Method for assembling a laminate of absorbent materials

Abstract

To provide a method for assembling elastic laminates.SOLUTION: A method for assembling elastic laminates includes the steps of: stretching an elastic film at a spreader mechanism in a cross direction to a first elongation; and advancing the elastic film from the spreader mechanism to an anvil, the anvil including an active vacuum zone having a maximum width in the cross direction. The maximum width is divided into a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed in an overlapping relationship with an engagement portion, and is disposed inside the engagement portion in the cross direction. The first portion has a width in the cross direction, and the second portion has a width in the cross direction. A width ratio between the first portion and the second portion in the cross direction is greater than 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an absorbent article having a stretchable laminate such as a stretchable ear portion or waistband. [Background technology]

[0002] It has long been known that absorbent articles, such as conventional absorbent articles (e.g., diapers, adult incontinence products, feminine hygiene pads), offer the advantage of receiving and containing urine and / or other bodily excretions (e.g., feces, menstruation, mixtures of feces and urine, mixtures of menstruation and urine, etc.). In order to effectively contain bodily excretions, the articles need to fit snugly around the wearer's waist and legs.

[0003] Manufacturers often use stretchable areas within articles, such as stretchable side panels (i.e., ear sections), to help achieve a comfortable fit. When worn, the stretchable ear sections allow the article to extend around the wearer's buttocks and waist, securely fastening the product while allowing for comfortable movement. To further secure the product around the wearer, fastening systems are typically attached to the ear sections. Stretchable ear sections are typically laminates of a covering material (e.g., nonwoven fabric) and an elastomer material. Similarly, waistbands may include stretchable laminates of nonwoven fabric and elastomer material, and can help absorbent articles fit snugly around the wearer's waist.

[0004] It is common practice to hold one or more edges of the elastomer material during the fabrication or activation of a laminate. That is, the material may move in the machine direction, but the edges may be “held” for a period of time in close proximity to or against the anvil or other surface in order to help each layer move in the desired direction and / or to prevent each layer from moving from its desired position. For example, when forming a gathered laminate, the elastomer material may be stretched more than the coverstock layer during lamination. The machine may hold one or more edges of the elastomer material against the anvil during stretching, so that the edges are not stretched. To hold the elastomer material as needed, the manufacturer must hold a fairly large portion. However, the portion of elastomer material that is held may not provide extensibility to the final laminate. In other words, the unstretched elastomer material in the held area does not contribute to the extensibility of the laminate to the same extent as the stretched portion. Therefore, the manufacturer cannot efficiently utilize the most expensive component of the laminate, namely the elastomer material. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the area of ​​unstretched elastomer material in stretched laminates. Furthermore, there is a need for laminates with smaller unstretched elastomer material zones that still maintain integrity, breathability, and / or comfort. Moreover, there is a need for efficient and cost-effective means to provide stretched laminates with smaller unstretched zones. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention includes features of the independent claims described herein.

[0007] The absorbent article includes a chassis comprising a top sheet, a back sheet, an absorbent core disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and an ear portion bonded to the chassis. The ear portion is a laminate comprising a first nonwoven fabric and a second nonwoven fabric, and an elastomer material sandwiched between the first nonwoven fabric and the second nonwoven fabric, the laminate further comprising a plurality of ultrasonic bondings. The elastomer material has a maximum dimension Y in the stretching direction, and the elastomer material defines a primary region comprising an elastic region and one or more non-stretched zones. The elastic region has a maximum dimension X in the stretching direction. The one or more non-stretched zones have a combined maximum dimension Wd in the stretching direction. The ratio of Wd to Y is 0.3 or less.

[0008] The absorbent article includes a chassis comprising a top sheet, a back sheet, an absorbent core disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and an ear portion joined to the chassis. The ear portion comprises a laminate comprising a first nonwoven fabric and a second nonwoven fabric, and an elastomer material sandwiched between the first and second nonwoven fabrics. The elastomer material has a maximum dimension Y in the stretching direction, and the elastomer material defines an elastic region, the first non-stretched zone having a maximum dimension Wd1 in the stretching direction, and the second non-stretched zone having a maximum dimension Wd2 in the stretching direction. The ratio of Wd2 to Wd1 is at least 2.

[0009] The method for assembling an elastic laminate is, A step of providing a first substrate and a second substrate, wherein each of the first substrate and the second substrate comprises a first surface and an opposing second surface, and defines a width in the transverse direction. The steps include wrapping the first surface of the first substrate onto the outer surface of the anvil, A step of advancing an elastic film into a spreader mechanism, wherein the spreader mechanism comprises an engaging portion and an elastic material, In the spreader mechanism, the step of stretching the elastic material in the transverse direction to a first elongation, Advancing the elastic material from the spreader mechanism to the anvil, the anvil having an operative vacuum zone with a maximum width Wv in the transverse direction, the maximum width being divided into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion overlapping the engagement portion and being disposed inside the engagement portion in the transverse direction, the first portion having a width VZi in the transverse direction, the second portion having a width VZo in the transverse direction, VZi being greater than VZo, the advancing step; Positioning the elastic material by contacting a second surface of the first substrate on the anvil; Advancing the second substrate so that a first surface of the second substrate is positioned in contact with the elastic material and a second surface of the first substrate is positioned on the anvil; Ultrasonic bonding the first substrate to the second substrate with the elastic material positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] [Figure 1] An exploded perspective view of an exemplary laminate according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A plan view of an exemplary laminate according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] An exploded perspective view of an exemplary ear according to another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] A schematic side view of an apparatus for assembling an elastic laminate according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] A top view of the apparatus taken along line 4B-4B of FIG. 4A. [Figure 4C] A left side view of the apparatus taken along line 4C-4C of FIG. 4B. [Figure 4D] A detailed view of the spreader mechanism of FIG. 4C taken along line 4D-4D. [Figure 4E] A detailed view of a radially projecting nub on the outer rim of the disk. [Figure 4F] A detailed view of the anvil taken along line 4F-4F of FIG. 4B. [Figure 5A] Schematic side view of an apparatus operative to assemble an elastic laminate, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] Left side view of the apparatus along line 5B-5B of FIG. 5A. [Figure 5C] Top view of the apparatus along line 5C-5C of FIG. 5B. [Figure 6A] Schematic front view of an apparatus operative to stretch an elastomeric material, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] Schematic front view of an apparatus used to stretch an elastomeric material, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7A] Schematic perspective view of an anvil according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7B] Schematic perspective view of the anvil of FIG. 7A with internal portions exposed to show a configurable tube, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8A] Schematic side view of an apparatus operative to assemble an elastic laminate. [Figure 8B] Top view of a first substrate advancing through the folding apparatus of FIG. 8A along line 8B-8B. [Figure 9] Schematic plan view of an exemplary absorbent article, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The absorbent article is shown in a flat, non-contracted state. [Figure 10] Schematic plan view of an exemplary ear portion, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The ear portion is shown in a relaxed state. [Figure 11] Schematic perspective view of a grip suitable for use in the ear extension test method of the present specification. [Figure 12A] Schematic perspective view of a grip suitable for use in the angular maximum peak force tensile test method of the present specification. [Figure 12B] Schematic side view of a grip and an ear portion configured in accordance with the angular maximum peak force tensile test method of the present specification. [Figure 12C]This is a schematic plan view of an exemplary ear portion according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The ear portion is shown in a relaxed state. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] definition "Absorbent articles" means devices that absorb and contain bodily waste, and more specifically, devices that are in contact with or near the wearer's body to absorb and contain various types of bodily waste discharged from the body. Examples of absorbent articles include diapers, training pants, pull-on diapers (i.e., diapers with pre-formed waist and leg openings, as exemplified in U.S. Patent No. 6,120,487), refastened diapers or diaper-type diapers, incontinence briefs and underwear, diaper holders and liners, women's hygiene clothing such as panty liners, and absorbent inserts.

[0012] The “unstretched zone” refers to the portion of a gathered laminate containing elastomer material that was substantially relaxed during lamination. As discussed below, gathered laminates are formed by stretching the elastomer material more than other layers and bonding the elastomer material to other layers while the elastomer layer is stretched. During such a process, portions of the elastomer material are not stretched, typically to hold the elastomer layer in place on the apparatus. In the final laminate, these unstretched portions, along with the overlapping portions of other laminate layers, form the unstretched zone.

[0013] "Elasticity," "elastomerity," and "elastic stretchability" refer to the ability of a material or part of a material to stretch at least 50% without rupture or breakage under a given load in one of the directions determined by the hysteresis test described herein, and to recover at least 70% (i.e., have less than 30% hardening) when the load is removed. Stretchability, sometimes referred to as strain, strain percentage, engineering strain, elongation ratio, or elongation, may be measured, as with recovery and hardening, by the hysteresis test described in more detail below. Materials that are not elastic are referred to as inelastic. As used herein, a laminate is elastic if at least 20% of its area satisfies the definition of elasticity as defined herein. In this situation, the percentage of the laminate's area is determined when the laminate is fully stretched.

[0014] "Stretchability" means the ability to stretch or extend by at least 50% without breakage or fracture, according to step 4(b) of the hysteresis test as specified herein. As used herein, a laminate or substrate is stretchable if at least 20% of its area satisfies the definition of stretchability as specified herein. In this situation, the percentage of the laminate's area is determined when the laminate is fully stretched. A laminate is stretchable if it does not satisfy the definition of elasticity above but satisfies the definition of stretchability presented in this paragraph.

[0015] In relation to absorbent articles, "disposable" means that the absorbent article is not generally intended to be washed, or otherwise restored to its absorbent state or reused (i.e., it is intended to be discarded after a single use, preferably recycled, composted, or otherwise disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner).

[0016] "Placed" refers to an element being positioned in a specific location or location.

[0017] "Joined" refers to a configuration in which an element is directly attached to another element by directly adhering it to that element, and a configuration in which an element is attached to an intermediate member, and that intermediate member is further attached to another element, thereby indirectly attaching the element to another element.

[0018] A "film" refers to a sheet-like material in which the length and width of the material significantly exceed its thickness (for example, 10 times, 50 times, or even 1000 times). Films are typically impermeable to liquids, but may be configured to be permeable.

[0019] In relation to corrugated laminates, "fully stretched" means that the corrugation is substantially flattened by stretching the laminate while ensuring that the inelastic substrates of the laminate are not plastically deformed.

[0020] "Laminate" means two or more materials bonded together by any preferred method known in the art (e.g., adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, or high-pressure bonding using unheated or heated patterned rolls).

