Disposable undergarment forming apparatus having folder, registration conveyor, side connector, and separator and methods of folding, registering, conveying, connecting, and separating same

Abstract

An apparatus and method for forming a connection of portions of a moving folded web of disposable undergarments is provided. The apparatus preferably includes a registration conveyor positioned to register and convey a folded web of disposable undergarments moving along a predetermined path of travel and a web connector positioned adjacent the registration conveyor to connect portions of the folded web as the folded web is conveyed along the predetermined path of travel. A method preferably includes registeringly conveying a folded web of disposable undergarments along a predetermined path of travel and connecting portions of the folded web as the folded web is conveyed along the predetermined path of travel.

That which is claimed:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for forming a connection of portions of a moving folded web of disposable undergarments, the apparatus comprising: 
 registration conveying means for registering and conveying a folded web of disposable undergarments moving along a predetermined path of travel; and    web connecting means positioned adjacent said registration conveying means for connecting portions of the folded web as the folded web is conveyed along the predetermined path of travel.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said registration conveying means includes a first underlying conveying belt positioned to underlie the folded web, a second overlying conveying belt positioned to overlie the folded web, and driving means for driving the first and second conveying belts along the predetermined path of travel.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , wherein at least one of said first and second conveying belts includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness so that the first portion is positioned to register and convey a waistband region of the folded moving web and the second portion is positioned to register and convey a core region of the moving web.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said first underlying conveying belt travels along a closed loop path so that a first portion of the web connecting means is positioned within the closed loop path of said first conveying belt, and wherein said second overlying conveying belt also travels along a closed loop path so that a second portion of the web connecting means is positioned within the closed loop path of said second conveying belt.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said first and second conveying belts each include at least one opening formed therein, a first opening of said first conveying belt being positionally aligned with a first opening of said second conveying belt so as to define an open region of said first and second conveying belts so that portions of the moving web being registered by said registration conveying means extend within the open region.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said web connecting means is positioned adjacent said registration conveying means for abutting contact of portions of said web connecting means with the moving web positioned in the open region of said registration conveying means to thereby connect the portions of the moving web positioned in the open region.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 5 , further comprising separating means positioned downstream from said web connecting means for separating the moving web of disposable undergarments into a plurality of individual disposable undergarments.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said separating means is positioned adjacent said registration conveying means for contacting portions of the moving web positioned in the open region with said separating means to thereby cuttingly separate the portions of the moving web positioned in the open region of said registration conveying means.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising core folding means positioned upstream from said registration conveying means for folding cores of each of the undergarments of the moving web along a predetermined fold line and side folding means positioned upstream from said registration conveying means and downstream from said core folding means for side folding the folded cores of a moving web of disposable undergarments so as to form the moving folded web prior to entry into said registration conveying means.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said web connecting means includes ultrasonic sealing means having at least one horn and at least one anvil positionally aligned with said at least one horn, and wherein said at least one horn and said at least one anvil are each positioned to travel with the registration conveying means when conveying the folded web downstream.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for forming a connection of portions of a moving folded web of disposable undergarments, the apparatus comprising: 
 a registration conveyor positioned to register and convey a folded web of disposable undergarments moving along a predetermined path of travel; and    an ultrasonic sealer positioned adjacent said registration conveyor to connectingly seal portions of the folded web as the folded web is conveyed along the predetermined path of travel.    
     
