Patent Grant
11617687
The present disclosure relates to methods for manufacturing absorbent articles, and more particularly, to apparatuses and methods for assembling elastic laminates for making absorbent article components.
Along an assembly line, various types of articles, such as for example, diapers and other absorbent articles, may be assembled by adding components to and/or otherwise modifying an advancing, continuous web of material. For example, in some processes, advancing webs of material are combined with other advancing webs of material. In other examples, individual components created from advancing webs of material are combined with advancing webs of material, which in turn, are then combined with other advancing webs of material. In some cases, individual components created from advancing web or webs are combined with other individual components created from other advancing web or webs. Webs of material and component parts used to manufacture diapers may include: backsheets, topsheets, leg cuffs, waist bands, absorbent core components, front and/or back ears, and fastening components. Once the desired component parts are assembled, the advancing web(s) and component parts are subjected to a final knife cut to separate the web(s) into discrete diapers or other absorbent articles.
Some diaper components, such as leg elastics, barrier leg cuff elastics, stretch side panels, and waist elastics, are constructed from elastic laminates. Such elastic laminates may be assembled in various ways depending on the particular diaper design. For example, some elastic laminates may be constructed from one or more nonwoven substrates bonded to an elastic film. In some configurations, the elastic film may be stretched and then bonded with the nonwoven substrates to form an elastic laminate.
Some existing elastic laminate assembly operations may have certain drawbacks. For example, manufacturing operations may be configured with machines adapted to grip and stretch the films before bonding the stretched films to other substrates, such as nonwoven layers. With some gripping operations, portions of the film may remain unstretched in the assembled elastic laminate. Such unstretched portions of the film may add no benefit with respect to the desired elasticity of the assembled elastic laminate. However, the unstretched portions of the film may be bonded with one or more nonwoven layers to help anchor and secure the film to the nonwoven substrates. In addition, the nonwoven layers may be bonded directly to each other in areas where the elastic film is not present. In use, the elastic laminates may be stretched by applying forces to the elastic laminates in the regions where the unstretched portions of the film are anchored to the nonwovens. As such, when assembling elastic laminates, it may be advantageous to utilize bond configurations that help to ensure that the unstretched portions of the film and the nonwovens remain bonded together and do not separate from each other during use. However, such bond configurations used to bond nonwovens to each other and/or to unstretched portions of the films may not be suitable for bonding stretchable portions of films to the nonwovens and may detract from the desired stretch properties, aesthetic appearance, and/or tactile impression of the assembled elastic laminate. Conversely, bond configurations used to bond stretchable portions of films to the nonwovens may not be suitable for bonding nonwovens to each other and/or to unstretched portions of the films, because such bond configurations may not provide the strength needed to ensure that unstretched portions of the film and/or nonwovens remain bonded together during use.
Consequently, it would be beneficial to provide methods and apparatuses for assembling elastic laminates that are configured to apply pluralities of bonds with different bond densities in different regions of the elastics laminates.
In one form, a method for assembling elastic laminates comprises the steps of: providing a first substrate and a second substrate, the first substrate and the second substrate each comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface, a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge separated from the first longitudinal edge to define a width in a cross direction; providing a first elastic film and a second elastic film, each of the first elastic film and the second elastic film comprising a stretched central region; positioning the stretched central region of the first elastic film in contact with the second surface of the first substrate; positioning the stretched central region of the second elastic film in contact with the second surface of the first substrate; forming an elastic laminate by advancing the second substrate in a machine direction to position the first surface of the second substrate in contact with the stretched central regions of the first and second elastic films, wherein the elastic laminate comprises a first bonding region and a second bonding region, wherein the first bonding region is defined where the stretched central region of the first elastic film is in direct contact with the second surface of the first substrate and the first surface of the second substrate, and wherein the second bonding region is positioned completely outside the first bonding region; applying a first plurality of ultrasonic bonds to the elastic laminate to define a first bond density in the first bonding region; and applying a second plurality of ultrasonic bonds to the elastic laminate to define a second bond density in the second bonding region, and wherein the elastic laminate comprises at least one more layer in the second bonding region than in the first bonding region.
In another form, a method for assembling elastic laminates comprises the steps of: providing a first substrate and a second substrate, the first substrate and the second substrate each comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface, a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge separated from the first longitudinal edge to define a width in a cross direction; providing a first elastic film and a second elastic film, each of the first elastic film and the second elastic film comprising a stretched central region; positioning the stretched central region of the first elastic film in contact with the second surface of the first substrate; positioning the stretched central region of the second elastic film in contact with the second surface of the first substrate; forming an elastic laminate by advancing the second substrate in a machine direction to position the first surface of the second substrate in contact with the stretched central regions of the first and second elastic films, wherein the elastic laminate comprises a first bonding region and a second bonding region, wherein the first bonding region is defined where the stretched central region of the first elastic film is in direct contact with the second surface of the first substrate and the first surface of the second substrate, and wherein the second bonding region is positioned completely outside the first bonding region; applying a first plurality of ultrasonic bonds to the elastic laminate to define a first bond density in the first bonding region; and applying a second plurality of ultrasonic bonds to the elastic laminate to define a second bond density in the second bonding region, wherein the first bond density is not equal to the second bond density, or wherein the first bond density is equal to the second bond density and wherein at least one of the first plurality of ultrasonic bonds comprises a shape that is different from a shape of at least one of the second plurality of ultrasonic bonds.
FIG. 4B1 is a cross sectional view of first and second elastic materials being combined with the first substrate and reinforcement layers of
FIG. 4B2A is a cross sectional view of a single elastic material being combined with the first substrate and reinforcement layers of
FIG. 4B2B is a cross sectional view of the combined single elastic material, first substrate, and reinforcement layers of FIG. 4B2A.
FIG. 4B2C is a cross sectional view of the elastic material of FIG. 4B2B being slit into a first elastic material and a second elastic material.
The following term explanations may be useful in understanding the present disclosure: “Absorbent article” is used herein to refer to consumer products whose primary function is to absorb and retain soils and wastes. “Diaper” is used herein to refer to an absorbent article generally worn by infants and incontinent persons about the lower torso. The term “disposable” is used herein to describe absorbent articles which generally are not intended to be laundered or otherwise restored or reused as an absorbent article (e.g., they are intended to be discarded after a single use and may also be configured to be recycled, composted or otherwise disposed of in an environmentally compatible manner).
An “elastic,” “elastomer” or “elastomeric” refers to materials exhibiting elastic properties, which include any material that upon application of a force to its relaxed, initial length can stretch or elongate to an elongated length more than 10% greater than its initial length and will substantially recover back to about its initial length upon release of the applied force. In some configurations, “elastic,” “elastomeric,” or “elastically extensible” material be stretched by at least 50% strain without rupture or breakage at a given load at 0.1 sec-1 strain rate, and upon release of the load the elastic material or component exhibits at least 70% recovery (i.e., has less than 30% set). For example, an elastic material that may have an initial length of 25.4 mm may stretch to at least 38.1 mm (50% stretch) and, upon removal of the force, retract to a length of 27.95 mm (i.e., have a set of 2.54 mm or 20%) when measured immediately.
As used herein, the term “joined” encompasses configurations whereby an element is directly secured to another element by affixing the element directly to the other element, and configurations whereby an element is indirectly secured to another element by affixing the element to intermediate member(s) which in turn are affixed to the other element.
The term “substrate” is used herein to describe a material which is primarily two-dimensional (i.e. in an XY plane) and whose thickness (in a Z direction) is relatively small (i.e. 1/10 or less) in comparison to its length (in an X direction) and width (in a Y direction). Non-limiting examples of substrates include a web, layer or layers or fibrous materials, nonwovens, films and foils such as polymeric films or metallic foils. These materials may be used alone or may comprise two or more layers laminated together. As such, a web is a substrate.
The term “nonwoven” refers herein to a material made from continuous (long) filaments (fibers) and/or discontinuous (short) filaments (fibers) by processes such as spunbonding, meltblowing, carding, and the like. Nonwovens do not have a woven or knitted filament pattern.
The term “machine direction” (MD) is used herein to refer to the direction of material flow through a process. In addition, relative placement and movement of material can be described as flowing in the machine direction through a process from upstream in the process to downstream in the process.
