Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2 ~ 6 û
, . . .
Field_of the Invention
This invention relates to the method of
manufacturing d1sposable garments such as disposable
diapers or lncontinent pads, and, more particularly,
:~ to the method of forming such garments with elasti-
cized barrier pockets or cuffs formed from or attached
to the body contacting layer o~ the garment which
define a waste containment pocket for body exudates.
: 15 Back round of the Invention
Disposable, absorbent garments, such as
disposable diapers and adult incontinent briefs, have
met with widespread use to absorb and contain body
exudates and thus prevent soiling or wetting of
clothing, bedding and other articles. Commercially
~2- 20~69~
available disposable diapers, for example, are unitar~
preshaped and prefolded garments which include a
moisture-impervious backing layer, a body conkacting
layer or liner and a moisture-absorbent core there-
between. Elasticized leg openings are formed at thesides of the diaper to improve comfort of the garment
and its ability to contain body exudates.
One problem with disposable diapers, incon-
tinent briefs and other garments of the type described
- 10 above is that the elasticized leg openings have not
proven to be entirely effective in retaining body
exudates, particularly loose or liquified fecal
material. It has been found that s~ch material can
leak through the e1asticized leg openings because the
disposable garment fails to constrain the free flow of
the exudate material and no structure is provided to
hold such material within the body contacting liner of
the diaper. As a result, the exudate material tends
to float along the liquid receiving surface o~ the
diaper and work its way past the elasticized leg
flap~.
This problem has been addressed in improved
disposable garments such as disclosed, for example, in
U.S. Patent Nos. 4,704,116 to Enloe and 4,738,677 to
Foreman. The disposable garments disclosed in each of
these patents include an exudate material containment
pocket formed inwardly of the elasticized leg openings
-3~ 6~
on either side of the centerline o~ th~ garmellt This
containmen~ area or poc~et is formed by spaced,
longitudinally extendin~ barrier cuf~s or ~laps which
are either integrally formed in the body contacting
5layer of thP diaper or formed from separate strips
which are adhered to such body contacting layer. If
the barrier cuffs are integrally formed in the body
contacting layer of the garment, each cuf~ is formed
by folding the body contacting layer upon itself in a
10longitudinal direction to obtain opposed longitudinal
sections of materlal which are adhered together One
~"fold" or barrier cuff i5 made in the body contacting
layer on either side of the centerline of the garment.
Alternatively, separate strips of material are folded
15in half and adhered together to form each barrier
cuff, and these cuffs are then bonded to the body
contacting layer of the disposable garment on opposite
sides of the centerline thereof.
Preferably, an elastic member such as a bead
20of natural rubber, elastic tape or the like is adhered
between the opposed sections of material forminy the
barrier cuffs. These elastic members are bonded in
place by ultrasonic bonding, heat/pressure sealing
and/or adhesive beads such as disclosed, for example,
25in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,081,301 to Buell and 4,253,461
to Strickland et al. The elastic member within each
flap or cuff forms gathers therealong where the
.
~- 2~6~
elastic member is adhered there~o, and these gakhers
help the barrier cuf~s to conform to the shape of the
wearer ~or better ~it and to prevent the passage of
body exudates to the elasticized leg openings of the
garment.
One problem with the barrier cu~fs or flaps
forming the waste containment pockets in the dispos-
able garments described above involves the manner in
which the barrier cuffs or flaps are adhered together
and/or to the body contacting layer of the garment.
As mentioned above, the opposed material sections
forming each barrier cuff or flap must be bonded
together and the elastic member associated with each
flap must be bonded between such material sections.
Whether the barrier cuffs or flaps are integrally
formed from the body contacting layer of the dispos-
able garment, or the flaps are separately formed and
then adhered to such body contacting layer, c:ontinuous
or intermittent extruded beads of hot melt adhesive
are typically employed to e~ect a bond therebetween.
