Patents by Inventor Toshifumi Otsubo

Toshifumi Otsubo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8419874
    Abstract: A method of making a diaper includes: forming the continuous sheet at a distance in a width direction from an imaginary center line M bisecting the width dimension of the continuous sheet with let-through openings for passage of feces at a regular pitch, bonding absorbent panels, each having an absorbent core to the middle section of a sheet piece having an area larger than the area of the absorbent core; coating the surface of the continuous sheet opposite to the surface to which the absorbent panels have been bonded with hot melt adhesive HM; and cutting the assembly of the continuous sheet and the absorbent panels along the imaginary vertical line V defined between each pair of the adjacent absorbent panels at the regular pitch to obtain the diapers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Otsubo
  • Publication number: 20130060220
    Abstract: The present invention provides a disposable wearing article adapted to inhibit sweating and an uncomfortable stuffiness. Front and rear waist regions of a disposable wearing article have inner surfaces thereof at least partially formed of elastic sheets. The elastic sheets are made of a mixture of elastic fibers and inelastic fibers and formed with ridges and grooves. The elastic sheets have a thickness in the ridges repetitively reduced and restored as the elastic sheets repeat elastic stretch and contraction in the waist circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hashimoto, Etsuko Kudo, Toshifumi Otsubo
  • Patent number: 8349117
    Abstract: An absorbent wearing article including an air permeable and liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-retentive absorbent structure placed on the backsheet. An outer sheet has having elastic members is placed on and bonded to a surface of the backsheet opposed to its surface bonded to the absorbent structure. The outer sheet has the elastic members intermittently bonded under tension thereto, and is formed in a region thereof facing the absorbent structure with an opening. The elastic members extend laterally under tension from a peripheral edge of the opening beyond the absorbent structure and the first backsheet is exposed through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Otsubo
  • Publication number: 20120296294
    Abstract: The present invention to provide an absorbent structure adapted to prevent the liquid-absorbent materials from falling off the wrapping sheets. An aggregate of liquid-absorbent materials in an absorbent structure has an inner surface covered with a first wrapping sheet and an outer surface and lateral surfaces covered with a second wrapping sheet. The first wrapping sheet and the second wrapping sheet respectively have first extended portions lying outboard of the lateral surfaces and second extended portions wherein the first extended portions and the second extended portions are put flat and bonded together to form laminated regions. The laminated regions cover the lateral surfaces of the aggregate and part of the outer surface which, in turn, covers these lateral surfaces and the outer surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hashimoto, Toshifumi Otsubo, Mariko Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20120289922
    Abstract: The present invention provides a disposable pants-type wearing article free from possibility that upper regions of the leg-openings' peripheral edges might be formed with frills even when the belt-like leg elastic members contract along the peripheral edges of the respective leg-openings. Belt-like leg elastic members in a disposable pants-type diaper each has inner and outer surfaces at least one of which is bonded to sheet-like members included in put flat and joined together regions and a crotch region of the diaper. The belt-like leg elastic members extend from the respective put flat and joined regions along leg-openings' peripheral edges. Over ranges in which the belt-like leg elastic members extend along the respective peripheral edges the sheet-like members also extend along the peripheral edges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshifumi Otsubo, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Mariko Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20120289920
    Abstract: The present invention provides a disposable pants-type wearing article using belt-like leg elastic member. Respective opposite side edges of front and rear waist regions of a disposable pants-type wearing article are fusion-bonded together to define put flat and joined together regions. Belt-like leg elastic members respectively have front side upper ends lying in the front waist region and included by the put flat and joined together regions and rear side upper ends lying in the rear waist region and included by the put flat and joined together regions. In the put flat and joined together regions, lower edges of the upper ends and lower edges of the rear side upper ends are displaced one from another in such a manner that the one pair of the lower edges lie below the other pair of the lower edges. The one pair of the lower edges are fusion-bonded to at least one of a sheet-like member and a sheet-like member covering the other pair of the lower edges at a level lower than the other pair of the lower edges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: Unicharm Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Otsubo, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Mariko Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20120284904
    Abstract: A wearing article includes front and rear side edges respectively joined by seam arrays extending in a longitudinal direction Y, a waist-opening, and a pair of leg-openings. The wearing article further includes an inner sheet, an outer sheet and a liquid-absorbent core sandwiched between these inner and outer sheets. The inner and outer sheets are formed of heat-sealable fibrous nonwoven fabrics containing thermoplastic synthetic resins. Each of the seam arrays of the diaper includes a plurality of seam-welded regions and a seam-nonwelded region left behind in the seam array. In the seam array, the seam-welded regions arranged so as to be aligned in longitudinal and transverse directions, each substantially shaped in a square, partially lack at a position differentiated for every one of specified patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshifumi Otsubo, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Mariko Yamashita, Taishi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20120283682
