Patent ID: 6527902
Filing Date: 2003-03-04
Classification: A61F,B32B,B65H,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a multi-component absorbent personal hygiene article comprising a fluid permeable cover layer, a fluid distribution component contiguous to said cover layer, and a fluid transfer delay component contiguous to said fluid distribution component, the components being deposited on the cover layer, with the fluid distribution component, and the fluid transfer delay component being of different length and positionally registered with respect to one another; the method comprising:a) cutting a fluid transfer delay component of length LC1 and from a first moving web of material; b) cutting a fluid distribution component of length LC2 from a second moving web of material; c) transferring the fluid transfer delay component (214) to a first speed matching roller (150) moving, for a portion of one revolution, at a first constant dwell speed equal to the speed of said first moving web of material (212); d) transferring the fluid distribution component (204) to a second speed matching roller (125) moving, for a portion of one revolution, at a first constant dwell speed equal to the speed of said second moving web of material (202); e) adjusting the speed of said second speed matching roller (125) bearing said fluid distribution component to move, for a portion of one revolution, at a second constant dwell speed matching that of the first constant dwell speed of said first speed matching roller (150); f) transferring the fluid distribution component (204) from said second speed matching roller (125) to said first speed matching roller (150) during respective portions of the revolutions of the respective first and second speed matching rollers that the constant dwell speeds of said first and second speed matching rollers are matched, to overlay said fluid transfer delay component (214), and with registration of the fluid distribution component (204) over the respective said fluid transfer delay component (214), on said first speed matching roller (150), said fluid transfer delay component (214) thus underlying said fluid distribution component; g) adjusting the speed of said first speed matching roller (150) bearing said fluid transfer delay component (214) underlying said fluid distribution component (204) to move at a second constant dwell speed, during a portion of one revolution of said first speed matching roller (150), matching that of a third moving web (222) of said cover layer material; h) transferring the combination of said fluid transfer delay component (214) and said fluid distribution component (204) to said third moving web (222) of cover material during a portion of the revolution of said first speed matching roller (150) that the constant dwell speeds of said first speed matching roller (150) and said third web (222) of cover material are matched, to overlay, with registration, the combination of said fluid transfer delay component and said fluid distribution component, over said cover material thereby to make a web assembly; and i) cutting said web assembly and thereby forming a said multi-component absorbent personal hygiene article from said web assembly.