The term “cross direction” (CD) is used herein to refer to a direction that is generally perpendicular to the machine direction.
The term “bond density” refers to bond frequency and/or aggregate bond coverage. The term “bond frequency” refers to the number of bonds per cm2 as determined by the Bond Dimension Test Method herein.
The term “aggregate bond coverage” refers to the sum of the bond areas in a given region as determined by the Bond Dimension Test Method herein.
“Design element” as used herein means a shape or combination of shapes that visually create a distinct and discrete component, regardless of the size or orientation of the component. A design element may be present in one or more patterns. A design element may be present one or more times within one pattern. In one nonlimiting example, the same design element is present twice in one pattern—the second instance of the design element is smaller than the first instance. One of skill in the art will recognize that alternative arrangements are also possible. Design elements may comprise insignia. Design elements and/or combinations of design elements may comprise letters, words and/or graphics such as flowers, butterflies, hearts, character representations and the like. Design elements may be formed from bonds, including the shape of one or more bond(s). Design elements and/or combinations of design elements may comprise instructional indicia providing guidance or instruction to the caregiver relative to placement and/or fit of the article about the wearer.
“Pattern” as used herein means a decorative or distinctive design, not necessarily repeating or imitative, including but not limited to the following: clustered, geometric, spotted, helical, swirl, arrayed, textured, spiral, cycle, contoured, laced, tessellated, starburst, lobed, blocks, pleated, concave, convex, braided, tapered, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the pattern includes one or more repeating design elements.
“Insignia” as used herein means objects, character representations, words, colors, shapes or other indicia that can be used to distinguish, identify or represent the manufacturer, retailer, distributor or brand of a product, including but not limited to trademarks, logos, emblems, symbols, designs, figures, fonts, lettering, crests or similar identifying marks.
The terms “registration process,” “registration system,” “registration,” “register,” “registered,” or “registering” as used herein refer to a machine control process or system for controlling a substrate or laminate, (which can have multiplicity of pre-produced objects, such as graphics, bonds, patterns, design elements, and/or insignia spaced on the substrate or laminate at a pitch interval that may vary in the machine direction) through a converting line producing articles, by providing a positional adjustment of the pre-produced objects on the substrate or laminate to a target position constant associated with a pitched unit operation of the converting line.
The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for manufacturing absorbent articles, and more particularly, apparatuses and methods for assembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent article components. Particular aspects of the present disclosure involve methods for assembling an elastic laminate including a first substrate and a second substrate with a first elastic material and a second elastic material bonded between the first substrate and the second substrate. In addition, some configurations of the elastic laminates may include one or more reinforcement layers positioned between unstretched portions of the elastic materials and the substrates. It is to be appreciated that in some configurations, the first and/or second elastic materials may be elastic films and/or elastic laminates, and in some configurations, the first and/or second substrates and/or reinforcement layers may be nonwovens. The first and second elastic materials are separated from each other in a cross direction and each include a first edge region and a second edge region separated from the first edge region in the cross direction by a central region, wherein the central regions are stretched in the cross direction. During assembly, an elastic laminate may be formed by positioning the first and second substrates in contact with stretched central regions of the first and second elastic materials. As discussed in more detail below, the elastic laminate may include two or more bonding regions that may be defined by the various layers or components of the elastic laminate that are laminated or stacked relative to each other. In some configurations, a first bonding region is defined where the stretched central region of the first or second elastic film is in direct contact with the first substrate and the second substrate, and at least a second bonding region is positioned completely outside the first bonding region. In turn, a first plurality of bonds are applied to the elastic laminate to define a first bond density in the first bonding region, and a second plurality of bonds are applied to the elastic laminate to define a second bond density in the second bonding region, wherein the second bond density may not be equal to the first bond density. In some configurations, the first bond density may be equal to the second bond density and wherein at least one of the first plurality of bonds may define a shape that is different from a shape of at least one of the second plurality of bonds. After bonding, the elastic laminate may also be cut along the machine direction to form a first elastic laminate and a second elastic laminate. It is to be appreciated that the bonds described herein may be created with various types of method and apparatus configurations, such as for example, adhesives, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding, and/or high pressure bonding that may utilize non-heated or heated rolls.
It is to be appreciated that the elastic laminates herein may include two or more bonding regions that may be defined in various ways depending on how the elastic laminate is constructed. For example, in some configurations, a bonding region may be defined where the first substrate is in direct contact with the second substrate. In some elastic laminates, the first edge region and/or the second edge region of the first and/or second elastic materials may be unstretched when positioned in direct contact with both the first and second substrates. As such, a bonding region may be defined where an unstretched edge region of an elastic material is in direct contact with either or both the first substrate and the second substrate. As previously mentioned, in some elastic laminates, the first edge region and/or the second edge region of the first and/or second elastic materials may be unstretched when positioned in direct contact with reinforcement layers and/or the first and/or second substrates. Thus, a bonding region may be defined where a reinforcement layer is in direct contact with an unstretched edge region of an elastic material and either the first substrate or the second substrate. In addition, a bonding region may also be defined where the reinforcement layer is in direct contact with both the first substrate and the second substrate. As such, the methods and apparatuses herein may be configured to apply pluralities of bonds with different bond densities in different bonding regions of the elastics laminates during the assembly process. It is also to be appreciated that the methods and apparatuses herein may be configured to apply pluralities of bonds with equal bond densities in different bonding regions of the elastics laminates during the assembly process wherein one bonding region includes at least one bond defining a shape that is different from a shaped defined by at least one bond in another bonding region. Thus, different bonding configurations may be used to bond nonwovens to each other and/or to unstretched portions of the films may that might not otherwise be suitable for bonding stretchable portions of films to the nonwovens and/or may detract from the desired stretch properties, aesthetic appearance, and/or tactile impression of the assembled elastic laminate. For example, relatively high bond densities may be used when bonding nonwovens to each other and/or to unstretched portions of the films to help ensure the elastic films and nonwovens remain secured to each other during use, whereas relatively low bond densities may be used when bonding nonwovens to stretched portions of the films to help maintain desired stretchability characteristics of the elastic laminate.
It is to be appreciated that various configurations and arrangements of apparatuses may be used to assemble elastic laminates in accordance with the methods herein. For example, the apparatuses and methods disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 62/374,010, filed on Aug. 12, 2016, and U.S. Patent Application No. 62/406,025, filed on Oct. 10, 2016, may be configured to assemble elastic laminates having various bonding configurations such as described herein. To help provide additional context to the subsequent discussion of elastic laminates and assembly configurations, the following provides a description of an apparatus that may be configured to operate in accordance with the methods disclosed herein.
With continued reference to
As shown in
As shown in
As mentioned above, stretched elastic materials, reinforcement layers, and substrates may be combined on the anvil 102 to form elastic laminates having two or more bonding regions. The assembled components of the elastic laminates may then be bonded together on the anvil 102 in the bonding regions. As shown in
Although the apparatus 100 is illustrated as including an ultrasonic mechanism 130, it is to be appreciated that that apparatus 100 may be configured to bond assembled components of the elastic laminates together in various ways. For example, the apparatus 100 may be configured to bond components of the elastic laminates together with adhesives, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding, and/or high pressure bonding that may utilize non-heated or heated rolls. Example methods and apparatuses that may be used to bond the elastic laminates herein are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,854,984 and 6,248,195 and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2013/0218116 A1; 2013/0213547 A1; 2014/0377513 A1; and 2014/0377506 A1.
As shown in
It is also to be appreciated that the anvil roll 102 may be configured with bonding elements 132 and/or bonding surfaces 133 having different sizes and shapes. For example, in some embodiments, the bonding elements 132 and/or bonding surfaces 133 may have perimeters 135 that define circular shapes, square shapes, rectangular shapes, diamond shapes, elliptical shapes, and various types of other shapes. The bonding elements 132 and/or bonding surfaces 133 may also be arranged with various sized gaps or distances between each other. The bonding surfaces 133 may also be configured to define various different areas and may also be configured to include channels. Additional configurations of bonding elements that may be used with the apparatuses and methods herein are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2014/0377513 A1 and 2014/0377506 A1.
