U.S. patent application number 11/434062 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-14 for disposable wearing article and process for making the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to UNI-CHARM CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Nariaki Shimoe.
Application Number | 20060206092 11/434062 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 28449101 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060206092 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shimoe; Nariaki |
September 14, 2006 |
Disposable wearing article and process for making the same
Abstract
A disposable wearing article is provided on its garment facing
surface with tape fasteners. The tape member forming each of the
tape fastener has a fixed end portion and a free end portion
adapted to be taken between the fingers longitudinally opposed to
each other. The free end portion at least partially extend beyond
the lateral edge of the wearing article.
Inventors: |
Shimoe; Nariaki;
(Kagawa-ken, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LOWE HAUPTMAN BERNER, LLP
1700 DIAGONAL ROAD
SUITE 300
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
UNI-CHARM CO., LTD.
Shikokuchuo-shi
JP
|
Family ID: |
28449101 |
Appl. No.: |
11/434062 |
Filed: |
May 16, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10945026 |
Sep 21, 2004 |
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11434062 |
May 16, 2006 |
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PCT/JP03/01803 |
Feb 19, 2003 |
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10945026 |
Sep 21, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
604/390 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F 13/5512 20130101;
A61F 13/15756 20130101; A61F 13/58 20130101; A61F 13/565
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
604/390 |
International
Class: |
A61F 13/15 20060101
A61F013/15 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 22, 2002 |
JP |
2002-80795 |
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. A process for making a disposable wearing article having a
wearer's body facing surface and a garment facing surface; front
and rear ends extending in a transverse direction and a pair of
lateral edges extending in a longitudinal direction orthogonal to
said transverse direction; a crotch region, a front waist region
and a rear waist region; one of said front and rear waist regions
being provided on said garment facing surface in vicinities of said
lateral edges with tape fasteners adapted to be unfolded outwardly
from one of said front and rear waist regions in said transverse
direction beyond said lateral edges, said process comprising the
steps of: feeding a sheet forming said garment facing surface to
which said tape fasteners are attached, including zones destined to
define said lateral edges of said wearing article so that a
plurality of said sheets are connected one to another along said
zones destined to define said lateral edges and thereby to form a
continuum of said sheets which is elastically stretchable in said
transverse direction in a vicinity of said zones destined to define
said lateral edges in said transverse direction; applying a first
adhesive agent to a single tape member having upper and lower
surfaces on said lower surface at longitudinally opposite end
portions except for a longitudinally middle portion to permanently
join said end portions to said garment facing surface; applying a
second adhesive agent to zones defined between said middle portion
and respective said end portions to releasably join said zones to
said garment facing surface so as to form an adhesive tape unit;
feeding said tape unit onto one side of said continuum of said
sheet so that a longitudinal direction of said tape unit coincides
with said transverse direction and said middle portion extends
across said zone destined to define said lateral edge; joining said
tape unit to said one side by means of said first adhesive agent;
then cutting said continuum of said sheet together with said tape
unit along said zone destined to define said lateral edge to obtain
individual sheets each forming said garment facing surface which
has contracted in said transverse direction more remarkably than
said tape unit in vicinities of said lateral edges; and joining
said tape fasteners to said sheet in vicinities of said lateral
edges to obtain said tape fasteners at least partially extending
outwardly beyond said lateral edges.
12. The process according to claim 11, wherein said sheet is
elastically stretchable in said transverse direction and fed in
said transverse direction in an elastically stretched state.
13. The process according to claim 11, wherein said sheet comprises
a non-stretchable sheet and thread-like elastic members bonded to
said sheet while said thread-like elastic members are being
stretched in said transverse direction.
14. The process according to claim 11, wherein said tape fasteners
at least partially extend outwardly beyond said lateral edges by
0.7 mm or more.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a disposable wearing article
having tape fasteners and a process for making the same.
BACKGROUND ART OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The pants-type disposable diaper disclosed in Japanese
Utility Model Application No. 1994-77719A comprising a
liquid-pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and a
liquid-absorbent member interposed between these two sheets wherein
the front and rear waist regions of this diaper are joined together
to form a waist-hole and leg-holes. This known pants-type diaper is
provided in an intermediate region defined between the waist-hole
and the leg-holes with elastic members adapted to contract in a
waist-surrounding direction and thereby form gathers in the
waist-surrounding direction. Tape fasteners respectively having
distal ends are attached to the outer surface of the backsheet so
that the distal ends are oriented in the waist-surrounding
direction.