[0021] With respect to a first feature of an article and its position relative to a second feature or location on the article, “inside” means that the first feature is located closer to each axis of the article than the second feature or location, along the horizontal xy plane generally occupied by the article, when it is unfolded flat on a horizontal surface, subject to any shrinkage induced by any pre-tensioned elastomer material included, and stretched to its full longitudinal and transverse dimensions along the web material of its constituent parts. Transversely inside means that the first feature is closer to the longitudinal axis, and longitudinal inside means that the first feature is closer to the transverse axis. Conversely, with respect to a first feature of an article and its position relative to a second feature or location on the article, “outside” means that the first feature is further from each axis of the article than the second feature or location.

[0022] As used herein, “longitudinal direction” means the maximum linear dimension of the absorbent article in the xy-plane of the article. In the absorbent articles described herein, the longitudinal direction extends substantially perpendicularly from waist edge to opposite waist edge when the absorbent article is laid flat and uncontracted, or from waist edge to crotch bottom when the article is folded in half. The longitudinal direction of any component of the absorbent article (e.g., ears, waistband) is determined when the component is joined to the article.

[0023] "Transverse direction" generally refers to the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In the absorbent articles described herein, the transverse direction extends substantially parallel from one side edge to the opposite side edge.

[0024] "Nonwoven fabric" refers to a porous fibrous material produced from continuous (long) filaments (fibers) and / or discontinuous (short) filaments (fibers) by processes such as spunbond, meltblown, air-lailing, carding, co-formation, and water-flow entanglement. Nonwoven fabrics do not have a woven or knitted filament pattern. Nonwoven fabrics may be permeable to liquids or impermeable to liquids.

[0025] For a laminated structure, "relaxed" means that it is at rest in a state where there are virtually no external forces acting on it other than gravity.

[0026] As used herein, “stretch direction” means the intended elastic direction in the final product. For example, the rear ear portion of an absorbent article may be intended to be transversely elastic to conform around the wearer’s waist. The stretch direction of a laminate may be transverse and / or longitudinal. It should be understood that a product may be elastic in multiple directions. In such cases, the stretch direction is the primary intended elastic direction in response to the expected application of the forces required for use.

[0027] In this specification, the term “machine direction” (MD) is used to refer to the direction of material flow through a process. In addition, the relative arrangement and movement of materials can be described as flowing in the machine direction, from upstream to downstream of a process.

[0028] In this specification, the term “transverse direction” (CD) is used to refer to a direction approximately perpendicular to the machine direction.

[0029] Laminate As shown in Figure 1, the laminate 10 comprises a first nonwoven fabric 12 and an elastomer layer 14. The laminate comprises a second nonwoven fabric 16, and the elastomer layer 14 may be sandwiched between the first and second nonwoven fabrics. Additional layers may be included (e.g., additional nonwoven fabrics, inelastic materials, elastic or stretchable materials, etc.). The laminate may be stretchable. In various embodiments, the laminate is elastomerous. Two or more laminate layers may be joined by a plurality of connectors 30, as shown in Figure 2. The connectors include ultrasonic connectors 31 that can join nonwoven fabric layers through the elastomer layer. Ultrasonically bonded laminates may be formed by any preferred process, including, but not limited to, those disclosed in U.S. Patent Applications 62 / 374,010 and 62 / 419,515, assigned to the same assignee as this application. The connectors may include thermal connectors, pressure connectors, or a combination thereof. The joints can be of any preferred shape or size. In some embodiments, the joints are non-circular. In addition, or instead, the joints may have a longitudinal dimension that is greater than their lateral dimension, or vice versa. The ear portions 130 and / or waistband 180 of the absorbent article may include the laminate of the present invention.

[0030] Any suitable nonwoven fabric may be used in the laminate 10. Suitable nonwoven fabrics may include basis weights of at least about 8 gsm, or about 30 gsm or less, or about 22 gsm or less, or about 17 gsm or less, or about 10 gsm to about 22 gsm, and are listed in increments within this range. Suitable nonwoven fabrics include, but are not limited to, spunbond, spunlaid, meltblown, spunmelt, spunlaced, solvent-spun, electrospun, carded, film fibrillation, melt-film fibrillation, air-laminated, dry-laminated, wet-laminated staple fibers, hydroentangled, and other nonwoven web materials formed partially or entirely from polymer fibers, which are well known in the art. In non-limiting embodiments, the nonwoven fabric comprises a meltblown layer. Additionally or alternatively, the nonwoven fabric may comprise a spunbond layer. In non-limiting embodiments, the nonwoven fabric comprises two or more spunbond layers. In further non-limiting embodiments, one or more nonwovens may have an SMS configuration. Alternatively, one or more nonwovens may not have a meltblown layer. In some embodiments, the nonwovens essentially consist of spunbond layers. In some non-limiting embodiments, both the first and second nonwovens comprise at least two spunbond layers, or three or more spunbond layers.

[0031] The nonwoven web may be formed primarily of polymer fibers. In some embodiments, suitable nonwoven fiber materials may include, but are not limited to, polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides, nylons, or, more specifically, polymer materials such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and / or blends thereof. In some embodiments, the fibers may be formed from a PP / PE blend, such as that described in U.S. Patent No. 5,266,392. The nonwoven fibers may be formed from components such as aliphatic polyesters, thermoplastic polysaccharides, or other biopolymers, or may contain these components as additives or modifiers. Further useful nonwoven fabrics, fiber compositions, fibers, and methods for forming nonwoven fabrics, and related methods are described in U.S. Patents No. 6,645,569, 6,863,933, and 7,112,621, and U.S. Patent Applications No. 10 / 338,603, 10 / 338,610, and 13 / 005,237. Individual fibers in a nonwoven fabric layer may be single-component or multi-component (including two-component). Multi-component fibers may be two-component, for example, comprising various polymer components in a core and sheath arrangement or in parallel arrangement. Individual components may include polyolefins such as polypropylene or polyethylene, or copolymers thereof, or polyester, thermoplastic polysaccharides, or other biopolymers. Furthermore, the nonwoven fabric may include, for example, a blend of various fibers selected from the types of polymer fibers described above. In some embodiments, at least some of these fibers may exhibit spiral crimp having a helical shape. For example, these fibers may include two-component fibers, each containing a different material, typically a first polymer material and a second polymer material. Using parallel two-component fibers is considered beneficial for imparting spiral crimp to these fibers.Examples of potentially suitable crimped or "shrunk" two-component fibers and nonwovens formed therefrom are described in U.S. Patents 5,382,400, 5,418,045, 5,707,468, 6,454,989, 6,632,386, 5,622,772 and 7,291,239. For the purposes of this specification, the use of nonwovens formed from two-component or multi-component crimped fibers, such as those described in the immediately preceding patents and / or patent applications, may be desirable as one or both nonwoven layers because they can feel particularly soft to the touch (comfortable on the inside for the wearer and aesthetically pleasing on the outside) and are generally quite flexible. In other non-limiting embodiments, the nonwovens may not have crimped fibers.

[0032] If the laminate 10 contains more than one nonwoven fabric, the nonwoven fabrics may have the same basis weight or different basis weights. Similarly, the nonwoven fabrics may have the same layer configuration (e.g., SSS) or different layer configurations (e.g., SMS).

[0033] The elastomer layer 14 comprises one or more elastomeric materials that provide elasticity to at least a portion of the layer 14. Non-limiting examples of the elastomeric material include films (e.g., films derived from rubber and / or other polymeric materials, polyurethane films), elastomeric coatings applied to another substrate (e.g., hot-melt elastomers, elastomeric adhesives, printed elastomers, or elastomers co-extruded onto another substrate), elastomeric nonwovens, scrims, etc. The elastomeric material may be formed from any suitable known elastomer, including but not limited to styrene derivatives (SIS, SBS, SEBS, SEEPS, SEPS, SIBS, etc.), polyesters, polyurethanes, polyetheramides, polyolefins (homo, random, block, copolymers, etc.), combinations thereof, or co-extruded VISTAMAXX®. Exemplary elastomers and / or elastomeric materials are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 8,618,350, 6,410,129, 7,819,853, 8,795,809, 7,806,883, 6,677,258, and U.S. Patent Publication 2009 / 0258210.Commercially available elastomeric materials include KRATON (styrene-based block copolymer; available from Kraton Chemical Company (Houston, TX)), SEPTON (styrene-based block copolymer; available from Kuraray America, Inc. (New York, NY)), VECTOR (styrene-based block copolymer; available from TSRC Dexco Chemical Company (Houston, TX)), ESTANE (polyurethane; available from Lubrizol, Inc. (Ohio)), PEBAX (polyether-based block amide; available from Arkema Chemicals (Philadelphia, PA)), HYTREL (polyester; available from DuPont (Wilmington, DE)), VISTAMAXX (homopolyolefin and random copolymer, and blends of random copolymers; available from EXXON Mobile (Spring, TX)), VERSIFY (homopolyolefin and random copolymer, and blends of random copolymers; available from Dow Chemical Company (Midland, Michigan)), and INFUSE (Dow Chemical Examples include block copolymers available from the Company.

[0034] In non-limiting embodiments, the elastomer layer 14 comprises a film 15. The film may consist of a single layer or multiple layers. The film may be stretchable or elastic in the transverse and / or longitudinal directions. The film may be pre-activated, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 9,533,067. In non-limiting embodiments, the elastomer layer is recorded for each range in increments of 0.1 N / inch within that range, according to the elastomer layer hysteresis test method herein, with an average F200 of approximately 3 N / inch to approximately 5 N / inch, or approximately 3.7 N / inch to approximately 4.3 N / inch. PS , and / or average F200 of approximately 1 N / inch to approximately 2.75 N / inch FC Includes.

[0035] The elastomer layer may be shorter than the laminate itself in one or more dimensions of the laminate. For example, the elastomer layer may include the maximum dimension Y in the stretching direction, and the laminate may include the maximum dimension W in the stretching direction. In various embodiments, the stretching direction is transverse. The maximum dimensions are measured when the laminate is in a relaxed state. In unrealistic examples, Y may be at least 10 mm smaller than W. In certain embodiments, Y is at least about 20% of W, or about 25% to about 100%, or about 35% to about 85%, or about 80% or less, enumerated in 5% increments within this range for each range. In various embodiments, the stretching direction is transverse. Additionally or alternatively, the elastomer layer may have dimensions equal to one or more dimensions of the laminate. For example, the elastomer layer may have substantially the same longitudinal length as the laminate across the entire transverse width of the laminate. In some embodiments, the elastomer layer may have a basis weight of about 5 to about 150 gsm, or about 10 to about 100 gsm, or less than about 150 gsm, and each range is listed in 5 gsm increments within this range.

[0036] Referring to Figure 2, the laminate 10 may comprise a primary region 18 defined by the periphery of the elastomer material 14, and one or more inelastic regions 20, 22. The primary region 18 includes an elastic region 32 and one or more non-stretched zones 34. In the elastic region, the laminate is elastically stretchable. In the non-stretched zone, the laminate may not be elastic despite the presence of the elastomer layer. In some embodiments, the area of ​​the primary region includes at least about 20%, or about 30% to about 100%, or about 80% or less, of the total area of ​​the laminate, and these ranges are enumerated in 5% increments within this range. In the relaxed state, the elastic region 32 may have a maximum dimension X in the stretching direction. In non-limiting embodiments, the ratio of X to Y is at least about 0.7%, or about 0.75, or about 0.5 to about 0.95, and these ranges are enumerated in 0.05 increments within this range.

