Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for stretching, transferring, and bonding elastic parts under tension to an advancing carrier substrate during the assembly of absorbent articles. A continuous carrier substrate may be advanced in a machine direction at a first speed, and a discrete elastic part may be cut from a continuous elastic substrate having a direction of stretch in a machine direction. The speed of the discrete elastic part is changed from a second speed to the first speed, and the central region of the discrete elastic part is stretched in the machine direction. The discrete elastic part is bonded with the continuous carrier substrate such that the stretched central region extends in the machine direction between the first and second longitudinal edges of the continuous carrier substrate. The discrete elastic part may also be bonded with the carrier substrate with adhesive and/or mechanical bonds.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods for making elastomeric laminates that may be used as components of absorbent articles. Aspects of the methods for assembling elastomeric laminates may utilize elastic strands supplied from beams that may be joined with first and second substrates, and may be configured to carry out various types of operations, such as bonding and splicing operations.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles comprising belts comprising one or more pluralities of tightly spaced (less than 4 mm, less than 3 mm, less than 2 mm, and less than 1 mm) and/or low decitex (less than 300, less than 200, less than 100 dtex) and/or low strain (less than 300%, less than 200%, less than 100%) elastics to deliver low pressure less than 1 psi (according to the conditions defined by the Pressure-Under-Strand Test in the Method below) under the elastics, while providing adequate modulus of (between about 2 gf/mm and 15 gf/mm), resulting in a Donning-Ratio from about 1.0 and about 3 to make the article easy to apply and to comfortably maintain the article in place on the wearer.

Abstract: An absorbent article having a chassis and an ear joined to the chassis is provided. The ear includes a laminate having a first nonwoven, a second nonwoven, and an elastomeric material sandwiched between the first nonwoven and the second nonwoven. The laminate further includes a plurality of ultrasonic bonds. The elastomeric material has a maximum dimension, Y, in a stretch direction and defines a primary region including an elastic region and one or more unstretched zones. The elastic region has a maximum dimension, X, in the stretch direction, and the one or more unstretched zones has an aggregate lateral width of Wd. A ratio of Wd to Y is 0.3 or less.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles having a waist gasketing element, with the gasketing element having an adhesive zone and one or more adhesive-free zones. At least a portion of the waist gasketing element is adhesively attached to a chassis of the absorbent article. Additionally, a portion of the waist gasketing element is mechanically attached to a portion of the absorbent article.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes a first waist region, a second waist region, and a crotch region disposed between the first and second waist regions; and a chassis having a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet. The article also includes a side panel having an ultrasonically bonded, gathered laminate. The laminate has an elastomeric layer and a substrate and is joined to the chassis at a chassis attachment bond and positioned in one of the first or second waist regions. The ultrasonically bonded, gathered laminate also includes an ear structural feature comprising a surface modification to the substrate and comprising at least one of the following: embossing, apertures, perforations, slits, melted material or coatings, compressed material, secondary bonds that are disposed apart from a chassis attachment bond, plastic deformation, and folds.

Abstract: Disclosed are a fastening system and a method for fastening a fastening element made of a first material to a substrate made of a substrate material. A blind hole is made in the substrate, and a fastening element is anchored in the blind hole. A shaft of the fastening element defines a fastening direction and has a circumferential surface which is slanted or stepped in relation to the fastening direction.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to stranded elastomeric laminates (including bi-laminates and tri-laminates) comprising beamed elastics and may have inventive Dtex-to-Nonwoven-Basis-Weight-Ratios, Dtex-to-Spacing-Ratios, and/or Void-Area-to-Strand-Area-Ratios. The stranded laminates of the present disclosure may be used for disposable absorbent article components (including pant belts) and may comprise inventive bonding arrangements that yield inventive textures and texture arrangements. When the inventive stranded elastomeric laminates are used for pant belts, the pants may have inventive Application-Forces, Sustained-Fit-Load-Forces, and Sustained-Fit-Unload-Forces. Further, when absorbent articles are packaged under compression at inventive In-Bag-Stack-Heights, the stranded elastomeric laminates of the present disclosure maintain their inventive properties and characteristics, including their inventive textures.

Abstract: Three-dimensional laminates and methods for making the same are provided. The three-dimensional laminates may be apertured and may have welds between various substrates. The three-dimensional laminates may be used in absorbent articles, such as diapers and pants, for example, as topsheets, as topsheets and acquisition layers, or as outer cover materials, for example. The three-dimensional laminates may be produced on an absorbent article manufacturing line.