[0003] In the pants-type diaper disclosed in the above-cited
Application, the tape fasteners are attached to side flaps in which
the absorbent member is not present. The tape fasteners are usually
made of low stiffness tape material and, if a contractile force of
the waist-surrounding elastic members is relatively high, these
tape fasteners are apt to be deformed and thereby to make it
difficult to take the distal ends between fingers at once. In
addition, the tape fasteners lie inside transversely opposite
lateral edges of the diaper and therefore it is difficult to find
the distal ends on the side flaps and to take these distal ends
between fingers at a glance.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0004] It is an object of this invention to improve such a wearing
article so that distal ends of the respective tape fasteners
attached to the wearing article may be easily and quickly taken
between fingers.
[0005] In accordance with this invention, there is provided a
disposable wearing article having a wearer's body facing surface
and a garment facing surface, front and rear ends extending in a
transverse direction and a pair of lateral edges extending in a
longitudinal direction orthogonal, and a crotch region, a front
waist region and a rear waist region. The article comprises tape
fasteners provided on the garment facing surface in vicinities of
the lateral edges in one of the front and rear waist regions. Each
of the tape fasteners comprises having a fixed end portion
permanently joined to the garment facing surface and a free end
portion longitudinally opposed to the fixed end portion and adapted
to be taken between fingers so that the tape member is unfolded
from the fixed end portion toward the free end portion as the free
end portion is taken between fingers and pulled, and a lower
surface of the tape member destined to face the garment facing
surface is at least partially coated with an adhesive agent, at
least a part of the free end portion extending outwardly beyond the
lateral edge and upper and lower surfaces of the part being of
non-adhesive nature.
[0006] This invention includes the following embodiments.
[0007] The tape member is in a folded state so that the tape member
is unfolded from the fixed end portion toward the free end portion
when the article is actually used, and comprises, in such a folded
state, a first tape section defining a top layer of the folded tape
member and having the free end portion and a first end portion
longitudinally opposed to the free end portion and a second tape
section underlying the first tape section so as to face the garment
facing surface and having the fixed end portion and a second end
portion longitudinally opposed to this fixed end portion and
connected to the first end portion of the first tape section.
[0008] The first end portion of the first tape section extending
from the free end portion to the first end portion includes a
prolongation extending inwardly with respect to the article beyond
the second end portion of the second tape section and the
prolongation is releasably joined to the garment facing
surface.
[0009] A third tape section is interposed between the first tape
section and the second tape section to connect these first and
second tape sections to each other, the third tape section having
one end portion connected to the first end portion of the first
tape section, the other end portion opposed to the one end portion
and connected to the second end portion of the second tape section,
and an intermediate portion defined between the one end portion and
the other end portion and releasably joined to at least one of the
first tape section and the second tape section so that these
first-third tape sections has a Z- or inverted Z-shape as the tape
member is folded.
[0010] The first end portion of the first tape section extends
beyond the one end portion of the third tape section in the
transverse direction and is releasably joined to the fixed end
portion of the second tape section extending beyond the one end
portion of the third tape section in the transverse direction.
[0011] The disposable wearing article is a pants-type disposable
diaper composed of a front waist region, a rear waist region and a
crotch region extending between these two waist regions, the front
and rear waist regions being connected to each other in vicinities
of lateral edges thereof so as to define a waist-hole and a pair of
leg-holes, the tape fasteners being attached to the vicinities
surface of the front or rear waist region in vicinities of the
respective lateral edges so that the longitudinal direction of the
tape fasteners coincide with a waist-surrounding direction of the
diaper and the free end portions of the respective tape fasteners
may at least partially extend outwardly in the waist-surrounding
direction beyond the lateral edges of the front or rear waist
region.
[0012] The disposable wearing article further includes, in the
front and rear waist regions and the crotch region, a
liquid-absorbent core having a wearer's body facing surface and
flaps formed from sheet members extending outwardly from a
peripheral edge of the core wherein the tape fasteners are attached
to the garment facing surface in the flaps.
[0013] Elastic members are attached in a stretched state to one of
the front and rear waist regions provided with the tape fasteners
so as to extend in the transverse direction between the lateral
edges of the waist region and the tape fasteners are attached to
the garment facing surface in the front or rear waist region so as
to cover the elastic members from outside.
[0014] The garment facing surface to which the tape fasteners are
attached is made of a sheet being elastically stretchable in the
transverse direction.
[0015] The free end portions at least partially extend outwardly
beyond the lateral edges by 0.7 mm or more.
