitate continuous machine run time, as will be discussed below. During bonding, the first and second web layers 12, 16 can be exposed to an ultrasonic emission from the horn 44 (e.g., on the working surface 50 of the horn 44) that increases the vibration of the particles in the first and second web layers 12, 16. In this way, the horn 44 can melt the first web layer 12 with the second web layer 16 and entrap the elastic strands 26 therebetween. Simultaneously, the anvil 46 can be rotated such that the plurality of projections 56 contact the first web layer 12 and impart a bonding pattern (e.g., weld lines) on the elastic composite component 34. Put another way, operation of the horn 44 and the anvil 46 can result in the formation of a bonding pattern between the web layers 12, 16 at the points of contact between the horn 44 and the anvil 46 (i.e., points of contact between the working surface 50 and the plurality of projections 56 of the anvil surface 54). As discussed above, any suitable bonding pattern can be used, such as a linear pattern, a non-linear pattern, a meandering pattern of dots or other geometric shapes, a random pattern, or a graphic image pattern (e.g., a repeating dot pattern shaped as hearts, flowers, animals, etc. .

[0070] In this way, the ultrasonic emission or energy can be concentrated at specific bond points where frictional heat fuses the first and second web layers 12, 16 together, which can eliminate the need for consumable adhesives. While bonding apparatus 38 is described herein as an ultrasonic bonding assembly that ultrasonically fuses first web layer 12 to second web layer 16, it is contemplated that the techniques described herein may be extended to any other known welding or bonding techniques that fuse together two or more material layers without the use of adhesive, including sonic bonding techniques, thermal bonding techniques, pressure bondingtechniques, and / or other suitable forms of welding. In some examples, the bonding procedure discussed above can sever or cut the elastic strands 26, as will be discussed below in greater detail.

[0071] Referring now to FIG. 1, the elastic composite component 34 can be fed along the machine direction 20 to undergo one or more additional fabrication procedures after having been bonded using the bonding apparatus 38. In particular, the anvil 46 can be rotated in a counterclockwise direction to feed the bonded elastic composite component 34 downstream along the machine direction 20. In some examples, a break detection system 58 can be positioned downstream of the bonding apparatus 38, and the break detection system 58 can be configured to detect any breaks or tears in the elastic composite component 34 after exiting the bonding apparatus 38. To accomplish this, the break detection system 58 can include one or more sensors (e.g., optical sensors, pressure sensors, laser sensors, infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, capacitive sensors, etc.) that can be configured to provide a signal upon determining that a break exists in the elastic composite component 34. For example, the break detection system 58 may include a camera or an optical sensor (not shown), such as a photocell, a photo electric sensor, and / or a photo eye, that can detect breaks in the elastic composite component 34 and then communicate such information to a controller (not shown) or operator. Accordingly, the break detection system 58 can provide an automated quality control function to ensure final product uniformity.

[0072] As discussed above, the anvil 46 can include a plurality of projections 56 disposed thereon which cooperate with the working surface 50 of the horn 44 to weld the first web layer 12 to the second web layer 16 and capture the elastic strands 26 therebetween. However, the bonding process may inadvertently sever the elastic strands 26 due to the heat provided by the horn 44 and / or the downward pressure provided by the projections 56. In turn, severed ends of the elastic strands 26 may retract and dislodge from the horn grooves 52 (see FIG. 5), which can result in non-uniform spacing between the elastic strands 26 and affect the elastic properties of the final product.

[0073] To overcome these and other obstacles, the manufacturing line 10 of the present disclosure can be arranged to promote refeeding of severed elastic strands 26 and allow for continuous machine run time, as discussed above. Specifically, and with reference to FIG. 1, the S-wrap arrangement of the second and third guide rollers 24, 36 holds the elastic strands 26 in place between the first and second web layers 12, 16, thus entrapping severed ends of the elasticstrands 26 between the second guide roller 24 and the third guide roller 36. Accordingly, normal operation of the manufacturing line 10 refeeds the severed elastic strands 26 onto the third guide roller 36 and into the bonding apparatus 38, thus eliminating the need to manually refeed the elastic strands 26.

[0074] Relatedly, and with additional reference to FIG. 4, the elastic composite component 34 may be re-fed from the third guide roller 36 into the bonding apparatus 38 such that the elastic composite component 34 wraps around an upstream portion of the horn 44. As illustrated in the non-limiting example of FIG. 6, the elastic composite component 34 can be fed into the bonding apparatus 38 from a height that is offset from (e.g., positioned above, below, or lateral to) the working surface 50 of the horn so as to wrap (z.e., be tensioned) around the curved upstream edge 60 of the working surface 50 of the horn 44. Specifically, the second web layer 16 can contact and wrap around the working surface 50 of the horn 44 while the first web layer 12 faces the anvil surface 54 of the anvil 46 and the elastic strands 26 (see FIG. 1) are disposed between the web layers 12, 16. In other examples, the elastic composite component 34 can be tensioned around an upstream edge of the anvil surface 54 of the anvil 46. In some examples, the elastic composite component 34 can be configured to cover between about 50% and about 100% of an area of the working surface 50, or between about 75% and about 100% of the area of the working surface 50, or between about 90% and about 100% of the area of the working surface 50, or about 85% of the area of the working surface 50.

[0075] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, the third guide roller 36 can be offset from (e.g., positioned above, below, or lateral to) the horn 44 along a first axis 61 that corresponds to a thickness of the elastic composite component. In some examples, the first axis 61 is perpendicular with respect to the machine direction 20 and a cross-machine direction (not shown). Positioning the third guide roller 36 to be offset with respect to the horn 44 can allow the elastic composite component 34 to wrap the working surface 50. For example, the third guide roller 36 can be offset from a plane (not shown) defined by the working surface 50 of the horn 44 with respect to the first axis 61 (i.e., a direction corresponding to the thickness of the elastic composite component 34). In particular, a bottommost point 62 of the third guide roller 36 may be offset or spaced from the working surface 50 of the horn 44 with respect to the first axis 61, which can maintain the elastic strands 26 in a desired cross-direction alignment. Put another way, wrapping the working surface 50 of the horn 44 with the elastic composite component 34 (i.e., tensioning the elastic compositecomponent 34 against the working surface 50) helps to maintain spacing between individual elastic threads 26. As discussed above, maintaining elastic strand 26 alignment helps to provide final products with consistent elastic characteristics. Further, preventing elastic strands 26 from becoming misaligned reduces the possibility of strand break along the manufacturing line 10.