It has been observed that such adhesive
bonding techniques, particularly when employed on the
non-woven, ~ibrous material utilized in forming the
- body contacting layer of a disposable gar~ent, often
results in the utilization of more adhesive than is
required. A relatively thick, extruded bead of hot
` melt adhesive, whether applied continuously or
' -5- 2~
intermittently, is highly viscous and does not readily
spread out over the surface of the material formi~g
the barrier CU~X5. Because the strength of the bond
produced by hot mel~ adhesive is dependent to a large
extent on the surface area of contact between the
material to be bonded, a relatively large amount of
adhesive is needed to bond the opposed sections of
material forming the barrier cuff and to adhere the
elastic member thereto.
Another problem with the formation of the
waste containment pocket of such disposahle garments
" is that two separate bonding operations must be
conducted ~o form the barrier cuffs or flaps. In one
opera,tion,.,a,dhesive or other bonding means is used to
adhere the opposed sections of material forming the
barrier cuffs. A second operation and/or additional
bonding equipment is then required to adhere the
elastic member between the sections forming the
barrier cuffs or flaps. These two separate bonding
operations add expense and difficulty to the man-
ufacturing process.
Summar of the Invention
It is therefore among the objectives of this
invention to provide a method of forming a disposable
garment with a waste containment pocket defined by
spaced, elasticized barrier cuffs or flaps which
- reduces the quantity of adhesive required to form the
~6- 20~ 0
barrier cuf~s, which simplifies the manufacturing
operation and which reduces the expense of forming the
waste containment pocket.
These objectives are ,accomplished in a
method of forming a waste containment pocket in a
disposable garment defined by spaced barrier cu~s or
flaps in which each barrier cu~f is formed in a single
bonding operation, using a relatively small quantity
of adhesive. In one preferred embodiment, the adhe-
sive dispenser is effective to apply a controlled,spiral pattern of an elongated adhesive fiber onto a
~longitudinally extending section of material alon~ one
side of an,elastic member held in tension atop such
material. , The spiral pattern of adhesive from such
dispenser is intermittently diverted around and/or
onto the elastic member so that it adheres to the
material at longitudinally spaced locations there-
along. In an alternative embodiment, two adhesive
dispensers mounted side-by-side are employed where`in
one dispenser applies a spiral pattern of an elongat,ed
adhesive fiber alongside the elastic member and the
other dispenser intermittently applies adhesive onto
the elastic member at longitudinally spaced locations
therealong. In either embodiment, the longitudinalLy
extending section of material is subse~uently folded
upon itself so that it adheres together with the
- elastic member contained therein to form the barrier
20~6~
.. , 7--
cuff. When the tensi.on is removed from the elastic
member, it returns to its original length and farms
gathers in the barrier cu~.
This invention is there~ore predicated upon
the concept of applying a thin adhesive fiber pattern
onto at least one side of a longitudinally extending
section of material which is folded to form the sides
of a barrier cuff, and adhering an elastic member
hetween the sides of the barrier cuff at longitudi-
nally spaced locations along the length of the elasticmember, preferably at opposite ends of the elastic
,
member where it is cut to form an individual dispos-
able garmen't. One advantage of this method is that a
relatively small quantit~ of adhesive is required to
effect a bond between the sides of the strip or
section of material forming the barrier cuff. In each
of the presently preferred embodiments, one or more
adhesive dispensers are employed of the. type disclos~d
in U.S. Patent No. 4,785,996. This adhesive dispen~er
is ef~ective to apply a thin, elongated strand or
fiber of adh~sive in a spiral spray pattern onto the
material forming the barrier cuff. The thin, adhesive
strand or fiber covers a relatively large area of the
longitudinally extending section or strip of material
forming the barrier cuff, and thP adhesive fiber is
thin compared to a conventional extruded bead of
:
~" -8- 2~ 60
adhesive. As a re5ult, the sides of the barrier cu~f
are adhered together with an acceptable bond using a
lesser quantity of adhesive than would be required
; with extruded adhesive beads.
S In one presently preferred embodiment of
this invention, the barrier cu~fs or ~laps defining
the waste containment pocket of the disposable garment
are integrally formed in the body contacting layer of
the garment~ In this embodiment, a pair of tensioned,
elastic membars are laid onto or immediately above a
moving section of the body contacting layer of the
"
disposable gaxment. Adhesive dispensers are posi-
tioned wit.h~respect to the body contacting layer so as
to apply a spiral pattern of an elongated adhesive
fiber alongside and substantially parallel to each
elastic member, but not in contact therewith.