As shown in
It is to be appreciated that the anvil may be configured with various numbers of lanes of bonding elements 132 and bonding surfaces 133 configured in various ways. For example, as shown in
As previously mentioned, the apparatus 100 described above with reference to
As shown in
It is also to be appreciated that the second and third reinforcement layers 214, 216 may be formed in various ways. For example, as shown in
With continued reference to
With continued reference to
It is to be appreciated that during the transfer from the first spreader mechanism 112 to the anvil 102, the first elastic material 226 may be removed from the first spreader mechanism 112 at or upstream of the second location 122. As previously mentioned, the outer circumferential surface 104 of the anvil 102 may be fluidly connected with the vacuum source 105, and as such, vacuum air pressure may be applied to the first substrate 206 on the anvil 102. In addition, when the first substrate 206 is configured as a porous substrate, such as a nonwoven, vacuum air pressure may also be applied to the first elastic material 226 on the anvil 102, and as such, may help maintain the stretched condition of the central region 226c of the first elastic material 216 while on the anvil 102.
Referring now to
With continued reference to
As previously mentioned, the first spreader mechanism 112 may be angularly displaced from the second spreader mechanism 114 with respect to the first axis of rotation 106. As such, the second application zone 138 is positioned downstream of the first application zone 136. It is to be appreciated that during the transfer from the second spreader mechanism 114 to the anvil 102, the second elastic material 218 may be removed from the second spreader mechanism 114 at or upstream of the second location 122. As previously mentioned, the outer circumferential surface 104 of the anvil 102 may be fluidly connected with the vacuum source 105, and as such, vacuum air pressure may be applied to the first substrate 206 on the anvil 102. In addition, when the first substrate 206 is configured as a porous substrate, such as a nonwoven, vacuum air pressure may also be applied to the second elastic material 228 on the anvil 102, and as such, may help maintain the stretched condition of the central region 228c of the second elastic material 228 while on the anvil 102. Also, as shown in
As shown in
As the anvil 102 rotates, the elastic laminate 200 including the first substrate 234, the first elastic material 216, the second elastic material 218, the second substrate 230, and the reinforcement layers 212, 214, 216 is advanced through the nip 137 between the bonding surfaces 133 on the anvil 102 and the ultrasonic horn 131. In turn, the ultrasonic horn 131 bonds the first substrate 206, the first elastic material 226, the second substrate 230, the first reinforcement layer 212, and the second reinforcement layer 214 together and also bonds the first substrate 206, the second elastic material 228, the second substrate 230, the first reinforcement layer 212, and the third reinforcement layer 216 together, such as shown in
It is to be appreciated that the elastic laminate 200 may include various portions of components bonded together in various ways and with bonds 300 having differing or identical bond patterns. For example, the unstretched portion of the first edge region 226a of the first elastic material 226 may be bonded together with the first substrate 206, the first reinforcement layer 212, and/or the second substrate 230. And similarly, the unstretched portion of the second edge region 228b of the second elastic material 228 may be bonded together with the first substrate 206, the first reinforcement layer 212, and/or the second substrate 230. The unstretched portion of the second edge region 226b of the first elastic material 226 may be bonded together with the first substrate 206, the second reinforcement layer 214, and/or the second substrate 230. And similarly, the unstretched portion of the first edge region 228a of the second elastic material 228 may be bonded together with the first substrate 206, the third reinforcement layer 216, and/or the second substrate 230. In addition, the stretched central region 226c of the first elastic material 226 may be bonded together with the first and/or second substrates 206, 230. Further, the stretched central region 228c of the second elastic material 228 may be bonded together with the first and/or second substrates 206, 230. Further, the first substrate 206 may be bonded directly to the second substrate 230 in areas of the elastic laminate 200. It is to be appreciated that the apparatus 100 may be adapted to create various types of bond configurations, such as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,595.
As previously mentioned above with reference to
As shown in
In some configurations, the cutter 140 may cut the elastic laminate 200, such as shown in
As shown in
It is to be appreciated that various arrangements of apparatuses may be configured to operate with various process configurations to assemble elastic laminates 200 such as shown in
It is also to be appreciated that the elastic laminates 200 herein can be configured various different ways with different configurations of the first reinforcement layer 212, the second reinforcement layer 214, and the third reinforcement layer 216. For example, although the second reinforcement layer 214 and the third reinforcement layer 216 may be formed by only folding the first substrate 206 such as described above with reference to
It is also to be appreciated that the first reinforcement layer 212, the second reinforcement layer 214, and/or the third reinforcement layer 216 may be formed by discrete strips of material in addition to or alternative to folding portions of the first substrate 206 and/or second substrate 230. For example, the first reinforcement layer 212 may be defined by a first discrete strip of material, the second reinforcement layer 214 may be defined by a second discrete strip of material, and the third reinforcement layer 216 may be defined by a third discrete strip of material. It is to be appreciated that the first reinforcement layer 212 and/or the second reinforcement layer 214 may be positioned between the first elastic material 226 and the first substrate 206 or the second substrate 230; and the first reinforcement layer 212 and/or the third reinforcement layer 216 may be positioned between the second elastic material 228 and the first substrate 206 or the second substrate 230. It is also to be appreciated that the first reinforcement layer 212, the second reinforcement layer 214, and/or the third reinforcement layer 216 may define varying cross directional widths and may be located in various different positions along the cross direction CD within the elastic laminate 200. For example, the second reinforcement layer 214 may not extend in the cross direction entirely to the first edges 218, 236 of the first and second substrates 206, 230, and the third reinforcement layer 216 may not extend in the cross direction entirely to the second edges 220, 238 of the first and second substrates 206, 230. In addition, the first reinforcement layer 212 may be formed by folding a portion of the first substrate 206 and/or the second substrate 230 and/or in combination with a discrete strip of material. For example, the first reinforcement layer 212 may be formed by creating a Z-fold in the first substrate 206 and/or the second substrate 230.
It is also to be appreciated that the first reinforcement layer 212, the second reinforcement layer 214, and/or the third reinforcement layer 216 may be formed from material that is the same or different than the material of the first substrate 206 and/or second substrate 230. In some configurations, the first reinforcement layer 212, the second reinforcement layer 214, and/or the third reinforcement layer 216 may be formed from strips of material cut from the first substrate 206 and/or second substrate 230. It is to be appreciated that the first reinforcement layer 212, the second reinforcement layer 214, and/or the third reinforcement layer 216 may be formed from various types of materials. For example, the reinforcement layer may be a polymeric film layer that is mono-layer or multi-layer. It is to be appreciated that the polymeric material can be crystalline, semi-crystalline, or amorphous. In some configurations, the reinforcement layers may be made with polymers that are compatible with polymers of the first and/or second substrate. In some configurations, polymers may be homopolymers, co-polymers, or block co-polymers. For example, polyolefins may be used. In some configurations, polypropylene homopolymers may be compatible with polypropylene nonwoven substrates used commonly. Similarly, if the first and/or second substrate is made of polyethylene, then a reinforcement layer may be made with polyethylene. In some configurations, multi-layer film made with polypropylene core and polyethylene skins will bond strongly with polyethylene nonwovens. Polypropylene co-polymers and polyethylene co-polymers may also be suitable polymers for the reinforcement layer. Other polymers that can be used to make reinforcement layers are: styrenic polymers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyamids, polylactic acid, polyesters, or blends thereof.
It is to be appreciated that aspects of the methods and/or apparatus 100 herein may be configured to assemble elastic laminates from various types of material and/or components. For example, it is to be appreciated that the first substrate 206, the second substrate 230, the first reinforcement layer 212, the second reinforcement layer 214, and/or the third reinforcement layer 216 may be configured as the same or different types of materials. For example, the substrates 206, 230 and/or the reinforcement layers 212, 214, 216 may be configured as single layer or multi-layer nonwovens. In some examples wherein the elastic laminates 202, 204 may be used to manufacture diaper components, the substrate 206 may define garment facing surfaces of the elastic laminates 202, 204 in diaper components, whereas the substrate 230 may define body facing surfaces of the elastic laminates 202, 204 in diaper components. As such, the substrate 206 may be configured as a relatively high cost, premium material for aesthetic purposes, such as soft feel and appearance. In contrast, the substrate 230 may be configured as a cost optimized nonwoven, a premium nonwoven marketed as soft against a wearer's skin, or a high coefficient of friction nonwoven for improved fit. In some examples, the substrates may be configured as a relatively low basis weight nonwoven intended define a wearer facing surface, which may help to reduce the changes of pressure marks on the wearer's skin from corrugations in the elastic laminates. A relatively low basis weight nonwoven may also have a relatively low bending stiffness, and thus any corrugations against the wearer's skin collapse at relatively lower forces.