[0076] Accordingly, positioning the third guide roller 36 to be offset with respect to the working surface 50 can allow the elastic composite component 34 to exit the third roller at an angle to allow the elastic composite component 34 to enter the bonding apparatus 38 at an angle. As illustrated in the non-limiting examples of FIGS. 1 and 6, an angle 64 can be defined between a portion of the elastic composite component 34 that exits the third guide roller 36 and an axis that is parallel with respect to the machine direction 20. In some examples, the angle 64 at which the elastic composite component 34 enters the bonding apparatus 38 can be between about 1 degree and about 90 degrees, or between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees, or between about 45 degrees and about 60 degrees, or between about 1 degree and about 15 degrees, or between about 1 degree and 5 degrees, or between 0.1 degree and 1.0 degree, or less than 1.0 degree.

[0077] Accordingly, it will be understood that the positions of the third guide roller 36 and / or the horn 44 can be adjusted along the first axis 61 to vary the angle 64 (e.g., to increase or decrease the angle 64 to wrap more or less, respectively, of the working surface 50). In this way, the elastic strands 26 can be maintained within the horn grooves 52 (see FIG. 5) to maintain adequate spacing therebetween. Moreover, retaining the elastic strands within the horn grooves 52 (see FIG. 5) can also reduce breaks in the elastic composite component 34 and lead to greater uniformity in final products, which can decrease manufacturing costs and improve consumer satisfaction.

[0078] As discussed above, stages of the manufacturing line 10 can be arranged to promote continuous machine run time (z.e., reduce stoppages due to defective products). This is particularly advantageous when mass-producing products using rolls of precursor material (e.g., webs or strands), as continuously running material through the manufacturing line maximizes production time and output without the need to manually reload the precursor materials. One conventional technique that is used to reduce the need to manually reload precursor material involves splicing or joining multiple rolls of precursor material together. For example, an adhesive layer (e.g., splice tape) is often used to join a leading edge of a new roll with a trailing edge of an old or expiring roll, which allows the material from the new roll to enter the manufacturing line without having tohalt production. In some examples, material rolls can be spliced together using zero-speed splicing units, at speed splicing units, or other known web splicing technologies.

[0079] However, such splicing can create discontinuities along the material, which may be characterized as regions of increased thickness and / or decreased resiliency. Such discontinuities can cause downstream feeding issues along the manufacturing line, particularly when splices are fed through components in contact with one another and / or components with precise clearances (e.g., gaps) that correspond to normal dimensions of the material. For example, a spliced region of a material that includes splice tape thereon may snag on a nip gap between a horn and an anvil, and / or a spliced region of a material may be larger than a clearance provided in a bonding apparatus (e.g., a gap defined between a horn and an anvil), which can cause the material to snag and tear. In an attempt to mitigate such issues, some manufacturers have incorporated gap adjustment mechanisms that permit clearance between the horn and an anvil of a bonding apparatus to be created / adjusted during operation. However, such techniques often result in delayed actuation of the horn that can allow large portions of unbonded material to pass through the bonding apparatus, which in turn can cause a multitude of downstream manufacturing problems such as, for example, product quality degradation, material waste, etc.

[0080] A manufacturing line according to the present disclosure can include an improved gap adjustment system with decreased response time to reduce or eliminate tears in an elastic composite component and / or reduce or eliminate the amount of unbonded material that passes through a bonding apparatus. In particular, gap adjustment system can communicate with a controller to selectively actuate an actuator (e.g., a pneumatic or hydraulic system) coupled to component of a bonding apparatus (e.g., a horn and / or an anvil to adjust the size of a clearance or gap therebetween). In this way, a position of a horn can be quickly and precisely adjusted relative to an anvil between a closed (bonding) position and an open (splice-pass) position to allow the spliced region to pass therethrough and then returned to its original position, thus minimizing the amount of material that is left unbonded as the elastic composite component is continuously fed through the assembly line. In addition, adjusting the position of the horn and / or the anvil can allow elastic strands to disengage with the grooves on the horn and return to their desired configuration due to tension before then reengaging with the horn grooves. This in turn can further reduce elastic strand breakage and / or improve alignment correction, as discussed above.

[0081] Referring now to FIG. 7, another portion of the manufacturing line 10 is illustrated which includes the bonding apparatus 38 (z.e., the horn 44 and the anvil 46), an actuating device 65, an actuator 66 coupled to the horn 44 and the actuating device 65, a splice detection system 68, and a controller 69. The elastic composite component 34 can be fed along the machine direction 20 so as to be received between the working surface 50 of the horn 44 and the anvil surface 54 of the anvil 46 (e.g., within the gap 48). As discussed above, the elastic composite component 34 may comprise the web layers 12, 16 and the elastic strands 26 (see FIG. 1), any or all of which may include spliced regions 70A intermittently spaced therealong to allow for continuous run time. As a result, spliced regions 70A of the elastic composite component 34 may be thicker than other, non-spliced regions 70B of the elastic composite component 34. In the non-limiting example illustrated in FIG. 7, the spliced regions 70A are depicted by thickened regions of the elastic composite component 34. In some examples, the spliced regions 70A of the elastic composite component 34 are larger (e.g., thicker and / or greater in height than) than an allowed tolerance between the horn 44 and the anvil 46, which can cause the elastic composite component 34 to be cut or tom when passing through the bonding apparatus 38.

[0082] Accordingly, the splice detection system 68 can be arranged upstream of the bonding apparatus 38 along the manufacturing line 10 to detect the spliced regions 70A before they enter the gap 48. While the splice detection system 68 is illustrated as being arranged immediately upstream of the bonding apparatus 38, it will be understood that the splice detection system 68 can be arranged at any position upstream of the bonding apparatus 38 (e.g., in between the web infeed assemblies 14, 18, and the respective guide rollers 22, 24, between the second guide roller 22 and the third guide roller 36, between the third guide roller 36 and the bonding apparatus 38, etc. (see FIG. 1)). In some embodiments, the functionality of the splice detection system 68 is accomplished via the controller 69 referencing a shift register that tracks the location of the splice from the web unwind sequence. That is, the splice detection system 68 may be incorporated within the controller 69 and / or a shift register. Moreover, while only a single splice detection system 68 is illustrated, it is contemplated that multiple splice detection systems 68 can also be used (e.g., multiple splice detection systems 68 arranged at each of the web infeed assemblies 14, 18 and / or the creel assembly 28 (see FIG. 1)). In some examples, the splice detection system 68 can be located at a minimum distance from the bonding apparatus 38 to account for the reaction time required to adjust a size of the gap 48.