[0016] In accordance with this invention, there is also provided a
process for making a disposable wearing article having a wearer's
body facing surface and a garment facing surface; front and rear
ends extending in a transverse direction and a pair of lateral
edges extending in a longitudinal direction orthogonal to the
transverse direction; a crotch region, a front waist region and a
rear waist region; one of the front and rear waist regions being
provided on the garment facing surface in vicinities of the lateral
edges with tape fasteners adapted to be unfolded outwardly from one
of the front and rear waist regions in the transverse direction
beyond the lateral edges.
[0017] The process further comprises the steps of feeding a sheet
forming the garment facing surface to which the tape fasteners are
attached, including zones destined to define the lateral edges of
the wearing article so that a plurality of the sheets are connected
one to another along the zones destined to define the lateral edges
and thereby to form a continuum of the sheets which is elastically
stretchable in the transverse direction in the vicinity of the
zones destined to define the lateral edges in the transverse
direction, applying a first adhesive agent to a single tape member
having upper and lower surfaces on the lower surface at
longitudinally opposite end portions except for a longitudinally
middle portion to permanently join the end portions to the garment
facing surface, applying a second adhesive agent to zones defined
between the middle portion and respective the end portions to
releasably join the zones to the garment facing surface so as to
form an adhesive tape unit, feeding the tape unit onto one side of
the continuum of the sheet so that a longitudinal direction of the
tape unit coincides with the transverse direction and the middle
portion extends across the zone destined to define the lateral
edge; joining the tape unit to the one side by means of the first
adhesive agent, then cutting the continuum of the sheet together
with the tape unit along the zone destined to define the lateral
edge to obtain individual sheets each forming the garment facing
surface which has contracted in the transverse direction more
remarkably than the tape unit in vicinities of the lateral edges
and joining the tape fasteners to the sheet in vicinities of the
lateral edges to obtain the tape fasteners at least partially
extending outwardly beyond the lateral edges.
[0018] This invention of the process includes the following
embodiments.
[0019] The sheet is elastically stretchable in the transverse
direction and fed in the transverse direction in an elastically
stretched state.
[0020] The sheet comprises a non-stretchable sheet and thread-like
elastic members bonded to the sheet while these thread-like elastic
members are being stretched in the transverse direction.
[0021] The tape fasteners at least partially extend outwardly
beyond the lateral edges by 0.7 mm or more.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view showing a disposable
diaper as a typical embodiment of this invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a line II-II in FIG.
1;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a manner in which the tape
fasteners are used;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another manner in which the
tape fasteners are used;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a part of the process for
making the disposable diaper;
[0027] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along a line VI-VI in FIG.
5;
[0028] FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating important parts of the
diaper by the process partially different from the process of FIG.
5 and FIG. 7B is a sectional view taken along a line Y-Y in FIG.
7A;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing one preferred
embodiment of this invention;
[0030] FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing another
preferred embodiment of this invention;
[0031] FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing still
another preferred embodiment of this invention;
[0032] FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a
pants-type disposable diaper as another typical embodiment of this
invention;
[0033] FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along a line XII-XII in
FIG. 11; and
[0034] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the pants-type disposable
diaper to illustrate a manner in which the tape fasteners are
used.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST MODE FOR WORKING OF THE INVENTION
[0035] Details of the disposable wearing article and a process for
making the same according to this invention will be more fully
understood from the description given hereunder in reference to the
accompanying drawings.
[0036] FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view showing an open-type
disposable diaper 1 and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a
line II-II in FIG. 1. The diaper 1 comprises a liquid-pervious
topsheet 2 facing the wearer's body, a liquid-impervious backsheet
3 facing the wearer's clothes and a liquid-absorbent core 4
interposed between these two sheets 2, 3. FIG. 1 shows this diaper
1 with the backsheet 3 lying on the upper side and the topsheet 2
lying on the lower side. The diaper 1 is contoured by front and
rear ends 11, 12 extending in parallel to each other in a
transverse direction (in a horizontal direction as viewed in FIG.
