GB2465543A

GB2465543A - A process of manufacturing preformed hoops

Info

Publication number: GB2465543A
Application number: GB0821020A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christoph Schmitz
Original assignee: Concepts for Success C4S
Current assignee: Concepts for Success C4S
Priority date: 2008-11-18
Filing date: 2008-11-18
Publication date: 2010-05-26
Also published as: GB0821020D0

Abstract

A process of manufacturing preformed hoops (fig 1) from one or two strips of material the preformed hoops may be worn as a headband, armband, tube top or belt for example, via a machine that positions the ends of one or more strips of material so that they can be connected together either permanently via adhesive or thermal bonding or releasably by releasable adhesive tapes or mechanical fasteners. Where two strips 1210 are to be joined together, the strips of material are placed on the surface of the rotating drum or turret of the machine (1300, fig 2A) parallel to each other with their longitudinal axis parallel to the centreline (1305, fig 2A) of the machine. Co-planer to the operating surface of the machine are four pivotally mounted supporting flipping plates 1310' that move from a rested position (1310, fig 2A) perpendicular to the centreline of the operating surface to a position (1310') parallel with the centreline lying on top of the ends 1212, 1218 of the material(s). The supporting plates temporarily fix themselves to the end of the strips e.g. vacuum suction before flipping back to their rested position. In the rested position the ends of the strips are positioned to allow them to be connected to each other to form a preformed hoop before being withdrawn from the equipment. Alternatively a piece of elasticated material may be fixed into the opening of the hoop (fig 2E) to allow the hoop to be adapted into a head band, adapted to form a cap, or adapted to form a disposable article such as a diaper (fig 3). A hoop may be made from a single strip of material using additional support plates to manipulate the strip of material prior to the ends being connected (figs 4A — E).

Description

A manufacturing method for the making of articles comprising or consisting of hoops

Field of the invention

The present invention is a process for the manufacture of articles comprising or consisting of hoops, which are intended to be worn by a wearer, such as a human wearer, such as a head-band or a belt. In particular, the invention relates to the manufacturing of such articles. The present invention further relates to pre-forms for making such hoops.

Background

Conventional processes of manufacturing belts suitable for clothing, garments, or apparel are typically done by very slow production processes, including sewing which cannot be done on high-speed machines. It is conventional in the garment industry, to make belt loops by folding a long strip of fabric longitudinally, usually the same fabric as used for the rest of the garment.

The seam may be closed by stiching with a specialized seaming machine into long continuous webs, or by gluing, or thermobonding or by other conventional means. These webs are then fed into a second specialized machine designed to be cut into relatively short strips of suitable lengths for subsequent sewing of the garment in the form of belt loops. In US 4975140, it is described to cut and seal such strips simultaneously.

US 6681406 (Timberland) relates to the making of garment belts including an extendible insert, which may flex or stretch, while the belt is being worn so that the belt adapts to variations in the wearer's waist size and shape.

US 4134154, describes the making of a belt preferably of a polyethylene material, where the cutting edge as well as side walls and holes are fused by the application of heat thereto to avoid the unraveling of the thermoplastic material. The longitudinal closing is performed by sewing.

However none of the disclosed processes allows the manufacturing of belts at very high production speeds, in particular, if these belts are composed of several materials or pieces. In the present context, very high production speeds relates to the manufacturing of more than about 500 items per minute. Such mass production is typically based on web materials such as but not limited to the ones described in the above mentioned US4134 154, namely synthetic materials, although conventional belt materials such as leather or woven materials may be used.

A particular application of a belt or a hoop structure is in articles or garments, which are worn on the wearer, mostly though not exclusively on a human wearer. Therein, hoops may encircle the waist of a wearer, such as conventional belts do. They may also encircle the head, legs or other extremities of a wearer, such as headbands or sock suspender do. Other articles may include both a waist hoop and leg hoops, as pants may do.

PCT application PCTfEP2008/003844, unpublished -hereinafter referred to as the PCT'3844 application -describes the manufacturing of articles such as pants or pants-like structures, which comprise left and right leg hoops which are folded over along a fold line and which encircle the legs of a wearer during use, and to the manufacturing of such articles. The leg hoops are manufactured by flipping front and rear parts of the hoop material, thereby creating the hoop structure which is essentially with one and the same surface in contact with the skin of the wearer, and a 3D cup shape, to be placed in the crotch area of the wearer when the product is in use. The body conforming 3D or cup shape of the article is further supported if the leg hoop is folded upwardly (i.e. the lateral edges in the cup region are oriented towards the crotch crease of the wearer during use). Whilst this method as described in the PCT'3 844 application is very suitable for forming pants or pants-like structures, it does not related to other articles.

