MXPA96002344A - Sanitary absorbent article with a system of insurance through adhesive covered by desprendible strips, and method and apparatus to pack the article absorb - Google Patents

Abstract

A sanitary napkin with side-projecting tabs, the adhesive securing system of the sanitary napkin includes three zones of adhesive in a separate relationship, namely, an area on the main body of the sanitary napkin and an area on the surface looking at the pledge of each locating tab, a peel-off, quick-release protective layer covers the areas of adhesive when the sanitary napkin is not used, the protective layer includes a primary tear-off strip extending longitudinally over the sanitary napkin to cover the area of adhesive on the main body and a secondary transverse release strip that overlaps the adhesive areas on the locating tabs, this arrangement allows the complete protective layer to be removed in a single detachment stroke, the invention also relates to a method and apparatus for folding a tongue locator of the sanitary napkin on its main body during a packaging operation that inserts the sanitary napkin into a disposable bag, the method comprises the steps of creating a crease in the transverse peel-off strip of the protective layer, near the junction between the locating tongue and the main body of the sanitary napkin The transversal tear-off strip is made of rigid paper material so that the fold keeps the locating tongue in a bent condition during the packing operation.

Description

SANITARY ABSORBENT ARTICLE WITH A SYSTEM OF INSURANCE THROUGH ADHESIVE COVERED BY UNPRINTED STRIPS. AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING THE ABSORBENT ARTICLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the technique of manufacturing structures for absorbing exudate from the body and very particularly to a disposable sanitary absorbent article with a rapid removal protective layer that covers the securing system by adhesive of the absorbent article when the latter is not using The invention also encompasses a method and apparatus for folding the absorbent article.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Disposable absorbent articles, such as sanitary napkins, are maintained against the perineal region of the wearer by adhesive securing of the sanitary napkin to the crotch portion of the undergarment. The adhesive securing system generally comprises a plurality of adhesive areas distributed over the barrier layer that creates a bond with the undergarment material to hold the sanitary pad in place despite movements and compression forces that they act on it particularly when the user is walking or otherwise changing the position of their legs. In recent years, the industry has designed sanitary napkins with ubiquitous tabs projecting laterally to fold around respective edges of the undergarment to more positively hold the sanitary napkin in place. To develop an effective retention force, the location tabs are adhesively secured to the garment facing surface. Therefore, the sanitary napkin has at least three adhesive zones, namely an area on the main body of the sanitary napkin and two additional adhesive zones on each location tab. To protect the adhesive system while the sanitary napkin is not being used, the manufacturer typically applies a protective layer on each adhesive zone, which is detached by the user immediately before placing the sanitary napkin on the garment. The protective layer is generally made of paper having an external non-tacky surface. A particularly useful material is semi-milled kraft paper, whose contact side with the adhesive has been treated with silicone to provide easy release properties. Some difficulty arises with this approach since a plurality of separate protective layers are necessary, one for each zone of adhesive. Therefore, the user is required to detach several paper strips separately to expose the entire adhesive system, which is time-consuming and annoying. In addition, the paper strips must be removed with some degree of care to prevent the adhesive areas from contacting each other or the barrier layer of the sanitary napkin. If such an accident occurs, the product may become unusable, especially if the adhesive exposed on a locating tab makes contact with the adhesive area on the main body of the sanitary napkin.

OBJECTS AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is a sanitary absorbent article with a protective layer for the adhesive system that can be removed quickly and conveniently. Another object of the invention is a novel method and apparatus for folding the sanitary article for ease of packaging. As is modalized and extensively described herein, the invention provides a disposable sanitary absorbent article for securing with adhesive to an undergarment of a wearer, said absorbent article comprising: a main body including: a) a permeable cover layer to liquids of contact with the body; b) an absorbent center below said cover layer permeable to liquids contacting the body, said absorbent center being in liquid communication relationship with said cover layer, whereby the liquid discharged onto said cover layer is transferred to the absorbent center to be stored in the same; c) a liquid permeable barrier layer below said absorbent center, said barrier layer preventing the liquid trapped in said absorbent center from passing to the main body of a garment facing surface thereof; - a locating tab projecting laterally from each longitudinal side of said main body, each locating tab being flexible and being capable of bending around a respective edge of an undergarment on which said absorbent article is to be installed; - an adhesive securing system for releasably retaining said absorbent article to the undergarment, said securing system with adhesive including: a) a first adhesive zone on a garment facing surface of said main body; b) a second zone of adhesive on a surface facing the garment of one of the locating tongues; c) a third adhesive zone on a garment-facing surface of the other of the locating tabs, said first, second and third adhesive zones being in a separate relationship; d) a peelable protective layer covering said area of adhesive, said peelable protective layer comprising: i) a primary releasable strip extending generally longitudinally on said main body and releasably secured to the first adhesive zone; ii) a secondary tear-off strip which extends generally transversely over said main body and which is freely fixed to said second and third areas of adhesive, said peelable strips crossing each other. In a preferred embodiment, the sanitary absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin, includes a primary tear-off strip extending longitudinally over the main body of the sanitary napkin to cover the first zone of adhesive which during use is bonded with the surface that look towards the body of the garment. Most preferably, the first adhesive zone is formed by a pair of longitudinally extending adhesive strips running almost the entire length of the main body. The secondary release strip is mounted transversely on the sanitary napkin, overlapping the primary strip to cover the adhesive areas on the locating tabs with their end portions. By pulling the primary tear-off strip, the secondary tear-off strip is moved to expose the entire adhesive system in one felling stroke. A diverse layout where the primary removable strip overlaps the secondary removable strip is also possible. Under this modality, the user needs to pull the secondary strip to effect the removal of the entire protective layer. To avoid the central portion of the tear-off strip that is higher up < the reference point for "above" is a sanitary napkin with a barrier layer on the upper part) it buckles or buckles, it is proposed to adhesively secure both peel-off strips at their point of intersection. The application of the protective layer during the manufacture of the sanitary napkin is a two-step operation. In a highly preferred embodiment, sanitary napkins are directed by a conveyor system to a first processing station that deposits a primary release strip on each sanitary napkin. At this point, the sanitary napkins have not been cut into individual products and are still joined in series, thus forming a continuous band. The first processing station comprises a vacuum roller immediately above the conveyor belt, which is supplied with continuously releasable strip material obtained from the supply reel. An adhesive applicator deposits cast glue in a lane on the releasable strip material between the supply reel and the vacuum roller. The material of releasable strip coated with adhesive is clamped against the circumference of the vacuum roll and cut transversely thereon in discrete primary releasable strips. The continuous rotation of the vacuum roller which is regulated in time with the linear speed of the conveyor belt deposits the releasable strips on the sanitary napkins. The hot melt adhesive is transferred to the barrier layer of each sanitary napkin and is permanently bonded thereto so that when the releasable strip is released the adhesive will remain on the barrier layer. The secondary release strip is applied to a second processing station by the intermediation of a roller that transfers a continuous strip of release strip material coated with adhesive to the web containing the sanitary napkins. It should be noted that in addition to depositing on the release strip material the adhesive that will be transferred to the locating tabs, an additional adhesive site is created to attach the secondary release strip to the underlying primary release strip at the point where they intersect. Unlike the procedure that takes place in the first processing station, there is no cutting of the strip material on the roller. The web of the release material is separated into individual release strips subsequently at a die cutting station where the & amp;;? Band of sanitary napkins is cut into individual products. To manufacture a sanitary napkin with a protective layer wherein the primary tear-off strip overlaps the secondary peel-off strip the same procedure is observed with the exception that the order of deposition of the strips is reversed, ie the secondary strip is first applied followed by the primary tear-off strip. As odalized and extensively described herein, the invention also provides a method for folding a sanitary absorbent article that includes a release strip covering an adhesive zone of said sanitary absorbent article, said release strip exhibiting a shape retention capacity when is folded, said method comprising the steps of: - folding said sanitary absorbent article, and - forming a fold in said peelable strip in a crease region of said sanitary article, whereby said peelable strip assists the sanitary absorbent article to maintain a bent condition resisting efforts that tend to unfold the release strip. In this specification, the expression "fold said sanitary absorbent article" should be considered as the action of placing a part of the sanitary absorbent article on another part thereof, without any limit as to the relative size or dimensions of the parts. In this way, the fold of the sanitary absorbent article in half, or the bending of only a small part, such as a locating tab, on the main body would fall within the scope of this phraseology. The term "shape retention capacity" refers to a material that after being deformed has a tendency to remain in the deformed condition. The term "bent condition" used subsequently in the text designates the relation between parts of the sanitary napkin carried by the bending movement one sote the other and the formation of an angle therebetween which is substantially less than 160 °. The fold operation broadly defined in the above is particularly useful during the packing operation of sanitary napkins when they are folded to be inserted into disposable bags. The packaging operation is a delicate procedure because sanitary pads, once folded, have an immediate tendency to unfold, which makes inserting the product into the difficult bag. The fold of the release strip overcomes this potential difficulty because the release strip material is permanently deformed and will then oppose the natural tendency of the sanitary napkin to unfold. Therefore, the sanitary napkin is kept in a bent condition for a period long enough to complete the packing operation. It should be noted that bending and bending operations can be performed at different times or simultaneously. In the first case, the bending operation is performed first, followed by the folding operation which permanently deforms the release strip. In a highly preferred embodiment, the bending operation begins by laying a locating tab on the liquid permeable cover layer that contacts the body. A convenient way to bend the locating tabs is by directing a jet of compressed air into the sanitary napkin to carry the locator tongue in a bent condition. When the air jet is activated, the sanitary towel passes underneath a folding roll that folds with sufficient pressure to form a sharp edge on the release strip. Since the release strip is attached to t5 the folded locator tab and the remaining portion of the sanitary