In one embodiment, the adhesive pattern
alongside each elastic member is intermittently
diverted onto the elastic members so that they are
adhered to the body contacting layer at longitudinally
spaced locations therealong. This diversion of the
path of the adhesive pattern is accomplished, for
example, by impacting the adhesive discharged from
each adhesive dispenser with a jet of air before it
contacts the body contacting layer. In an alternative
embodiment, a pair of adhesive dispensers are mo~nted
side-by-side above each- of the elastic members placed
` ` ~ 2 ~
on the body contacting layer or the disposable gar-
ment. One of the dispensers in each pair is posi-
tioned to dispense a spiral pattern of an elongated
adhesive fiber alongside a respective elastic member,
while khe other dispenser in each pair is operated
intermittently to dispense an elongated adhesive flber
at longitudinally spaced locations along the elas-tic
member.
The longitudinally extending section of the
body contacting layer adjacent each elastic member
which received the adhesive is then folded over the
elastlc member onto the section of the body contac~ing
layer on t~e opposite side of the elastic member. A
barrier cuff or flap is thus formed on opposite sides
of the centerline of the body contacting layer, each
consisting of two longitudinally extending sections of
the body contacting layer material ~ith an elastic
member therebetween. The elastic member o~ each
barrier cuff is not adhered to the body contacting
layer except in those locations where the adhes.iv~ was
diverted, or intermittenkly dispensed, onto the
elastic member. Preferably, the elastic member is
adhered to the body contacting layer at least in those
areas which~form opposed ends of individual disposable
garments after the body contacting layer and elastic
member are cut to length.
- 2 ~ 0
, ~
--10--
When the tension of the elastic members is
released, i.e., by cutting the b~dy contactirlg layer
to length in the course of forming the disposable
garment, the elastic members return to their original
length and form gathers in the body contacting layer.
The gathers of the two barrier cuffs on either side o~
the centerline of the body contacting layer are
preferably positioned in alignment with one another
and in alignment with the elasticized leg openings in
the finished disposable garment. These gathers of
each barrier cuff aid in resisting passage of body
exudates from the center of the disposable garment
outwardly .toward the elasticized leg openings and also
help the yarment to ~onform to the body of the wearer.
In an alternative embodiment of this inven-
tion, the barrier cuffs are formed from separate
longitudinally extending sections or strips of mate-
rial and then adhered to the body contacting layer of
the disposable garment instead o being integrally
formed from the body contacting layer. The individual
barrier cuffs are formed in the same manner as
described above except that each strip is folded in
half over an elastic member located in the middle
thereof, and then one folded strip or barrier cuff is
adhered to the body contacting layer on opposite sides
of the centerllne of the disposable garment to form
the waste containment poc~et therebetween.
2~6~6~
Descri~tian of the Drawlnqs
The structure, operation and advantages of
the presently preferr~d embodiment o~ this invention
will become further apparent, upon consideration o~
the following description taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the adhesive
dispensing devices applyin~ adhesive patterns onto the
body contacting layer o~ a disposable garment;
Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the
apparatus of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a view of the body contacting
layer of ~,ig. 1 which is folded upon itself to form
opposed barrier cuffs;
Fig. 4 is a schematic, perspective view in
partial cross section of a disposable diaper incorpor-
ating the barrier cuffs formed in accordance with the
steps illustrated in Figs. 1-3;
Fig. 5 is a schematic, perspective vlew of a
dispensing device applying a pattern o~ adhesive onto
a strip of material to form a sin~le barrier cuff;
Fig. 6 is the strip of material illustrated
in Fig. 5 folded on itself to form one barrier cuff;
Fig. 7 is a schematic view of adhesive
dispensers applying spaced patterns of adhesive onto
the body contacting layer of a disposable garment,
-12- 2~
Fig. 8 is a ~chematic view of two barrier
cuf~s of the type shown in ~ig. 6 which are adhered to
a body contactlny layer of a disposable garment along
the adhesive patterns applied thereto in the step of
Fig. 7;
Fig. 9 is a schematic view similar to Fig. 1
but of an alternative embodiment of adhesive dispen-
sers applying adhesive patterns onto the body contact-
i.ng layer of a disposable garment: and
Fig. lO is a view similar to Fig. 5, but
using the alternative dispenser arrangement of Fig. 9.