     
         12 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said registration conveyor includes a first conveying belt positioned to abuttingly contact the folded web, a second conveying belt positioned to abuttingly contact the folded web, and at least one drive positioned to drive the first and second conveying belts along the predetermined path of travel.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 12 , wherein at least one of said first and second conveying belts includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness so that the first portion is positioned to register and convey a waistband region of the folded moving web and the second portion is positioned to register and convey a core region of the moving web.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said first conveying belt travels along a closed loop path so that a first portion of the ultrasonic sealer is positioned within the closed loop path of said first conveying belt, and wherein said second conveying belt also travels along a closed loop path so that a second portion of the ultrasonic sealer is positioned within the closed loop path of said second conveying belt.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said first and second conveying belts each include at least one opening formed therein, a first opening of said first conveying belt being positionally aligned with a first opening of said second conveying belt so as to define an open region of said first and second conveying belts so that portions of the moving web being registered by said registration conveyor extend within the open region.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said ultrasonic sealer is positioned adjacent said registration conveyor to abuttingly contact portions of said ultrasonic sealer with the moving folded web positioned in the open region of said registration conveyor to thereby connect the portions of the moving folded web positioned in the open region.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 15 , further comprising an undergarment separator positioned downstream from said ultrasonic sealer to separate the moving web of disposable undergarments into a plurality of individual disposable undergarments.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said undergarment separator is positioned adjacent said registration conveyor to contact portions of the moving web positioned in the open region with said separating means to thereby cuttingly separate the portions of the moving web positioned in the open region of said registration conveyor.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising a core folder positioned upstream from said registration conveyor to fold cores of each of the undergarments of the moving web along a predetermined fold line and a side folder positioned upstream from said registration conveyor and downstream from said core folder to side fold the folded cores of a moving web of disposable undergarments so as to form the moving folded web prior to entry into said registration conveyor.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said ultrasonic sealer having at least one horn and at least one anvil positionally aligned with said at least one horn, and wherein said at least one horn and said at least one anvil are each positioned to travel with the registration conveyor when conveying the folded web downstream.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus for registering and conveying portions of a moving folded web of disposable undergarments, the apparatus comprising: 
 a first conveying belt positioned to abuttingly contact the folded web;    a second overlying conveying belt positioned adjacent said first conveying belt and positioned to abuttingly contact the folded web so that said first and second conveying belts register and hold the folded web therebetween; and    at least one drive positioned to contact said first and second conveying belts for driving the first and second conveying belts along a predetermined path of travel.    
     
     
         22 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 21 , wherein at least one of said first and second conveying belt includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness so that a combination of the first portion of the at least one of said first and second conveying belts and a corresponding interfacing first portion of the other belt is positioned to register and convey a waistband region of the folded moving web and a combination of the respective second portions of said first and second conveying belts is positioned to register and convey a core region of the moving web.  
     
     
         23 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 22 , wherein said first conveying belt travels along a closed loop path, and wherein said second conveying belt also travels along a closed loop path.  
     
     
         24 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said first and second conveying belts each include at least one opening formed therein, a first opening of said first conveying belt being positionally aligned with a first opening of said second conveying belt so as to define an open region of said first and second conveying belts so that portions of the moving web being registered by said registration conveying means extend within the open region for performing an operation on the moving web during conveying movement of the folded web.  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus for registering and conveying portions of a moving folded web of disposable undergarments, the apparatus comprising; 
 first web contacting means for abuttingly contacting portions of a folded web of disposable undergarments moving along a predetermined path of travel;    second web contacting means positioned adjacent said first web contacting means for abuttingly contact the folded web so that said first and second web contacting means in combination cooperate to register and hold the folded web therebetween; and    driving means positioned to contact said first and second web contacting means for driving the first and second web contacting means along the predetermined path of travel.    
     
     
         26 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 21 , wherein at least one of said first and second web contacting means comprises a conveyor including a first conveyor portion having a first thickness and a second conveyor portion having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness so that a combination of the first conveyor portions of the at least one of said first and second web contacting means and a corresponding interfacing first portion of the other belt is positioned to register and convey a waistband region of the folded moving web and a combination of the respective second conveyor portions of said first and second web contacting means is positioned to register and convey a core region of the moving web.  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 22 , wherein said conveyor of said first web contacting means travels along a closed loop path, and wherein said conveyor of said second web contacting means also travels along a closed loop path.  
     
     
         28 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said first and second conveyors each include at least one opening formed therein, a first opening of said first conveyor being positionally aligned with a first opening of said second conveyor so as to define an open region of said first and second conveyors so that portions of the moving web being registered extend within the open region for performing an operation on the moving web during conveying movement of the folded web.  
     