napkin will keep the locating tab bent without any noticeable manifestation of shape recovery for several hours. In practice, it is sufficient to keep the locating tongue bent for a sufficiently long time to "Allow the packing station to insert the sanitary napkin into the individual bag." Da >At the high speed of the machines available today, this time frame is short, ranging from a fraction of a second to a few followed at most. The ability of the release strip to resist the natural tendency of the sanitary napkin to unfold depends mainly on two factors. First, the release strip material must have a shape retention property so that once folded it can not return 3 times to its original configuration. Second, the material must be sufficiently rigid. The coated paper material that is typically used in the prior art for making release strips satisfies those requirements. It works particularly well to keep J tabs located on the sanitary napkin folded against the cover layer. It should be noted that the locating tabs are thin structures and the force required to maintain them in a bent condition is small. In this way, a thin release strip material is sufficient. You can also contemplate the fold of the sanitary napkin in a much thicker region, such as bending it in half which requires bending the entire absorbent system sharply. For such applications, a thicker release strip material will be required to maintain the sanitary napkin in a folded condition since it now manifests a much higher elasticity. As has been broadly modeled and described herein, the invention also provides a method for folding a sanitary absorbent article that includes: a) at least one tongue projecting from a main body of said sanitary absorbent article; and b) a release strip covering an adhesive zone of said sanitary absorbent article, said release strip extending over a joint between said tab and the main body and manifesting a shape retention capacity when folded, said method comprising the step of folding said tongue on said main body in the joint to a sufficient degree to cause the release strip to acquire a durable bent condition, whereby said release strip resists the stresses that tend to unfold the tongue. The expression "durable bent condition" means that the release strip will not easily return to its original configuration. Two specific possibilities fall within the scope of this expression. First, the tear-off strip has very little memory and remains permanently folded. Second, the release strip is able to recover the shape, however, the recovery of form is slow. Therefore, when the force that bends the release strip is discontinued, the release strip remains bent for an appreciable time and does not immediately return to its original condition (not bent). For example, the "durable bent condition" can be acquired by folding the release strip. As is modalized and broadly described herein, the invention also provides an apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article that includes a release strip covering an adhesive zone of said sanitary absorbent article, said release strip exhibiting a shape retention capacity when folded , said apparatus comprising: means for folding said sanitary absorbent article; and - means for forming a fold in said release strip in a fold region of said sanitary absorbent article, whereby said release strip helps the sanitary absorbent article maintain a bent condition by resisting the stresses tending to deploy said release strip. In a highly preferred embodiment, the means for folding the sanitary absorbent article and the means for folding are different devices, such as the above-described air jet and folding roller. However, the combination of bending and folding functions can be considered together so that these operations are performed simultaneously. A possible example is a roller that would bend the sanitary absorbent article and fold the elastic strip at the same time. As is modeled and extensively described herein, the invention also provides an apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article that includes a) at least one tongue projecting from a main body of said sanitary absorbent article.; and b) a release strip covering an adhesive zone of said sanitary absorbent article, said release strip extending over a joint between said tab and the main body and manifesting a shape retention capacity when it is bent, said apparatus comprising means for folding said tab on said main body in the joint to a sufficient degree to cause the release strip to acquire a durable bent condition, whereby said release strip resists the stresses that tend to unfold the tongue. As is modalized and broadly described herein, the invention also provides a sanitary absorbent article that includes an adhesive zone for securing said sanitary absorbent article to an undergarment of a wearer and a release strip covering said adhesive area, said sanitary absorbent article. being in a bent condition and said release strip including a fold in a bent region of said sanitary absorbent article, said release strip exhibiting a shape retention capacity when folded, whereby said release strip assists said sanitary absorbent article to maintain a bent condition to resist efforts that tend to deploy said release strip. As modalized and broadly described herein, the invention also provides a sanitary absorbent article that includes: a) at least one tongue extending from a main body of said sanitary absorbent article, said tab being folded over the main body; and b) a release strip covering a zone of adhesive of said sanitary absorbent article, said release strip extending over a junction between the tab and said main body, the release strip being bent at the joint and manifesting a retaining capacity of sufficient form for resist efforts that tend to unfold said tongue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sanitary napkin according to the invention having a rapid removal protective layer for the adhesive system. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the sanitary napkin shown in Figure 1, the protective layer being shown partially detached; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a processing station for applying a first component of the protective layer to sanitary napkins; Figure 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vacuum roll of the processing station shown in Figure 3; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second processing station for applying a second component of the protective layer to the sanitary napkins; Figure 5 is a schematic side elevational view of an apparatus for folding a tab of the sanitary napkins during a packaging operation; Figure 6 is a schematic side elevation view of a device for reversing sanitary napkins during the packaging operation; Figure 7 is a schematic side elevational view illustrating sanitary napkins when released from the reversing device; The figure & is a perspective view of a device for completing the bending operation of the sanitary napkin; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of a sanitary napkin constructed in accordance with a vanante.