[0083] In some examples, the splice detection system 68 shown in FIG. 7 can include one or more sensors (e.g., optical sensors, pressure sensors, laser sensors, infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, capacitive sensors, metal detectors, etc.) that can be configured to provide a signal to the controller 69 and / or the actuating device 65 upon detecting the spliced regions 70A along the elastic composite component 34. For example, the splice detection system 68 may include an optical sensor (not shown), such as a photocell, a photo electric sensor, and / or a photo eye, that can detect the spliced regions 70A and then communicate such information to the controller 69 (e.g., via a signal 72). In some examples, the splice detection system 68 can also send the signal 72 directly to the actuating device 65 to move the actuator 66 that is coupled to the horn 44. That is, the actuator 66 can be selectively actuated to adjust a position of the horn 44 and / or the anvil 46 along, for example, the first axis 61 corresponding to the thickness of the elastic composite component 34, as indicated by directional arrows 74, which in turn can create the gap 48 and / or increase a size of the gap 48 (e.g., a height 76 of the gap 48) to move the horn 44 and / or anvil 46 from the closed position to the open position and allow the spliced regions 70A to pass therethrough.

[0084] It will be understood that the height 76 of the gap 48 is measured in a direction that is substantially normal to the working surface 50 of the horn 44 and / or the anvil surface 54 of the anvil 46 (i.e., parallel with respect to the thickness of the elastic composite component 34, here illustrated as the first axis 61). In this way, the splice detection system 68 can provide a feedback or control loop based on the detection of the spliced regions 70A of the elastic composite component 34 to selectively adjust the clearance between the horn 44 and the anvil 46, meaning that the gap 48 can be created and adjusted to account for a variety of different splice types and / or thicknesses (e.g., due to differently sized precursor materials and / or products). For simplicity, positional adjustments are described below as being made by moving the horn 44. However it is to be understood that the gap 48 can be created and adjusted by varying position of the horn 44, the anvil 46, or the position of both the horn 44 and anvil 46. For example, the actuating device 65 can operate the actuator 66 to cycle the horn 44 between a first position, also referred to herein as a bonding position, wherein the horn 44 is at a first distance from the anvil 46 that results in a desired bonding force and at least one second position, also referred to herein as a splice-pass position, wherein the horn 44 is at a second distance from the anvil 46 that is greater than zero and in which the horn 44 is farther away from the anvil 46 than in the bonding position. That is, theworking surface 50 of the horn 44 and the anvil surface 54 of the anvil 46 can be in contact with each other or positioned relative to one another in the bonding position to create a desired bonding force and spaced from one another to define the gap 48 in the splice-pass position. In some examples, the gap 48 can define a first height in the bonding position, which may be about zero in examples where the horn 44 is in contact with the anvil 46, and a second height in the splice-pass position that is greater than the first height. Put another way, the first height of the gap 48 can correspond to a distance the relative position of the horn 44 and anvil 46 that results in the desired bonding force, and the second height of the gap 48 can correspond to a second thickness of the spliced regions 70A that is greater than a first thickness of the non-spliced regions 70B.

[0085] In some examples, the splice detection system 68 can be controlled by the controller 69, which can be, for example, an electronic controller, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a computer, or an application specific device comprising a microprocessor, memory, and communication components, such as transceivers, wireless communication devices, etc. Such devices can be configured to communicate via network communications, internet protocols, through cellular communications or other types of communications included as part of the controller 69. Further, the controller 69 may be configured to control a plurality or all of the components of the system. Alternatively, a plurality of controllers can be provided. For example, each component of the system may include an electronic controller, which may be in communication with other electronic controllers in the system.

[0086] In particular, and with continued reference to FIG. 7, the controller 69 can move the actuator 66 to adjust the position of the horn 44 relative to the anvil 46 based on information that is received, for example, from a dynamic memory that records and stores information related to components of the manufacturing line 10. The dynamic memory may include a shift register, random access memory (RAM), dynamic RAM, synchronous RAM, cache memory, circular or ring buffers, content addressable memory (CAM), first-in-first-out (FIFO) memory, last-in-first- out (LIFO) memory, and / or any combination thereof. For example, a shift register may be used to store data related to different components of the system, such as locations of the spliced regions 70A along the elastic composite component 34 and / or the corresponding precursor materials (z.e., the web layers 12, 16). That is, the locations and / or thicknesses of the spliced regions 70A may be predetermined and recorded by the shift register. The controller 69 can access the shift register to determine splice data upstream of the bonding apparatus 38 (e.g. , splice location, thickness, length,spacing, etc.). Accordingly, the controller 69 can move the actuator 66 to automatically adjust the position of the horn 44 relative to the anvil 46 (i.e., the gap 48) based on the splice data stored in the shift register. In some examples, the controller 69 communicates with the shift register and the splice detection system 68 to confirm splice location and further optimize adjustment of the position of the horn 44 to minimize the amount of unbonded material that passes through the bonding apparatus 38.

[0087] Specifically, the actuating device 65 can facilitate faster horn 44 position adjustment by reducing response time in comparison to conventional actuation systems. For example, the actuating device 65 may include a valve assembly (e.g., an electrohydraulic servo valve, a solenoid valve, a pilot valve, a proportional valve, a direction control valve, a pressure control valve, a shuttle valve, and / or any combination thereof) that can be switched between multiple operational modes to vary the position of the horn 44 (e.g., along the first axis 61). While the below discussion refers to the position of the horn 44, it will be understood that the actuating device 65 may be used to control a position of another component of the bonding apparatus 38 in other examples, such as the anvil 46. Furthermore, actuating device 65 may include multiple components that may be used to control the positions of multiple components in other examples, such as one component to control position of the horn 44 and another component to control position of the anvil 46. Correspondingly, it will be understood that adjusting the position of the horn 44 can include moving the horn 44 in any suitable directi on(s) relative to the anvil 46, including along the machine direction 20, the first axis 61, and / or a combination thereof. In some aspects, the actuating device 65 includes a bypass mode that can operate at a higher pressure than a normal or running mode, resulting in faster and more efficient actuation (i.e., position and / or gap adjustment). That is, the splice detection system 68 can selectively operate at an elevated pressure that bypasses normal positional control of the horn 44 when, for example, the splice detection system 68 detects the spliced regions 70A or the controller 69 determines that a spliced region 70A is about to enter the bonding apparatus 38. This in turn can facilitate quicker adjustment of the height 76 of gap 48, thus minimizing the time spent in the splice-pass position and reducing the amount of unbonded material that exits the bonding apparatus 38. As discussed above, maintaining the integrity and quality of the elastic composite component 34 can reduce manufacturing costs and material waste, as well as improving overall consumer satisfaction with the final product.

