Patent ID: 9643390
Date: 2017-05-09
CPC Classifications: A61F,B29C,B29K,B29L,B32B,Y10T

Claim:
1. A method for forming a seam, the method comprising the steps of: providing an anvil block; providing a forming block adjacent the anvil block, the forming block comprising a face, a pressure applying member extending outwardly from the face toward the anvil block, and a fluid outlet extending through a portion of the forming block and spaced laterally from the pressure applying member; advancing a first substrate in a machine direction between the forming block and the anvil block with a separation distance between the fluid outlet and the first substrate; advancing a second substrate in the machine direction wherein the first substrate is between the second substrate and the forming block; controlling the separation distance between the first substrate and the fluid outlet; heating a fluid to a temperature sufficient to at least partially melt the substrates; directing a jet of the heated fluid through the fluid outlet and onto an overlap area of the first and second substrates; partially melting the overlap area; moving at least one of the forming block and the anvil block in a machine direction and a vertical direction; and compressing the overlap area between the pressure applying member and the anvil block, wherein the fluid outlet extends in a direction perpendicular to the machine direction.