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED MODALITY The present invention provides a sanitary absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin, having a peelable protective layer that is liberally attached to the adhesive system, which can be quickly and conveniently removed as one piece. With reference to the accompanying drawings, the sanitary napkin designated broadly by the reference numeral 10 comprises a liquid permeable cover layer 12 which overlaps an absorbent center (not shown in the drawings). The absorbent center preferably includes sputtering mold material and is comparatively thin, i.e. having a few millimeters thick. The cover layer is highly porous to allow the liquid dispensed on the surface of the sanitary napkin to quickly reach the absorbent center. Beneath the absorbent center a barrier layer m made of liquid impervious material, such as polyethylene, is provided to prevent the liquid trapped in the absorbent center from leaving the sanitary napkin and staining the user's undergarment. The cover layer 12 and the barrier layer i < + are joined along their marginal portions to form a reservoir that holds the absorbent layer with the absorbent center retained. Bonding can be done by means of adhesives, heat bonding, mechanical crimping or any other suitable procedure. Note that in Figures 1 and 2 the sanitary napkin 10 is shown in an inverted position; its normal position of use being such that the cover layer 12 is on the upper part and the barrier layer m is on the lower part. To stabilize the sanitary napkin in the wearer's undergarments, a pair of locating tabs 16 and iß projecting laterally on each longitudinal side edge of the sanitary napkin is provided. The locating tabs 16 and lñ are double layer laminated structures. The upper layer is formed by the extension of the cover 12 and the lower layer by an extension of the barrier layer ii +. The locating tabs 16 and lfi are flexible so they can be folded around the edges of the undergarment. To secure the sanitary towel 10 against the user's undergarment, an adhesive securing system comprising a pair of adhesive zones 20 and 22 on the barrier layer of the main body of the sanitary napkin is provided. The areas of adhesive 20 and 22 are in the form of elongated bands slightly spaced from one another. The bands extend almost all along the sanitary napkin. further, the adhesive securing system comprises adhesive areas 24 and 26 on the tongue portions located on the barrier layer 14. To protect the securing system with adhesive while the sanitary napkin is not being used, a peelable protective layer 26 covers the areas adhesive The protective layer comprises a primary release strip 30 that extends longitudinally on the sanitary napkin and has a width sufficient to extend the adhesive strips 20 and 22. To protect the adhesive zones 24- and 26 when placing the tabs, a secondary peel-off strip 32 it is placed transversely on the sanitary napkin, thus crossing the primary strip 30. The preferred material for making the release strips 30 and 32 is bleached kraft paper coated with silicone on the surface facing the adhesive to provide a non-tacky side. The disposable paper material available from ALR0SIL (a division of International Paper) having a basis weight of 11.35 per ream with a silicone coating of 1.27 kg per ream has been found satisfactory.

To prevent the central portion of the secondary strip 32 from buckling or buckling when handling a sanitary napkin, it adheres to the back surface of the primary strip 30 by means of a zone of adhesive 34. This is a very weak bond since that one of the surfaces is a silicone coating. However, sufficient has been found to prevent the secondary strip 32 having free movement. To install the sanitary napkin 10, it is sufficient to detach the protective layer 2fi. This is done by first removing the main strip of stripper 30. By doing so, the secondary strip stripper 32 is also removed. As a result, the entire adhesive system is exposed in a single detachment stroke that is quick and convenient for the user. The sanitary napkin 10 is manufactured by a continuous process during which several layers forming the absorbent structure are laid one on top of the other and sealed to form a continuous band 40 of sanitary napkins joined together with each other. The final step of the manufacturing process, immediately before packing, is to cut the die into discrete products. Typically, the band is formed by first placing on a conveyor belt a continuous band of cover cap material. Subsequently, the transfer layers overlapped by absorbent centers are deposited in a separate relationship on the web of cover layer material. Finally, a band of barrier layer material is immediately placed on top of the absorbent centers and sealed to the underlying cover band to encapsulate the absorbent structures as a whole. The web is then directed to the processing station shown in Figure 3 provided to deposit on the sanitary napkin preforms 36 (by "preforms" are meant sanitary napkins which are integrally joined to each other to form the strip 40) primary tear-off strips 30. The processing station comprises a vacuum roller provided with perforations on its circumferential surface through which a pressure difference can be established. Vacuum is effected only on the perforations that are inside the sector 42 having an annular extension of approximately 120 °. The sector 42 creates an active suction region that causes a band to adhere to the surface of the roller 41 as it travels through that region. Outside the boundaries of the active suction region, the web is no longer retained on the roller 41. Figure 3A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the roller 41 and illustrates how the active suction region is implemented. The roller 41 is a hollow structure in which a stationary manifold 44 connected by a conduit 46 to a vacuum source (not shown in the drawings) is mounted. The manifold 44 has a convex wall 46 with openings closely spaced from the periphery of the drum 41 to establish a fluid