.
etailed Descri~tion of the Invention
~eferrlng now to Flgs. 1-4, one method is
depicted for formLng a waste containment pocket 10 in
a disposable garment such as a disposable diaper 12.
See Fig. 4. The disposable diaper 12 includes a
moisture-impervious backing sheet 14, a body contact-
ing liner or layer 16 and an absorbent, non-woven core
or pad 18 therebetween. The diaper 12 is formed with
a front waist section 20, a rear wais~ section 22 and
elasticlzed leg openings 24, 26 on either side of the
waste containment pocket 10 which are equidistant from
the cen~erline 2R of the diaper 12.
The method of this invention is directed to
: 25 the formation of the waste containment pocket 10 which
functions to substantially prevent the passage or
leakage of body exudates, and particularly loose fecal
.
- ~13- 2~6~0
material, from the cente.r portion of the disposable
diaper 12 outwardly and through the elasticized leg
openings 24, 26. In the embodiments o~ Figs. 1-4, and
Fig. 9, the waste containment pocket lO i5 formed as
an integral part of the body contacting layer 16. In
the embodiments of Figs. 5-8, and Fig. lO, discussed
below, the waste containment poc~et lO is formed by
attaching separate sections to the body contacting
layer 16 on either side of the centerline 28 of the
disposable diaper 12.
As shown in Fig. l, a flat sheet of the body
. contacting layer 16 lS movable on a conveyor (not
shown) beneath a pair of adhe5ive dispensing devices
30 and 32 which are each carried by a support 33 and
which communicate with an adhesive source 34. Each of
the adhesive dispensing devices 30, 32 is of the type
disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,785,996 to Ziecker st
al, the disclosure of which is incorporated by refer-
ence in its entirety herein. The structural details
of the dispensing devices 30, 32 form no part o~ this
invention per se, and reference should be made to the
4,785,996 patent for the details thereof.
The dispensing devices 30, 32 are each
effective to apply a thin, elongated strand or fiber
of adhesive in a spiral spray pattern 36 onto the body
contacting layer 16. As discussed in detail in the
4,785,9g6 patent, a bead of adhesive is extruded from
-14~
the dispensiny devices 30, 32 and impacted ~ h jets
of air directed tangentiall~ thereto which attenua~e
or stretch the adhesive bead forming an elongated
strand or fiber which is spun or tT,Iisted by the air
jets to form the resulting spiral spray pattern 36.
In the presently preferred embodiment,
elastic members 38 and 40 are placed onto or immedi-
ately above the body contacting layer 16 beneath the
dispensing devices 30, 32, respectively. These
elastic members 38, 40 are maintained under tension as
the body contacting layer 16 passes beneath the
~dispensing devices 30, 32, but are permitted to
retract orl,move back to their normal length when the
tension is released as discussed below. The elastic
members 38, 40 are of the type commonly utiliz~d in
the elasticized leg openings of disposable diapers and
can be ~ormed of such materials as natural rubber,
elastic tape, a bead o~ elastomeric adhesive and the
like.
As shown in Figs. l and 2, the elastic
member 38 is positioned with respect to the dispensing
device 30 such that a longitudinally extending spiral
spray pattern 36 is applied onto the body contacting
layer 16 along one side 42 of the elastic member 38
2~ without contacting the elastic member 38 or the body
contacting layer 16 on the other side 43 of the
elastic member 38. A second adhesive pattern 36 is
~` -15- 2~
applied by the di5pensing device 32 on the opposite
side of the body contacting layer 16 aLong one side 44
of the elastic member 40 without contacting ~he
- elastic member 40 or the body contacting layer 16 on
the opposite side 45 of the elastic member 40.