1) and a pair of lateral edges 13 extending in parallel to each
other in a longitudinal direction which is orthogonal to the
transverse direction. The diaper 1 is composed of, in the
longitudinal direction, a crotch region 8, a front waist region 6
extending from the crotch region 8 to the front end 11 and a rear
waist region 7 extending from the crotch region 8 to the rear end
12. In the crotch region 8, the lateral edges 13 curve inwardly in
the transverse direction of the diaper 1. Portions of the top- and
backsheets 2, 3 extending outwardly beyond a peripheral edge of the
core 4 are overlaid and joined together by means of hot melt
adhesive agents (not shown) to form a front end flap 16, a rear end
flap 17 and side flaps 18. In the front and rear end flaps 16, 17,
waist-surrounding elastic members 19 are bonded in a stretched
state to the inner surface of at least one of the top- and
backsheets 2, 3. In the side flaps 18, leg-surrounding elastic
members 21 are stretched along the curving sections of the
respective lateral edges 13 and bonded in such a stretched state to
the inner surface of at least one of the top- and backsheets 2, 3.
Tape fasteners 30 are attached to the backsheet 3 of the side flaps
18 in the rear waist region 7 in the vicinity of the respective
lateral edges 13. The tape fasteners 30 are folded so that these
fasteners 30 may be unfolded so as to extend outwardly beyond the
respective lateral edges 13. The top- and backsheets 2, 3
respective have front and rear ends 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b and lateral
edges 2c, 3c defining the front and rear ends 11, 12 and the
lateral edges 13 of the diaper 1.
[0037] As will be apparent from FIG. 2, each of the tape fasteners
30 comprises an upper tape section 31, a lower tape section 32 and
an intermediate tape section 33 lying between these two tape
sections 31, 32 and connecting to them to each other. The upper
tape section 31 has an inner end portion 36 lying inside the diaper
1, an outer end portion 37 at least partially extending outwardly
beyond the lateral edge 13, and an intermediate potion 38 lying
inside the lateral edge 13. These portions 36-38 are coated on the
lower surfaces thereof with a second self-adhesive agent 39. In
FIG. 2, a dimension by which the outer end 37 extends outwardly
beyond the lateral edge 13 is indicated by S and this dimension S
in the diaper 1 is preferably 0.7 mm or longer. The lower tape
section 32 lies inside the lateral edge 13 and is opposed to the
surface of the diaper 1 facing the wearer's clothes. The lower tape
section 32 also has an inner end portion 41, an outer end portion
42 and an intermediate portion 43. In the case of the lower tape 32
of the tape fastener 30 comprising three tape sections 31, 32, 33
as illustrated, at least the inner end portion 41 functions as a
fixed end portion of the tape fastener 30 and is firmly fixed to
the backsheet 3 by means of first adhesive agent 44. In the
preferable embodiment of the lower tape section 32 as shown, the
inner end portion 41, the intermediate portion 43 and the outer end
portion 42 except for its zone in which the outer end portion 42 is
connected to the intermediate tape section 33 are fixed to the
backsheet 3 by means of the first adhesive agent 44 with which
these portions are coated. The lower tape section 32 has its outer
end portion 42 partially connected to the intermediate tape section
33 by means of the first adhesive agent 44. The intermediate tape
section 33 also lies inside the lateral edge 13 and has an inner
end portion 46, an outer end portion 47 and an intermediate portion
48. These portions are coated on the lower surfaces thereof with a
third self-adhesive agent 49.
[0038] Of the upper tape section 31, a zone of its inner end
portion 36 extending inwardly beyond the inner end portion 46 of
the intermediate tape section 33 is temporarily bonded to the
surface of the diaper facing the wearer's clothes, in the case of
the illustrated embodiment, to the upper surface 32a of the lower
tape section 32 and firmly bonded to the upwardly folded inner end
portion 46 of the intermediate tape section 33. The second
self-adhesive agent with which the upper tape section 31 is coated
is covered with a film strip 51 on an appropriate area of the outer
end portion 37 at least including the area extending outwardly
beyond the lateral edge 13 by a dimension S in the longitudinal
direction of the upper tape section 31. In this way, the outer end
37 becomes substantially non-adhesive on its both surfaces and
thereby forms a free end portion of the tape fastener 30 destined
to be taken between fingers. The intermediate portion 38 of the
upper tape section 31 is temporarily bonded to upper surface 33a of
the intermediate tape section 33 underlying the intermediate
portion 38 of the upper tape 31. The intermediate tape section 33
except the inner end portion 46 bonded to the upper tape section 31
and the outer end portion 47 bonded to the outer end portion 42 of
the lower tape section 32, i.e., the intermediate portion 48
thereof is temporarily bonded to upper surface 32a of the lower
tape section 32 by means of the third self-adhesive agent 49. It
should be noted here that the intermediate tape section 33 may be
temporarily bonded to any one of the upper tape section 31 and the
lower tape section 32 without departing from the scope of this
invention.