communication relationship between the vacuum source and the perforations on the drum 41 that is in the active legion 42. On top of the vacuum roller 41 is mounted a cutting roller 50 which rotates at the same linear speed of the vacuum roller 41. The cutting roller 50 includes a plurality of axially extending cutting blades 52 which are circumferentially separated by a distance corresponding to the width of a primary release strip 30. The release strip material is supplied to the grip between the cutting roller 50 and the vacuum roller 41 as a continuous web 54 from a supply reel (not shown). The strip of release strip material is carried by the action of the cutting roller 50 into discrete primary release strips 30 which are retained against the vacuum roller 41 as they enter the active suction region. In this manner, the discrete primary release strips 30 are firmly retained against the vacuum roller 41 until they pass below the lower limit of the active vacuum region where they are deposited on individual sanitary towel preforms 36. The primary release strips 30 provide a convenient vehicle for depositing the adhesive material forming the bands 20 and 22 on the sanitary towel preforms 36. At this end, the adhesive is applied on the silicone-treated surface of the strip 54 of the release material between the supply reel and the grip of the rolls 50 and 41 by any suitable device such as a thickness or a slot coater. The adhesive is a hot melt adhesive known to those skilled in the art. H.B Fu11er Canada is a supplier of a variety of hot melt adhesive particularly well treated for use on sanitary napkins or other sanitary absorbent articles. The adhesive is applied on the web 54 according to a pattern to adapt the desired position of adhesive areas on the final product. In the example shown, the adhesive is deposited as trapsversally separated strips to form the adhesive strips 20 and 22. During use, the web 54 is coated with adhesive and then cut into successive primary stripping strips 30 and finally deposited on sanitary napkin preforms respective 36. During the application of each primary release strip 30 on the respective sanitary napkin preform, the adhesive-i bands are transferred to the barrier layer and permanently adhered thereto. It should be noted that the vacuum roller 41 is driven at a different linear speed than the sanitary napkins preforms 36 to allow the individual peel-off strips 30, which are laid one on top of the other, to correspond to the respective preforms 36 that are in a separate relationship . At this end, the vacuum roller 41 is operated in steps instead of being rotated at a continuous speed. At each angular increment, the roller is accelerated until its linear velocity equals the speed of an input preform. In this way, although the preform 36 and the vacuum roll 41 are in contact with each other there is no sliding between them to allow proper transfer of the release strip 30. After the transfer is completed, the vacuum roller is it slows down for a period before starting a new angular increment for the next preform 36. After this operation is completed, the web 40 passes through a second processing station which applies the secondary release strips 32. The material of The release strip is supplied to the processing station as a continuous web 56, coated with adhesive at separate intervals to create the adhesive zones 24, 26 and 34 and then pressed against the sanitary napkin preforms 36, on the primary release strips 30. application is made by a roller 5ß and has a linear speed that corresponds to the travel speed of the band 40. A different At the first processing station, no cutting occurs at the second processing station, and as a result, there is no need to use a vacuum roller to hold discrete elements. The next processing station, not shown in the drawings, uses a cutting apparatus with a die that separates the sanitary napkins 36 from one another to form final products. During the cutting operation, the continuous strip 56 of release material is cut between adjacent products. This completes the manufacture of sanitary napkins. The next operation carried out in the production line is the packaging processing that consists of folding the sanitary pads 10 and then placing them in individual bags. Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of the first processing station of J to packaging section. The processing station comprises a conveyor belt 60 traveling in the direction of the arrow 62. Above the conveyor belt 60 a large suction housing 64 connected to a vacuum source (not shown) is provided. The band 60 has 66 arrangements of perforations spaced apart from one another by a distance corresponding to approximately twice the length of the Locating tongue The perforations of a given arrangement 66 are designed to hold a sanitary napkin or its main body by suction on the lower surface of the band 60 and allow the locating tabs to hang. This aspect allows the tongue to be bent against the cover layer of the sanitary napkin as will be described later. An air jet 66 generates a stream of compressed air against the forward tab 16 and forces the tab to bend against the cover layer of the sanitary napkin. While the tongue 16 is kept in the condition bent by the compressed air stream, passes through a grip formed by a folding roller 70 and the surface of the conveyor belt 60. The roller 70 creates a significant amount of pressure to form a sharp fold in the secondary release strip 32 in the region of the fold between the tongue locator 16 and the main body of sanitary napkin. Since the release strip 32 is attached to both the locating tab 16 and the main body of the sanitary napkin, when the release strip is folded, due to the inherent stiffness, it will keep the locating tab in the folded condition. The next processing station of the packaging section is shown in Figures 6 and 7 and comprises an inverter designed to flip the sanitary napkins upwards. In other words, the sanitary pads will come back so that their cover layers are up. The inverter is an endless conveyor belt with projection slats 72 that define bags containing sanitary napkins between them. The conveyor belt 60 terminates its horizontal operation where the conveyor belt of the inverter turns a roller 54 so that the bags containing sanitary napkins are widely opened. When the individual sanitary napkins 10 pass below the vacuum region created by the suction housing 64, they are released from 2b the conveyor belt 6 and enter the respective container bags of the inverter. The sanitary pads 10 travel hop on the inverter until they reach a