As previously mentioned the first and second elastic materials 226, 228 may be configured in various ways and from various materials. For example, the elastic materials may be formed by any suitable method in the art, for example, by extruding molten thermoplastic and/or elastomeric polymers or polymer blends through a slit die and subsequently cooling the extruded sheet. Other non-limiting examples for making film forms include casting, blowing, solution casting, calendaring, and formation from aqueous or, non-aqueous cast dispersions. The elastomer composition of the present disclosure may be made into a film having a basis weight of from about 5 to about 150 g/m2. The elastic material can also be an apertured film made of elastomeric material to provide breathability. In some configurations, the first and second elastic materials include a nonwoven web of synthetic fibers. The web can be made of fibers from elastomers or can be mixture of elastomeric fibers with plastic fibers. The first and second elastic materials may also be configured as laminates including elastic material connected with and/or interposed between an outer layer and an inner layer. The elastic material may include one or more elastic elements such as strands, ribbons, or panels. Suitable elastomeric compositions for making elastic materials comprise thermoplastic elastomers selected from the group consisting of Styrenic block copolymers, poly-esters, polyurethanes, polyether amides, polyolefin elastomers, and combinations thereof.
It is also to be appreciated that the elastic laminates 200 formed herein may not include the first reinforcement layer 212, the second reinforcement layer 214, or the third reinforcement layer 216. For example, the elastic laminate 200 may include only the second and third reinforcement layers 214, 216 and may not include the first reinforcement layer 212. In another example, the elastic laminate 200 may include only the first reinforcement layer 212 and may not include the second and/or third reinforcement layers 214, 216. In yet another example, such as shown in
As previously mentioned above with reference to
It is to be appreciated that the bonding regions may be defined in various ways depending on how an elastic laminate is constructed. For example, with reference to
It is to be appreciated that the elastic laminates herein may be configured with various number of bonding regions, each including pluralities of bonds 300 that may also be formed in various ways. For example, the bonds 300 may include pressure bonds, heat bonds, ultrasonic bonds, and/or adhesive bonds. It is also to be appreciated that the elastic laminates herein may be configured with various number of bonding regions, each including pluralities of bonds 300 configured in various ways. For example, as shown in
It is to be appreciated that some or all the bonding regions of an elastic laminate may have the same or different bond densities. As such, some or all the bonding regions of an elastic laminate may have the same or different bond frequencies. In addition, some or all the bonding regions of an elastic laminate may have the same or different aggregate bond coverage. Further, the bond frequency and aggregate bond coverage in a first bonding region may be the same as the bond frequency and aggregate bond coverage in a second bonding region while at least one bond in the first bonding region may define a shape that is different from a shaped defined by at least one bond in the second bonding region.
For example with reference to
In additional examples with reference to
It is to be appreciated that the apparatuses and methods herein may be configured to create various configurations of bonds 300 in an elastic laminate. For example, as previously mentioned, the anvil 102 may be configured with lanes of bonding elements 132, such that the bonding elements that may extend for various lengths along the outer circumferential surface 104 that may be less than or completely around the axis of rotation 106. For example,
It is to be appreciated that the anvil 102 may be configured with rows R having the same or different quantities of bonding surfaces 133 having the same or different shapes, sizes, orientations, areas and/or distances between bonding surfaces. It is also to be appreciated that the rows R may include the same or different quantities of bonding elements 132 and that any of the rows R may include bonding surfaces 133 with shapes, sizes, orientations, areas, and/or distances between bonding surfaces that is the same or different from shapes, sizes, orientations, areas, and/or distances between bonding surfaces of bonding surfaces 133 included in other rows R. As such, a plurality of bonding surfaces in any one row R may be arranged to apply bonds 300 in corresponding rows R to an elastic laminate 200 at a bond density that may be less than, equal to, or greater than a bond density defined by bonds created by a plurality of bonding surfaces in another row R. Thus, the rows R of bonding elements 132 on the anvil 102 may create corresponding rows R of bonds 300 in an advancing elastic laminate 200, such as shown
It is also to be appreciated that the bonding elements 132 and bonding surfaces 133 may be arranged to define repeating patterns along the outer circumferential surface 104 of the anvil 102. For example,
It is to be appreciated that the anvil 102 may be configured with patterns P having the same or different quantities of bonding surfaces 133 having the same or different shapes, sizes, orientations, areas and/or distances between bonding surfaces. It is also to be appreciated that the patterns P may include the same or different quantities of bonding elements 132 and that any of the patterns P may include bonding surfaces 133 with shapes, sizes, orientations, areas, and/or distances between bonding surfaces that is the same or different from shapes, sizes, orientations, areas, and/or distances between bonding surfaces of bonding surfaces 133 included in other patterns P. As such, a plurality of bonding surfaces in any one pattern P may be arranged to apply bonds 300 to an elastic laminate 200 in corresponding patterns P at a bond density that may be less than, equal to, or greater than a bond density defined by bonds 300 created by a plurality of bonding surfaces 133 in another pattern P. Thus, the patterns P of bonding elements 132 on the anvil 102 may create corresponding patterns P of bonds 300 in an advancing elastic laminate 200, such as shown
The patterns P of bonds 300 may be repeated along the machine direction MD of the elastic laminate 200. In turn, the patterns P may be pitched such that individual components or pieces cut from the elastic laminate 200 may include one or more patterns P. For example, as shown in
As previously mentioned, the apparatuses 100 herein may be configured to apply bonds 300 in patterns P having various shapes and sizes. For example,
It is to be appreciated that the apparatus 100 herein may be configured to include various types of accessories to help reduce capital costs and/or ensure consistent quality of manufactured products. For example, it is to be appreciated that components discussed herein that may be used to assemble elastic laminates, such as elastic films and nonwoven substrates may have a high neckdown modulus, resulting in different strip widths for small changes in tension. During assembly, transient neckdown may result in loss of film spreading in the laminate or require additional substrate width at additional product cost. As such, the apparatus 100 herein may utilize various accessories to help reduce such variations in width. For example, the apparatus may include a linear or rotary dancer system, such as disclosed in European Patent Publication No. EP 2 841 364 A1. Such a dancer system may be operatively connected with a servo motor and drive controller operating in torque mode, and may result in substantially improved tension control of elastic films and nonwoven substrates, which in turn, may help reduce width variation. Various types of servo motor and drive controllers may be used, such as for example, a Kinetix 5700 system and MPL-B540K-SJ72AA motor from Rockwell Automation. The metering flow rate of an elastic film or nonwoven substrate may be controlled by a servo driven roller downstream of the servo tensioner.
In some configurations, the apparatus 100 herein may include an additional flywheel, such as a large diameter pulley, that may be added to a motor used for a nonwoven substrate or elastic film spindle drive. Such a flywheel may help increase the motor side inertia and may reduce the ratio of motor inertia to load inertia of a spindle drive. A lower inertia ratio between the driving and driven sides of the belt drive may improve tuning of the position loop in the commercial servo drive. In turn, capital costs may then be reduced by enabling the use of relatively smaller motors.
In some configurations, the bonding elements 132 on the anvil 102 may be arranged in a counterbalance pattern. Such a counterbalance pattern may reduce the variation in amount of bonding pattern which may be operatively engaged against the ultrasound sonotrode as the anvil 102 rotates. In some configurations, continuous bond patterns may be nominally balanced. In contrast, the variation in bond area exposed to the sonotrode as the anvil 102 rotates may be substantial when arranging the bonding surfaces to define regional bond patterns. In some configurations, the counterbalance pattern may be positioned in a non-functional region of the elastic laminate, for example, such as using such a bond pattern in a trim region to reduce the variation in the bond pattern area as the anvil rotates.