Henceforth, it is an object of the present invention, to provide an alternative method so as to arrive at alternative articles or pre-forms.

Summary

The present invention is a manufacturing method for being carried out on a manufacturing equipment for the manufacture of a pre-form for or an article comprising or essentially consisting of a hoop.

The equipment comprising the elements of a closed loop operating means defming a machine direction (closed loop operating means-MD), a machine centre line aligned with that machine direction, and a cross-direction and a surface oriented essentially parallel to a MD/CD plane. The equipment further comprises rotating equipment attached or otherwise operatively associated to the closed loop operating means comprising support plates, each rotatably mounted around a rotating axis which is essentially parallel to the surface of the closed loop operating means and at a flipping angle with regard to the centre line of between �O and 900 preferably of about 45°.

The method comprises the steps of (a) providing a first web material for forming the hoop extending along the machine direction of the closed loop operating means; (b) separating a piece of the first web material comprising a front and a rear portion along the machine direction and a mid portion there between; (c) affixing the front and rear portions of the piece of first web material each to a support plate of the rotating equipment; (d) rotating the support plates around their rotating axes, such that the front and rear portions of the first web material are positioned at an essentially different angle to the machine direction of the closed loop operating means, preferably at an angle of between 0° and 90°, preferably of about 45° directing towards or away from the machine centre line; (e) optionally folding the pre-form or the article.

In a particular embodiment, the equipment may further comprise a fixation tool attached or otherwise operatively associatcd to the closed loop operating means to allow a tansapfy movement at a predetermined speed relative to the closed loop operating means, and adapted to receive and temporarily hold web materials. Then, the step (d) is executed such that the front portion and the rear portion of the first web material are in an essentially opposed position, and the method comprises the steps of (f) temporarily affixing the front andIor rear portion of the first web material to the fixation tool; (g) moving the fixation tool essentially along a line angled at the flipping angle to the centre line such that the front and rear portions are in a registered position to allow; (h) connecting the front and rear portion to each other, thereby forming a hoop.

In a further particular embodiment, the steps (a) to (d) are applied to a first and to a second web material, wherein each front and rear portion of the first and second web material is affixed each to one support plate, and wherein step (d) is executed such that the support plates are rotated towards the machine centre line such that the front portions of the pieces of first and second web materials and the rear portions of the pieces of the first and second web materials are in a registered position for being connected to each other or to a further material. The method may further comprise the step of (f) connecting permanently or releasably the front portion of the pieces of the first web material to the front portions of the second web material and the rear portions of pieces of the first web material to the rear portions of the second web material to form a closed hoop.

Optionally, the method may further comprise the steps of (g) providing a piece of a centre web material, optionally by separating the pieces from a continuous web material, extending along the machine direction of the closed loop operating means, and comprising a front, and a rear portion, (h) positioning the piece of centre web material relative to the first and second web materials such that upon executing the rotating step (d) the front and rear portions of the first and second web materials are oriented towards the machine center line of the closed loop operating means such that they overlay the front and rear portions of the centre piece, respectively, (1) connecting the front and rear portions of the first and second web material permanently or releasably to each other or to the front and rear portions of the centre piece.

Optionally, the method may include the steps of adding elastification andlor elastification means to the regions forming the hoops and / side panel regions.

The invention further relates to the manufacturing of disposable articles, optionally absorbent disposable articles. The articles may comprise hoops, which are expandable and / or comprise liquid absorbent material.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. I shows a schematic view of a hoop structure; Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of the process steps for making a hoop or a pre-form therefore; Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a loincloth article; Fig. 4 shows schematically the steps for the manufacturing of a hoop from a single hoop web material.

Same numerals in figures correspond to the same features.

Detailed description

In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing of a pre-form which suitabJy can be includçd in the manufacturing of a varicty of articles comprising or essentially consisting of a hoop..

Such articles are typically worn by a wearer, such as a human wearer. Thus such articles may be garments or apparel, which may be worn directly on the skin of the wearer, or which may be worn over other articles. Such articles may cover a smaller or larger part of the body of the wearer, and may cover one part such as the waist or a leg only, or may cover several parts, such as legs as well as waist regions. Without any limitation, such articles may be suspender belts, head bands, armbands, tube tops, or other belt or band-like structures comprising hoops. Such articles may also comprise further materials in addition to one or more hoops, such as in caps, loincloth articles or diapers, pants or pants-like structures. Because of the easy manufacturing, such articles may be disposable, such as when being used as disposable underwear, or for operation theatre clothing. A particular application relates to pants or pants-like structures to be worn on the lower torso of a wearer, which comprise leg hoops, i.e. elements encircling the legs of a wearer during use, such as diapers, training pants, adult incontinence articles or other absorbent or non absorbent articles, which exhibit a particular good body-conforming fit.