roller 76 which is surrounded by the conveyor belt. At this point, the slats are separated so that the individual sanitary napkins are free to enter the bags and fall on a third conveyor belt 76 which is similar to the conveyor belt 60 in that it comprises provisions 60 of openings passing below the belt. a suction housing 62 for holding the sanitary pads 10 by the main body by the vacuum effect. Figure 6 illustrates the arrangement of the perforations of a single arrangement 60. It will be noted that the perforations are concentrated in the central position of the conveyor belt 76 so that only the central portion of the main body will be subjected to vacuum. This will allow the longitudinal ends and the locating tabs to be bent as will be described later. As the sanitary napkins 10 are discharged from the inverter, they pass under a guide 64 whose purpose is to bend the locating tab 16. The guide 64 is a curved plate that converges towards the conveyor belt 76 to fold the locating tabs 16 progressively and also folding the secondary tear-off strip 32 into the joint between the tongue 16 and the main body of the towel. The pressure exerted on the sanitary napkin increases significantly when the tail end of the guide 64 is reached, which causes the peel strip 36 to fold which will hold the tongue 16 folded until the packing operation is completed. It will be noted that the peelable tongue 16 is unlikely to unfold as the sanitary napkin passes between the increasingly narrow passage of the guide 64 because the tongue 16 is held in a tightly folded condition by the folded peel-off strip 32. The sanitary pads 10 leaving the guide 64 are in the manner shown in Figure 6, with their fins bent against the cover layer that makes contact with the body. The next step of the bending operation is to run the sanitary napkin through longitudinally extending guides 66 and 66 that gradually cover the longitudinal ends of the sanitary napkin to fold them progressively against the covering layer. At this point, the bag is formed around the sanitary napkin to provide a protective envelope to avoid contamination of the product during transport and storage. The method and apparatus used to form the individual bags will not be described here since they are well known in the industry and do not form part of the present invention. In a possible variant, the order of placement of the release strips 30 and 32 is reversed so that the larger release strip 30 is on top of the smaller release strip 32. This embodiment is suitable for applications where it is desirable the effect of removing the entire removable protective layer by pulling the strip covering the areas of adhesive 24, 26 on the locating tabs 16, 16 respectively. To manufacture this vanant, the procedure as described in the beginning is followed except that the processing station applying the secondary release strip 32 is placed before the processing station that applies the primary release strip. In a further variant, two smaller release strips, covering the respective adhesive strips 20, 22 could replace the main stripping strip 30 to reduce the amount of stripping strip material required to cover the adhesive system. This embodiment is shown in Figure 9. The smaller peel-off strips that replace the single tear-off strip 30 are designated by reference numerals 100 and 102. To manufacture this mode, two changes are required. First, the cutting roller 50 is provided with additional cutting blades 52 so that the strip 54 is separated into narrower strips. Second, the adhesive deposition pattern on the web 56 is modified so that each secondary release strip 32 is bonded to each of the strips 100 and 102 at 104 and 106. The applications of the product, method and apparatus of the present invention for sanitary uses and other uses of health care can be achieved by any methods and techniques of sanitary protection, incontinence, medical and absorbent as known to those skilled in the art currently or as a project. Thus, it is intended that the present application cover the modifications and variations of this invention as long as they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (6)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS 1. - A disposable sanitary absorbent article for securing with adhesive to an intimate garment of a wearer, said absorbent article comprising: a main body including: a) a cover layer permeable to liquids contacting the body; b) an absorbent center below said cover layer permeable to liquids contacting the body, said absorbent center being in liquid communication relationship with said cover layer, whereby the liquid discharged onto said cover layer is transferred to the absorbent center to be stored therein; c) a liquid permeable barrier layer below said absorbent center, said barrier layer preventing the liquid trapped in said absorbent center from passing to the main body of a garment facing surface thereof; a locating tab projecting laterally from the longitudinal side of said main body, each locating tab being flexible and being capable of bending around a respective edge of an undergarment on which said absorbent article is to be installed; an adhesive securing system for releasably retaining said absorbent article to the undergarment, said securing system with adhesive including: a) a first zone of adhesive on a surface of said garment facing main body; b) a second zone of adhesive on a surface of one of the locating tabs facing the garment; c) a third adhesive zone on one surface of the other of the garment facing tabs, said first, second and third adhesive zones being in a separate relationship; d) a removable protective layer covering said area of adhesive, said removable protective layer comprising: i) a primary release strip extending generally longitudinally on said main body and releasably fixed to the first zone of adhesive; 11) a secondary tear-off strip extending generally transversely over said main body and releasably secured to said second and third areas of adhesive, said tear-off strips crossing each other.
2. 2. A disposable sanitary absorbent article according to claim 1, further characterized in that the primary tear-off strip is bonded to the secondary peel-off strip.
3. 3. A disposable sanitary absorbent article according to claim 2, further characterized in that the primary tear-off strip is adhesively connected to the secondary tear-off strip at a point at which said strips intersect.
4. 4. A disposable sanitary absorbent article according to claim 1, further characterized in that the secondary tear-off strip overlaps the primary peel-off strip.