    Abstract: The present invention provides a disposable wearing article having a position indicator mark formed on a crotch member and overlapped by front and rear waist members. Front and rear waist members overlap front and rear ends, respectively, of a crotch member and are bonded thereto to define first and second overlapping regions and an intermediate region extending between these first and second overlapping regions. A position indicator mark is formed in the first overlapping region, a graphic of fish is portrayed as a crotch graphic element in the second overlapping region and graphics of fish are portrayed in the intermediate region as crotch graphic elements. In the first overlapping region, a front waist sheet of the front waist member overlaps a front graphic film on which a graphic of penguin is portrayed as a front graphic element which, in turn, overlaps the position indicator mark.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshifumi Otsubo, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Mariko Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20120278975
    Abstract: A pants-type disposable wearing article wherein each of the side seams has a desired joint strength and the joint should not unintentionally be released particularly in the bottom segment during use of the wearing article. Respective side seams are formed of a plurality of sealing spots arranged in a direction along a longitudinal axis. Each of the seam arrays includes a top segment lying in the vicinity of a peripheral edge of each waist-opening and a bottom segment lying in the vicinity of a crotch region wherein each of the sealing spots has a substantially uniform area and a dimension of the bottom segment in a direction along a transverse axis is larger than a dimension of the top segment in the direction along the transverse axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mariko Yamashita, Toshifumi Otsubo, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Ryuichi Kamiyama
  • Patent number: 8298204
    Abstract: A disposable pull-on type diaper has a separator interposed between an inner surface of an absorbent chassis and the wearer's skin so as to protect the diaper wearer's skin from being soiled with feces. The separator is formed by a piece of sheet extending from a bottom of a crotch region of the diaper toward a front waist region and a rear waist region and fixed to lateral edges of the crotch region. The piece of sheet has a front end and a rear end both extending in a transverse direction of the crotch region. These front end and rear end are free along middle segments thereof as viewed in the transverse direction of the crotch region from an inner surface of an absorbent chassis and inseparably integrated with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Otsubo
  • Publication number: 20120259307
    Abstract: A disposable wearing article includes a front side edges lying in a front waist region, rear side edges lying in a rear waist region and crotch side edges lying in a crotch region. A chassis of the diaper includes a first backsheet forming the front waist region and a part of the crotch region and a second backsheet forming the rear waist region and a part of the crotch region. The front and rear waist regions are provided with first front and rear waist elastic yarns or threads and front and rear region elastic sheets, and the crotch region is provided along the crotch side edges with front and rear leg elastic elements. Ends of front leg elastic elements on one side overlap the front side edges. Ends of the rear leg elastic elements on one side overlap the rear side edges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshifumi Otsubo, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Mariko Yamashita, Etsuko Kudo, Akiko Tange
  • Publication number: 20120253306
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a disposable wearing article improved so that front and rear waist regions may assure desired fitness without adversely affecting an absorption capacity of a bodily fluid-absorbent core assembly. At least one of front and rear waist regions includes an inner sheet lying on a skin-facing side and having stretch properties and an outer sheet lying on a non-skin-facing side and having a low elastic contractile force. In a section of this one waist region occupied by a liquid-absorbent core assembly including a bodily fluid-absorbent core, the inner sheet is partially cut to define a perforated region. Adhesive used to bond the liquid-absorbent core assembly to the inner sheet and adhesive used to bond the inner sheet to the outer sheet are put in contact with and joined to each other through openings developed by partially cutting the inner sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshifumi Otsubo, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Mariko Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20120253307
    Abstract: A pant-type disposable wearing article includes at least one waist region of front and rear waist regions, which includes an inner sheet lying on the skin-facing side and an outer sheet lying on the non-skin-facing side. The inner sheet has a contractile force higher than that of the outer sheet at least in the transverse direction X. Opposite lateral sections of the inner sheet and opposite lateral sections of the outer sheet are permanently bonded together and extend outward in the transverse direction X from arrays of side seam spots to form front flaps and rear flaps defining protruding rims. The front flaps and the rear flaps are curled inwardly. This article is improved so that opposite side edges do not irritate a wearer's skin even if the wearer's skin comes in contact with these side edges and, in addition, good appearance from a lateral view is assured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mariko Takeuchi, Toshifumi Otsubo, Tatsuya Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20120226255