[0088] In some embodiments, the actuating device 65 may include an optional stroke limiting assembly 67 including a fixed limiter tab 75 coupled to the actuator 66 and a retraction stop 71 coupled to a backplate 73 or other structural component of the manufacturing line 10. The position of the retraction stop 71 can be adjusted to define the length of the stroke that the horn 44 travels away from the anvil 46 during the horn position / gap adjustment sequence.

[0089] Referring now to the non-limiting example of FIG. 8, a schematic diagram of an actuating device 65 comprising the actuator 66 is illustrated. In some examples, the actuating device 65 operates via control system 91 having a first control path corresponding to the actuation of the horn 44 (see FIG. 7) under continuous machine run conditions (e.g., to optimize bonding interaction between the horn 44 and the anvil 46 (see FIG. 7)), and a second control path corresponding to rapid gap adjustment to account for the spliced regions 70A (e.g., in response to receiving the signal 72 from the controller 69, see FIG. 7). That is, the actuating device 65 can be operated to selectively bypass the first control path to quickly adjust the position of the horn 44 from the bonding position to the splice-pass position by forming the gap 48 to allow the spliced regions 70A to pass therethrough while minimizing the amount of unbonded material that exits the bonding apparatus 38 (see FIG. 7). To accomplish this, the actuating device 65 may be switched between two or more operational modes or states (e.g., a first operational state in which the horn 44 is in contact with the anvil 46, a second operational state to make small adjustments to position of the horn 44 relative to the anvil 46 under normal run conditions, and a third operation state create the gap 48 between the horn 44 and the anvil 46 in response to splice detection), as discussed below in greater detail.

[0090] In some aspects, the control system 91 of the actuating device 65 (z.e., an actuator assembly) can include a plurality of valve elements 84, 92, 94, 96 that can be selectively energized or controlled (e.g., using the controller 69, see FIG. 7) based on machine run conditions. Alternatively, other devices / valves may be used to actuate the actuator 66. Furthermore, actuating device 65 may include more or less valves than described and depicted herein as well as pressure reservoirs, pumps, and / or control circuitry (not shown) to effectuate actuation upon receiving a signal from controller 69. It is contemplated that the actuator 66 may be a pneumatic actuator or a hydraulic actuator, meaning that the actuator 66 may be operated using a fluid such as water or air. In alternative embodiments, actuator 66 may be other known types of actuators, such as mechanical or electric actuators that include linear or rotary devices (e.g., lead or ball screws,cams, and / or electric motors, servo systems and stepper motors), or magnetic actuators (e.g., solenoids).

[0091] Still referring to FIG. 8, in embodiments where actuating device is pneumatic or hydraulic, the actuator 66 can receive a fluid (e.g., air) at a supply manifold 82, and the manifold 82 can be coupled to a cylinder engaging valve 84. The cylinder engaging valve 84 can be coupled to a cylinder 86, which can include a first or rod side 88 and a second or head side 90. In the nonlimiting example, the cylinder engaging valve 84 is coupled to the rod side 88 of the cylinder 86, although it is contemplated that the cylinder engaging valve 84 may be coupled to the head side 90 of the cylinder 86 in some examples. Further, the cylinder engaging valve 84 can be configured to selectively charge and / or exhaust the rod side 88 of the cylinder 86 based on the pressure within the second control path.

[0092] The cylinder engaging valve 84 can also be coupled in series to a pressure regulating valve 92 and / or a proportional valve 94 (e.g., a proportional regulator), which may be arranged in parallel with one another. Correspondingly, the pressure regulating valve 92 and the proportional valve 94 may be configured to adjust a pressure of the fluid that is received from the manifold 82 based on the desired actuation of the actuator 66 (e.g., due to the detection of spliced regions in the elastic composite component). The pressure regulating valve 92 and the proportional valve 94 can each be coupled to a shuttle valve 96 that selectively permits fluid flow to the head side 90 of the cylinder 86. Put another way, the shuttle valve 96 can serve as a directional check valve that prevents backflow between the pressure regulating valve 92 and / or the proportional valve 94. Thus, the shuttle valve 96 may block a passage between the proportional valve 94 and the shuttle valve 96 when the pressure in the pressure regulating valve 92 is higher than in the proportional valve 94, and vice versa. In this way, the pressure regulating valve 92, the proportional valve 94, and / or the shuttle valve 96 can be used to selectively charge and / or exhaust the head side 90 of the cylinder 86, while the cylinder engaging valve 84 can be used to selectively charge and / or exhaust the rod side 88 of the cylinder 86.

[0093] For example, and with additional reference to FIG. 7, the actuating device 65 can receive a signal from the controller 69 indicating that the horn 44 should move to the bonding position wherein, for example, the horn 44 is positioned to be in contact with the anvil 46. As discussed above, the height 76 of the gap 48 is set to achieve the desired bonding force when the horn 44 is in the first position. In some examples, the controller 69 can switch the actuator controlsystem 91 into a first operational state to set the size of the gap 48 to correspond to a desired bonding force of the working surface 50 of the horn 44 on the anvil surface 54 of the anvil 46, which may be a predetermined value based on material parameters and bond characteristics that are provided to or stored by the controller 69. In some examples, the desired bonding force may be equal to or less than about 1000 Pound-force (Ibf), or equal to or less than about 900 Ibf, or equal to or less than about 800 Ibf, or equal to or less than about 700 Ibf, or equal to or less than about 600 Ibf, or equal to or less than about 500 Ibf. In the first operational state, the cylinder engaging valve 84, the pressure regulating valve 92, and the proportional valve 94 can be energized such that a fluid is provided at a high pressure through the cylinder engaging valve 84, the pressure regulating valve 92, and the shuttle valve 96 to charge the head side 90 of the cylinder 86. This in turn can move the horn 44 into the bonding position relative to the anvil 46 to achieve the desired bonding force. Accordingly, the first control path of the control system 91 can define a first or high pressure regulated supply path from the manifold 82 to the head side 90 of the cylinder 86.