[0039] The upper tape section 31, the intermediate tape section 33
and the lower tape section 32 are thus assembled as a continuous
member in a Z-shape folded state prior to use of the article. The
outer end portion 37 of the upper tape section 31 may be taken
between fingers together with the film strip 51 and pulled
outwardly of the diaper 1 as indicated by an arrow P to separate
the temporarily bonded portions one from another and thereby to
unfold the tape fastener 30 so that the upper tape section 31 and
the intermediate tape section 33 may extend as indicated by
imaginary lines. To facilitate the second self-adhesive agent 39 to
be peeled off from the lower tape section 32 and the intermediate
tape section 33 and to facilitate the third self-adhesive agent 49
to be peeled off from the lower tape section 32, adhesive force of
the second adhesive agent 39 and third self-adhesive agent 49 may
be adjusted to be lower than that of the first adhesive agent 44
and/or these tape sections 32, 33 may be previously coated with
silicone oil or the like. In such tape fastener 30, the outer end
portion 37 of the upper tape section 31 extends outwardly beyond
the lateral edge 13 of the diaper 1 and therefore the outer end
portion 37 of the fastener 30 can be quickly taken between fingers
even when a plurality of gathers are formed around the waist of the
diaper 1 as the elastic members 19 contract and consequently it
becomes difficult to find the tape fastener 30 from these gathers.
To ensure such effect, it is sufficient that merely a part of the
outer end portion, for example, outer end corners of the upper tape
section 31 extend outwardly from the lateral edge 13 by 0.7 mm or
more. The inner end portion 36 of the upper tape section 31 and the
intermediate tape section 33 are detachably attached to the lower
tape section 32 but not directly to the backsheet 3, so there is no
anxiety that the backsheet 3 might be damaged even if such
detachable attachment is repeated.
[0040] FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating manners in which the
tape fasteners 30 are used. FIG. 3 shows the diaper 1 put on the
wearer's body with the tape fasteners 30 unfolded outwardly from
the rear waist region 7 and temporarily bonded to the surface of
the front waist region 6 facing the wearer's clothes by means of
the second self-adhesive agent 39. FIG. 4 shows the used diaper 1
rolled up and retained by the tape fasteners 30 in such a rolled up
state. In this manner, the tape fasteners 30 are useful not only
for putting the diaper 1 on the wearer's body but also for rolling
up and disposal of the used diaper 1.
[0041] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a part of the process for
continuously making the diaper 1 of FIG. 1. In a series of steps
(1)-(3) indicated in a lower part of FIG. 5, a leftward direction
is designates as a machine direction MD. In the step (1), continuum
of diapers comprising continuous liquid-pervious web 62, continuous
liquid-impervious web 63 and cores 4 interposed between the web 62
and the web 63 so as to be arranged intermittently at desired
intervals in the machine direction MD is fed in the direction MD.
The web 62 comprises a plurality of the topsheets 2 successively
connected one to another along transversely opposite lateral edges
2c of the respective topsheets 2 and defines a lower layer as
viewed in FIG. 5. Similarly, the web 63 comprises a plurality of
the backsheets 3 successively connected one to another along
transversely opposite lateral edges 3c of the respective backsheets
3 and defines an upper layer as viewed in FIG. 5. Around the
respective cores 4, these two webs 62, 63 are overlaid and joined
together by means of hot melt adhesive agents (not shown). Between
these two webs 62, 63, in addition to the cores 4, thread-like
waist-surrounding elastic members 119 and leg-surrounding elastic
members 121 are interposed and bonded to these webs in a stretched
state. The web 63 is elastically stretchable in the machine
direction MD and bonded to the web 62 as the web 63 is being
stretched at a desired percentage in the machine direction MD. The
continuum of diapers 65 has a dimension in a cross direction CD
orthogonal to the machine direction MD corresponds to a
longitudinal dimension of the diaper 1 and imaginary lines A in
FIG. 5 correspond to the lateral edges 13 of the individual diapers
1. The core 4 lies in a middle zone between each pair of the
adjacent imaginary lines A, A and circular portions are cut out
from the webs 62, 63 overlaid each other in substantially middle
zones on the respective imaginary lines A to form openings 66. Even
after these openings 66 have been formed, conveyor means (not
shown) for the continuum 65 provides a vacuum suction effect under
which the web 63 remains stretched in the machine direction MD.