Within the current context, the term "hoop" refers to a circular strip of flexible material in particular in the context of or as a garment or apparel. Referring to Fig. 1, such a hoop 1001 forms a closed circular structure, which may, for example, be worn around the waist of a wearer (not shown). The hoop may have a hoop width dimension 1025 and a hoop thickness 1024.

Perpendicularly thereto, the circumferential length (corresponding to the waist circumference of the wearer) may be measured along the length direction 1021 of the hoop. The hoop may have a wearer oriented surface 1050, and an opposite surface 1070. The hoop as shown in Fig. I has two connecting lines or regions 1030, here shown in an "overlap" design, which may connect the respective parts of the hoop permanently, such as by adhesive or thermal bonding, or releasably, such as by releasable adhesive tapes, or may be refastenable such as by using mechanical fasteners, such as of the well known hook-and-loop type. These connecting lines 1030 may be arranged so as to be positioned in the side regions of the wearer, such that one part of the hoop may be considered a front part 1012, and the complementing part the rear part 1018.

The front and/or rear part may further be unitary, or may be made of separate pieces of material attached to each other to form the front or rear part. The hoop may be of a single layer or may be a composite material. The hoop materials 1210 may be a single or any combination as generally suitable for being worn as a garment or apparel, which typically can be described by exhibiting a certain strength, conformability, flexibility, suppleness, skin compatibility etc. In particular, the hoop material may be extensible (i.e. showing at least to a certain extension a relatively low resistance irrespective of retracting forces) or elastic (i.e. exhibiting at least within certain extensions certain retractive forces). During the manufacturing of a hoop, the hoop forming material may be arranged in a hoop pre-form. Within the present context, this refers to the arrangement of the hoop material such that a closed hoop may readily be formed.

This is the case, when the ends of a belt forming material are already e.g. in an overlapping arrangement, and just need the connecting step to close the hoop. This may also be the case, when the parts of a hoop forming material are already repositioned and just need a conventional folding step to be in an arrangement allowing the closure of the hoop. A further way of forming a hoop may be to produce a pre-form, which by combination with another material may form the closed hoop.

An exemplary way of making such hoops or pre-forms for a hoop is explained by referring to Fig. 2. Fig. 2A shows the top view of a closed loop operating means 1300, such as described in more detail in the above referenced PCT'3844 application. The closed loop operation means has a centreline 1305 along the machine (or x-) direction 1020, a width (or y-) direction along the cross machine direction 1021, and a manufacturing orientation 1304 along the machine direction (i.e. in the case of the closed loop operating means being a turret or a drum with a drum surface 1301, the drum rotates along a rotating axis parallel to the CD-ory-direction such that the surface moves along direction 1304, i.e. to the right in Fig. 2A). The closed loop operation means further has flipping equipment 1308 comprising support plates 1310, which are connected to the closed loop operation means. The support plates are rotatably mounted around flipping axes 1160, such that they can flip form a first position (as indicated in Fig. 2A with 1310) into a second position (as indicated in Fig. 2A with 1310' and dashed lines).

Approximating the surface segment of the operating means by a plane (i.e. neglecting for example the curvature of the turret in this section), the axes 1160 are essentially co-planar to the surface of the operating means or x-,y-plane. The axis is further shown at a 45° angle to the longitudinal direction 1020.

The flipping equipment 1308 comprises four rotatably mounted support plates 1310, each one positioned forwardly and rearwardly left and right (relative to the manufacturing direction 1304). As shown, each support plate 1310 is essentially rectangularly shaped The rotating axis 1160 may be positioned at the corner of the support plates, which is both longitunally and laterally most inwardly positioned. When the support plates are rotated by I 80, they change their position from a first position 1310, which is essentially "inwardly" (i.e. towards the centre line 1305) to a second position 1310', which is essentially longitudinally oriented along the outer periphery of the rotating equipment. On each the right and the left perimeter of the rotating equipment, a centre piece holddown plate 1165 is positioned between the front and the rear support plates, essentially stationary affixed to the closed loop operating means.