[0094] After the horn 44 is placed in the bonding position (z.e., when the horn 44 is contacting the anvil 46), the controller 69 can switch the actuator control system 91 to a second operational state (z.e., a running or steady state) by deenergizing the pressure regulating valve 92. In the second operational state, the pressure regulating valve 92 is deenergized. This in turn removes the biasing force provided on the shuttle valve 96 from the high pressure fluid exiting the pressure regulating valve 92, thus causing the shuttle valve 96 to unblock a pathway defined between the proportional valve 94 and the head side 90 of the cylinder 86. Moreover, the proportional valve 94 reduces the pressure of the fluid at a rate that is proportional to the voltage that used to energize the proportional valve 94, and this lower pressure fluid is supplied to the head side 90 of the cylinder 86 to maintain the size of the gap 48 and / or make small adjustments thereto to maintain the horn 44 and the anvil 46 in a bonding position that achieves the desired bonding force. In particular, the force of the horn 44 on the anvil 46 can be finely adjusted by varying the voltage that is supplied to the proportional valve 94, which can be advantageous, for example, if a manufacturer desires to adjust the strength of the bonding pattern. The voltage to the proportional valve 94 can be adjusted to maintain the desired bonding force between the horn 44 and the anvil 46 under normal run conditions and promote continuous machine run time. Accordingly, the second control path of the control system 91 can define a second or low pressure regulated supply path from the manifold 82 to the rod side 88 and / or the head side 90 of the cylinder 86.

[0095] As discussed above, the elastic composite component 34 may include the spliced regions 70A which have greater thicknesses than the non-spliced regions 70B of the elastic composite component 34. To prevent the thicker spliced regions 70A from snagging on the bonding apparatus 38, the actuating device 65 can receive a signal from the controller 69 indicating that the horn 44 should be moved away from the anvil 46 into the splice-pass position to form the gap 48 (e.g., by increasing the height 76 of the gap 48). Specifically, the controller 69 can switch the actuating device 65 from the second operational state to a third operational state to charge the rod side 88 of the cylinder 86 (via the cylinder engaging valve 84). That is, the controller 69 can operate the actuating device 65 to define a direct air flow path between the manifold 82 and the actuator 66. In some aspects, the cylinder engaging valve 84, the pressure regulating valve 92, and the proportional valve 94 are each deenergized in the third operational state.

[0096] The cylinder engaging valve 84, when deenergized, opens a pathway between the manifold 82 and the rod side 88 of the cylinder 86, allowing the rod side 88 to be charged with the high pressure fluid. Correspondingly, the cylinder engaging valve 84, when deenergized, prevents the high pressure fluid from reaching the pressure regulating valve 92 and the proportional valve 94, allowing the head side 90 of the cylinder 86 to be discharged. Accordingly, deenergizing the cylinder engaging valve 84 can quickly move the cylinder 86 into a retracted position and increase the distance between the horn 44 and the anvil 46 (z.e., increase the size of the gap 48) to allow the spliced regions 70A to pass through the bonding apparatus 38. That is, a third control path of the control system 91 can define a third or high pressure regulated supply path from the manifold 82 to the rod side 88 of the cylinder 86. The controller 69 can then return the actuator 66 to the first operational state to decrease and / or eliminate the gap 48 (e.g., by returning the horn 44 to the bonding position), and the controller 69 can switch the actuating device 65 into the second operational state to maintain the force applied by the horn 44 on the anvil 46. Accordingly, the actuating device 65 can be cycled between the three operational positions discussed above to selectively adjust the clearance between the horn 44 and the anvil 46 while reducing response time, thus minimizing the time that the bonding apparatus 38 is held in the splice-pass position and minimizing the amount of unbonded material that passes through the bonding apparatus 38. In some examples, the first and third pressure regulated supply paths defined by the first and third control paths, respectively, of the control system 91 each operate at a higher pressure than the second pressure regulated supply defined by the second control path of the control system 91.

[0097] As discussed above, the actuating device 65 and / or the actuator 66 can include one or more of a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, and / or a servo-driven actuator. Relatedly, the actuating device 65 may include components that convert rotational motion generated by a servodriven actuator into linear motion (e.g., linear motion to selectively move the horn 44 closer to and / or away from the anvil 46, see FIG. 7), such as crank shafts, drag links, lead screws, ball screws, etc. For example, and with reference to FIG. 9, the actuating device 65 can include a servodriven actuator 85 having an output shaft 87 that can be coupled to the horn 44 via a crank shaft 89. In some examples, the crank shaft 89 is coupled to a drag link 93 that can translate the rotational motion of the servo-driven actuator 85, provided by the crank shaft 89, into linear motion.

[0098] During operation, the controller 69 can operate the actuating device 65 to switch between different operational states (e.g., a first operational state in which the horn 44 is in contact with the anvil 46 during which fine adjustments can be made to the position of the horn 44 relative to the anvil 46 under normal run conditions, and a second operational state to selectively create the gap 48 between the horn 44 and the anvil 46 in response to splice detection) by adjusting the rotational motion output by the servo-driven actuator 85. For example, driving the servo-driven actuator 85 to rotate in a first (e.g., clockwise) direction can cause the crank shaft 89 to also rotate in the first direction. The drag link 93 can translate this rotational motion of the crank shaft 89 into linear motion and move the horn 44 into the bonding position (z.e., placing the horn 44 in contact or in near contact with the anvil 46 to achieve the desired bonding force). Correspondingly, driving the servo-driven actuator 85 to rotate in a second (e.g., counter-clockwise) direction can cause the crank shaft 89 to rotate in the second direction, and the drag link 93 can translate the rotational motion of the crank shaft 89 into linear motion to move the horn 44 into the splice-pass position (z.e., to distance the horn 44 from the anvil 46 and create the gap 48). In addition, the controller 69 may be programmed with predetermined horn position adjustment profiles to allow splices with predetermined locations to pass through the bonding apparatus 38 while minimizing the amount of unbonded material that exits the bonding apparatus 38. That is, the servo-driven actuator 85 can be precisely actuated (z.e., rotated) to make fine adjustments to the force of the horn 44 on the anvil 46 and achieve a desired bonding pressure.