In some configurations, the elastic films and/or nonwoven substrates may be tracked in the cross direction CD relative to the regional bond patterns. For example, the elastic film may be tracked to a slitter, wherein the tracking may be provided by a commercial offset pivot guide, such as available commercially from Erhardt+Leimer or Maxcess Corporation. The pivot guide may be in a center-guiding mode. By slitting one film into two, the width error of the incoming roll for each of the slit films may be half or less that of the original film width error. By center guiding again onto a spreading device, which may be a canted vacuum wheel with a single row of nubs, the original substrate width variation at each edge position may be reduced to one quarter or less of the original width variation. The center-guiding may be by a single sensor, such as an E+L FR6001 sensor. The sensor may be of a light curtain type, such as available from Wenglor Sensor LLC. The setpoint position may be configurable for different products, via communication over Ethernet/IP. Such techniques may allow a minimal film width in the CD, which may reduce product costs. Accurate tracking, such as within 2 mm, 1 mm, 0.5 mm, or less may allow an unstretched film width at edges of the film substrate to be made relatively small, such as 3 mm or less. Accurate tracking may be required to align the film edges with a vacuum pattern in the anvil 102. Each of the films or substrates may be tracked individually, and each of the films or substrates may be tracked near to the lamination in the process flow. For films, the tracking may be immediately before a set of canted spreader disks. And substrate may be delivered as a wide material, and slit into two or more substrates. Narrow substrates may be repositioned in the cross direction by feedback controlled offset pivot guides, a set of parallel canted idlers, web twists, turn bars, and/or grooved idlers. Sensors may measure and output an error measurement for cross direction CD tracking location or width of film, corrugation zone, nonwoven substrate, or zonal pattern to an operator display device. Operators may have the ability to fine tune manual setup adjustments. The web guides or optical sensors near the lamination unit may detect edge positions, widths, or center positions of the substrates. The output of such commercial devices may trigger a reject of one or more pads from a converting line.
Zoned patterns on the anvil may also be phased in the machine direction MD and tracked in the cross direction CD relative to an electronic timing position, a final knife, a back ear die cutter, a back ear application unit, a tape application unit, a tape bonding unit, an insignia on one of the substrates or another product feature. In addition, a downstream machine vision system may be used to inspect the elastic laminate quality. Such quality inspections may include width of the corrugation, edges and/or appearance of the bond patterns and/or insignia, machine direction MD placement of the regional bond patterns, cross direction CD placement of the zonal pattern. Such inspections may include edge positions of the substrates 206, 230, first film 226, second film 228, unstretched film regions 226a, 226b, 228a, 228b, as well as the corrugation region, a folded edge, or a reinforcement layer 212, 214, 216. Such inspections may include detection of flipped or folded edges in the films. The downstream system may inspect for delamination. The downstream system may detect film tears and/or enlarged bond sites in the zonal patterns. Backlit lighting may be used to highlight the ultrasound bond sites. The vision system may also be used to identify and reject splices in a substrate. The apparatuses herein may also include tracking sensors and/or a vision system operatively connected with an operator display or to a quality monitoring system to monitor the width of a substrate, including film substrate throughout a roll of material, including as a function of roll diameter, and between rolls, including recording the lot of material, the roll identification number, the supplier line, the supplier plant and/or the supplier lane from a material tracking system.
In some configurations, an output of the ultrasonic system may be used to identify out of specification product. Such output may be a sensor value, a calculated value in the ultrasound generator, or a fault signal in the ultrasound generator. Ultrasound frequency, power consumption, metal to metal contract, and/or compression force may be monitored. The ultrasound generator may be a commercial unit, such as a Herrmann Ultrasonic VE20 Micrond CSI with an Ultrabond digital generator and microGap controller. The fault condition may be calculated in programmable logic controller or computer connected via network such as CANbus or Ethernet/IP to the ultrasonic commercial parts. The limits may be adjusted based on the phase position of the ultrasound controller. The compression force may be varied with line speed, substrate basis weight, substrate width, or substrate type. A home position sensor may be used to identify the position of the zonal bond patterns.
It is to be appreciated that aspects of the apparatus 100 herein may be configured in various ways and may operate to assemble elastic laminates 200, 202 from various types of material and/or components. For example, it is to be appreciated that the in some configurations, the elastic laminate assembly operations may be performed separate to a final assembly process, such as for example, assembling the elastic laminates offline wherein the elastic laminates may be stored until needed for production. For example, elastic laminate assembly operations may be accomplished on discrete assembly lines, separately from converting lines that may be dedicated to manufacturing disposable absorbent articles. After assemblage on the discrete lines, the elastic laminates may be delivered to the absorbent article converting lines, such as in a form of rolls of continuous elastic laminates. It is to be appreciated that such rolls of continuous elastic laminates may be planetary wound or traversely wound. It is also to be appreciated that the elastic laminate assembly process may be done online during the article assembly process.
As mentioned above, apparatuses and methods of the present disclosure may be utilized to assemble various forms of elastic laminates used in the manufacture of absorbent articles. Such elastic laminates may be utilized in absorbent article components such as, for example: backsheets, topsheets, absorbent cores, front and/or back ears, fastener components, and various types of elastic webs and components such as leg elastics, barrier leg cuff elastics, and waist elastics. For the purposes of a specific illustration,
As shown in
The absorbent article 250 may also include an elastic waist feature 299 shown in
As shown in
The diaper 252 may be provided in the form of a pant-type diaper or may alternatively be provided with a re-closable fastening system, which may include fastener elements in various locations to help secure the diaper in position on the wearer. For example, fastener elements 298 may be located on the ears and may be adapted to releasably connect with one or more corresponding fastening elements located in the first or second waist regions. For example, as shown in
Test Methods
Bond Dimension Test Method
The Bond Dimension Test is used to measure bond density of the laminate in the various bonding regions. For purposes of this method, a bond is the intentional joining of two or more layers and is the deformed area caused during the bonding process (e.g., the reduced caliper at the site of bonding). It is recognized that in some cases, the deformed area may include one or more apertures.
Specimen Collection
Bond Frequency: Bond density by bond frequency is calculated by counting number of bonds on the specimen and dividing the number of bonds by the area of the specimen. To the extent that specimen collection creates a partial bond within the specimen area, the partial bond is counted as a fraction equal to the fraction of the area of the bond included within the specimen relative to the area of the whole bond (i.e., the bond prior to cutting the specimen). Bond dimensions are measured to accuracy of 0.01 mm using a microscope and/or imaging software. The dimensions for each bond are used to calculate the bond area as per the mathematical formula for the shape of the bond. A total of five specimens are used, and an average bond density by bond frequency is calculated.