[0037] One or more non-stretched zones 34 may include a total maximum dimension Wd in the stretching direction. The total maximum dimension is the sum of the maximum dimensions in the stretching direction of the individual non-stretched zones taken when the laminate is in a relaxed state and does not overlap in the stretching direction. In some embodiments, one or more non-stretched zones include a first non-stretched zone 34a and a second non-stretched zone 34b. The first non-stretched zone may have a first maximum dimension Wd1 in the stretching direction, and the second non-stretched zone may have a second maximum dimension Wd2 in the stretching direction. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the total maximum dimension Wd is the sum of Wd1 and Wd2. In non-limiting examples, an elastic region is located between the first non-stretched zone and the second non-stretched zone. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the first non-stretched zone 34a is located laterally inside the elastic region when the laminate is attached to an article, and the second non-stretched zone 34b is located laterally outside the elastic region. The maximum dimensions of the individual non-stretched zones can be substantially the same along a line perpendicular to the stretching direction (for example, if the stretching direction is lateral, Wd1 and Wd2 can be located in the same longitudinal position).

[0038] The first maximum dimension Wd1 may be the same as the second maximum dimension Wd2. Alternatively, the first maximum dimension Wd1 may be different from the second maximum dimension Wd2. In non-limiting examples, Wd2 is greater than Wd1. For example, if the edges of the absorbent article include a laminate, the second non-stretched zone may be wider laterally, allowing the fastening system to bond more securely to the edges and to overlap with the elastomer material. Bonding the fastening system to the edges in the primary region 18, particularly in the non-stretched zone 34b, improves the overall strength of the edges / fastening system combination during use and / or bonding. Although not bound by theory, since intact nonwovens are resistant to stretching of the elastomer layer, breakage of the edges formed from ultrasonically bonded laminates occurs first in the inelastic region near the outer edge 11, and therefore, bonding the fastening system in the non-stretched zone is considered to reduce stress on the inelastic portion of the edges. In non-limiting examples, the ratio of Wd2 to Wd1 is at least about 3, or at least about 2, or about 1.5, or about 1.25 to about 3, and is enumerated in increments of 0.5 within that range. By attaching the fastening system to the primary region, the inevitable dependence on the shape of the posterior ear is reduced in providing suitable strength.

[0039] In various embodiments, Wd may be about 13 mm or less, or about 12 mm or less, or about 10 mm or less, or about 6 mm or less, or about 2 mm to about 13 mm, or about 3 mm to about 12 mm, or about 5 mm to about 10 mm, and each range is listed in increments of 1 mm within this range. In addition, or instead, Wd1 or Wd2 may be about 6.5 mm or less, or about 6 mm or less, or about 3 mm or less, or about 2 mm or less, or about 1 mm to about 6.75 mm, or about 1.5 mm to about 6.5 mm, and each range is listed in increments of 0.1 within this range.

[0040] In non-restrictive examples, the ratio of Wd to Y is less than or equal to 0.45, or less than or equal to 0.375, or less than or equal to 0.27, or less than or equal to 0.25, or less than or equal to 0.2, or approximately 0.05 to approximately 0.45, or approximately 0.1 to approximately 0.4, and each range is listed in increments of 0.05 within this range. In addition, or instead, the ratio of Wd to X is less than or equal to 0.9, or less than or equal to 0.4, or less than or equal to 0.25, or approximately 0.05 to approximately 0.9, or 0.2 to approximately 0.4, and each range is listed in increments of 0.05 within this range.

[0041] The laminate may have an angular maximum peak force of at least about 12N, or at least about 20N, at least about 25N, or at least about 30N, or at least about 40N, or at least about 45N, or about 12N to about 75N, or about 20N to about 70N, or about 30N to about 65N, or about 35N to about 45N, listed for each range in increments of 1N within this range according to the angular maximum peak force test method specified herein. In addition, or instead, the laminate may have an elongation of at least about 30mm, or at least about 40mm, or about 20mm to about 60mm, or about 30mm to about 50mm at a force of 1000gm, listed for each range in increments of 1mm within this range according to the edge elongation test method specified herein.

[0042] Importantly, the angular maximum peak force and / or elongation can be achieved even with a smaller non-stretched zone as described herein. Furthermore, by reducing the non-stretched zone by only 2-3 mm on one edge of the elastomer material, it may be possible to shift the elastic region inward (e.g., laterally inward on the edge of the absorbent article) and / or increase the overall dimension of the elastic region in the stretching direction. In embodiments in which the laminate forms the edge of the absorbent article, the fastening system joined to the edge exerts tensile forces in the stretching direction when stretched for intended use. By reducing the non-stretched zone, such tensile forces can be distributed more uniformly on the elastomer material, and shear stress and / or the tendency to twist or rope (i.e., decrease in height in the direction perpendicular to the stretching direction) can be reduced, which in turn improves fit and reduces skin bruising / spotting. In addition, by improving the tensile force distribution, lower basis weight elastomer materials can be used. Furthermore, by positioning the elastic region inward or outward, the extension-to-tensile force curve can be shifted. This shift allows a given extension to be achieved with lower or higher forces compared to known configurations, thereby providing more design flexibility.

[0043] Table 1 provides a comparison between known ear-shaped laminates and examples of the present invention.

[0044] [Table 1]

[0045] As shown in Figure 2, the laminate may further comprise one or more inelastic regions. In a particular embodiment, the laminate 10 comprises a first inelastic region 20 extending laterally outward from a first laminate edge 9 of the laminate and adjacent to a primary region 18 at a first elastomer material edge 17. The laminate may further comprise a second inelastic region 22 which may extend laterally inward from a second laminate edge 11 and adjacent to a primary region 18 at a second elastomer material edge 19. The first and second inelastic regions may be made of the same material or different materials.

[0046] Referring to Figure 3, the laminate 10 may further comprise a reinforcing feature 50 disposed between the elastomer material and at least one of the nonwoven fabric layers. The reinforcing feature helps to provide strength to the laminate. Non-limiting examples of the reinforcing feature include additional bonding parts 52 such as adhesives, thermal or pressure bonding parts, additional base layers 54 including separate material layers and / or folded materials, and combinations thereof. The additional base layers 54 may include nonwoven fabric, elastomer material, or a combination thereof. The additional base layers 54 may include the same material as the first nonwoven fabric, the second nonwoven fabric and / or elastomer layer, or the additional base layers 54 may include a material different from any of the aforementioned layers.

[0047] The laminate 10 includes a gathered laminate 24 in which one of the layers (ideally an elastic layer) is distorted more than the remaining layers during lamination. Thus, the low extensibility layers (i.e., nonwovens 12, 16) form gathers when the laminate 24 is in a relaxed state. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the elastomeric layer is distorted while the nonwoven(s) are in a relaxed state during lamination. The elastomeric layer may be stretched in one or more directions. Then, when the subsequently formed laminate 24 is in a relaxed state, folds are formed within the nonwoven layer. When producing the gathered laminate, the elastomeric layer is stretched in the stretching direction (i.e., the intended direction of stretching in the final product). The stretching direction may be a lateral direction. In a non-limiting example, the elastomeric layer is stretched in a direction corresponding to the lateral direction of the article. In other words, when the laminate is joined to the chassis after lamination, the laminate is oriented such that the laminate is stretchable in the lateral direction of the article (i.e., the laminate is extensible in the lateral direction).

[0048] In certain embodiments, the laminate has an air permeability value of at least about 1 m 3 / m 2 / min, or about 1 m 3 / m 2 / min to about 125 m 3 / m 2 / min, or about 2 m 3 / m 2 / min to about 50 m 3 / m 2 / min and can list each increment within this range for each range at 1 m 3 / m 2 increments.

[0049] In some embodiments, the laminate may not have an adhesive.

[0050] The laminate may include opacifying materials to reduce transparency through the laminate, particularly in the stretched state. Opaque agents such as TiO2 may be added to one or more of the laminate layers before, during, or after the formation of the layer. In addition, or instead, the opacity of the precursor material may be enhanced through formulation, basis weight, number of layers, layer composition (e.g., SMS vs. SS) or any combination thereof. In non-limiting examples, the nonwoven layer may be modified in areas where the elastomer material is absent, thereby reducing transparency in those areas. In addition, or instead, the laminate layers may be configured to harmonize in color and / or opacity, resulting in a uniform appearance throughout the laminate, even in areas where none of the laminate layers are present.

[0051] Method for fabricating laminates To help provide further context for subsequent consideration of the configuration of this method, a description of an apparatus that may be configured to operate according to the method disclosed herein is presented below. Figures 4A to 4C show schematic side views of an apparatus 400 configured to assemble a laminate of the present invention. As shown in Figures 4A to 4C, the apparatus includes an anvil 402 having a cylindrical outer surface 404 and adapted to rotate in a first direction Dir1 about a first axis of rotation 406. The first direction Dir1 is shown as clockwise in Figure 4A, but it should be understood that the anvil 400 may be configured to rotate so that the first direction Dir1 is counterclockwise. As will be discussed in more detail below, a substrate (e.g., nonwoven fabric) and an elastomer material can be combined on the rotating anvil 402 to form an elastic laminate. The anvil roll 402 has a maximum lateral width Wa between a first side 408 and a second side 410. The anvil 402 may be a single lane 453 formed when only one laminate is present on the anvil 402, or it may include multiple lanes 453 in which two or more strips of elastomer material (or strips of other laminate layers) can be processed in each of those lanes, in which multiple laminates can be formed, for example, as described in U.S. Patent No. 10,568,775 by Lenser et al.

[0052] As shown in Figure 4B, the anvil 402, more specifically its outer surface 404, may also be fluidly connected to a vacuum pressure source 405. Therefore, vacuum air pressure can be used to help hold the substrate and elastic material on the outer surface 404 of the anvil 402 during operation. For example, referring to Figures 4B-4C and 6A, the outer surface 404 of the anvil roll 402 may include a plurality of apertures 414 fluidly connected to the vacuum pressure source 405. The apertures 414 then define an operating vacuum zone 415 that may extend transversely in the CD direction over a maximum width Wv. For clarity, dashed lines 415x, 415y are shown in Figure 4C, representing an exemplary boundary of the operating vacuum zone 415. The maximum width Wv of the operating vacuum zone may be less than the maximum CD width Wa of the anvil. The lanes on the anvil may have a maximum CD width WL that extends along the anvil or across the maximum CD width of the stretched material strip being processed, or between the machine-directional barriers or nubs, whichever is greater. The maximum width Wv of the working vacuum zone may be less than the maximum CD width WL of the lane. The maximum width Wv of the working vacuum zone may be about 20%, about 15%, or less than 10% of the maximum width WL of the lane. In various embodiments, the working vacuum zone does not overlap with the transverse centerline 450 of the anvil and / or with the transverse centerline 451 of one or more lanes 453. In this way, the working vacuum zone presses against the edges of the substrate and / or elastic material, which may be sufficient to ensure that the rest of the elastomer material and / or substrate (e.g., the central portion) is pressed against the anvil. For clarification, although they are shown as coinciding in Figures 4A to 4C, please understand that the lane centerline 451 may not coincide with the centerline of anvil 450, even if the anvil contains only one lane.