[0099] Referring now to the non-limiting example illustrated in FIG. 10, the servo-driven actuator 85 can also be coupled to a lead screw mechanism 95 to convert rotational motion into linear motion to adjust the position of the horn 44 relative to the anvil 46. In particular, the leadscrew mechanism 95 can include a screw 97 that is coupled to the output shaft 87 of the servodriven actuator 85, such that rotational motion of the output shaft 87 is imparted on the screw 97. The lead screw mechanism 95 can further include a nut 99 that is coupled to the horn 44, and rotation of the screw 97 can cause the nut 99 to move back and forth along the screw 97 in a linear direction (e.g., along the first axis 61, see FIG. 1), thereby adjusting the position of the horn 44.

[0100] During operation, the controller 69 can operate the actuating device 65 to switch between different operational states (e.g., a first operational state in which the horn 44 is in contact with the anvil 46 during which small adjustments can be made to the position of the horn 44 relative to the anvil 46 under normal run conditions, and a second operation state create the gap 48 between the horn 44 and the anvil 46 in response to splice detection) by adjusting the rotational motion output by the servo-driven actuator 85. For example, driving the servo-driven actuator 85 to rotate in a first (e.g., clockwise) direction can cause the screw 97 to rotate in the first direction. This rotation can cause the nut 99 to slide along the screw 97 toward the anvil 46, thereby translating the rotational motion of the servo-driven actuator 85 into linear motion to move the horn 44 into the first position (z.e., to place the horn 44 in contact with the anvil 46). Correspondingly, driving the servo-driven actuator 85 to rotate in a second (e.g., counter-clockwise) direction can cause the nut 99 to slide along the screw 97 away from the anvil 46, thereby moving the horn 44 into the second position (z.e., distancing the horn 44 from the anvil 46 to create the gap 48). As discussed above, the controller 69 may be programmed with predetermined horn position adjustment profiles such that the servo-driven actuator 85 can be precisely actuated (z.e., rotated) to make fine adjustments to the force of the horn 44 on the anvil 46 and achieve a desired bonding pressure.

[0101] While an actuator is described herein as being configured to adjust the position of and / or force applied by a horn of a bonding apparatus, it is contemplated that the actuator may be coupled to an anvil of the bonding apparatus in some examples. Put another way, the actuator may be used to adjust a position of the anvil in addition to, or instead of, the position of the horn. That is, the actuator can be used to adjust a force of the anvil on the horn. Furthermore, multiple actuators may be used to adjust a position of the anvil and a position of the horn. Moreover, the bonding apparatus may be adjustable in a cross-machine direction in addition to a vertical direction (z.e., a transverse or horizontal direction that is different than the machine direction). That is, the horn and / or the anvil may be adjustable in a cross-machine direction to distribute wear thereacross. In particular, a bonding apparatus can be continuously oscillated or rocked along the cross-machine direction to promote even contact between the working surface of the horn and the anvil surface of the anvil, which can improve the longevity and performance of the bonding apparatus.

[0102] For example, a bonding apparatus can be coupled to a ball screw or lead screw to move or oscillate along a cross-machine direction. In some aspects, a ball screw can be used to convert rotational motion into linear motion by incorporating recirculating bearings within a housing or ball nut that wraps around a screw shaft. The bearings can reduce friction between the ball nut and the screw shaft to allow for smooth and controller linear movement of the ball nut due to rotation of the screw shaft. Accordingly, a ball nut can be coupled to a bonding apparatus (e.g., a horn and / or an anvil) and a screw shaft that is oriented along a cross-machine direction (z.e., a direction that is perpendicular with respect to a machine direction). A motor (e.g., an electric motor such as a stepper motor or a servo motor) can be used to selectively rotate the screw shaft in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, which can cause the ball nut and the bonding apparatus coupled thereto to move back and forth along the cross-machine direction.

[0103] In this way, a ball screw can be used to precisely adjust of a cross-machine position of a bonding apparatus, which can be particularly advantageous to achieve programmable wear patterns across the bonding apparatus. That is, continuously cycling a bonding apparatus along a cross-machine direction can distribute points of contact between a horn and an anvil to ensure that the surfaces thereof experience more equal contact and / or wear.

[0104] Referring now to FIG. 11, the present disclosure provides a method 100 of wrapping a horn of a bonding apparatus with an elastic composite component to promote elastic strand rethreading in a manufacturing line. At step 102, a guide roller can receive a component (e.g., a paper product, a plastic product, a disposable product, a medical product, a personal hygiene product, an elastic composite component, etc.). It will be understood that a component can comprise multiple elements (e.g., web layers and elastic strands), so one or more guide rollers can be used to arrange such elements and provide a combined product to a downstream guide roller. Further, guide rollers may be arranged in an S-wrap configuration to create suitable tension on the component as it is fed along a machine direction in a manufacturing line. In some examples, arranging guide rollers in an S-wrap configuration promotes elastic strand rethreading when, for example, elastic strands are inadvertently severed during bonding. Specifically, the S-wrap configuration creates friction, tension, and / or pressure between web layers of the component and elastic strands of the component that are sandwiched between such web layers, which in turnprevents the elastic strands from retracting past the guide rollers if severed. Correspondingly, the tension provided by the S-wrap configuration allows severed elastic strands to be automatically rethread along the manufacturing line, as severed ends of the elastic strands will automatically be carried along the machine direction as the web layers of the component are continuously fed along the machine direction.

[0105] At step 104, the guide roller can feed the component into a bonding apparatus (e.g., between a blade horn and a rotary anvil), and the bonding apparatus can be configured to bond or weld the component. For example, the bonding apparatus can weld a first web layer of the component to a second web layer of the component provided by a force of a horn on an anvil, entrapping the elastic strands therebetween.

[0106] Continuing, at step 106, the method 100 can include wrapping or tensioning an upstream edge of a working surface of the horn and / or the anvil, which can promote elastic strand alignment in a cross-machine direction. To wrap the upstream edge of the working surface of the horn, the guide roller can be offset from a plane defined by the working surface of the horn in a direction corresponding to a thickness of the elastic composite component (e.g., a direction that is perpendicular to the machine direction). For example, the guide roller can be positioned above, below, and / or laterally offset with respect to the bonding apparatus such that the component exits the guide roller at an acute angle with respect to the machine direction. That is, the component can enter the bonding apparatus at an angle so as to wrap around or be tensioned against the upstream edge of the working surface of the horn, which can help to keep the elastic strands aligned in a cross-machine direction. In this way, elastic strands entrapped within the component can be correctly realigned to maintain adequate spacing therebetween, which in turn can help ensure the production of uniform products with consistent elastic characteristics, thus increasing both final product quality and consumer satisfaction.