Aggregate Bond Coverage: Bond density by aggregate bond coverage is calculated by summing the bond areas for each bond in the specimen and dividing the sum of the bond areas by the area of the specimen. Bond dimensions are measured to accuracy of 0.01 mm using a microscope and/or imaging software. The dimensions for each bond are used to calculate the bond area as per the mathematical formula for the shape of the bond. The areas of partial bonds inside the specimen are also measured. All bond areas within the specimen are added to calculate aggregate bond area for the specimen and then the aggregate bond area is divided by the area of the specimen to determine aggregate bond coverage. A total of five specimen are used and an average bond density by aggregate bond coverage is calculated.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application and any patent application or patent to which this application claims priority or benefit thereof, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/195,679, filed on Mar. 9, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/748,885, filed on Jan. 22, 2020, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,966,876, issued on Apr. 6, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/674,596, filed on Aug. 11, 2017, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,575,993, issued on Mar. 3, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 62/374,010, filed on Aug. 12, 2016; 62/406,025, filed on Oct. 10, 2016; and 62/419,515, filed on Nov. 9, 2016, the entireties of which are all incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3113225 | Claus | Dec 1963 | A |
| 3338992 | Allison | Aug 1967 | A |
| 3562041 | Robertson | Feb 1971 | A |
| 3566726 | Politis | Mar 1971 | A |
| 3692613 | Pederson | Sep 1972 | A |
| 3733238 | Long | May 1973 | A |
| 3802817 | Matsuki | Apr 1974 | A |
| 3848594 | Buell | Nov 1974 | A |
| 3849241 | Butin | Nov 1974 | A |
| 3860003 | Buell | Jan 1975 | A |
| 3911173 | Sprague, Jr. | Oct 1975 | A |
| 3929135 | Thompson | Dec 1975 | A |
| 4116892 | Schwarz | Sep 1978 | A |
| 4324314 | Beach et al. | Apr 1982 | A |
| 4405297 | Appel | Sep 1983 | A |
| 4463045 | Ahr et al. | Jul 1984 | A |
| 4515595 | Kievit | May 1985 | A |
| 4573986 | Minetola et al. | Mar 1986 | A |
| 4610678 | Weisman | Sep 1986 | A |
| 4629643 | Curro | Dec 1986 | A |
| 4634440 | Widlund | Jan 1987 | A |
| 4662875 | Hirotsu | May 1987 | A |
| 4673402 | Weisman | Jun 1987 | A |
| 4699622 | Toussant | Oct 1987 | A |
| 4710189 | Lash | Dec 1987 | A |
| 4780352 | Palumbo | Oct 1988 | A |
| 4785996 | Ziecker et al. | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4834735 | Alemany | May 1989 | A |
| 4834741 | Sabee | May 1989 | A |
| 4842666 | Werenicz | Jun 1989 | A |
| 4846815 | Scripps | Jul 1989 | A |
| 4854984 | Ball | Aug 1989 | A |
| 4888231 | Angstadt | Dec 1989 | A |
| 4892536 | DesMarais et al. | Jan 1990 | A |
| 4894060 | Nestegard | Jan 1990 | A |
| 4919738 | Ball et al. | Apr 1990 | A |
| 4940464 | Van Gompel et al. | Jul 1990 | A |
| 4946527 | Battrell | Aug 1990 | A |
| 4990147 | Freeland | Feb 1991 | A |
| 5006394 | Baird | Apr 1991 | A |
| 5037416 | Allen | Aug 1991 | A |
| 5092861 | Nomura | Mar 1992 | A |
| 5137537 | Herron | Aug 1992 | A |
| 5143679 | Weber | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5147345 | Lavon | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5149720 | Desmarais | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5151092 | Buell | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5156793 | Buell | Oct 1992 | A |
| 5167897 | Weber et al. | Dec 1992 | A |
| 5221274 | Buell | Jun 1993 | A |
| 5242436 | Weil | Sep 1993 | A |
| 5246433 | Hasse | Sep 1993 | A |
| 5260345 | Desmarais | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5266392 | Land | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5269775 | Freeland | Dec 1993 | A |
| 5340648 | Rollins et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5342338 | Roe | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5344691 | Hanschen | Sep 1994 | A |
| 5360420 | Cook et al. | Nov 1994 | A |
| 5376430 | Swenson et al. | Dec 1994 | A |
| 5382400 | Pike | Jan 1995 | A |
| 5387207 | Dyer | Feb 1995 | A |
| 5397316 | Young | Mar 1995 | A |
| 5418045 | Pike | May 1995 | A |
| 5422172 | Wu | Jun 1995 | A |
| 5433715 | Tanzer | Jul 1995 | A |
| 5501756 | Rollins et al. | Mar 1996 | A |
| 5507909 | Rollins et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5518801 | Chappell et al. | May 1996 | A |
| 5554145 | Roe | Sep 1996 | A |
| 5569234 | Buell | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5571096 | Dobrin | Nov 1996 | A |
| 5580411 | Nease | Dec 1996 | A |
| 5591155 | Nishikawa | Jan 1997 | A |
| 5599335 | Goldman et al. | Feb 1997 | A |
| 5607414 | Richards | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5607760 | Roe | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5609587 | Roe | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5622772 | Stokes | Apr 1997 | A |
| 5628097 | Benson | May 1997 | A |
| 5635191 | Roe | Jun 1997 | A |
| 5643588 | Roe | Jul 1997 | A |
| 5658639 | Curro | Aug 1997 | A |
| 5665300 | Brignola | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5674216 | Buell et al. | Oct 1997 | A |
| 5691034 | Krueger | Nov 1997 | A |
| 5700254 | McDowall et al. | Dec 1997 | A |
| 5702551 | Huber et al. | Dec 1997 | A |
| 5707468 | Arnold | Jan 1998 | A |
| 5817199 | Brennecke et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5827909 | Desmarais | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5865823 | Curro | Feb 1999 | A |
| 5897545 | Kline | Apr 1999 | A |
| 5916661 | Benson | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5957908 | Kline | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5968025 | Roe | Oct 1999 | A |
| 5968888 | Blandiaux | Oct 1999 | A |
| 5972806 | Weinberger | Oct 1999 | A |
| 5993432 | Lodge | Nov 1999 | A |
| 6004306 | Robles | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6030373 | Vangompel | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6036796 | Halbert | Mar 2000 | A |
| 6077375 | Kwok | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6096668 | Abuto | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6107537 | Elder | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6118041 | Roe et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6120487 | Ashton | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6120489 | Johnson | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6123792 | Samida | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6140551 | Niemeyer | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6153209 | Vega et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6169151 | Waymouth | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6200635 | Kwok | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6235137 | Van et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6255236 | Cree | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6310154 | Babcock | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6361634 | White et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 6369121 | Catalfamo | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6410129 | Zhang | Jun 2002 | B2 |