[0042] In sub-steps (a)-(d) of the step (2) as indicated on upper
part of FIG. 5, tape fastener units 67 are successively fed and
attached to the continuum 65 running in the machine direction MD so
that the units 67 may straddle the imaginary lines A,
respectively.
[0043] In the step (3), the continuum 65 of diapers is cut together
with the units 67 along the imaginary lines A to obtain the
individual diapers 1 each shown in FIG. 1. In the diaper 1 obtained
in this manner, the web 63 which has been in a stretched state in
the continuum 65 elastically contracts in the transverse direction
to form the backsheet 3. Contraction of the web 63 causes the web
62 bonded to the web 63 to contract with formation of gathers.
Thereupon, a peripheral edge of the opening 66 is bisected to form
the circular arc-shaped lateral edges 13 of the diaper 1 in its
crotch region 8. In the diaper 1 in FIG. 5, the waist-surrounding
elastic members 119 as well as the leg-surrounding elastic members
121 are in a stretched state.
[0044] In a series of sub-steps (a)-(d) indicated on the upper part
of FIG. 5, the individual units 67 are formed. The units 67 are
non-stretchable in the longitudinal direction thereof. In the
sub-step (a), continuum of the units 367 destined to be cut into
the individual units 67 is fed from the right to the left in FIG.
5. In the sub-step (b), the continuum 367 is transversely cut into
the individual units 67. In the sub-step (c), the unit 67 obtained
in the sub-step (b) is rotated by 90.degree. so that the longer
sides of the respective unit 67 may extend in the machine direction
MD. In the sub-step (d), the unit 67 having been rotated in this
manner is fed to the continuum of diapers 65. It is possible to
feed the continuum of units 367 in the cross direction CD instead
of feeding it in the machine direction MD as in the illustrated
embodiment. In this case, the individual units 67 obtained by
cutting the continuum 367 may be fed to the continuum of diapers 65
in the cross direction CD.
[0045] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of continuous diapers 65 to which
the units 67 shown in FIG. 5 have been attached, as taken along a
line VI-VI. The unit 67 is symmetric about an imaginary line A and
its substantially left half is not illustrated. This unit 67
comprises the first tape section 131 extending in the machine
direction MD across the imaginary line A, the lower tape section 32
bonded to the liquid-impervious web 63 by means of the first
adhesive agent 44 on both sides of the imaginary line A and the
intermediate tape section 33 temporarily bonded to the upper
surface 32a of the lower tape section 32 by means of the third
adhesive agent 49 on both sides of the imaginary line A. The first
tape section 131 is temporarily bonded to the upper surface of the
intermediate tape section 33 by means of the self-adhesive agent
139 which is, in turn, covered with the plastic film strip 151 in
the vicinity of the imaginary line A corresponding to the
longitudinally middle zone of the unit 67. The continuum of diapers
65 is cut together with the unit 67 along the imaginary line A.
After having been cut, the web 63, the web 62 bonded to the web 63
and the waist-surrounding elastic members 119 contract together in
the horizontal direction as viewed in FIG. 6, i.e., in the
transverse direction of the diaper 1 but the unit 67 does not
contract. Consequently, the individual diaper 1 and the tape
fasteners 30 attached thereto as shown in FIG. 1 is obtained. In
the individual diaper 1 obtained in this manner, the
liquid-pervious web 62 and the liquid-impervious web 63 define the
topsheet 2 and the backsheet 3, respectively, and the lateral edges
2c, 3c of the top- and backsheets 3 as well as the lateral edges 13
of the diaper 1 are formed along each pair of the adjacent
imaginary lines A. The first tape section 131, the self-adhesive
agent 139 and the plastic film strip 151 are bisected along the
imaginary line A to form the upper tape section 31, the second
self-adhesive agent 39 and the film strip 51 of the tape fastener
30 in FIG. 2. The lower tape section 32 and the first adhesive
agent 44 respectively correspond to the lower tape section 32 and
the first adhesive agent 44 in FIG. 2 while the intermediate tape
section 33 and the third self-adhesive agent 49 respectively
correspond to the intermediate tape section 33 and the third
self-adhesive agent 49 in FIG. 2. Of two tape fasteners 30 obtained
from a single unit 67 shown in FIG. 6, the one lying on the right
side with respect to the imaginary line A is folded in a Z-shape
and the one lying on the left side with respect to the imaginary
line A is folded in an inverted Z-shape.
