Patent ID: 7972459
Filing Date: 2011-07-05
Classification: A61F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of continuously making pull-on disposable wearing articles, said method comprising: feeding a web in a machine direction, said web having opposite first and second surfaces and opposite first and second side edges that extend in said machine direction, folding said web in two in a cross direction orthogonal to said machine direction while feeding said web, and severing said folded web along cut lines, which extend in said cross direction, into individual pull-on disposable wearing articles each having a waist-hole and a pair of leg-holes so that these pull-on disposable wearing articles are successively arranged side by side in said machine direction, said method further comprising: attaching a pair of first fastener elements to the first surface of said web on opposite sides, as viewed in said machine direction, of each region in which one of said cut lines is to be formed, wherein each of said first fastener elements has an outer end adjacent the first side edge and an opposite, inner end located inwardly in the cross direction from the outer end; forming a pair of continuous slits in said web on opposite sides, as viewed in said machine direction, of said region, wherein each of said continuous slits is located between said region and one of said first fastener elements, and extends continuously in said cross direction from a first end located adjacent the first side edge to a second end located inwardly of the inner ends of said first fastener elements; attaching a fastener base sheet to said web so that the fastener base sheet extends in said machine direction across said region and said slits, wherein the fastener base sheet has thereon a pair of second fastener elements each releasably engaged with one of said first fastener elements and is attached to said web through releasable engagement of respective said second fastener elements with respective said first fastener elements; forming notches in said web so that each of the notches extends from the first side edge to the first end of one of said slits, respectively; forming, in said web and along the cut line to be form, a middle opening which defines the leg holes of the adjacent pull-on disposable wearing articles to be made; folding said web in two in said cross direction with said second surface inside so that an area of said web adjacent the second side edge overlays said region; bonding said area to said fastener base sheet; and after said bonding, severing said web together with said fastener base sheet along said cut line; wherein a peripheral edge of said middle opening intersects the slits in vicinity of the second ends of the slits to define a cut-away piece of said web, and said cut-away piece corresponds to said region and is surrounded by the slits, the notches at the first ends of the slits, and the peripheral edge of said middle opening; said method further comprising: bonding said cut-away piece to the fastener base sheet to retain said cut-away piece; wherein said bonding comprises indirectly bonding said area to the fastener base sheet via said retained cut-away piece.