Method of Making Disposable Absorbent Diaper Pants

Abstract

Aspects of the methods according to the present disclosure relate to the fabrication of diaper pants wherein discrete chassis are advanced in a machine direction such that the longitudinal axis is parallel with the machine direction. Discrete lengths of elastic belt materials are then connected with the first waist region of a first advancing chassis and the second waist region of a second advancing chassis. The lengths of elastic belt materials are cut along the cross-direction between the discrete chassis forming a first elastic belt and a second elastic belt; the chassis are subsequently folded; and the first and second elastic belts disposed on the chassis are bonded together to create a discrete diaper pant. This apparatus and process configuration forms a continuous web of articles formed by intermittently spaced chassis and intermittently spaced elastic belts bridging the gap between the intermittently spaced chassis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for assembling disposable diaper pants, each diaper pant comprising a chassis having a first waist region longitudinally opposed to a second waist region, and having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the chassis comprising: a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, each diaper pant further comprising a ring-like elastic belt defined by a first elastic belt connected with the first waist region and second elastic belt connected with the second waist region, wherein opposing end regions of the first elastic belt are connected with opposing end regions of the second elastic belt to form a waist opening, the process comprising the steps of:
 advancing a first continuous web in the machine direction;   advancing a continuous elastic web having a first surface and an opposing second surface in a machine direction;   cutting the continuous elastic web into discrete elastic patches;   turning each elastic patch such that the direction of stretch is substantially parallel with a cross direction, wherein each elastic patch has a leading end region and a trailing end region;   connecting each elastic patch with the first continuous web;   simultaneously cutting each elastic patch and the first continuous web to form a first elastic belt, a second elastic belt, and discrete chassis;   folding each chassis; and   connecting opposing end regions of each first elastic belt to opposing end regions of each second elastic belt to create discrete diaper pants.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first waist region is a front waist region. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the second waist region is a back waist region. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the step of cutting the continuous elastic web further comprises maintaining the discrete elastic patches in a stretched condition wherein the direction of stretch is substantially parallel with the machine direction. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein each elastic patch and the first continuous web cut along a curvilinear line to form a first elastic belt, a second elastic belt, and discrete chassis having non-linear shapes. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein each elastic patch and the first continuous web cut is substantially extensible in the cross direction. A process for assembling disposable diaper pants, each diaper pant comprising a chassis having a first waist region longitudinally opposed to a second waist region, and having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the chassis comprising: a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, each diaper pant further comprising two first elastic belts connected with the first waist region and two second elastic belts each having proximal end portions connected with the second waist region, wherein distal end regions of the first elastic belts are connected with distal end regions of the second elastic belts to form a waist opening, the process comprising the steps of:
 advancing a continuous web chassis assemblies in the machine direction;   advancing two continuous elastic webs in a machine direction, each elastic web having a first surface and an opposing second surface;   cutting the continuous elastic webs into discrete elastic patches;   turning each elastic patch such that the direction of stretch is substantially parallel with a cross direction, wherein each elastic patch has a leading end region and a trailing end region;   connecting each elastic patch with the continuous web of chassis assemblies;   simultaneously cutting each elastic patch and the continuous length of chassis assemblies to form two first elastic belts, two second elastic belt, and discrete chassis;   folding each chassis; and   connecting distal end regions of each first elastic belt to distal end regions of each second elastic belt to create discrete diaper pants.   
     
     
         8 . The process of claim  7 , wherein the first waist region is a front waist region. 
     
     
         9 . The process of claim  7 , wherein the second waist region is a back waist region. 
     
     
         10 . The process of claim  7 , wherein the step of cutting the continuous elastic webs further comprises maintaining the discrete elastic patches in a stretched condition wherein the direction of stretch is substantially parallel with the machine direction.