[0053] For example, as shown in Figure 4C, the anvil 402 may also include a second working vacuum zone 415a. The second working vacuum zone may include any of the features and dimensions disclosed with respect to the working vacuum zone 415. The second working vacuum zone may be separated from the working vacuum zone 415 by a lateral distance DS that is at least about 10%, or at least about 25%, or at least about 50%, or about 10% to about 70% of the maximum width WL of the lane, listed for each range in 5% increments within that range. In a non-limiting example, DS is about 10 mm to about 60 mm, or about 25 mm to about 40 mm, listed for each range in 5 mm increments within that range.

[0054] As seen in Figures 6A and 6B, the anvil may further comprise a plurality of non-working apertures 413. The non-working apertures are not fluidly connected to a vacuum pressure source and / or are not closed at the surface 404 during assembly according to the present invention. The anvil may be configured to allow the use of different apertures for different processes. Thus, the anvil may include both working apertures 414 and non-working apertures 413, where the working apertures 414 form working vacuum zones. In addition to, or instead of, the anvil may comprise a machined anvil 402a configured to define working and non-working vacuum regions by the use of configurable tubes 460, as will be discussed in more detail below with reference to Figures 7A-7C.

[0055] Returning to Figures 4A-4C, the elastomer material 200 (which may be elastomer material 14) can be activated via a spreader mechanism 412 (or via other known activation processes such as ring rolling). The elastomer material may include a base elastic layer and a surface layer also known as the skin. During activation, the elastomer material may be stretched or elongated to plastically deform the skin, resulting in compaction into fine corrugations when viewed under a microscope. Such fine corrugations may help reduce the skin's contribution to the elongation force of the elastomer material. Continuing to refer to Figures 4A-4C, the apparatus 400 may also include a spreader mechanism 412. As will be discussed in more detail below with reference to Figure 5B, the spreader mechanism 412 may operate to activate the elastic material during the elastic laminate assembly process by transversely stretching the elastic material from an initial CD width Wi to a first elongation W1. Optionally, the stretchable elastic material may be compacted to a second elongation W2, the second elongation of which may be less than the first elongation. Returning to Figure 4A, the elastic material is advanced from the spreader mechanism 412 onto the substrate on the rotating anvil 402. It should be understood that the apparatus 400 may include multiple spreader mechanisms configured in various ways, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Applications No. 62 / 374,010, 62 / 406,025 and 62 / 419,515. In a non-limiting example, the elastomer material may be activated using a ring-rolling process, such as that described in U.S. Patent No. 10,568,776 by Lenser et al. It should be understood that two or more strips of elastomer material may be stretched within individual lanes 453 by the spreader mechanism 412 in each lane. The spreader mechanisms may be arranged at different MD positions.

[0056] As shown in Figures 4A to 4E, the spreader mechanism 412 may be configured with inclined disks. For example, the spreader mechanism 412 may include a first disk 416 and a second disk 418, where the first disk 416 is displaced from the second disk 418 along a rotation axis 406. The first disk 416 is adapted to rotate about a rotation axis 416a, and the second disk 418 is adapted to rotate about a rotation axis 418a, so that the first and second disks 416 and 418 rotate in a second direction Dir2 opposite to the first direction Dir1. The second direction Dir2 is shown as counterclockwise in Figure 4A, but it should be understood that the disks 416 and 418 may be configured to rotate so that the second direction Dir2 is clockwise. In addition, the first disk 416 includes an outer rim 416b that extends axially between an inner edge 416c and an outer edge 416d, and the second disk 418 includes an outer rim 418b that extends axially between an inner edge 418c and an outer edge 418d.

[0057] As shown in Figures 4A to 4D, the first disc 416 and the second disc 418 are inclined relative to each other such that their outer rims 416b and 418b are separated by a distance D that increases from a minimum distance Dmin at the first location 420 to a maximum distance Dmax at the second location 422. As will be discussed below, an elastic material, such as an elastic film, can be advanced mechanically on the outer rims 416b and 418b during operation. Because the first and second discs 416 and 418 are inclined, the rotation of the discs 416 and 418 causes the rims 416b and 418b to pull on the edge regions of the elastic material, thereby activating the elastic material by stretching it in the transverse direction CD. The discs 416 and 418 may have engaging portions 419 configured to help grip opposing edge regions of the elastic material during operation. For example, referring in particular to Figures 4D and 4E, the first disk 416 and the second disk 418 may each include a channel 424 extending radially inward from the rims 416b and 418b. The channel 424 may then be fluidly connected to a vacuum pressure source 405. Vacuum pneumatics may be used to help hold the elastic material on the rims 416b and 418b during operation. The disks 416 and 418 may also include a support member 426 extending across the channel 424 to help prevent the elastic material from being pulled into the channel 424 by the vacuum pneumatics. As shown in Figures 4D and 4E, the disks 416 and 418 may also include a nub 428 projecting radially outward from the rims 416b and 418b. Therefore, the nub 428 may also act to help prevent the edge region of the elastic material from sliding along the rims 416b, 418b while stretching the elastic material. It should be understood that additional nubs 428 may be positioned inside or outside the channel 424. Furthermore, the nub 428 may also be positioned on the support member 426.

[0058] As described above, the stretchable elastic material and the substrate are assembled on the anvil 402. The assembled substrate and elastic material can then be joined together on the anvil 402 to form an elastic laminate. As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the apparatus 400 may include one or more ultrasonic mechanisms 430 adjacent to the anvil 402. It should be understood that the ultrasonic mechanism 430 may include one or more horns 432 and may be configured to supply ultrasonic energy to the assembled substrate and elastic material on the anvil 402. As shown in Figure 4F, the anvil roll 402 may include a plurality of pattern elements 434 extending radially outward from the outer circumferential surface 404 of the anvil 402. Thus, the ultrasonic mechanism may apply energy to the horns 432 to cause resonance of the horns at a frequency and amplitude such that the horns 432 vibrate rapidly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate and elastic material that is advancing beyond the horns 432 on the rotating anvil 402. The vibration of the horn 432 generates heat for fusing and joining the substrate and the elastic material together within the region supported by the pattern element 434 on the anvil 402. It should be understood that various embodiments of the ultrasonic mechanism can be configured in different ways, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patents 3,113,225, 3,562,041, 3,733,238, 6,036,796, 6,508,641, and 6,645,330. Multiple lanes may each have their own ultrasonic mechanism in non-limiting embodiments. In some configurations, the ultrasonic mechanism may be configured as a linear vibrating sonotrode, for example, available from Herrmann Ultrasonic, Inc. In some configurations, the sonotrode may include multiple sonotrodes nested together in the transverse direction CD.

[0059] The apparatus can operate in various ways for assembling the laminate. A preferred spreader configuration is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,568,776 by Lenser et al.

[0060] In various embodiments shown in Figure 5A, a first substrate 202 (which may be a first nonwoven fabric 12) advances in the mechanical direction MD onto a rotating anvil 402. More specifically, the first substrate 202 includes a first surface 204 and an opposing second surface 206, and the first substrate 202 advances so as to wrap the first surface 204 onto the outer peripheral surface 404 of the rotating anvil 402. During the assembly process, a spreader mechanism 412 activates an elastomer material 208 (e.g., an elastomer layer 14, a film 15) by stretching the elastic material 208 to a first elongation in the transverse direction CD. The elastic material 208 is positioned to contact the second surface 206 of the first substrate 202. Next, the elastic laminate 200 (i.e., laminate 10) may be formed by ultrasonic bonding the first substrate 202 and the elastic film 208 together with a second substrate 210 (e.g., a second nonwoven fabric 16) on the anvil 402. More specifically, the second substrate 210 includes a first surface 212 and an opposing second surface 214, and the second substrate 210 advances so that the first surface 212 is in contact with the elastic material 208 and the second surface 206 of the first substrate 202.

[0061] Continuing to refer to Figure 5A, as the anvil 402 rotates, the first substrate 202, the elastic material 208, and the second substrate 210 advance between the outer periphery surface 404 of the anvil 402 and the ultrasonic horn 432. The ultrasonic horn 432 then joins the first substrate 204, the stretched elastic film 208, and the second substrate 210 together to form an elastic laminate 200. The elastic laminate 200 can then advance from the anvil 402 to an additional absorbent article assembly process. In the relaxed state, the central region of the elastic material 208 is contracted (i.e., corrugated) in the transverse direction CD. It should be understood that during the ultrasonic bonding process, the bonding applied from the ultrasonic horn 432 to the elastic laminate 200 may correspond to a pattern and / or shape defined by a plurality of pattern elements 434 extending radially outward from the outer periphery surface 404 of the anvil 402. It should be understood that the elastic laminate 200 may be joined together in various ways and may include various parts of components having different or identical joining patterns. For example, the elastic material 208 may be joined together with the first and / or second substrates 202, 210, and the first substrate 202 may be directly joined to the second substrate 210 in an area of ​​the elastic laminate 200. It should be understood that the apparatus 400 may be adapted to produce various types of joining configurations, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,572,595.

[0062] As shown in Figure 5B, the spreader mechanism 412 activates the elastic material 208 by stretching it in the transverse direction CD from an initial width Wi having an initial elongation Ei to a first width W1 having a first elongation E1. Referring particularly to Figures 5A and 5C, the elastic material 208 includes a first edge 216a and a second edge 216b separated from the first edge 216a in the transverse direction CD. In addition, the elastic material 208 includes a first edge region 208a adjacent to the first edge 216a and a second edge region 208b adjacent to the second edge 216b. The first edge region 208A is separated from the second edge region 208B in the transverse direction CD by a central region 208C. As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the elastic material 208 may have an initial width Wi in the transverse direction CD between the first edge 216a and the second edge 216b upstream of the spreader mechanism 412. The elastic material 208 advances onto the spreader mechanism 412 in the mechanical direction MD at or downstream of the first position 420. It should be understood that the elastic material 208 may have an initial width Wi in the transverse direction CD while advancing onto the spreader mechanism 412. It should also be understood that the elastic material 208 may be in a relaxed state upstream of the spreader mechanism 412.

