Patent ID: 7390372

Claim:
A process of attaching indicator elements to front and rear regions of a disposable garment comprising a laminated panel which comprises an outer layer web lying on a side adapted to face away from a wearer's body in use, an inner layer web lying on a side adapted to face said wearer's body in use, and a liquid-absorbent core interposed between said outer layer web and said inner layer web, said indicator elements being visible from an exterior of said panel, said process comprising the steps of: feeding a plurality of indication sheets each extending in a machine direction and having said indicator elements in front and rear halves thereof, at regular intervals onto a continuous first outer layer web running in said machine direction, while feeding a plurality of said liquid-absorbent cores each extending in said machine direction and having a front end zone, a rear end zone and an intermediate zone, at regular intervals onto one of an inner surface of said continuous first outer layer web and an inner surface of a continuous inner layer web running in said machine direction; placing said intermediate zone of one said core between each pair of said indication sheets adjacent to each other in said machine direction so that the rear half of a front one of said adjacent indication sheets is placed upon said front end zone of said core, and a front half of a rear one of said adjacent indication sheets is placed upon said rear end zone of said core; joining each said indication sheet to said first outer layer web, joining each said core to at least one of said inner layer web and said first outer layer web, and joining inner surfaces of said inner layer web and said first outer layer web which are overlaid upon each other; and cutting said indication sheets together with said inner and first outer layer webs in a cross direction between each pair of said cores adjacent to each other in said machine direction, so that each said indication sheet is divided into said front and rear halves to form a plurality of said laminated panels arranged in said machine direction and having said indicator elements in the respective front and rear regions.