[0107] Referring now to FIG. 12, the present disclosure provides a method 200 of adjusting a position of a horn relative to an anvil of a bonding apparatus to account for splices or spliced regions within a component (e.g., a paper product, a plastic product, a disposable product, a medical product, a personal hygiene product, an elastic composite component, etc.). At step 202, the method 200 can include feeding a component into a bonding apparatus. For example, one or more guide rollers may be used to feed a component between a blade horn and a rotary anvil of a bonding apparatus. It will be understood that a component can comprise multiple elements (e.g,web layers and elastic strands), and the bonding apparatus can be used to bond or weld such elements together as part of the fabrication process. Specifically, a horn may apply a particular force and / or bonding pressure on an anvil to create a bonding pattern on a component. In some examples, a gap formed between a horn and an anvil may have a size (e.g., a height) that is dimensioned according to a regular or known thickness of the component, which can optimize bonding pressure provided by the anvil on the horn.

[0108] At step 204, a system (e.g., a splice detection system arranged upstream with respect to the bonding apparatus) can detect a region or segment of the component that includes splices or spliced regions. As discussed above, splice tape may be used to splice together rolls of precursor elements (e.g., web layers and / or elastic strands) to allow for continuous machine run time. However, the resulting spliced regions may be thicker than an allowed tolerance between a horn and an anvil, which can cause the spliced regions to snag on the bonding apparatus and tear the component. In some aspects, the locations of splice tape along the component are stored within a shift register when such splices are made, and this splicing information is accessible by the splice detection system and / or a controller. Accordingly, the method 200 can further include, at step 206, actuating an actuator to adjust a position of a horn relative to an anvil. That is, the actuator can move the horn away from the anvil to create a gap therebetween, thereby reducing or eliminating the force of the horn on the anvil. For example, the horn can initially be placed in contact with the anvil (e.g., a first distance that is about zero), and the actuator can move the horn to a second distance with respect to the anvil that is greater than the first distance (z. e. , a distance that is greater than about zero). In some aspects, actuating the actuator can be provided by switching operational states of a pneumatic system using, for example, an electronic controller. In this way, the gap can be created between the horn and the anvil to correspond to the thickened regions of the component (z.e., spliced regions), thus allowing the spliced regions to pass through the bonding apparatus.

[0109] Correspondingly, at step 208, the actuator can be actuated to return the horn to its original position (e.g., the first distance from the anvil) after the spliced regions pass through the bonding apparatus, meaning that the size of the gap can also be decreased back to its original size (e.g., a size corresponding to the thickness of non-spliced regions of the component). Accordingly, clearance between the horn and the anvil can be adjusted to allow spliced regions to pass therethrough, while also minimizing the length of unbonded material that exits the bondingapparatus. That is, the method 200 discussed above can prevent the component from snagging and tearing on the bonding apparatus, which in turn can reduce material waste due to tom material.

[0110] Referring now to FIG. 13, the present disclosure provides a method 300 of reducing concentrated wear on a bonding apparatus by moving the bonding apparatus along a cross-machine direction during operation. At step 302, a component (e.g., a paper product, a plastic product, a disposable product, a medical product, a personal hygiene product, an elastic composite component, etc.) can be fed along a machine direction in a manufacturing line. Put another way, the component can be fed downstream along a manufacturing line and into, for example, a bonding apparatus. At step 304, the method 300 can include moving the bonding apparatus in a crossmachine direction (z.e., a transverse or horizontal direction that is perpendicular with respect to the machine direction). For example, the bonding apparatus can be coupled to a ball screw that extends in a cross-machine direction, such that rotation of the screw causes the bonding apparatus to move along the cross-machine direction. At step 306, the component can be bonded or welded using the horn and the anvil of the bonding apparatus. As discussed, above, bonding the component can include welding a first web layer to a second layer to capture a plurality of elastic strands therebetween. In this way, contact between the horn and the anvil (e.g., contact during bonding) can be varied to create an even wear pattern on the surfaces thereof, thus enhancing the longevity of the bonding apparatus as a whole.[OHl] The described systems enable the correction of misaligned and / or severed elastic strands, as well as the reduction of unbonded material that passes through a bonding apparatus and the distribution of wear on a bonding apparatus. As described above, this type of system is useful in high-volume assembly lines which may produce a variety of components or products, e.g. , paper products, plastic products, disposable products, personal hygiene products, etc. There are, however, many other applications for these types of feeding systems, including, for example, manufacturing processes related to houseware products, automotive and industrial products, food packaging, and many other products. Moreover, it is contemplated that elements of the feeding systems described above, such as the S-wrap arrangement of the guide rollers, the relative positioning of the guide rollers and the bonding apparatus to wrap an upstream edge of the horn, the splice adjustment system, and / or the wear reduction systems, may be used alone or in combination with one another to achieve the benefits discussed herein.

[0112] Within this specification, embodiments have been described in a way which enables a clear and concise specification to be written, but it is intended and will be appreciated that embodiments may be variously combined or separated without parting from the invention. For example, it will be appreciated that the features described herein are applicable to all aspects of the embodiments described herein. Further, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the description or illustrated in the drawings. The present disclosure is capable of other configurations and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. For example, although a specific ordered series of steps is described above, the order of these steps can be varied.

[0113] Additionally, although a single bonding apparatus is illustrated in the systems above, it will be apparent that, in some applications, additional bonding apparatuses may be desirable and two or more bonding apparatuses may be used along a manufacturing line. Further, it is contemplated that a bonding apparatus can be configured to receive two or more components (e.g. , two or more elastic composite components).