[0063] As shown in Figures 5B and 5C, the first edge region 208a of the elastic material 208 advances onto the outer rim 416b of the first disk 416 of the spreader mechanism 412, and the second edge region 208b advances onto the outer rim 418b of the second disk 418. The outer rims 416b and 418b of the first and second disks 416 and 418 of the spreader mechanism 412 may include engaging portions 419, such as a radially projecting nub 428. Thus, as shown in Figure 5C, the first edge region 208a of the elastic material 208 can be held in place on the outer rim 416b by the engaging portion. Similarly, the second edge region 208b of the elastic material 208 can be held in place on the outer rim 418b by the engaging portion.

[0064] Referring to Figures 6A and 6B, lanes 453 are shown in each, and the outer surface 404 of the anvil 402 may be fluidly connected to a vacuum source 405, so that vacuum air pressure can be applied to the first substrate 202 on the anvil 402. In addition, if the first substrate 202 is configured as a porous substrate such as a nonwoven fabric, vacuum air pressure can also be applied to the elastic material 208 on the anvil 402, so that it can help maintain the stretched state of the elastic material 208 while it is on the anvil 402. Furthermore, as described above, the anvil includes one or more working vacuum zones 415, 415a.

[0065] The working vacuum zone includes the maximum width Wv in the transverse direction. In various embodiments, the working vacuum is nominally to first and second portions 452, 454. The first portion 452 extends inward from the overlapping area between the engaging portion 419 and the working vacuum toward the lane centerline 451. The first portion includes the width VZi in the transverse direction. The second portion 454 is the remaining width of the working vacuum zone. That is, the second portion is the maximum width portion extending outward from the engaging portion 419 (away from the lane centerline 451). The second portion includes the width VZo in the transverse direction. The width of the first portion VZi is greater than the width of the second portion VZo. The ratio of VZi to VZo is greater than 1. In non-limiting examples, the ratio of VZi to VZo is greater than 2, or greater than 3, or greater than 5. In some embodiments, one or fewer MD columns of the vacuum aperture are located outside the engagement portion of the spreader disk. In non-limiting examples, VZo is approximately 0.5 mm to approximately 3 mm, and is enumerated in increments of 0.1 mm within this range. In further non-limiting examples, VZo is zero, and there is no working vacuum outside the engagement portion. In these configurations, the widths of the non-stretching zones Wd1, Wd2 are smaller than the width of the second portion of the working vacuum VZo. Although VZo may be relatively small as described, the elastomer material may still be compressed against the anvil due to the lower static pressure of the leak airflow between the edge of the elastomer material and the anvil, where the airflow can be high speed. The edge of the elastomer material can also be sealed against the anvil by the vacuum static pressure of the supply source. A high-speed leak airflow can initiate sealing via high static pressure.

[0066] In addition, the first portion 452 does not have to extend to the lane centerline 451 and / or the anvil centerline 450. In a non-restrictive example, the first portion 452 is located outside the inner edges 418c, 416c of the spreader disk at the outermost edge of the inner edges 418c, 416c of each spreader disk (i.e., away from the anvil centerline).

[0067] Referring to Figure 6A, during use, the operating vacuum zone 415 is positioned to overlap with one of the edge regions 208b, 208a of the elastomer material. The second operating vacuum zone 415a may be positioned to overlap with the other edge region. The majority of the operating vacuum width is located inside the respective elastomer edges 216a, 216b.

[0068] Although not bound by theory, the first part provides sufficient operational vertical force to hold the elastic material 208 against the anvil 402 to prevent slippage of the elastic material 208, and the second part primarily ensures that the elastic material is placed flat against the first substrate, thereby reducing wrinkles, misalignment of edges, folding, and gathering. The second part also assists in the movement of the elastomer material from the anvil.

[0069] In addition to the above, the elastic material 208 must be tracked during processing to ensure continuous control of the elastic material by vacuum. A breakdown in the operational control of the elastic material may result in the elongated elastic material shrinking to a narrower width than desired before lamination, potentially rendering the final product unusable. Known methods and apparatuses, particularly in the case of tooth-assisted tilting disc spreader mechanisms, do not take into account that the CD width of the operating vacuum area may be considerably wider than the vacuum zone of the spreader and / or require a higher differential pressure. Reducing the width VZo may improve the robustness of the process by making the apparatus less susceptible to typical mistracking or misalignment of the web or material edges. The total turn angle around multiple teeth on the spreader disc, supported by a narrow area of ​​multiple MD-oriented vacuum holes, may make the operational engagement between the spreader and the elastic material substantially more effective and help control the position of the elastic material relative to the anvil. Furthermore, by moving the working vacuum inward, the width of the non-stretched zone can be reduced, and less elastomer material can be used, resulting in more efficient use of the elastomer material.

[0070] While the apparatus 400 may be configured to operate online as part of the absorbent article assembly process, it should be understood that embodiments of the apparatus 400 described herein can be configured in various ways and can operate to assemble elastic laminates 200 from various types of materials and / or components. For example, in some configurations, the elastic laminate assembly operation may be carried out separately from the final assembly process, such as assembling the elastic laminates offline, where the elastic laminates may be stored until needed for production. For example, the elastic laminate assembly operation may be achieved on a separate assembly line, separate from a dedicated processing line for manufacturing disposable absorbent articles. After assembly on the separate line, the elastic laminates may be delivered to the absorbent article processing line, for example, in the form of a continuous roll of elastic laminates. Such a roll of continuous elastic laminates may be wound planetarily or transversely. It should also be understood that the elastic laminate assembly process may be carried out online during the article assembly process.

[0071] Referring to Figures 7A to 7C, as described above, the anvil may comprise a machined anvil 402a and a configurable tube 460 for defining working and non-working vacuum regions. Known configurable anvils are formed from a plurality of rectifier discs. One or more of the rectifier discs may be used to operably connect a reduced static pressure plenum to the surface of a substrate or elastic material. To avoid specific anvils for individual product sizes / designs, such anvils generally supply vacuum to a plurality of rectifier discs and use a delimiter element to determine which rectifier discs are operably working. A drawback of this scheme is that the rectifier discs may form a gap area on the circumference of the anvil where there is no working vacuum port. If the edge of the elastic material overlaps with the gap area, a tight seal may not be formed between the anvil and the elastic material, and additional airflow may be drawn around the edge. Such additional airflow may act to reduce the static pressure difference between the surfaces of the elastic material (e.g., 204, 206), and thus may cause snapback and loss of the desired extension of the elastic material. Furthermore, leakage may occur due to movement from the vacuum source to the vacuum port.

[0072] In some embodiments, a block-off device, either integral to or separate from the anvil outer surface 404, can be used to fill the void regions within the rectifier disk, which may allow for a further reduction of the non-stretched zone, as the vacuum can be utilized more efficiently and directed to desired locations in the elastic material.

[0073] Alternatively, the anvil may include a machined anvil 402a made from a metal block. A substantial advantage of such a fabrication is the reduction of air leakage around the edges of the film, which in turn allows for better vacuum sealing of the resulting unstretched zone and / or a reduction in the planned area. With the machined anvil, a configurable tube 460 may be used instead of a rectifier disc. The tube 460 is removablely disposed within the anvil and includes a port 462 that is fluidly connected to a vacuum source. The port 462 is also fluidly connected to the outer circumference of the anvil through a radial connector 466. Multiple shut-off mechanisms 464 (e.g., valves) may be used to direct the vacuum pressure to an actuated aperture 414, thereby forming actuated and / or non-actuated vacuum zones. In addition to or instead of this, the tube 460 may be replaced with a second tube having an alternative configuration of vacuum ports to actuate and deactuate an alternative actuated vacuum aperture around the anvil. An advantage of this embodiment may be the elimination of the void area around the anvil. Eliminating this void area can reduce leakage airflow around the edges of the elastic material, allowing for higher differential pressure between the surfaces 204 and 206 of the elastic material. Furthermore, by supplying vacuum into the roll, it can be expected that leakage will be reduced and the vacuum will be used more efficiently. This mechanism is thought to improve the normal force of the stretched elastic material on the anvil, even if the non-stretched zone width is minimal or zero, and therefore enable improved control of the movement of the stretched elastic material. Furthermore, as described above, the use of one or more configurable tubes makes it possible to utilize one anvil for different production designs. For example, the vacuum ports on the configurable tubes may be actuated in different configurations, or different tubes may be used with the same anvil. In this way, a laminate may be formed in one lane, and other laminates may be formed in multiple lanes on the same anvil. Similarly, laminates formed on the same anvil may differ in dimensions, extensibility, and the configuration of the non-stretched zone.

[0074] In one or more embodiments, one or more reinforcing materials 50 may be added to the laminate. A preferred method for forming and incorporating reinforcing material layers is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,561,537 by Lenser et al. As shown in Figure 8A, a first reinforcing layer 312 (e.g., a reinforcing substrate layer 54) may advance onto the second surface 206 of the first substrate 202. It should be understood that the first reinforcing layer 312 may be formed in various ways. For example, the first reinforcing layer 312 is shown as a separate strip of material advancing onto the first substrate 202. The separate strip of material may be a fastening tape. In addition to or instead of this, additional reinforcing layers 314, 316 may also advance onto the anvil roll 402 together with the first substrate 202. Similarly, it should be understood that the first substrate 202 and / or reinforcing layers 312, 314, 316 may also advance around the guide roller 144, as shown in Figure 8A. In the non-limiting example shown in Figure 8B, the substrate 202 may advance through a folding device 442 that operates to fold each portion of the substrate 202 to form one or more reinforcing layers 314, 316. The folding device may operate to fold the first longitudinal edge 320 and / or the second longitudinal edge 322 of the substrate transversely inward, resulting in a folding line 330 and folding portions 324, 326 that extend in the mechanical direction and longitudinal direction, as shown in Figure 8B. The folding portions function as reinforcing layers 314, 316. A second substrate 210 may be folded in the same manner to form one or more reinforcing layers. One or more reinforcing layers may be positioned between the second surface 206 of the first substrate and the edge regions of the elastomer materials 208b, 208a. In addition to or instead of this, one or more reinforcing layers may be positioned between the first surface 212 of the second substrate 210 and the edge regions 208b, 208a of the elastomer material.

[0075] Articles containing laminates Referring to Figure 9, the laminate 10 of the present invention may be incorporated into an absorbent article 100, such as a disposable absorbent article. The laminate may be attached to one or more layers of the chassis 120 by a chassis mounting joint 102. The chassis mounting joint may include an ultrasonic joint, an adhesive joint, a mechanical joint, or a combination thereof.

[0076] Figure 9 is a plan view of an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment of the absorbent article 100 of the present invention in a flat, non-shrinking state. The body-facing surface 115 of the absorbent article 100 is facing this view. The absorbent article 100 includes a longitudinal centerline 105 and a transverse centerline 110.