    Abstract: A chassis of a diaper includes a first outer sheet defining a front waist region and a part of a crotch region, a second outer sheet defining a rear waist region and a part of the crotch region and a middle sheet connecting these sheets and defining a part of the crotch region. To the skin-facing side of the chassis, a liquid-absorbent structure is attached. The liquid-absorbent structure is provided with first and second elastic sheets overlapping front and rear ends of the liquid-absorbent structure, respectively. The first elastic sheet is attached under tension in a transverse direction and in contractible manner between a bottom surface of the liquid-absorbent structure and the first outer sheet and the second elastic sheet is located on a skin-facing surface of the liquid-absorbent structure and attached thereto under tension in the transverse direction and in contractible manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mariko Takeuchi, Toshifumi Otsubo, Tatsuya Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8231592
    Abstract: A disposable diaper is provided with a barrier adapted to prevent body fluid from freely flowing in a back-and-forth direction of the diaper so that such barrier can be reliably held in close contact with the wearer's skin. The barrier stands in the way of body fluid flowing in the back-and-forth direction of the diaper and the barrier is provided in the form of an assembly of nonwoven fabric strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
    Inventors: Sachiyo Suzuki, Toshifumi Otsubo
  • Patent number: 8221376
    Abstract: In a disposable absorbent article such as a disposable diaper including fastener elements by means of which front and rear waist regions are releasably connected with each other, the fastener elements are not affected by contraction of elastic members arranged in these waist regions. In this absorbent article, the front waist region and/or the rear waist region is or are divided into an elasticized intermediate zone provided with the elastic members and inelasticized transversely opposite side edge zones contigious to transversely opposite side edges of the intermediate zone. The fastener elements are provided in the transversely opposite side edge zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Otsubo, Hiroki Yamamoto, Tomoko Sugito
  • Patent number: 8216205
    Abstract: A disposable diaper has a pair of transversely opposite lateral portions in a crotch covering region. The lateral portions are provided with body fluid leak-barriers extending in a back-and-forth direction of the diaper. The leak-barriers include a plurality of strips made of a flexible sheet material. These strips are arranged side by side in the back-and-forth direction. These strips respectively have fixed portions and flexible portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Sachiyo Suzuki, Toshifumi Otsubo
  • Publication number: 20120165774
    Abstract: In a disposable wearing article, a first waist region is elasticized and formed of an inner sheet and an outer sheet. The non-skin-facing side of the outer sheet is formed substantially over its entire area with a plurality of thermocompression-bonded spots regularly and intermittently arranged at predetermined intervals. The outer sheet has non-thermocompressed regions surrounded by a plurality of thermocompression-bonded spots. A fibrous layer lying at least on the outer surface of said outer sheet is formed of thermal adhesive crimped fibers which are bonded together by thermocompression-bonding treatment in the thermocompression-bonded spots. The outer sheet and the inner sheet are bonded to each other by adhesive applied on at least one of respective opposite surfaces thereof so that the crimped fibers in the non-thermocompressed regions may protrude outward in a thickness direction of the outer sheet as the inner sheet contracts in the direction of the transverse axis Q.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshifumi Otsubo, Tatsuya Hashumoto, Mariko Yamashita, Etsuko Kudo
  • Patent number: 8168034
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of an absorbent article according to the present invention includes the steps of: splitting an elastic member bundle having line-splitting strength within the predetermined range into multiple first elastic members by feeding the elastic member bundle in an MD via a line splitter, the line-splitting strength measured by a predetermined measuring method; applying an adhesive at least on a predetermined curved line on a web continuously conveyed; and placing the multiple elastic members thus split on the web while swinging the elastic members in a CD. The elastic member bundle is formed by splitting a single original elastic member with a slit into the multiple elastic members, and bundling and pressurizing the multiple elastic members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Otsubo
  • Patent number: 8147470
    Abstract: The present invention provides a disposable pants-type diaper including on a crotch region thereof a separator adapted to prevent feces from coming in contact with the wearer's skin. A basic structure has the crotch region, which is provided with a folded sheet piece attached thereto so as to form the separator. The folded sheet piece is obtained by folding back the sheet piece along a first transverse center line thereof to define a first half and a second half placed upon each other and bonding end edges of these two halves to each other at responsive middles of these end edges in a transverse direction. With the first transverse center line brought close to a second transverse center line, the folded sheet piece is placed upon the crotch region and the lateral edges of the first half are bonded to the crotch region while a region of the first half defined by the lateral edges is kept to be spaced from the crotch region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Otsubo