5. 5. A disposable sanitary absorbent article according to claim 1, further characterized in that the primary release strip overlaps the secondary peel-off strip. 6. A disposable sanitary absorbent article according to claim 1, further characterized in that said adhesive securing system includes a plurality of areas of adhesive on the main body that are in a separate relationship, said primary release strip having sufficient dimensions for covering said plurality of areas of adhesive. 7. A disposable sanitary absorbent article according to claim 6, further characterized in that said adhesive securing system includes a plurality of longitudinally extending adhesive strips, said primary stripping strip having a sufficient transverse dimension to encompass said strips of adhesive. Adhesive that extend longitudinally.
6. 6. A disposable sanitary absorbent article according to claim 6, further characterized in that it comprises: a fourth area of adhesive on said main body; and releasable secondary strips releasably affixed to said fourth zone of adhesive. 9. - A disposable sanitary absorbent article according to claim 6, further characterized in that said secondary release strip crosses the release strip other than the primary and secondary release strips. 10. A disposable sanitary absorbent article according to claim 6, further characterized in that said primary release strip and said secondary release strip are in the form of longitudinally extending strips that are separated from one another. 11. A disposable sanitary absorbent article according to claim 6, further characterized in that said peelable strips comprise paper material having a non-tacky surface. 12. A sanitary absorbent article that includes a zone of adhesive for securing said sanitary absorbent article to an undergarment of a wearer and a release strip covering the area of adhesive, said sanitary absorbent article being in a folded condition and said peel-off strip including a fold in a bent on of the sanitary absorbent article, and said release strip exhibiting a shape retention capacity when folded, whereby said release strip assists said sanitary absorbent article to maintain a folded condition resisting efforts tending to reduce said strip removable. 13. - A sanitary absorbent article according to claim 12, further characterized in that said release strip is retained to said sanitary absorbent article at two sites in a separate relationship, said fold being formed between said sites. 14. A sanitary absorbent article according to claim 12, further characterized in that said sanitary absorbent article includes a pair of adhesive zones in a separate relationship, said releasable strip covering said zones, said fold being formed between said zones. 15. A sanitary absorbent article according to claim 14, further characterized in that said bent on is located appropriately at a junction between a locating tab of said sanitary absorbent article and a main body of said sanitary absorbent article. 16. A sanitary absorbent article according to claim 12, further characterized in that said sanitary absorbent article includes: a pair of tongues located in a main body of said sanitary absorbent article; a zone of adhesive on each locating tab, said strip releasable covering the areas of adhesive on each of the locating tabs, said locating tabs being in a condition bent on said main body; and a pair of folds in each peel strip located in the respective joints between said locating lugs and the main body, said peel strip assisting the locating lugs to maintain a bent condition. 17. A sanitary absorbent article according to claim 12, further characterized in that said peelable strip includes paper material. 16. A sanitary absorbent article that includes: a) at least one locating tab extending from a main body of said sanitary absorbent article, said locating tab being folded over the main body; and b) a release strip covering a zone of adhesive of said sanitary absorbent article, said release strip extending over a junction between the locating tab and said main body, the release strip being bent at the joint and manifesting a sufficient retaining capacity to resist efforts that tend to unfold said tongue. 19. A sanitary absorbent article according to claim 16, further characterized in that said release strip is folded in said joint. 20. A sanitary absorbent article according to claim 19, further characterized in that said release strip is retained to said sanitary absorbent article at two sites in a separate relationship, said fold being formed between said sites. 21. A sanitary absorbent article according to claim 20, further characterized in that said sanitary absorbent article includes a pair of adhesive zones in a separate relationship, said removable strip covering said zones, said fold being formed between said zones. 22. A sanitary absorbent article according to claim 21, further characterized in that said sanitary absorbent article includes: a pair of tongues locating a main body of said sanitary absorbent article.; a zone of adhesive on each locating tab, said strip detachable covering the areas of adhesive on each of the locating tabs, said locating tabs being in a condition bent on said main body; and a pair of folds in each peel strip located in the respective joints between said locating lugs and the main body, said peel strip assisting the locating lugs to maintain a bent condition. 23. A sanitary absorbent article according to claim 19, further characterized in that said peelable strip includes paper material. 24. A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article that includes a removable strip that covers an adhesive zone of said sanitary absorbent article, said removable strip manifesting a shape retention capacity when folded, said method comprising the steps of: folding said sanitary absorbent article, and forming a fold in detachable strip in a fold region of said sanitary article, whereby said release strip helps the sanitary absorbent article to maintain a bent condition resisting stresses that tend to unfold the strip detachable. 25. A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 24, further characterized in that it comprises the step of retaining said release strip to said sanitary absorbent article at two sites in a separate relationship and forming said fold between said sites. 26. A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 25, further characterized in that it comprises the step of adhesively retaining said strip detachable to said sites. 27. A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 24, further characterized in that it comprises the step of applying pressure in said fold region to fold said release strip. 26. A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 27, further characterized in that it comprises the step of directing a jet of compressed gas into said sanitary absorbent article to bend said sanitary absorbent article, and applying pressure to said region. of folding with a folding roller to fold said strip detachable. 