[0077] The absorbent article 100 comprises a chassis 120. The absorbent article 100 and chassis 120 are shown having a first lumbar region 114, a second lumbar region 118 opposite the first lumbar region 114, and a crotch region 116 located between the first lumbar region 114 and the second lumbar region 118. The lumbar regions 114 and 118 generally comprise portions of the absorbent article that surround the wearer's waist when worn. The lumbar regions 114 and 118 may include elastic members 155 that gather around the wearer's waist to improve fit and containment. The crotch region 116 is the portion of the absorbent article that is generally located between the wearer's legs when the absorbent article is worn.

[0078] The outer periphery of the chassis 120 is defined by longitudinal edges 112 and waist edges (a first waist edge 113 in the first waist region 114 and a second waist edge 119 in the second waist region 118). The chassis 120 may have opposing longitudinal edges 112 that are generally oriented parallel to the longitudinal centerline 105. However, for a better fit, the longitudinal edges 112 may be curved or angled so that an "hourglass" shaped article is produced when viewed in plan, for example, as shown in Figure 14. The chassis 120 may also have opposing lateral edges 113, 119 (i.e., a first waist edge 113 and a second waist edge 119) that are generally oriented parallel to the lateral centerline 110.

[0079] The chassis 120 may comprise a liquid-permeable top sheet 124, a back sheet 126, and an absorbent core 128 between the top sheet 124 and the back sheet 126. The top sheet 124 may be bonded to the core 128 and / or the back sheet 126. The back sheet 126 may be bonded to the core 128 and / or the top sheet 124. It should be noted that other structures, elements, or substrates may be positioned between the core 128 and the top sheet 124, and / or between the core 128 and the back sheet 126. In some embodiments, a capture and distribution system 127 is positioned between the top sheet 126 and the absorbent core 128.

[0080] In certain embodiments, the chassis 120 comprises the main structure of the absorbent article 100, along with other mechanisms added to form a composite absorbent article structure. The top sheet 124, back sheet 126, and absorbent core 128 may be assembled in various well-known configurations, but the configurations of absorbent articles are generally described in U.S. Patents 3,860,003, 5,151,092, 5,221,274, 5,554,145, 5,569,234, 5,580,411, and 6,004,306. One or more masking layers or materials may be provided within the absorbent article. The masking layer may be a layer that provides cushioning when the absorbent article comes into contact with a surface facing clothing or a surface facing the wearer. The masking layer can "mask" any rough texture that may be caused by absorbent materials such as superabsorbent polymers. The masking layer can "hide" the visibility of bodily excrement when the wearer-facing surface or clothing-facing surface of the absorbent article is viewed. The masking layer may have a basis weight in the range of about 15 gsm to about 50 gsm or about 15 gsm to about 40 gsm. The masking layer may comprise one or more nonwoven materials (e.g., water-entangled nonwoven materials), foams, pulp layers, and / or other suitable materials. The masking layer may be an outer cover material of the backsheet. The masking layer may be a layer forming the clothing-facing side or wearer-facing side of the core. The masking layer may be a separate material positioned between the clothing-facing surface of the core and the liquid-impermeable backsheet.

[0081] The components of a disposable absorbent article may be at least partially composed of biosource content, as described in U.S. Patent Publications 2007 / 0219521(A1), 2011 / 0139658(A1), 2011 / 0139657(A1), 2011 / 0152812(A1), and 2011 / 0139659(A1). These components include, but are not limited to, a top sheet, a back sheet film, a back sheet nonwoven fabric, an edge / edge laminate, a leg gasket system, a superabsorbent layer, a trapping layer, a core wrap material, an adhesive, a fastening system, and a landing zone. In at least one embodiment, the components of a disposable absorbent article contain biobase content values ​​ranging from about 10% to about 100%, or about 25% to about 75%, or about 50% to about 60%, using Method B of ASTM D6866-10. To determine the biobase content of any component by applying the methodology of ASTM D6866-10, a representative sample of the component must be obtained for testing. In at least one embodiment, the components of a disposable absorbent article may be ground to fine particles of less than about 20 mesh using a well-known grinding method (e.g., a Wiley® mill), and a representative sample of a suitable mass may be taken from the randomly mixed particles.

[0082] The laminate 10 of the present invention may, but is not limited to, form or be part of one or more components of an article, including anterior ear, posterior ear and / or lumbar mechanism.

[0083] Top sheet The top sheet 124 is generally part of the absorbent article 100, which may be positioned at least partially in contact with the wearer, or more proximal to the wearer. The top sheet 124 is generally supple and soft to the wearer's skin and non-irritating. Furthermore, at least a portion or the entire top sheet may be liquid permeable, thereby allowing liquid body exudates to easily penetrate through its thickness. Suitable top sheets may be made from a wide range of materials, such as porous foams, mesh foams, perforated plastic films, woven materials, nonwoven materials, natural fibers (e.g., wood fibers or cotton fibers), synthetic fibers or filaments (e.g., polyester fibers or polypropylene fibers, or two-component PE / PP fibers, or mixtures thereof), or woven or nonwoven materials of combinations of natural and synthetic fibers. The top sheet may have one or more layers. The top sheet may be perforated, may have any suitable three-dimensional features, and / or may have multiple embossed areas (e.g., bond patterns). The top sheet may be pore-formed by strongly bonding the materials and then rupturing the strong bond via a ring roll, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,628,097 (Benson et al., issued May 13, 1997) and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0136014 (Arora et al.). Any portion of the top sheet may be coated with skincare compositions, antimicrobial agents, surfactants, and / or other beneficial agents. The top sheet may be hydrophilic or hydrophobic, or may have hydrophilic portions or layers and / or hydrophobic portions or layers. If the top sheet is hydrophobic, pores will typically be present to allow exudates from the body to pass through the top sheet.

[0084] Absorbent core The absorbent core 128 may include a wide variety of liquid absorbent materials commonly used in disposable diapers and other absorbent articles. Examples of suitable absorbent materials include crushed wood pulp commonly referred to as air felt crepe cotton, meltblown polymers including coform, chemically stiffened, modified, or crosslinked cellulose fibers, tissue paper including tissue paper packaging and tissue paper laminates, absorbent foam, absorbent sponge, superabsorbent polymer, absorbent gelling material, or any other well-known absorbent material or combination of materials. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the absorbent core is substantially cellulose-free, contains less than 10% by weight of cellulose fibers, less than 5% by weight of cellulose fibers, less than 1% by weight of cellulose fibers, contains trace amounts of cellulose fibers, or contains no cellulose fibers. It should be understood that trace amounts of cellulosic material do not substantially affect at least one of the thinness, flexibility, and absorbency of the substantially cellulose-free portion of the absorbent core. Among other advantages, if at least a portion of the absorbent core is substantially cellulose-free, this portion of the absorbent core is considered to be significantly thinner and more flexible than a similar absorbent core containing more than 10% by weight of cellulose fibers. The amount of absorbent material present in the absorbent core, such as absorbent particulate polymer material, may vary, but in certain embodiments, it may be present in the absorbent core in amounts of more than about 80% by weight of the absorbent core, or more than about 85% by weight of the absorbent core, or more than about 90% by weight of the absorbent core, or more than about 95% by weight of the core. In some embodiments, the absorbent core may comprise one or more channels 129, which are substantially free of absorbent particulate polymer material. The channels 129 may extend longitudinally or transversely. The absorbent core may further comprise two or more channels. The channels may be linear, curved, angled, or any functional combination thereof. In non-limiting embodiments, two channels are arranged symmetrically around a longitudinal axis.

[0085] Exemplary absorbent structures for use as absorbent core 28 are described in U.S. Patents Nos. 4,610,678, 4,673,402, 4,834,735, 4,888,231, 5,137,537, 5,147,345, 5,342,338, 5,260,345, 5,387,207, 5,397,316, and U.S. Patent Applications Nos. 13 / 491,642 and 15 / 232,901.

[0086] Back seat The backsheet 126 is generally positioned to be at least part of the clothing facing the surface of the absorbent article 100. The backsheet 126 may be designed to prevent the excrement absorbed and contained within the absorbent article 100 from soiling articles that may come into contact with the absorbent article 100, such as bed sheets and underwear. In certain embodiments, the backsheet 126 is substantially impermeable to water. The backsheet may be, or include, a thin plastic film, such as a thermoplastic film having a thickness of about 0.012 mm to about 0.051 mm. Other suitable backsheet materials 126 may include breathable materials that allow vapor to escape from the absorbent article 100 while preventing excrement from passing through the backsheet 126.

[0087] The backsheet 126 may also consist of two or more layers. The backsheet 126 may comprise an outer cover and an inner layer. The outer cover may be made from a soft nonwoven material. The inner layer may be made from a substantially liquid-impermeable film, such as a polymer film. The outer cover and the inner layer may be joined together by an adhesive or any other suitable material or method. The outer cover material may include bonding patterns, pores, and / or three-dimensional features. The outer cover may be a water-entangled nonwoven material.

[0088] Ears / fasteners The absorbent article 100 may include one or more ear portions 130, for example, an anterior ear portion 132 located in a first lumbar region and / or a posterior ear portion 134 located in a second lumbar region. The ear portions 130 may be integrated with the chassis or may be separate elements joined to the chassis 120 at chassis mounting joints 102 that can join one or more layers of the ear portions to the chassis. The ear portions 130 may be stretchable or elastic. The ear portions 130 may be formed from one or more nonwoven webs, woven webs, knitted fabrics, polymer films and elastomer films, perforated films, sponges, foams, scrims, or any combination and / or laminates of the foregoing.

[0089] In some embodiments, the selvage 130 may contain an elastomer, thereby making the selvage stretchable. In certain embodiments, the selvage 130 may be formed of a stretchable laminate such as a nonwoven / elastomerized material laminate or a nonwoven / elastomerized material / nonwoven laminate, which also results in the selvage being stretchable. The selvage 120 may be stretchable in the transverse direction of the article. In some embodiments, the selvage is elastic in the transverse direction. In further embodiments, the selvage 130 may extend longer in the transverse direction than in the longitudinal direction. Alternatively, the selvage may extend longer in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the selvage may include one or more inelastic regions along separate elastic regions.

[0090] In some embodiments, the selvage comprises a laminate of one or more nonwoven fabrics and one or more elastic materials, such as a laminate 10 having either the features described herein or the laminate layers relating to the laminate of the present invention.

[0091] Any suitable nonwoven fabric may be used in the selvage 130. Suitable nonwoven fabrics may include basis weights of at least about 8 gsm, or at least about 30 gsm, or about 17 gsm or less, or about 10 gsm to about 17 gsm, listed in increments within this range. Typically, nonwoven fabrics with lower basis weights reduce the overall strength of the selvage. However, the inventors have found that selvages designed according to the principles herein can achieve high strength despite the use of nonwoven fabrics with lower basis weights. If the selvage 130 includes two or more nonwoven fabrics, the nonwoven fabrics may include the same basis weight or different basis weights. Similarly, the nonwoven fabrics may include the same or different layer structures. Furthermore, the nonwoven fabrics in the selvage may include nonwoven fabrics of the same or different structures in the backsheet, topsheet, leg gasket system, and / or waist mechanism.