[0114] Thus, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, while the disclosure has been described above in connection with particular non-limiting examples and examples, the disclosure is not necessarily so limited, and numerous other constructions, examples, uses, modifications and departures from the non-limiting examples, examples and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. The figures, similarly, depict selected configurations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

[0115] Further aspects and embodiments of the present invention are described in the following numbered paragraphs.[Al] A system for welding an elastic composite component (34) comprising: a first guide roller (22) to receive an elastic composite component (34), the elastic composite component comprising a first web layer (12), a second web layer (16), and a plurality of elastic strands (26) disposed between the first web layer and the second web layer; a second guide roller (24, 36) to receive the elastic composite component from the first guide roller and to feed the elastic composite component in a machine direction (20); an anvil (46) defining an anvil surface (54); anda horn (44) defining a working surface (50) offset from the anvil surface, at least one of the anvil surface and the working surface being moveable to adjust a distance therebetween; wherein the elastic composite component is received between the working surface and the anvil surface from the second guide roller; wherein a bottommost point (62) of the second guide roller is offset from the working surface of the horn along a first axis (61) corresponding to a thickness of the elastic composite component as received between the anvil surface and the working surface of the horn such that the horn receives the elastic composite component and the elastic composite component is tensioned around an upstream edge of one of the working surface of the horn or the anvil surface of the anvil.[A2] The system of paragraph Al wherein the anvil (46) is a rotary anvil, and the anvil surface (54) is configured to contact the first web layer (12) of the elastic composite component (34).[A3] The system of paragraph Al, wherein a plurality of projections (56) are disposed on the anvil surface (54).[A4] The system of paragraph A3, wherein the plurality of projections (56) comprise ridges extending outward from the anvil surface (54).[A5] The system of paragraph A3, wherein the plurality of projections (56) comprise a plurality of discrete raised protrusions extending outward from the anvil surface (54).[A6] The system of paragraph Al further comprising a third guide roller (36) to feed the first web layer (12) to the second guide roller (24, 36).[A7] The system of paragraph Al, wherein the horn (44) and the anvil (46) comprise an ultrasonic bonding device.[A8] The system of paragraph Al, wherein an acute angle (64) is defined between the elastic composite component (34) exiting the second guide roller (24, 36) and a second axis that is parallel with respect to the machine direction (20).[A9] The system of paragraph Al, wherein the working surface (50) of the horn (44) includes a plurality of grooves (32) to receive the plurality of elastic strands (26).[A10] The system of paragraph Al, wherein the horn (44) is configured to weld the first web layer (12) and the second web layer (16) together such that the plurality of elastic strands (26) are entrapped therebetween.[Al l] A method (100) for welding an elastic composite component (34) comprising: receiving, via a first guide roller (22), an elastic composite component (34) comprising a first web layer (12), a second web layer (16), and a plurality of elastic strands (26) disposed between the first web layer and the second web layer; receiving, via a second guide roller (24, 36), the elastic composite component from the first guide roller; and feeding the elastic composite component in a machine direction (20) between an anvil surface (54) and a working surface (50) of a horn (44), the second guide roll being offset from a plane defined by the working surface of the horn in a direction corresponding to a thickness of the elastic composite component (34) such that the elastic composite component is tensioned against an upstream edge of the working surface of the horn.[Al 2] The method (100) of paragraph Al l, further comprising receiving the plurality of elastic strands (26) within a plurality of grooves (32) on the working surface (50) of the horn (44).[A13] The method (100) of paragraph Al l, further comprising feeding the first web layer (12) to the second guide roller (24) via a third guide roller (36).[A 14] The method (100) of paragraph Al l, further comprising welding the first web layer (12) and the second web layer (16) together such that the plurality of elastic strands (26) are entrapped therebetween.[A15] The method (100) of paragraph A14, wherein welding the first web layer (12) and the second web layer (16) comprises ultrasonically bonding the first web layer to the second web layer.[A16] The method (100) of paragraph A14, wherein welding the first web layer (12) and the second web layer (16) comprises via a plurality of projections (56) on the anvil surface (54) and a plurality of land surfaces on the working surface (50) of the horn (44).

[0116] Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWe claim:

1. A system for welding at least one continuous web, comprising: at least one web infeed assembly (14, 18) to feed at least one continuous web along a machine direction (20); a bonding apparatus (38) comprising a horn (44) to receive the at least one continuous web on a working surface (50) thereof and a rotary anvil (46) that defines a gap (48) with the horn; an actuator assembly (65) comprising: an actuator (66) coupled to the bonding apparatus; and a control system (91) comprising: a first control path defining a first pressure regulated supply path from a supply manifold (82) to a first side of the actuator; a second control path defining a second pressure regulated supply path from the supply manifold to a second side of the actuator; and a third control path defining a third pressure regulated supply path from the supply manifold to a head side (90) of the actuator; and a splice detection system (68) positioned upstream of the bonding apparatus, wherein the splice detection system is configured to detect a spliced region (70A) within the at least one continuous web; and wherein the actuator assembly is configured to actuate the actuator to adjust a height (76) of the gap in response to a detected splice region.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system (91) comprises: a cylinder engaging valve (84); a shuttle valve (96); and a pressure regulating valve (92) coupled in parallel with a proportional valve (94), wherein the pressure regulating valve and the proportional valve are coupled in series between the cylinder engaging valve and the shuttle valve.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator (66) comprises a pneumatic actuator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first pressure regulated supply path and the third pressure regulated supply path each operate at a higher pressure than the second pressure regulated supply path.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator (66) is coupled to the horn (44).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator (66) is coupled to the rotary anvil (46).

7. A method (200) of adjusting a bonding apparatus (38), the method (200) comprising: receiving at least one continuous web within a gap (48) defined between a horn (44) and a rotary anvil (46) of the bonding apparatus (38); bonding the at least one continuous web using the horn and the rotary anvil; detecting a spliced region (70A) within the at least one continuous web; actuating an actuator (66) coupled to the bonding apparatus to move one of the horn (44) and the rotary anvil from a first position to a second position to increase a height (76) of the gap (48), the actuator comprising one of a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, and a servo-driven actuator; and actuating the actuator to return the one of the horn and the rotary anvil to the first position after the spliced region passes through the bonding apparatus.

8. The method (200) of claim 7, wherein the step of actuating the actuator (66) to move the one of the horn (44) and the rotary anvil (46) from the first position to the second position comprises de-energizing a plurality of valves.

9. The method (200) of claim 7, wherein the step of actuating the actuator (66) to move the one of the horn (44) and the rotary anvil (46) from the first position to the second position comprises controlling a plurality of valves to define a direct air flow path between a supply manifold (82) and the actuator.- 38 -10. The method (200) of claim 7, wherein the step of actuating the actuator (66) to return the one of the horn (44) and the rotary anvil (46) to the first position comprises energizing a plurality of valves.

11. The method (200) of claim 7, wherein the plurality of valves comprises a proportional regulator (94), a cylinder engaging valve (84), and a pressure regulating valve (92).

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