~ n the embodiment of Fig. 1, an air tube 46
is mounted to each support 33 which carries the
dispensing devices 30, 32, and these air tubes 44 each
have a discharge opening 47 oriented at an angle with
respect to the body contacting layer 16. The air
tubes 44, 46 are each connec~ed to a source of pres-
surized air 48, shown schematically in Fig. 1, and are
effective 'to ejeat a jet of air through their dis-
charge openings 47 against the spray patterns 36.
Each jet of air impacts a spiral spray pattern 36
before~it contacts the surface of the body contacting
layer 16 so that the adhesive patterns 36 are
deflected or diverted around and/or onto the elastic
members 38 and 40 instead of bein~ appLied parallel
thereto.
In the presently pre~erred embodiment, a
controller 50 is connected to the pressurized air
source 48. The controller 50 is operative to supply
pressurized air intermittently or periodically to the
air tubes 46 so that the adhesive patterns 36 are
intermittently diverted onto the elastic members 38,
40 along the body contacting layer 16. The air jets
-16~
impact the spray patterns 36 with su~ficien~ velocity
to both enlarge the width of such patterns 36, and to
cause them to cross over the elastic members ~8 and 40
without breaking up. A5 shown in Fig f 1, one pattern
36 is diverted from the body contacting layer 16 on
one side 42 of the elastic member 38 onto and/or
~ around the ~elastic member 38 and a portion of the body
; contacting layer 16 on the opposite side 43 of the
elastic member 38 at longitudinally spaced areas 49
therealong. Similarly, the other pattern 36 is
diverted from the body contacting layer 16 on one side
. . ,
44 of the elastic member 40 onto and~or around such
elastic me~ber 40 and a portion af the body contacting
layer 16 on the opposite side 45 of the elastic member
40 at longitudinally spaced areas 49 therealong. The
elastic members 38, 40 are therefore adhered to
opposite sides of the body contacting layer I6 at such
longitudinally spaced areas 49. Preferably, the
adhesive spray pattern 36 is diverted onto the elastic
members 38, 40 at least in tho5e areas which fonn
opposite ends of the disposable diaper 12 after the
body contacting layer 16 and elastic members 38, 40
are cut to length.
In an alternative embodiment illustrated in
Fig. 9, substantially the same adhesive spray patterns
are applied to the body contacting layer 16 but with a
different arrangement of adhesive dispensers. In this
~17 2 ~ 6 0
embodiment, a pair o~ adhesive dispensers 90 and 92
are mounted side-by-side to a support 94 immediately
above the elastic member 38, and a second pair of
adhesive dispensers 96 and 98 are mounted by a support
S 100 immedlately above ~he other elastic member 40 atop
the body contacting layer 16. The adhesive dispensers
go, 92 and 96, 98 are preferably o~ the same type as
dispensers 30, 32 of Fig. 1. Each pair of adhesive
dispensers 90, 92 and 96, 98 are connected to an
adhesive suppIy 102, and to a controller 104 which
communicates w1th a source of pressurized, control air
(not shown).
~he adhesive dispenser 90 is positioned with
respect to the elastic member 38 to apply a spiral
adhesive pattern 106 of the same type and configura-
tion as adhesive pattern 36 described above. Such
adhesive pattern 106 is positioned alongside but not
in contact with the elastic member 38. At selected,
longitudinally spaced locations along the elaskic
member 38, the controller 104 is e~ective to operate
adhesive dispenser 92 to apply a spi.ral, elonyated
adhesive fiber pattern loa around and/or onto the
elastic member 38. While the adhesive dispenser 92 ls
operating, the adhesive dispenser 90 is preferably
continuously operated to obtain the uninterrupted
adhes1ve pattern 106 shown in Fig. 9.
-18- 2 ~ 6
The pair of adhesi~e dispensers 96 and 9
operate in the same fashion as dispensers 90, 92.
Adhesive dispenser 98 is positioned with respect to
the elastic member 40 to lay down a spiral adhesive
pattern 110 alongside but not in contact with the
elastic member 40 while the adhesive dispense~ 98 is
operated intermlttently to discharged longitudinally
spaced patterns 112 of a spira~ elangated adhesive
fiher around and/or onto the elastic member 40.