[0092] In various embodiments, the ear portion includes an ultrasonically bonded ear portion. An ultrasonically bonded ear portion is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 674559. The ear portion may be a gathered laminate 24. Alternatively, the ear portion may be activated by a process disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013 / 0082418. In various embodiments, the ear portion includes the laminate 10 of the present invention, which may be formed by a method disclosed herein.

[0093] The lugs may be joined to the chassis at the chassis mounting joint 102. In some non-limiting embodiments, the chassis mounting joint is located in the inelastic region of the lugs.

[0094] The absorbent article 100 may also include a fastening system 148. When fastened, the fastening system 148 interconnects a first lumbar region 116 and a posterior lumbar region 118, creating a lumbar periphery that can surround the wearer while the absorbent article 100 is being worn. The fastening system 148 may comprise fastening elements 150 such as interlocking fasteners like tape tabs, hook-loop fastening components, tabs and slots, buckles, buttons, snaps, and / or hermaphroditic fastening components, but any other known fastening means are generally acceptable. The absorbent article may further comprise a landing zone into which the fastening elements can engage and / or a release tape to protect the fastening elements from injury before use. Several exemplary surface fastening systems are disclosed in U.S. Patents No. 3,848,594, No. 4,662,875, No. 4,846,815, No. 4,894,060, No. 4,946,527, No. 5,151,092, and No. 5,221,274. An exemplary mutual engagement fastening system is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,432,098. In some embodiments, the fastening system 148 and / or element 150 are foldable.

[0095] The fastening system 148 may be joined to any suitable part of the article 100 by any suitable means. The fastening system may be joined to the lugs between layers.

[0096] Leg gasket system The absorbent article 100 may include a leg gasket system 170 attached to the chassis 120, the leg gasket system may include one or more cuffs. The leg gasket system may include a pair of barrier leg cuffs 172. Each barrier leg cuff may be formed from a single piece of material bonded to the absorbent article, so as to extend upward from the wearer-facing surface of the absorbent article, and can provide improved containment of fluids and other excretions near the junction between the wearer's torso and legs. The barrier leg cuff is bounded by a proximal edge bonded directly or indirectly to the top sheet 124 and / or back sheet 126, and a free edge 175 intended to contact the wearer's skin and form a seal. In some embodiments, the free edge 175 includes a folded edge. The barrier leg cuff 172 extends at least partially between the anterior waist edge 113 and the posterior waist edge 119 of the absorbent article on both sides of the longitudinal centerline 105 and is at least present within the crotch region. The barrier leg cuff may be joined to the article's chassis at its proximal edge by bonding, fusion bonding, or a combination of other preferred bonding processes.

[0097] The barrier leg cuff may be integrated with the top sheet 124 or back sheet 126, or it may be made of a separate material bonded to the chassis of the article. Each barrier leg cuff 172 may have one, two or more elastic elements 155 adjacent to the free edge 175 to provide better sealing.

[0098] In addition to the barrier leg cuff 172, the article may also include a gasket cuff 176 bonded to the chassis of the absorbent article, particularly the top sheet 124 and / or back sheet 126, and positioned outside the barrier leg cuff 172. The gasket cuff 176 may provide a better seal around the wearer's thigh. The gasket cuff may include a proximal edge and a free edge 177. The free edge 177 may include a folded edge. Each gasket cuff may include one or more elastic elements 155 in the chassis of the absorbent article between the top sheet 124 and the back sheet 126 in the leg opening region. The barrier leg cuff and / or gasket cuff, in whole or in part, may be treated with a lotion or another skincare composition.

[0099] In further embodiments, the leg gasket system comprises a barrier leg cuff integrated with a gasket cuff. Suitable leg gasket systems, which may be part of an absorbent article, are disclosed in U.S. Patent Applications No. 62 / 134,622, No. 14 / 077,708, and U.S. Patents No. 8,939,957, No. 3,860,003, No. 7,435,243, and No. 8,062,279.

[0100] Elastic lumbar mechanism As shown in Figure 9, the absorbent article 100 may include at least one elastic waist mechanism 180 that helps provide improved fit and containment. The elastic waist mechanism 180 is generally intended to contract and dynamically fit the wearer's waist. The elastic waist mechanism includes a waistband, a waist cuff having a pocket formed from a portion of the waist mechanism 180 that is detached from the chassis 120, and a waist panel designed to fit snugly around the wearer's abdomen. Non-limiting embodiments of the elastic waist mechanism are disclosed in U.S. Patent Applications No. 13 / 490,543, No. 14 / 533,472, and No. 62 / 134,622. The waist mechanism 180 may be bonded to the chassis 120 at a first waist region 114 and / or a second waist region 118. The waist mechanism may be used in conjunction with ear portions 130 to provide desirable stretch and flexibility for a proper fit of the article to the wearer. The lumbar mechanism may be extensible or elastic in the lateral and / or longitudinal directions. The lumbar mechanism 180 comprises the laminate 10 of the present invention and may be formed by the method disclosed herein.

[0101] Test method Ear stretch test method The elongation of the ear portion is measured using a constant-speed tensile testing machine with a computer interface, such as MTS Alliance under TestWorks 4 software (MTS Systems Corp., USA), fitted with an appropriate load cell. The load cell should be selected to operate within 10% and 90% of the specified maximum load. All tests are performed in an air-conditioned room maintained at approximately 23°C ± 2°C and approximately 50% ± 2% relative humidity. In this specification, the width and length of the test specimen are the transverse width and longitudinal length. Prior to testing, the test specimen is pre-conditioned to approximately 23°C ± 2°C and approximately 50% ± 2% relative humidity for 2 hours.

[0102] Flat or linear grips should be used. Figure 11 shows schematic diagrams of preferred top grips 700 and bottom grips 710. The grip surfaces may be serrated / diamond-shaped to hold the sample, or at least one of the two grip surfaces may have a rubber liner (of 1 / 32 inch thick, 60-70 A durometer Nepron rubber) to hold the sample in place.

[0103] The ear sections are generally joined to the chassis via heat, adhesive, or similar bonding. To collect a sample, the product is placed flat on a cutting mat. The sample is collected by cutting the product approximately 20-30 mm below the bottom edge of the ear section, as shown in Figure 10. The left ear section is separated from the right ear section by cutting the cut sample in the middle.

[0104] Folded fastening systems (e.g., release tapes covering fastening elements) should be unfolded.

[0105] See Figures 10-11: 1. Insert the outer edge of the lug, including the fastener, into the moving clamp (upper clamp) inside the testing machine so that the clamp is centered on the tensile testing machine fixture, and engage the clamp to grip the test specimen. The selected clamp width is at least 25.4 mm, and preferably not more than 1 inch wider than the length of the inner edge of the fastener. Align the face of the clamp (when gripping the test specimen) with the inner edge of the fastener within 1 mm, align the longitudinal midpoint of the LFP with the center of the clamp, and allow the unclamped portion of the rear lug to hang freely from the clamp. 2. Insert the inner edge of the lug into the fixed clamp (lower clamp) of the tensile testing machine. Select the width of the fixed clamp so that no portion of the rear lug extends beyond the width of the clamp. Align the clamp surface (after gripping the specimen) with the joint line 720 within 1 mm, and if the transverse line is drawn from the midpoint of the LFP, orient the specimen so that the transverse line extends vertically and aligns with the center of the fixture that holds the lower clamp. 3. Adjust the lower grip position so that the test specimen is gripped at the outer edge of the chassis mounting joint 102. If the chassis mounting joint is curved, the test specimen is gripped at the outer edge of the outermost joint. 4. Zero the crosshead position, load the specimen, and engage the lower clamp to grip it. 5. Set the tensile testing machine to stretch the test specimen at a speed of 254 mm / min and collect data at a frequency of at least 100 Hz. 6. Start the test so that the clamp of the tensile testing machine stretches the test specimen at the defined speed, and collect the data in a data file. 7. Determine the elongation under a force load of 1000 gm from the data.

[0106] For each product example, test at least five duplicate specimens. Record the average elongation under a force load of 1000 gm and the standard deviation of at least four specimens. If the recorded standard deviation is higher than 20%, test a new set of five specimens.

[0107] Angle Maximum Peak Force Tensile Test Method Angle-maximum peak force tensile testing is used to measure the strength of a specimen at a relatively high strain rate that represents the product application. This method uses a suitable tensile testing machine equipped with an actuator that allows speeds exceeding 1 m / s. The instrument model #AA-TS-ECH14-600, available from Allied Automation (Indianapolis), can be used as the tensile testing machine. A 50 lb force transducer (such as 1500ASK-50) is mounted on the tensile testing machine. To secure the specimen during the tensile test, the grips shown in Figure 12A should be used. The grip surfaces may be serrated to hold the sample, or at least one of the two grip surfaces may have a rubber liner (of 1 / 32 inch thick, 60-70 A durometer Nepron rubber) to hold the sample in place. The upper grip 800 is fixed and 38 mm wide to hold the fastened end of the product. The lower grip 810 is movable and wide enough to hold the full width of the sample. The lower grip fixture can also be rotated 15 degrees to measure the oblique tensile strength.

[0108] (a) Tensile testing of specimens from absorbent articles The ear sections are generally joined to the chassis via heat, adhesive, or similar bonding. To collect a sample, the product is placed flat on a cutting mat. The sample is collected by cutting the product approximately 20–30 mm below the bottom edge of the ear section, as shown in the image. The left rear ear section is separated from the right ear section by cutting in the middle, as described in the ear section elongation test method herein. The folded fastening system (e.g., release tape covering the fastening elements) should be unfolded.

[0109] Referring to Figures 12B to 12C, the specimen is clamped to the upper grip at a first grip position G1, which is the inner edge 152 of the fastener protruding engagement area 150. The grip line G1 is kept parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the product. If the fastener engagement area is angled, the specimen is gripped at the center of the area, and the grip line is kept parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the product at the center. The specimen is mounted and suspended from the upper grip. In the relaxed state, the opposing edges of the specimen are attached to the bottom grip. The bottom grip position G2 is adjusted so that the specimen is gripped at the outer edge of the chassis joint. If the chassis joint is curved, the specimen is gripped at the outer edge of the outermost joint. The bottom grip is wider than the length of the lugs at the second grip position G2. The upper and bottom grips are parallel to each other. Once the sample is attached, move the bottom grip toward the top grip to slacken the material. At this point, rotate the bottom grip, which holds the sample, by 15 degrees to perform an angled measurement.