[0046] Assumed that the tape unit 67 is fed with elastic tension in
its longitudinal direction in the step of FIG. 6, an amount of
contraction of the top- and backsheets 2, 3 occurring in the
vicinity of the lateral edges 13 of the diaper 1 may be adjusted to
be larger than an amount of contraction occurring in the upper tape
section 31 of the tape fastener 30, preferably by 0.7 mm or more
after the continuum of diaper 65 has been cut together with the
tape unit 67 to obtain the diaper 1 shown in FIG. 1.
[0047] In the process for continuously making the individual
diapers 1, cutting of the web 63 being in a stretched state
together with the tape unit 67 causes only the web 63 to contract
or causes the web 63 to contract by an amount larger than an amount
by the tape unit 67 contacts. With a consequence, the outer end
portion 37 of the tape fastener 30 spontaneously extends outward
beyond the lateral edge 13.
[0048] Of FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B, FIG. 7A illustrates important parts
of the diaper 1 obtained by shifting the units 67 and/or the
elastic members 119 in the course of the process of FIG. 5 so that
the tape fasteners 30 may overlie the waist-surrounding elastic
members 19 with the backsheet 3 therebetween and FIG. 7B
illustrates a section thereof as taken along a line Y-Y. In the
steps (1) and (2) illustrated by FIG. 5, the elastic members 119
are in a stretched state between each pair of the adjacent
imaginary lines A, A and bonded to the inner surface of the web 62
and/or the web 63. In the step (3), when the elastic members 119
contract in the vicinity of the line A-A as the continuum of
diapers 65 is cut, the top- and backsheets 2, 3 also contract to
form gathers. The tape fastener 30, on the other hand, does not
contract and, as will be seen in FIG. 7B, the tape fastener 30
extends outwardly beyond the lateral edge 13 by an amount of
contraction occurring in the top- and backsheets 2, 3. The tape
fasteners 30 for the diaper 1 obtained in this manner have the same
function as those for the diaper 1 obtained in the manner
illustrated by FIG. 5. In this diaper 1, the elastic members 19
contract in the direction opposed to the direction in which the
tape fasteners 30 are unfolded so that a high peeling force is
exerted between each pair of the adjacent tape sections and
facilitates these tape sections to be peeled off one from another
as the tape fasteners are unfolded. It is also possible to handle
the elastically stretchable web in a stretched state as the web 62
in FIG. 5 to obtain the topsheet 2 in FIGS. 7A and 7B. In this
case, the web 62 elastically contracts together with the elastic
members 119 as the web 62 is cut along the imaginary lines A,
A.
[0049] FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing one preferred
embodiment of this invention. In the tape fastener 30 of this
diaper 1, the inner end portion 36 of the upper tape section 31
terminates on the inner end portion 46 of the intermediate tape
section 33 without extending inwardly beyond the inner end portion
46 of the intermediate tape section 33 to the inside of the diaper
1.
[0050] FIGS. 9 and 10 are views similar to FIG. 2 but showing the
other two preferred embodiments of this invention. The tape
fastener 30 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 comprises the upper tape
section 31 and the lower tape section 932. Referring to FIG. 9, the
inner end portion 941 of the lower tape section 932 is folded
upwardly and firmly bonded to the lower surface of the upper tape
section 31 by means of the first adhesive agent 44 while the outer
end portion 942 of the lower tape section 932 is folded downwardly
and firmly bonded to the upper surface of the backsheet 3 by means
of the first adhesive agent 44. The upper tape section 31 is
similar to the upper tape section 31 shown in FIG. 2 in that the
inner end portion 36 thereof extends inwardly beyond the inner end
portion 941 of the lower tape section 932 to the inside of the
diaper 1 and temporarily bonded to the backsheet 3 by means of the
second self-adhesive agent 39. The outer end portion 37 at least
partially extends outwardly beyond the lateral edge 13 of the
diaper 1. With this tape fastener 30, the outer end portion 37 may
be taken between the fingers and pulled outwardly away from the
diaper 1 in the direction indicated by the arrow P to peel off the
inner end portion 36 of the upper tape section 31 from the
backsheet 3 and thereby to extend the upper and lower tape section
31, 932 outwardly from the backsheet 3. In the tape fastener 30
shown in FIG. 10, the lower tape section 932 rectilinearly extends
with both its inner end portion 941 and its outer end portion 942
not folded and these end portions 941, 942 are firmly bonded to the
upper tape section 31 and the backsheet 3 by means of the first
adhesive agent 44. This tape fastener 30 also may be pulled in the
direction P to peel off the inner end portion 36 of the upper tape
section 31 from the backsheet 3 and to extend the upper tape
section 31 and the lower tape section 932 outwardly beyond the
lateral edge 13 of the diaper 1. As will be understood from FIGS. 9
and 10, this tape fastener 30 comprises the upper tape section 31
having the deformable outer end portion 37 to be taken between the
fingers and the lower tape section 932 having the inner end portion
942 for fixation to the backsheet 3 so that these end portions 37,
942 may define longitudinally opposite end portions as the upper
and lower tape sections 31, 932 are unfolded from each other. This
embodiment allows the intermediate tape section 33 in FIG. 2 to be
eliminated. However, this tape fastener 30 is shorter than that
according to the previously described embodiment by the length of
the intermediate tape section 33. While the tape fastener 30 shown
in FIGS. 9 and 10 has its construction simpler than those shown in
FIGS. 2 and 8 and is available at a correspondingly lower cost, the
backsheet 3 is apt to be damaged as the outer end portion 37 of the
tape fastener 30 is pulled to peel off the upper tape section 31
from the backsheet 3.
