Patent ID: 6454888
Filing Date: 2002-09-24
Classification: A61F,B29C,B29L

Abstract:
In a process for manufacturing pant-type refastenable personal care articles in a format which includes defining a stream of workpieces connected to each other along a web having an indefinite length, a respective such personal care article having a front portion, a rear portion, and a crotch portion, a method of changing from manufacture of such pant-type refastenable personal care articles of a first size to manufacture of such pant-type refastenable personal care articles of a second different size, the method comprising,(a) with respect to such workpieces, defining in the respective web or workpiece a length of material defined in a machine direction wherein activity of such length of material, in combination with other elements of the web or workpiece, determines the size of the pant-type refastenable personal care article being so produced, whereby the length of material can be activated to thereby produce relatively larger such personal care articles, or inactivated to produce relatively smaller personal care articles; and (b) changing activity of at least one of the lengths of material so defined, thereby to effect size change in the respective personal care articles being produced while maintaining the so-defined lengths of material in the web at least until the respective workplaces are separated from the web.