In order to manufacture a hoop as shown in Fig. I, two strips of web material are provided, which are selected by their properties to be suitable for the intended application. Typically, the hoop materials may be single-or multi layer, bendable, supple, if appropriate soft to wearer's skin, optionally elasticated. Optionally, the hoop materials may comprise absorbent materials, and may expand when being wetted by body exudates such as urine or sweat, thereby capturing these and, such as when the hoop is used as sealing element, also tightening this seal e.g. towards the body. Being a web material, the z-directional extension is typically much smaller than the MD-and/or CD extension. The supply may be done by any conventional processes, such as by providing a first arid a second roll of web materials having the appropriate width and cutting strips having the appropriate length, or by providing one roll of web material, separating it along a longitudinal line and along cross-directional lines into a first and second strip. Each one piece of the strip of web material 1210 for forming the hoop is fed to the closed loop operating means, and positioned on and temporarily affixed to the surface 1300 of the closed loop operating means, such that a mid portion 1215 of the web material overlays the centre piece holddown plates 1165, and the front (1212) and rear (1218) portions extend foward and rearward, respectively (see Fig. 2B). The material has a first surface 1370 which is now oriented towards the surface of the closed loop operating means, and an opposite second surface, which is upwardly oriented in Fig. 2C. The support plates, which are in their first position 1310 when the material is fed to the flipping equipment 1308, are then flipped into their second position (as indicated by 1310' so as to overlay the second surface 1350 of the front and rear portions of the hoop material. A fixation means is activated, such as a controllable vacuum suction, and the front and rear portions are temporarily affixed to the support plates. Upon flipping the support plates back into their first position 1310 whilst the front and rear portions remain affixed thereto, also these are flipped over and are oriented towards the centre line 1305, now forming together with the mid portion an U-shaped form, open towards the centre line. The CD-oriented parts of the Us on the left and the right side may overlap or not, as indicated in Fig. 2D and E, respectively. The CD-oriented (i.e. the flipped) parts of the U can now be seen with their first surface 1370 facing upwardly, whilst the middle part of the U (i.e. the stationary one) still has the second surface 1350 facing upwardly.

The overlapping parts of the hoop material may now be directly connected to each other, thereby forming a hoop, arid may be withdrawn from the rotating equipment.

Optionally, the method may further comprise the step of providing a further material, such as a cut piece of a web material, which may fit into the opening of the hoop 1001. When the hoop is adapted for a head-band, the additional piece may cover the head of the wearer, and the article may be a cap. An additional material may also bridge the space to close the hoop of a pre-form according to Fig. 2E. Upon connecting this piece to the hoop or the hoop pre-form, a cap shaped article may be formed, wherein the hoop may encircle the head of a wearer like a headband, whilst the additional cut piece may cover the head of the wearer.

in Fig. 3 a loincloth article is shown, which can suitably be manufactured by employing the present invention. It comprises a waist hoop 1220 and in addition thereto a centre piece 1010) which is adapted to be positioned with its crotch section 1015 in the crotch region of a wearer, and connected with its front (1012) and rear (1018) portions to the waist hoop. The centre piece may be a simple web material such as cotton weave or a nonwoven web of synthetic or natural material, and thus the articles may be simple disposable underpants. The centre piece may also be an absorbent member, optionally releasably connected to the waist hoop, and thus the article be a simple fully or partly disposable article such as a diaper, such as being well known in the art (see e.g. WO 08/093271).

A further embodiment of the present invention relates to the manufacturing of a hoop out of a single web material. As can be seen in Fig 4, the equipment has essentially only the left or right parts as shown in Fig. 2A, i.e. a front and a rear support plate 1310, and a holddown plate 1165.

The rotating axes of the support plates as shown in Fig. 4A are essentially parallel at an flipping angle of about 45°. In contrast to the above describe process, the support plates are in their first position 13 10 oppositely oriented, i.e. one towards and the other one away from the centre line of the closed 1oop operating means. (If the closed loop operating means is designed such that its centre line is positioned between the support plates in their CD orientation, both support plates will be oriented away there from.) A first web material is provided as described in the above (see Fig. 4B), and the support plates are flipped such that thereafter (ref to Fig. 4C) each one is now in a second position 1310' overlaying a front (1212) or a rear (1218) portion of the first web material, whilst the mid portion 1215 overlays the hoiddown plate 1165. The front and rear portions are affixed to the support plates and these are flipped back into their first position 1310.