[0110] The specimen is tested as follows: The vertical distance G2 (perpendicular to the grip line) from the first grip position G1 to the second grip position is measured in 0.1 mm increments using a ruler and used as the gauge length for the test. The specimen is tested at a test speed that provides a strain rate of 4 to 10 sec⁻¹ for the selected gauge length. The test speed in mm / second is calculated by multiplying 4 to 10 sec⁻¹ by the gauge length in mm. For example, a specimen with a gauge length of 125 mm tested at a strain rate of 4 sec⁻¹ requires a test speed of 500 mm / second. On the other hand, a specimen with a gauge length of 50 mm tested at a strain rate of 10 sec⁻¹ also requires a test speed of 500 mm / second.

[0111] Each specimen is pulled and broken. During the test, one of the grips (the grip with tape) is kept stationary while the opposing grip is moved. Force and actuator displacement data generated during the test are recorded at a minimum data acquisition frequency of 1 kHz. The resulting load data can be expressed in Newtons as the load at fracture. For example, five duplicate specimens are tested. The maximum peak force and standard deviation of at least four specimens are recorded as angled maximum peak forces. If the recorded standard deviation is higher than 10%, a new set of five specimens is tested.

[0112] Basis weight testing method Each sample is weighed to within ±0.1 milligrams using a digital balance. The length and width of the test specimen are measured using a digital vernier caliper or an equivalent to within ±0.1 mm. All tests are conducted at 22 ± 2°C and 50 ± 10% relative humidity. The basis weight is calculated using the following formula.

[0113]

number

[0114] To calculate the basis weight of the substrate, use a total of eight linear test pieces measuring at least 10 mm x 25 mm.

[0115] Record the average basis weight and standard deviation.

[0116] Hysteresis Test Method This setting applies to both general hysteresis testing and elastomer layer hysteresis testing. A suitable computer-connected tensile testing machine, such as an MTS model Alliance RT / 1 with TestWorks4® software or equivalent, is used. The tensile testing machine is placed in a temperature-controlled room at 22°C ± 2°C and 50 ± 10% relative humidity. The instrument is calibrated according to the manufacturer's instructions. The data acquisition rate is set to at least 50 Hz. The grip used for the test is wider than the sample. A grip with a width of 2 inches (50.8 mm) may be used. The grip is a pneumatic grip with one flat surface and opposing surfaces, designed to concentrate the entire gripping force along a single line perpendicular to the direction of the test stress, with a semicircular projection (radius = 6 mm, e.g., part number: 56-163-827 from MTS Systems Corp.) or equivalent from the opposing surface to minimize sample slippage. The load cell is selected so that the measured force falls within 10% to 90% of the load cell's capacity or the load range used. The load reading on the instrument is zeroed out to compensate for the mass of the equipment and grips.

[0117] The test specimen is mounted on the grip in a manner that eliminates slack and ensures the measured load is between 0.00N and 0.02N. The basis weight of the test specimen is measured according to the basis weight method described above. The test specimen is mounted at the center of the grip so that its elongation direction is parallel to the applied tensile stress.

[0118] General hysteresis test: 1. Cut the test specimen to a size of 10 mm in the intended stretching direction of the sample and 25.4 mm in the direction perpendicular to the intended stretching direction of the sample. Collect the sample from either the inelastic or elastic region. 2. Set the distance between the grips (gauge length) to 7mm. 3. As described above, the specimen is fixed with minimal slack in the intended stretching direction aligned with the MTS strain direction. 4. a. Preloading step: Set the slack preload with a force of 5 grams. This means that data acquisition will begin when the slack is removed with a force of 5 grams (at a constant crosshead speed of 13 mm / min). Strain is measured over the adjusted gauge length (l ini The adjusted gauge length is calculated based on the following, but the adjusted gauge length is the length of the specimen between the grips of a tensile testing machine with a force of 5 grams-force. This adjusted gauge length is taken as the initial specimen length, which corresponds to 0% strain. The strain rate at any point in the test is defined as the change in length relative to the adjusted gauge length, which is obtained by dividing by the adjusted gauge length and multiplying by 100. b. First period loading: The specimen is stretched to 50% strain at a constant crosshead speed of 70 mm / min. The elongated specimen length between the grips is l max I will report it as such. c. First period load release: Hold the specimen at 50% strain for 30 seconds, then move the crosshead at a constant crosshead speed of 70 mm / min to its starting position (0% strain or initial specimen length, l ini Return to the original position. Hold the specimen in a relaxed state for 1 minute. d. Second period loading: The specimen is pulled to 50% strain at a constant crosshead speed of 70 mm / min. The length of the stretched specimen between the grips at 7 wtg is measured l ext I will report it as such. e. Second period load release: Next, the specimen is held at 50% strain for 30 seconds, and then the crosshead is returned to its starting position (i.e., 0% strain) at a constant crosshead speed of 70 mm / min.

[0119] The computer data system records the force applied to the sample during the test as a function of the applied strain. Length is reported in units of 0.001 mm. From the generated data, the % hardening is calculated using the following formula. (l ext -l ini ) / (l max -l ini %) × 100% is defined as % curing. Repeat the test on at least three separate samples and report the mean and standard deviation.

[0120] Elastomer layer hysteresis test: 1. Cut the test specimen to a dimension of at least 32 mm in the intended stretching direction of the sample and 25.4 mm (1 inch) perpendicular to the intended stretching direction of the sample. 2. Set the distance between the grips (gauge length) to 25.4 mm (1 inch). 3. As described above, the specimen is fixed with minimal slack in the intended stretching direction aligned with the MTS strain direction. 4. a. Preloading step: Set the slack preload with a force of 5 grams. This means that data acquisition will begin when the slack is removed with a force of 5 grams (at a constant crosshead speed of 13 mm / min). Strain is measured over the adjusted gauge length (l ini The adjustment gauge length is calculated based on the following, but the adjusted gauge length is the length of the specimen between the grips of a tensile testing machine with a force of 5 grams-force. This adjusted gauge length is taken as the initial specimen length, which corresponds to 0% strain. The strain rate during the pre-strain test is defined as the length relative to the adjusted gauge length divided by the adjusted gauge length and multiplied by 100. b. Pre-strain load: The specimen is pulled to 500% strain at a constant crosshead speed of 508 mm / min (10 inches / min). The load at 200% strain is F200. PS Report in inches (N / in). c. Pre-strain load release: Return the crosshead to its original gauge length of 25.4 mm at a constant crosshead speed of 508 mm / min. d. Open the bottom grip and hold the specimen in an unstrained state for 1 minute. e. Re-gripping the sample as described above with the minimum deflection and minimum load. f. Repeat the preloading step and adjust the new gauge length (l ini Define a function and use it to calculate the distortion percentage for the first and second periods. g. First period loading: The specimen is pulled to 200% strain at a constant crosshead speed of 508 mm / min. The load at 200% is F200. FC Report in inches (N / in). h. First period load release: Next, the specimen is held at 200% strain for 30 seconds, and then the crosshead is returned to its starting position (i.e., 0% strain) at a constant crosshead speed of 508 mm / min. i. Second period: Hold the sample under 0% strain for 30 seconds and repeat the first period as described in steps "e" and "f" above.

[0121] The computer data system records the load (force) applied to the sample during the test as a function of the applied strain. From the generated data, F200 PS and F200 FC I will report this.

[0122] The test was repeated for at least three distinct samples, and the mean of each sample was calculated along with the standard deviation, using the mean F200. PS and average F200 FC I will report it as such.

[0123] The dimensions and values ​​disclosed herein should not be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values ​​listed. Instead, unless otherwise indicated, each such dimension is intended to mean both the listed value and the functionally equivalent range encompassing that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "approximately 40 mm."

[0124] All documents referenced herein, including any patents or patent applications that are cross-referenced or related, and any patent applications or patents on which this application claims priority or benefit thereof, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety unless otherwise explicitly stated to be excluded or limited. No document reference shall be deemed prior art to any invention disclosed or claimed herein, nor shall it be deemed to teach, suggest or disclose any such invention, either alone or in combination with any other reference(s). Furthermore, if any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in any document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition given to the term in this document shall prevail.

[0125] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that all such changes and modifications within the scope of the invention be covered in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A chassis (120) comprising a top sheet (124), a back sheet (126), and an absorbent core (128) disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, The lug portion (130) is joined to the chassis, A laminate (10) comprising a first nonwoven fabric (12) and a second nonwoven fabric (16), and an elastomer material (14) sandwiched between the first nonwoven fabric and the second nonwoven fabric, wherein the laminate (10) further comprises a plurality of ultrasonic bonding portions (31), and here, The elastomer material has a maximum dimension Y in the stretching direction, The elastomer material defines a primary region (18) which includes an elastic region (32) and one or more non-stretched zones (34), The elastic region has a maximum dimension X in the stretching direction, and the one or more non-stretching zones have a total lateral width Wd. The ratio of Wd to Y is 0.3 or less. A method for assembling the laminate of an absorbent article including an ear portion (130), A step of providing a first substrate (202) and a second substrate (210), wherein each of the first substrate and the second substrate comprises a first surface (204, 212) and an opposing second surface (206, 214), and defines a width in the transverse direction. The steps include wrapping the first surface of the first substrate onto the outer peripheral surface (404) of the anvil (402), A step of advancing an elastic material (208) into a spreader mechanism (412), wherein the spreader mechanism includes an engaging portion (419), The spreader mechanism includes the step of stretching the elastic material in the transverse direction to a first elongation (E1), A step of advancing the elastic material from the spreader mechanism to the anvil, wherein the anvil comprises an operating vacuum zone (415) having a maximum width Wv in the transverse direction, the maximum width Wv being divided into a first portion (452) and a second portion (454), the first portion being arranged inside the engaging portion in the transverse direction in a relationship overlapping with the engaging portion, the first portion having a width VZi in the transverse direction, and the second portion having a width VZo in the transverse direction, where VZi is greater than VZo, The steps include positioning the elastic material by bringing it into contact with the second surface of the first substrate on the anvil, The steps include: positioning the first surface of the second substrate in contact with the elastic material, and advancing the second substrate so that the second surface of the first substrate is positioned on the anvil; A method comprising the step of ultrasonically bonding the first substrate to the second substrate while the elastic material is positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion comprises one or more radially protruding nubs (428).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the anvil comprises a plurality of apertures (414) fluidly connected to a vacuum source in the operating vacuum zone.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ratio of VZi to VZo is greater than 5.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the anvil comprises a configurable tube (460) that is in fluid communication with the outer surface of the anvil via a radially extending connector (466), and the method further comprises the step of using the configurable tube to provide the working vacuum zone.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the anvil has a maximum width Wa in the transverse direction, and the maximum width Wv of the operating vacuum zone is 20% or less of the maximum width Wa of the anvil.

Images