The construction of Fig. 9 therefore pro-
duces substantially the same patterns of adhesive onto
the body contacting layer 16 and elastic members 38,
40 as in ~he embodiment of Fig. 1. In both embodi-
ments, it is important to obtain adhesive patterns
wherein the elastic members 38 and 40 are only bonded
to the body contacting layer 15 at longitudinally
spaced locations while an elongated, substantially
continuous adhesive pattern is applied alongside the
elastic members 38 and 40 directly onto the body
contacting layer 16.
Having applied adhesive ro the, body contact-
ing layer 16 and at longitudinally spaced locations
along the elastic members 38, 40, ~;ith the embodiment
of either Figs. 1 and 2, or Fig. 9, the waste contain-
ment pocket 10 of an individual disposable diaper 12can now be formed. With reference to Figs. 3 and 4,
the waste containment pocket 10 is defined by a pair
19 2~S~
of opposed barrier cu~fs or flaps 54 and S6 locaked on
opposite sides of the centerline z8 o~ the diaper 12
inboard of the elasticized le~ openings 24, 26,
respectively. In the embodiments of Figs. 1-4, and
Fig. 9, these barrier cu~fs 54 and 56 are integrally
formed in the body contacting layer 16 in the folding
operation depicted in Fig. 3. After a spiral spray
pattern 36 or 106 has been applied to opposite sides
of the body contacting layer 16, and 5elected areas of
the ~lastic members 38, 40 have been adhered to the
body contacting layer 16, the section 42 of the body
~contacting layer 16 on the lefthand side of Figs. 1
and 9 which received the adhesive patterns 36 and 106,
respectively, is folded over onto the section 43 of
,
the body contacting layer 16 on the opposite side of
each elastic member 38 to form barrier cuff 54.
Similarly, the section 44 of the body contacting layer
16 on the righthand portlon of Figs. 1 and 9 which
received the adhesive pattern 36 or 110, respectively,
is folded over onto the section 45 on ~he opposite
side of elastic member 40 to form barrier cuf~ 56. As
shown in Fig. 3, the resulting barrier cuffs 54, 56
comprise opposed sides 42, 43 and 44, 45, respec-
tively, with an elastic member 38 or 40 therebetween.
When the body contacting layer 16 is adhered to the
remainlng elements of the disposable diaper 12 as
shown in Fig. 4, these barrier cuffs 54 and 56 are
:,. .
- -20- 2~
located on opposite sides of the cen~erline 28 o~ each
indivi.dual diaper 12 ~o define the waste containment
pocket 10 thereof and are spacea inwardly of the
elasticized leg openings 24, 26, resp~ctively.
As mentioned above, the elastic members 38
and 40 are maintained in a tension throughout the
steps of applylng the spiral patterns 36 of adhesive
and folding the body contacting layer 16 to form the
barrier cuffs 54 and 56. When the tension is released
from the elastic members 38, 40, such as by cutting
them and the body contacting layer 16 to length to
form an lndividual disposable diaper 12, the elastic
members 3a, 40 "snap back" or return to their original
; length. In the course of returning to their original
length, each elastic member 38, 40 forms gathers 52 in
the barrier cuffs 54 and 56, respectively. Prefer-
ably, the elastic members 38, 40 are adnered to the
; body contacting layer 16 at locations which form the
opposed ends of an individual diaper 12, thus forming
gathers 52 therehetween which are ].ocated approxi-
mately in the center of the barrier cu~fs 54 and 56.
The yather5 52 help the diaper 12 to conform to the
shape of the wearer, as well as resist the passage of
exudate material from the waste containment pocket 10
outwardly to the eIasticized leg openings 24, 26.