| 6426444 | Roe et al. | Jul 2002 | B2 |
| 6428526 | Heindel | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6432098 | Kline | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6454989 | Neely | Sep 2002 | B1 |
| 6458447 | Cabell | Oct 2002 | B1 |
| 6465073 | Morman | Oct 2002 | B1 |
| 6472045 | Morman | Oct 2002 | B1 |
| 6472084 | Middlesworth | Oct 2002 | B1 |
| 6475600 | Morman | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6498284 | Roe | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6508641 | Kubik | Jan 2003 | B1 |
| 6513221 | Vogt | Feb 2003 | B2 |
| 6518378 | Waymouth | Feb 2003 | B2 |
| 6520237 | Bolyard, Jr. et al. | Feb 2003 | B1 |
| 6534149 | Daley | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 6540854 | Couillard | Apr 2003 | B2 |
| 6555643 | Rieger | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6559262 | Waymouth | May 2003 | B1 |
| 6561430 | Ou | May 2003 | B2 |
| 6572595 | Klemp | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6572598 | Ashton | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6582518 | Riney | Jun 2003 | B2 |
| 6586652 | Warner et al. | Jul 2003 | B1 |
| 6610161 | Erdman | Aug 2003 | B2 |
| 6610390 | Kauschke | Aug 2003 | B1 |
| 6613146 | Bolyard, Jr. | Sep 2003 | B2 |
| 6617016 | Zhang et al. | Sep 2003 | B2 |
| 6627564 | Morman | Sep 2003 | B1 |
| 6627787 | Roe et al. | Sep 2003 | B1 |
| 6632386 | Shelley | Oct 2003 | B2 |
| 6645330 | Pargass | Nov 2003 | B2 |
| 6645569 | Cramer et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
| 6649001 | Heden | Nov 2003 | B2 |
| 6652693 | Burriss et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
| 6677258 | Carroll | Jan 2004 | B2 |
| 6692477 | Gibbs | Feb 2004 | B2 |
| 6713159 | Blenke | Mar 2004 | B1 |
| 6719846 | Nakamura et al. | Apr 2004 | B2 |
| 6737102 | Saidman et al. | May 2004 | B1 |
| 6758925 | Stegelmann | Jul 2004 | B1 |
| 6767420 | Stegelmann | Jul 2004 | B2 |
| 6818083 | Mcamish et al. | Nov 2004 | B2 |
| 6825393 | Roe et al. | Nov 2004 | B2 |
| 6830800 | Curro | Dec 2004 | B2 |
| 6843134 | Anderson | Jan 2005 | B2 |
| 6849142 | Goulait | Feb 2005 | B1 |
| 6861571 | Roe et al. | Mar 2005 | B1 |
| 6863933 | Cramer et al. | Mar 2005 | B2 |
| 6878433 | Curro | Apr 2005 | B2 |
| 6905488 | Olson | Jun 2005 | B2 |
| 6974514 | Hamulski | Dec 2005 | B2 |
| 7056404 | Mcfall | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7062983 | Anderson | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7108759 | You | Sep 2006 | B2 |
| 7112621 | Rohrbaugh et al. | Sep 2006 | B2 |
| 7270861 | Broering | Sep 2007 | B2 |
| 7291239 | Polanco | Nov 2007 | B2 |
| 7435243 | Miyamoto | Oct 2008 | B2 |
| 7531233 | Kling | May 2009 | B2 |
| 7569039 | Matsuda | Aug 2009 | B2 |
| 7572249 | Betts | Aug 2009 | B2 |
| 7582075 | Betts | Sep 2009 | B2 |
| 7625363 | Yoshimasa | Dec 2009 | B2 |
| 7741235 | Hashimoto | Jun 2010 | B2 |
| 7803244 | Siqueira | Sep 2010 | B2 |
| 7806883 | Fossum | Oct 2010 | B2 |
| 7819853 | Desai | Oct 2010 | B2 |
| 7824594 | Qureshi | Nov 2010 | B2 |
| 7870651 | Middlesworth | Jan 2011 | B2 |
| 7896641 | Qureshi | Mar 2011 | B2 |
| 7917985 | Dorsey | Apr 2011 | B2 |
| 7931632 | Betts | Apr 2011 | B2 |
| 7954213 | Mizutani | Jun 2011 | B2 |
| 7998127 | Betts | Aug 2011 | B2 |
| 8062279 | Miyamoto | Nov 2011 | B2 |
| 8062572 | Qureshi | Nov 2011 | B2 |
| 8092438 | Betts | Jan 2012 | B2 |
| 8118801 | Macura | Feb 2012 | B2 |
| 8158043 | Gibson | Apr 2012 | B2 |
| 8172971 | Yamamoto | May 2012 | B2 |
| 8186296 | Brown et al. | May 2012 | B2 |
| 8361913 | Siqueira | Jan 2013 | B2 |
| 8450557 | Nishitani | May 2013 | B2 |
| 8454571 | Rezai | Jun 2013 | B2 |
| 8480642 | Betts | Jul 2013 | B2 |
| 8491557 | Kline | Jul 2013 | B2 |
| 8491742 | Waas | Jul 2013 | B2 |
| 8496775 | Deng | Jul 2013 | B2 |
| 8502013 | Zhao | Aug 2013 | B2 |
| 8518004 | Betts | Aug 2013 | B2 |
| 8585666 | Weisman | Nov 2013 | B2 |
| 8618350 | Mansfield | Dec 2013 | B2 |
| 8679391 | Odonnell | Mar 2014 | B2 |
| 8690852 | Macura | Apr 2014 | B2 |
| 8697938 | Roe | Apr 2014 | B2 |
| 8709579 | Hoenigmann | Apr 2014 | B2 |
| 8728051 | Lu | May 2014 | B2 |
| 8741083 | Wennerback | Jun 2014 | B2 |
| 8776856 | Yamamoto | Jul 2014 | B2 |
| 8795809 | Mansfield | Aug 2014 | B2 |
| 8858523 | Sauer | Oct 2014 | B2 |
| 8939957 | Raycheck | Jan 2015 | B2 |
| 8940116 | Gilgenbach | Jan 2015 | B2 |
| 9102132 | Wennerbck | Aug 2015 | B2 |
| 9169384 | Autran | Oct 2015 | B2 |
| 9211221 | Macura | Dec 2015 | B2 |
| 9301889 | Miyamoto | Apr 2016 | B2 |
| 9333125 | Kline et al. | May 2016 | B2 |
| 9358161 | Lawson | Jun 2016 | B2 |
| 9434143 | Sablone | Sep 2016 | B2 |
| 9498941 | Sablone | Nov 2016 | B2 |
| 9533067 | Schonbeck | Jan 2017 | B2 |
| 9687580 | Schonbeck | Jun 2017 | B2 |
| 9724248 | Hughes | Aug 2017 | B2 |
| 9821542 | Bruce | Nov 2017 | B2 |
| 10485713 | Schonbeck | Nov 2019 | B2 |
| 10524964 | Sauer | Jan 2020 | B2 |
| 10561537 | Lenser et al. | Feb 2020 | B2 |
| 10568775 | Lenser | Feb 2020 | B2 |
| 10568776 | Lenser | Feb 2020 | B2 |
| 10575993 | Lenser | Mar 2020 | B2 |
| 10588789 | Surushe | Mar 2020 | B2 |
| 10617573 | Koshijima | Apr 2020 | B2 |
| 10799396 | Takeuchi | Oct 2020 | B2 |
| 10959887 | Lenser et al. | Mar 2021 | B2 |
| 10966876 | Lenser | Apr 2021 | B2 |
| 11071654 | Lenser et al. | Jul 2021 | B2 |
| 11083633 | Lenser et al. | Aug 2021 | B2 |
| 11135100 | Schönbeck et al. | Oct 2021 | B2 |
| 11179278 | Schönbeck et al. | Nov 2021 | B2 |
| 11266543 | Lenser et al. | Mar 2022 | B2 |
| 11331223 | Lenser et al. | May 2022 | B2 |
| 11382798 | Lenser et al. | Jul 2022 | B2 |
| 20010018579 | Klemp | Aug 2001 | A1 |
| 20010024940 | Cook et al. | Sep 2001 | A1 |
| 20020095129 | Friderich | Jul 2002 | A1 |
| 20020188268 | Kline | Dec 2002 | A1 |
| 20030021951 | Desai | Jan 2003 | A1 |
| 20030105446 | Hutson | Jun 2003 | A1 |
| 20030109843 | Gibbs | Jun 2003 | A1 |
| 20030109844 | Gibbs | Jun 2003 | A1 |
| 20030120240 | Buell | Jun 2003 | A1 |
| 20030124310 | Ellis | Jul 2003 | A1 |
| 20030148684 | Cramer et al. | Aug 2003 | A1 |
| 20030181120 | Wu | Sep 2003 | A1 |
| 20030233082 | Kline | Dec 2003 | A1 |
| 20040087235 | Morman | May 2004 | A1 |
| 20040091693 | Thomas | May 2004 | A1 |
| 20040102125 | Morman | May 2004 | A1 |
| 20040112509 | Morman | Jun 2004 | A1 |
| 20040121690 | Mleziva | Jun 2004 | A1 |
| 20040182499 | Collier | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| 20040209042 | Peacock | Oct 2004 | A1 |
| 20040224132 | Roe | Nov 2004 | A1 |
| 20050008839 | Cramer et al. | Jan 2005 | A1 |
| 20050065487 | Graef | Mar 2005 | A1 |
| 20050107764 | Matsuda et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
| 20050154362 | Warren | Jul 2005 | A1 |
| 20050222546 | Vargo | Oct 2005 | A1 |
| 20050245162 | Mccormack | Nov 2005 | A1 |
| 20050287892 | Fouse | Dec 2005 | A1 |
| 20060062963 | Middlesworth | Mar 2006 | A1 |
| 20060089616 | Belau et al. | Apr 2006 | A1 |
| 20060135024 | Thomas | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| 20060148361 | Mccormack | Jul 2006 | A1 |
| 20060149209 | Malchow | Jul 2006 | A1 |
| 20060271003 | Loescher | Nov 2006 | A1 |
| 20060287637 | Lam | Dec 2006 | A1 |
| 20070048497 | Zhou et al. | Mar 2007 | A1 |