29. A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 27, further characterized in that it comprises the step of passing said sanitary absorbent article against an inclined guide to progressively bend said sanitary absorbent article and applying pressure to said sanitary absorbent article. fold to fold said strip detachable. 30. A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 24, further characterized in that said release strip is made of paper material. 3i.- A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article that includes: a) at least one tongue projecting from a main body of said sanitary absorbent article; and b) a release strip covering an adhesive zone of said sanitary absorbent article, said release strip extending over a joint between said tab and the main body and manifesting a shape retention capacity when folded, said method comprising the step of folding said tab on said main body at the junction to a sufficient degree to cause the release strip to acquire a durable bent condition, whereby said release strip resists the stresses that tend to unfold the tab. 32. - A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 31, further characterized in that it comprises the step of folding said release strip into said joint. 33. A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 32, further characterized in that it comprises the step of retaining said release strip to said sanitary absorbent article at two sites in a separate relationship and forming the fold between said sites. 34.- A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 33, further characterized in that it comprises the step of adhesively retaining said strip detachable to said sites. A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 32, further characterized in that it comprises the step of applying pressure on said joint to fold said release strip. 36.- A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 32, further characterized in that it comprises the step of directing a jet of compressed gas into said tongue to bend said tongue over the main body, and applying pressure to said region of said body. fold with a folding roller to fold said strip detachable. 37.- A method for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 32, further characterized in that it comprises the step of passing said tongue against an inclined guide that progressively bends said tongue against said main body and applies pressure to the joint. to fold the strip detachable. 36.- An apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article that includes a removable strip that covers an adhesive zone of said sanitary absorbent article, said removable strip manifesting a shape retention capacity when folded, said apparatus comprising: means for folding said article sanitary absorbent; and means for forming a fold in said release strip in a fold region of said sanitary absorbent article, whereby said release strip helps the sanitary absorbent article to maintain a bent condition by resisting the stresses tending to deploy said release strip. 39.- An apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 36, further characterized in that said means for folding said sanitary absorbent article comprises a nozzle for directing a jet of gas in said sanitary absorbent article. 40.- An apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article in accordance with claim 36, further characterized in that said means for folding said sanitary absorbent article comprises an inclined guide to progressively bend said sanitary absorbent article as said sanitary absorbent article is displaced. against the guide. 41. An apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article in accordance with the rei indication 36, further characterized in that said means for forming a fold in said release strip includes a folding roller passing over said fold region. An apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 36, further characterized in that said means for forming a fold in the release strip includes an inclined guide for applying pressure to said fold region as said sanitary absorbent article. is displaced against the guide. 43.- An apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article that includes: a method for folding a sanitary absorbent article that includes: a) at least one tongue projecting from a main body of said sanitary absorbent article; and b) a release strip covering an adhesive area of said sanitary absorbent article, said release strip extending over a joint between said tab and the main body and manifesting a shape retention capacity when folded, said apparatus comprising the step of folding said tab over said main body in the joint to a sufficient degree to cause the strip to detach to acquire a durable bent condition, whereby said release strip resists the stresses that tend to unfold the tongue. 44. An apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 43, further characterized in that it comprises the step of folding said strip detachable in said joint. 45.- An apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 44, further characterized in that said means for bending said tongue comprise a nozzle for directing a gas jet in said tongue. 46.- An apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 44, further characterized in that said means for bending said tongue comprise an inclined guide to progressively bend said tongue against the main body as said sanitary absorbent article is displaced against The Guide. 47. An apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 44, further characterized in that said means for forming a fold in said release strip includes a folding roller. 46.- An apparatus for folding a sanitary absorbent article according to claim 36, further characterized in that said means for forming a fold in the release strip includes an inclined guide for applying pressure to said joint as said sanitary absorbent article is displaced against the guide. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A sanitary napkin with laterally projecting tongues; The system of assurance by means of adhesive of the sanitary napkin includes three zones of? , injurious in a separate relationship, namely, an area on the main body of the sanitary napkin and an area on the surface facing the intimate garment of each locating tongue; a quick peel-off protective layer covers the areas of adhesive when the sanitary napkin is not used; the protective layer includes a primary tear-off strip extending longitudinally on the sanitary napkin to cover the area of adhesive on the main body and a transverse secondary tear-away strip that overlaps the adhesive zones on the locating tabs; this arrangement allows the complete protective layer to be removed in a single detachment stroke; The invention also relates to a method and apparatus for folding a locating tab of the sanitary napkin onto its main body during a packing operation that inserts the sanitary napkin into a disposable bag; the method comprises the steps of creating a fold in the transverse strip of the protective layer, near the junction between the locator tab and the main body of the sanitary napkin; the transverse release strip is made of rigid paper material whereby the fold keeps the locating tab in a bent condition during the packaging operation. 33 / crm * ieoh P96-266