| Three-piece disposable undergarment with stretchable crotch member -> Monitor Keywords |
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Three-piece disposable undergarment with stretchable crotch memberRelated Patent Categories: Apparel, Body GarmentsThree-piece disposable undergarment with stretchable crotch member description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070101476, Three-piece disposable undergarment with stretchable crotch member. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/452,340, filed Jun. 2, 2003, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/261,805, filed Oct. 1, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,979,380, and also is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/325,500, filed Dec. 19, 2002, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND [0002] The present invention relates generally to disposable undergarments, and in particular, to a three-piece undergarment having a folded, stretchable crotch member and to the method for the manufacture thereof from a nested front and rear body panel web. [0003] Disposable undergarments can be configured in many different forms. For example, disposable absorbent garments can be configured as a pant-type, pull-on garment, or as a diaper-type product that is drawn up between the legs and fastened about the waist with various fastening systems. Often, absorbent garments include an outer cover, which forms at least a part of a body panel that is secured around the waist of the user. In addition, the outer cover typically extends along a crotch region of the garment. [0004] Often, the outer cover is made from a single piece of material, with leg openings cut therein, for example by die cutting. The material from the leg cut out, which can account for as much as 20-30% of the total area of the outer cover, typically is waste material, which must be disposed of or recycled. In addition, the size of the leg openings formed by a die cutter in a conventional one-piece outer cover is typically fixed. As such, it can be expensive and time consuming, and reduces the overall flexibility of the manufacturing line, to switch dies and alter the process to manufacture different size garments. [0005] In response to this problem of waste, some garments are configured with front, rear and crotch sections formed from a single web that is divided into two nested halves, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,151 and Japanese Patent Application 03-176053 A. However, the webs of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,151 have overlapping crotch portions that are directly secured one to the other. Accordingly, the overall rise of the garment is not readily varied to accommodate different size users, and the range of sizes is limited by the extent of the overlapping regions. [0006] Conversely, the diaper body of Japanese Patent Application 03-176053 A is positioned over the cut-out portions of a front and back waistband, such that the exposed portion of the waist bands defining in part the leg holes are linear. Instead, the shape of the leg hole is determined by the cut shape of the diaper body, which produces excess material that must be disposed of or recycled. [0007] In addition, the crotch member, which is often configured as an absorbent insert, is typically not stretchable. Often, the non-stretchable crotch member is secured across its entire width, which can reduce or otherwise impede the elongation of the body panel and thereby adversely affect its ability to conform to the body of the user. [0008] Therefore the need remains for improved methods and assemblies for manufacturing undergarments to reduce the waste of materials while providing improved comfort for the user and flexibility in manufacturing different size garments. SUMMARY [0009] Briefly stated, in one aspect, a method of manufacturing an undergarment includes moving a web of body panel material in a longitudinal machine direction and cutting the web of body panel material along the longitudinal machine direction to thereby form a rear body panel web and a front body panel web each having a maximum rise and a minimum rise respectively. The maximum rise of each of the rear and front body panel webs is greater than the minimum rise of a corresponding one of the rear and front body panel webs. The method further includes shifting at least one of the rear and front body panel webs in the longitudinal machine direction and thereby aligning the maximum rises of the rear and front body panel webs. The method further includes aligning a crotch member with the maximum rises of the rear and front body panel webs and connecting the crotch member to the front and rear body panels. The crotch member includes at least one stretchable component including an elastic material. [0010] In one embodiment, the cutting of the web of body panel material along the longitudinal machine direction includes forming a substantially sinusoidal pattern defining the maximum and minimum rises of each of the rear and front body panel webs. [0011] In one embodiment, the front and rear body panel webs are cut along the lateral cross direction proximate the minimum rise of each of the front and rear body panel webs. Also in one embodiment, the crotch member is folded. [0012] In another aspect, a die is used to cut the web of body panel material. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a cut edge along each of the front and rear body panel webs, wherein the cut edges of the front and rear body panel webs have a first and second shape respectively. In one embodiment, the first shape is different than the second shape. [0013] In another aspect, the wave pattern defining the cut edges of the front and rear body panel webs is not symmetrical relative to a centerline extending in the longitudinal machine direction. In particular, the curve defining the cut edge on one side of the centerline has a different shape than the curve defining the cut edge on the other side of the centerline. In one example, the curves, if continuous on both sides of the centerline, would have a different wavelength. [0014] In another aspect, one embodiment further includes elongating the web of body panel material in the longitudinal machine direction before cutting the web of body panel web. In this way, the pitch of the garment can be easily changed simply by varying the amount of elongation introduced into the web before the web is cut. [0015] In yet another aspect, one embodiment of the method further includes varying a gap formed between the maximum rises of each of the rear and front body panel webs. In this way, the overall rise of the garment can be easily changed simply by varying the gap. [0016] In various embodiments, elastic elements are positioned along one or more of the outer lateral edges of the inner cut edge of one or more of the webs. [0017] In various embodiments, the stretchable crotch member is formed of an elastic/stretchable material. In one particular embodiment, one or both of a top sheet and backsheet, with a retention portion disposed therebetween, are stretchable and include an elastic material. [0018] In another aspect, a method includes stretching at least one of the back sheet and top sheet. In yet another aspect, a method includes instructing a user on the user of a disposable undergarment is provided. [0019] The various aspects provide significant advantages over other disposable undergarments and methods. For example and without limitation, the nested body panels of one embodiment maximize the area of body coverage while minimizing and virtually eliminating the amount of waste material. In addition, the stretchable crotch member can be stretched with the body panels to conform to the body of the user. In addition, the elastic material of the crotch member allows the crotch member to stretch and retract, further improving the fit of the garment. [0020] The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of general introduction, and are not intended to limit the scope of the following claims. The presently preferred embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a system for manufacturing an absorbent garment. Continue reading about Three-piece disposable undergarment with stretchable crotch member... Full patent description for Three-piece disposable undergarment with stretchable crotch member Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Three-piece disposable undergarment with stretchable crotch member patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. 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