     
         29 . A method for forming a connection of portions of a moving folded web of disposable undergarments, the method comprising: 
 registeringly conveying a folded web of disposable undergarments along a predetermined path of travel; and    connecting portions of the folded web as the folded web is conveyed along the predetermined path of travel.    
     
     
         30 . A method as defined in  claim 29 , wherein the step of registeringly conveying includes the steps of positioning a folded web between a first conveying belt and a second conveying belt so that each of the first and second conveying belts abuttingly contact the folded web and driving the first and second conveying belts along the predetermined path of travel.  
     
     
         31 . A method as defined in  claim 30 , wherein the first conveying belt includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness so that a combination of the first portion of the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt is positioned to register and convey a waistband region of the folded moving web and a combination of the second portion of the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt is positioned to register and convey a core region of the moving web.  
     
     
         32 . A method as defined in  claim 31 , wherein the driving step includes driving the first conveying belt along a closed loop path and driving the second conveying belt also along a closed loop path.  
     
     
         33 . A method as defined in  claim 30 , wherein the first and second conveying belts each include at least one opening formed therein, a first opening of the first conveying belt being positionally aligned with a first opening of the second conveying belt so as to define an open region of the first and second conveying belts so that portions of the moving web being registeringly conveyed extend within the open region.  
     
     
         34 . A method as defined in  claim 33 , further comprising abuttingly contacting portions of the moving web positioned in the open region with portions of an ultrasonic sealer to thereby connect the portions of the moving web positioned in the open region.  
     
     
         35 . A method as defined in  claim 33 , further comprising separating the moving web of disposable undergarments into a plurality of individual disposable undergarments.  
     
     
         36 . A method as defined in  claim 35 , wherein the separating steps includes contacting the connected portions of the moving web positioned in the open region with a separator to thereby cuttingly separate the portions of the moving web positioned in the open region.  
     
     
         37 . A method as defined in  claim 30 , further comprising folding cores of each of the undergarments of the moving web along a predetermined fold line and side folding the folded cores of a moving web of disposable undergarments so as to form the moving folded web prior to the registeringly conveying step.  
     
     
         38 . A method for forming a connection of portions of a web of disposable undergarments, the method comprising: 
 folding cores of a web of disposable undergarments during travel along a predetermined path;    registeringly conveying the folded web of disposable undergarments along a predetermined path of travel;    connecting portions of the folded web as the folded web is conveyed along the predetermined path of travel; and    separating the folded web of disposable undergarments along the connected portions of the folded web so as to form a plurality of individual disposable undergarments.    
     
     
         39 . A method as defined in  claim 38 , wherein the step of registeringly conveying includes the steps of positioning a folded web between a first conveying belt and a second conveying belt so that each of the first and second conveying belts abuttingly contact the folded web and driving the first and second conveying belts along the predetermined path of travel.  
     
     
         40 . A method as defined in  claim 39 , wherein the driving step includes driving the first conveying belt along a closed loop path and driving the second conveying belt also along a closed loop path.  
     
     
         41 . A method as defined in  claim 40 , wherein the first and second conveying belts each include at least one opening formed therein, a first opening of the first conveying belt being positionally aligned with a first opening of the second conveying belt so as to define an open region of the first and second conveying belts so that portions of the moving web being registeringly conveyed extend within the open region.  
     
     
         42 . A method as defined in  claim 41 , further comprising abuttingly contacting portions of the folded web positioned in the open region with portions of an ultrasonic sealer to thereby connect the portions of the folded web positioned in the open region.  
     
     
         43 . A method as defined in  claim 42 , wherein the separating step includes contacting the connected portions of the folded web positioned in the open region with a separator to thereby cuttingly separate the portions of the folded web positioned in the open region.  
     
     
         44 . A method as defined in  claim 43 , further comprising side folding the folded cores of the web of disposable undergarments so as to form the moving folded web prior to the registeringly conveying step.