In the next step, a further fixation tool (not shown) is positioned over the front and rear portions of said web material and the web portions are affixed thereto. Upon releasing the fixation to the support plates, the fixation tools may be repositioned along a translatory trajectory essentially parallel to the flipping axes. Once the front and rear portions are in registered positioning, they may be connected to each other, optionally to a further material.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method for being carried out on a manufacturing equipment for the manufacture of a pre-form for or an article comprising or essentially consisting of a hoop, said equipment comprising the elements of -a closed loop operating means defining a machine direction (closed ioop operating means-MD,a machine centre line aligned with that machine direction, and a cross-direction and a surface oriented essentially parallel to a MD/CD plane; -rotating equipment attached or otherwise operatively associated to said closed loop operating means comprising support plates, each rotatably mounted around a rotating axis which is essentially parallel to said surface of said closed loop operating means and at a flipping angle with regard to said centre line of between 00 and 900, preferably of about said method comprising the steps of (a) providing a first web material for forming said hoop extending along the machine direction of said closed loop operating means; (b) separating a piece of said first web material comprising a front and a rear portion along the machine direction and a mid portion there between; (c) affixing the front and rear portions of said piece of first web material each to a support p late of said rotating equipment, (d) rotating said support plates around their rotating axes, such that the front and rear portions of said pieces of said first web material are positioned at an essentially different angle to the machine direction of said closed loop operating means, preferably at an angle of between 00 and 900, preferably of about 45° directing towards or away from-said machine centre line (e) optionally folding said pre-form or said article.

2. A manufacturing method for being carried out on a manufacturing equipment for the manufacture of an article comprising or essentially consisting of a hoop, said equipment comprising the equipment elements according to claim I and further a fixation tool attached or otherwise operatively associated to said closed loop operating means to allow a translatory movement at a predetermined speed relative to said closed loop operating means, and adapted to receive and temporarily hold web materials, said method comprising the steps (a) to (e) of claim 1, wherein said step (d) is executed such that said front portion and said rear portion of said first web material are in an essentially opposed position, said method further comprising the step of (0 temporarily affixing said front and/or rear portion of said first web material to said fixation tool; (g) moving said fixation tool essentially along a line angled at the flipping angle to said centre line such that said front and rear portions are in a registered position to allow; (h) connecting said front and rear portion to each other, thereby forming a hoop.

3. A manufacturing method for being carried out on a manufacturing equipment for the manufacture of a pre-form of or an article comprising or essentially consisting of a hoop, said equipment comprising the elements of claim I, said method comprising the steps of(a) to (e) of claim 1, further applying steps (a) to (d) to a first and to a second web material, wherein each front and rear portion of said first and second web material is affixed each to one support plate, and wherein step (d) is executed such that said support plates are rotated towards said machine centre line such that said front portions of said pieces of first and second web materials and the rear portions of said pieces of said first and second web materials are in a registered position for being connected to each other or to a further material;

4. A manufacturing method for being carried out on a manufacturing equipment for the manufacture of an article essentially consisting of a hoop for being worn on the body of a wearer, preferably a human wearer, preferably on the waist, head, or extremities, said equipment comprising the equipment elements according to claim 1, said methods comprising the steps according to claim 3 and further comprising the step of (i) connecting permanently or releasably said front portion of said pieces of said first web material to the front portions of said second web material and the rear portions of pieces of said first web material to said rear portions of said second web material to form a closed hoop.S. A manufacturing method for being carried out on a manufacturing equipment for the manufacture of an article comprising a hoop for being worn on the body of a wearer, preferably a human wearer, preferably on the head or waist, wherein said article has preferably a loincloth or a cap structure, said equipment comprising the equipment elements according to claim 1, and said method comprising the steps of manufacturing a pre-form according to claim 3, further comprising the steps (j) providing a piece of a centre web material, optionally by separating said pieces from a continuous web material, extending along the machine direction of said closed loop operating means, and comprising a front, and a rear portion, -to - (k) positioning said piece of centre web material relative to said first and second web materials such that upon executing said rotating step (d) the front and rear portions of said first and second web materials are oriented towards said machine center line of said closed loop operating means such that they overlay the front and rear portions of said centre piece, respectively, (I) connecting said front and rear portions of said first and second web material permanently or releasably to each other or to said front and rear portions of said centre piece.6. A method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising the steps of adding elastication and/or elastification means to the regions forming the hoops and / side panel regions.7. A method according to any of the preceding claims for the manufacture of disposable articles.8. An article obtainable by a manufacturing method according to any of the preceding claims.9. An article according to claim 6, said article being a disposable and br an absorbent article, optionally comprising an expandable hoop comprising liquid absorbent material.