[0051] FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a
pants-type disposable diaper 201 as another typical embodiment of
this invention. The diaper 201 comprises the liquid-pervious
topsheet 202, the liquid-impervious backsheet 203 and the
liquid-absorbent core 204 interposed between these two sheets 202,
203 so as to form the front waist region 206, the rear waist region
207 and the crotch region 208. The front and rear waist regions
206, 207 have transversely opposite lateral edges 213 overlaid and
joined together at the zones 210 arranged intermittently along
these lateral edges 213 in the vertical direction so as to define
the waist-hole 271 and the leg-holes 272. These holes 271, 272 are
provided along peripheral edges thereof with the waist-surrounding
elastic members 219 and the leg-surrounding members 221,
respectively, attached in a stretched state thereto. In the
vicinity of the lateral edges 213 of the rear waist region 207, the
tape fasteners 230 like the tape fastener 30 shown in FIG. 2 are
attached to the diaper 201. The outer end portions 237 of the
respective fasteners 230 partially extend outwardly beyond the
respective lateral edges 213 of the diaper 201.
[0052] FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along a line XII-XII in
FIG. 11. The front and rear waist regions 206, 207 of the diaper
201 are overlaid together in the vicinity of the lateral edges 213
of these regions 206, 207. The top- and backsheets 202, 203 of the
front and rear waist regions 206, 207 are joined together at the
zones 210 to form flat laminated portions 240 extending laterally
of the diaper 201 (See FIG. 11 also). Portions of the tape fastener
230 similar to those of the tape fastener 30 shown in FIG. 2 are
designated by the similar reference numerals added with 200. In
this diaper 201, the outer end portion 237 of the upper tape
section 231 constituting the tape fastener 230 extend outwardly in
the transverse direction of the diaper 201 beyond the lateral edge
213 defined by the laminated portion 240 of the front and rear
waist regions 206, 207. This feature facilitates the outer end
portion 237 of the tape fastener 240 to be taken between the
fingers and thereby enables the outer end portion 237 taken between
the fingers to be pulled as indicated by imaginary lines in the
direction P to the front waist region 206 (See FIG. 13).
[0053] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the pants-type disposable
diaper to illustrate a manner in which the tape fasteners 230 in
the diaper 201 are used. In the diaper 201 shown in FIG. 13,
overabundance possibly present in the waist-surrounding direction
by tucking such overabundance utilizing the tape fasteners 230
extending from the rear waist region 207 so that the front waist
region 206 may be pulled toward the rear waist region 207. Like the
tape fasteners 30 shown in FIG. 4, these tape fasteners 230 also
can be used to roll up the used diaper for disposal.
[0054] While this invention has been described on the basis of the
disposable diaper in reference to the accompanying drawings, it
should be understood that this invention is applicable also to the
other disposable wearing articles such as diaper for incontinence
patient and training pants.
[0055] The disposable wearing article according to this invention
has advantageous effects that the outer end portions of the
respective tape fasteners adapted to be taken between the fingers
extend outwardly beyond the lateral edges of the article. This
feature facilitates the tape fasteners to be taken between the
fingers. The process according to this invention for making such a
disposable wearing article includes the step of elastically
contracting the backsheet to which the tape fasteners are attached
and thereby enables the outer end portions of the respective tape
fasteners for taking them between the fingers to extend outwardly
beyond the lateral edges of the wearing article.
* * * * *