Abstract: A circuit arrangement includes a preprocessing circuit configured to obtain context information related to a user location, a learning circuit configured to determine a predicted user movement based on context information related to a user location to obtain a predicted route and to determine predicted radio conditions along the predicted route, and a decision circuit configured to, based on the predicted radio conditions, identify one or more first areas expected to have a first type of radio conditions and one or more second areas expected to have a second type of radio conditions different from the first type of radio conditions and to control radio activity while traveling on the predicted route according to the one or more first areas and the one or more second areas.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatuses for manufacturing absorbent articles, wherein discrete zones of protrusions may be formed on a substrate. In some configurations, the protrusions may be formed as hooks. When forming the discrete zones of protrusions, localized speed variances may be imparted to the advancing substrate to ensure the adequate time to form the protrusions is provided. As such, protrusions may be formed on portions of the substrate that have been temporarily stopped or slowed to relatively slow speeds. The substrates with zones of protrusions may then be incorporated into products, such as assembled absorbent articles, so as to place the protrusions in desired positions on the absorbent articles. As such, the methods and apparatuses herein allow for the use of hook forming techniques on substrates in article manufacturing processes that provide flexibility in such configurations without sacrificing desired manufacturing speeds.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles having a waist gasketing element, with the gasketing element having an adhesive zone and one or more adhesive-free zones. At least a portion of the waist gasketing element is adhesively attached to a chassis of the absorbent article. Additionally, a portion of the waist gasketing element is mechanically attached to a portion of the absorbent article.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatuses for manufacturing absorbent articles, wherein discrete zones of protrusions may be formed on a substrate. In some configurations, the protrusions may be formed as hooks. When forming the discrete zones of protrusions, localized speed variances may be imparted to the advancing substrate to ensure the adequate time to form the protrusions is provided. As such, protrusions may be formed on portions of the substrate that have been temporarily stopped or slowed to relatively slow speeds. The substrates with zones of protrusions may then be incorporated into products, such as assembled absorbent articles, so as to place the protrusions in desired positions on the absorbent articles. As such, the methods and apparatuses herein allow for the use of hook forming techniques on substrates in article manufacturing processes that provide flexibility in such configurations without sacrificing desired manufacturing speeds.

Abstract: A method for assembling elastic laminates includes the steps of stretching an elastic film at a spreader mechanism in the cross direction to a first elongation; advancing the elastic film from the spreader mechanism to an anvil, wherein the anvil comprises an active vacuum zone having a maximum width in the cross direction of Wv. The maximum width is divided into a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is disposed in overlapping relationship with the engagement portion and inboard of the engagement portion in the cross direction and the first portion has a width in the cross direction of VZi and wherein the second portion has a width in the cross direction of VZo, and wherein a ratio of VZi is greater than to VZo is greater than 1.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles including elastic laminates and to methods and apparatuses for making absorbent articles having elastic laminates in front and/or back waist regions with frangible pathways.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles including elastic laminates, and more particularly, to methods and apparatuses for making absorbent articles having elastic laminates in front and/or back waist regions with frangible pathways.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles including elastic laminates, and more particularly, to methods and apparatuses for making absorbent articles having elastic laminates in front and/or back waist regions with frangible pathways.

Abstract: An embodiment of an improved design of a billiard table set with a dining table conversion-top, containing a billiard table with movably attached dining top segments, designed to eliminate inconvenient removal and storage of removable tabletop segments. The billiard dining table set furthermore contains benches featuring a custom height adopted to enable comfortable seating and foldable legs that enable storage of the benches under the dining table. Other embodiments are described and illustrated.

Abstract: Three-dimensional laminates and methods for making the same are provided. The three-dimensional laminates may be apertured and may have welds between various substrates. The three-dimensional laminates may be used in absorbent articles, such as diapers and pants, for example, as topsheets, as topsheets and acquisition layers, or as outer cover materials, for example. The three-dimensional laminates may be produced on an absorbent article manufacturing line.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatuses for manufacturing absorbent articles, wherein discrete zones of protrusions may be formed on a substrate. In some configurations, the protrusions may be formed as hooks. When forming the discrete zones of protrusions, localized speed variances may be imparted to the advancing substrate to ensure the adequate time to form the protrusions is provided. As such, protrusions may be formed on portions of the substrate that have been temporarily stopped or slowed to relatively slow speeds. The substrates with zones of protrusions may then be incorporated into products, such as assembled absorbent articles, so as to place the protrusions in desired positions on the absorbent articles. As such, the methods and apparatuses herein allow for the use of hook forming techniques on substrates in article manufacturing processes that provide flexibility in such configurations without sacrificing desired manufacturing speeds.