Referring now to Figs. 5-8 and 10, an
alternative-embodiment of the method of this invention
:
~_ -21- . 2~3~
is illustrated wherein the waste containment pocket 10
of the disposable diaper 12 is de~ined by two identi-
cal barrier cuffs 60 whlch are adhered to the body
contactinq layer 16, but not integrally formed ~here-
with. In one preferred emhodiment, shown in Fig. 5, asingle dispensing device 63 identical to dispensing
devices 30 and 32 and carried by a support 64 applies
a spiral pattern 65 of adhesive onto a relatively
: narrow section or strip 66 of material such as th~
same type of non-woven material forming the body
contacting layer 16, or another suitable material. An
elastic membér 68 of the same type as elastic members
38 and 40~15 located in the middle of the strip 66 and
maintained under tension thereon. The adhesive
pattern 65 is applied to one side 72 of the strlp 66
and extends substantially parallel to but not in
contact with the elastic member 68 of the other side
73 of strip 66. An air tube 74, which is operated in
the identical manner as air tubes 46 described above
by a controller ~not shown), intermittently diverts
the adhesive pattern 65 onto the elastic rnember 68 and
a portion of the side 73 of strip 66 at longitudinally
spaced areas 76 therealong.
In an altPrnative embodiment illustrated in
Fig. lO, a pair of dispensing devices 114 and 116 are
mounted to a support 117 which are identical in
construction and operation to the dispensers 90, 92
~ -~2- 2~
and dispenser5 96, 98 described above in connection
with Fiy. 9. Dispenser device 114 is operated inter-
mittently to apply a 5piral pa~tern 118 o~ adhesive
around and onto the elastic member 68 at longitudi-
nally spaced intervals therealong. The dispensingdevice 116 applies a continuous spiral pattern 120 of
adhesive on one side 72 of strip 66, and this pattern
120 extends substantially parallel to but not in
contact with the elastic member 68 as in the embodi-
ment of Fig. 5. The opposite side 73 of strip 66 isthus substantially free of adhesive except for those
areas where the adhesive pattern 118 extends onto the
elastic member 68 and overlaps onto slde 73 A
The strip 66 is then folded in half so that
: 15 its sides 72 and 73 adhere together and the elastic
- member~68 is captured therebetween to form the barrier
cuff 60. Two barrier cuffs 60 are then attached to
the surface of the body contacting layer 16 on oppo
site sides of the centerline 28 to define the waste
containment pocket 10. As shown ln Fi~s. 7 and 8, the
inner end of each barrier cuff 60 is folded to form a
flap 80, and this flap 80 is brought into contact with
one of the beads or patterns 82 of adhesive applied on
opposite sides of the centerline of the body contact-
; 25 ing layer 16 by suitable adhesive dispensers 84, 86
which are preferahly of the same type as dispensers
: 30, 32 and 63. Alternatively, each individual barrier
-23~ 6~
cuff 60 can be attached to the body contacting layer
16 by other means such as sonic bonding, the applica-
tion of adhesive directly to flap 80 or the like.
When the tension is released on the elastic member 68
S of each barrier cuff 60, such as by cutting the body
contacting layer 16 or strip 66 to length, pleats or
yathers (not shown) are formed in each barrier cuf~ 78
as in the embodiment of Figs. 1-4.
While the invention has been described with
reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be
understood by those skilled in the art that various
changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted
for elements thereof without departing from the scope
of the invention. In addition, many modifications may
be made to adapt a particular situation or material to
the teachings of the invention without departing from
the essential scope thereof.
For example, Figs. l, 2 and 5 illustrate an
air tube 46 or 74 as one means for divertinq or
redirecting the path of the adhesive patterns 36 or 65
applied to the body contacting layer 16 or to the
strip 66. It is contemplated that other means could
be employed to divert the adhesive path such as a
mechanism to intermittently move the adhesive dispen-
sers 30, 32 and 63 perpendicularly relative to the
direction of movement of the body contacting layer 16
or strip 66 to form longitudinally s~aced areas 49 or
^ _~ ~24- 2~
76 therealong where the adhesi~e bonds the elas~ic
members 38, 40 or 68 to the body contacting layer 16
or strip 66.
Therefore, it is intended that the inven~ion
S not be limited to the particular e~bodiment disclosed
as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this
invention, but that the invention will include all
embodiments falling within the scope of the appended
claims.
.
,-
, ,',..