| 20070105472 | Marche | May 2007 | A1 |
| 20070123124 | Middlesworth | May 2007 | A1 |
| 20070141311 | Mleziva | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070142798 | Goodlander | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070142806 | Roe | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070142825 | Prisco | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070143972 | Kline | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070202767 | Anderson | Aug 2007 | A1 |
| 20070219521 | Hird | Sep 2007 | A1 |
| 20070234529 | Middlesworth | Oct 2007 | A1 |
| 20070237924 | Bruce | Oct 2007 | A1 |
| 20070249254 | Mansfield | Oct 2007 | A1 |
| 20070254176 | Patel | Nov 2007 | A1 |
| 20070254547 | Ducauchuis | Nov 2007 | A1 |
| 20070287983 | Lodge | Dec 2007 | A1 |
| 20080003910 | Hughes | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080003911 | Sabbagh | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080045917 | Autran | Feb 2008 | A1 |
| 20080051748 | Black | Feb 2008 | A1 |
| 20080076315 | Mccormack | Mar 2008 | A1 |
| 20080114325 | Edwall et al. | May 2008 | A1 |
| 20080119102 | Hughes | May 2008 | A1 |
| 20080147031 | Long | Jun 2008 | A1 |
| 20080241476 | Olguin | Oct 2008 | A1 |
| 20080305298 | Lakshmi | Dec 2008 | A1 |
| 20080312622 | Hundorf | Dec 2008 | A1 |
| 20090035527 | Kobayashi | Feb 2009 | A1 |
| 20090069772 | Sauer | Mar 2009 | A1 |
| 20090069778 | Sauer | Mar 2009 | A1 |
| 20090191779 | Cree | Jul 2009 | A1 |
| 20090240222 | Tomoko | Sep 2009 | A1 |
| 20090258210 | Iyad | Oct 2009 | A1 |
| 20090275909 | Sakaguchi | Nov 2009 | A1 |
| 20090292266 | Bäck | Nov 2009 | A1 |
| 20090294044 | Gill | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20090299318 | Faulks | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20090299322 | Faulks | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20090325447 | Austin | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20090325448 | Welch | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20090326503 | Lakso | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20100040826 | Mansfield et al. | Feb 2010 | A1 |
| 20100062231 | Abed | Mar 2010 | A1 |
| 20100076390 | Norrby | Mar 2010 | A1 |
| 20100090363 | Larsen | Apr 2010 | A1 |
| 20100104830 | Jaeger | Apr 2010 | A1 |
| 20100112313 | Nakakado | May 2010 | A1 |
| 20100168704 | Thomas | Jul 2010 | A1 |
| 20100222761 | Westwood et al. | Sep 2010 | A1 |
| 20100262105 | Turner | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| 20100262107 | Turner et al. | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| 20100268183 | Een | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| 20100280481 | Kline | Nov 2010 | A1 |
| 20100285286 | Middlesworth | Nov 2010 | A1 |
| 20110004176 | Andersson | Jan 2011 | A1 |
| 20110040273 | Sablone | Feb 2011 | A1 |
| 20110046594 | Sablone | Feb 2011 | A1 |
| 20110139657 | Hird | Jun 2011 | A1 |
| 20110139658 | Hird | Jun 2011 | A1 |
| 20110139659 | Hird | Jun 2011 | A1 |
| 20110144610 | Karlson | Jun 2011 | A1 |
| 20110151739 | Bosler | Jun 2011 | A1 |
| 20110152812 | Hird | Jun 2011 | A1 |
| 20110178490 | Lavon | Jul 2011 | A1 |
| 20110196332 | Cheng | Aug 2011 | A1 |
| 20110318987 | Ooishi | Dec 2011 | A1 |
| 20120022490 | Marche et al. | Jan 2012 | A1 |
| 20120045620 | Oba | Feb 2012 | A1 |
| 20120055613 | Baeck | Mar 2012 | A1 |
| 20120055615 | Baeck | Mar 2012 | A1 |
| 20120061015 | Lavon et al. | Mar 2012 | A1 |
| 20120061016 | Lavon et al. | Mar 2012 | A1 |
| 20120095429 | Kobayashi | Apr 2012 | A1 |
| 20120100351 | Covelli | Apr 2012 | A1 |
| 20120116342 | Stjernholm | May 2012 | A1 |
| 20120141742 | Yamaguchi | Jun 2012 | A1 |
| 20120143165 | Macura | Jun 2012 | A1 |
| 20120168063 | Beuther | Jul 2012 | A1 |
| 20120196091 | Mizutani | Aug 2012 | A1 |
| 20120209230 | Mansfield | Aug 2012 | A1 |
| 20120238980 | Lam | Sep 2012 | A1 |
| 20120251771 | Wilson | Oct 2012 | A1 |
| 20120252716 | Barnabas et al. | Oct 2012 | A1 |
| 20120277713 | Raycheck | Nov 2012 | A1 |
| 20120316526 | Rosati et al. | Dec 2012 | A1 |
| 20120321839 | Uematsu | Dec 2012 | A1 |
| 20130017370 | Yamaguchi | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| 20130022784 | Uematsu | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| 20130072887 | Lavon | Mar 2013 | A1 |
| 20130082418 | Curro | Apr 2013 | A1 |
| 20130090623 | Ohashi | Apr 2013 | A1 |
| 20130095279 | Hauschildt | Apr 2013 | A1 |
| 20130144245 | Roe | Jun 2013 | A1 |
| 20130158497 | Yamaguchi | Jun 2013 | A1 |
| 20130164480 | Sakurai | Jun 2013 | A1 |
| 20130165883 | Kimura | Jun 2013 | A1 |
| 20130178815 | Ohashi | Jul 2013 | A1 |
| 20130184665 | Kato | Jul 2013 | A1 |
| 20130211356 | Nishikawa et al. | Aug 2013 | A1 |
| 20130213547 | Schneider | Aug 2013 | A1 |
| 20130218116 | Schneider | Aug 2013 | A1 |
| 20130230700 | Schoenbeck | Sep 2013 | A1 |
| 20130236700 | Yamanaka | Sep 2013 | A1 |
| 20130255861 | Schneider | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130255862 | Schneider et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130255863 | Lavon et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130255864 | Schneider et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130255865 | Brown et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130280481 | Mitsuno | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130284850 | Lenser | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130306226 | Zink | Nov 2013 | A1 |
| 20140018222 | Sablone | Jan 2014 | A1 |
| 20140018759 | Jayasinghe | Jan 2014 | A1 |
| 20140039434 | Xu | Feb 2014 | A1 |
| 20140041786 | Henke | Feb 2014 | A1 |
| 20140135194 | Sablone | May 2014 | A1 |
| 20140148774 | Brown | May 2014 | A1 |
| 20140163500 | Roe | Jun 2014 | A1 |
| 20140163506 | Roe | Jun 2014 | A1 |
| 20140163511 | Roe et al. | Jun 2014 | A1 |
| 20140234575 | Mitsuno | Aug 2014 | A1 |
| 20140330232 | Schönbeck | Nov 2014 | A1 |
| 20140367032 | Homoelle et al. | Dec 2014 | A1 |
| 20140377506 | Eckstein et al. | Dec 2014 | A1 |
| 20140377513 | Galie | Dec 2014 | A1 |
| 20140378924 | Turner | Dec 2014 | A1 |
| 20150032078 | Collins | Jan 2015 | A1 |
| 20150038929 | Van Malderen | Feb 2015 | A1 |
| 20150057630 | Tange | Feb 2015 | A1 |
| 20150126955 | Sauer | May 2015 | A1 |
| 20150147530 | Mitsuno | May 2015 | A1 |
| 20150147539 | Thomas | May 2015 | A1 |
| 20150164699 | Schmitz | Jun 2015 | A1 |
| 20150164705 | Thomas | Jun 2015 | A1 |
| 20150173961 | Powell | Jun 2015 | A1 |
| 20150202091 | Sablone | Jul 2015 | A1 |
| 20150297419 | Nelson | Oct 2015 | A1 |
| 20150297421 | Nelson | Oct 2015 | A1 |
| 20150313774 | Homoeiie | Nov 2015 | A1 |
| 20160013614 | Moto | Jan 2016 | A1 |
| 20160136014 | Arora | May 2016 | A1 |
| 20160167334 | Arora | Jun 2016 | A1 |
| 20160206485 | Seitz | Jul 2016 | A1 |
| 20160270972 | Surushe | Sep 2016 | A1 |
| 20160324697 | Schoenbeck | Nov 2016 | A1 |
| 20170022339 | Hanschen et al. | Jan 2017 | A1 |
| 20170027775 | Barnes | Feb 2017 | A1 |
| 20170056256 | Smith | Mar 2017 | A1 |
| 20170071800 | Schonbeck | Mar 2017 | A1 |
| 20170079851 | Greening, II | Mar 2017 | A1 |
| 20170079854 | Butler | Mar 2017 | A1 |
| 20170087029 | Nelson | Mar 2017 | A1 |
| 20170142806 | Park | May 2017 | A1 |
| 20170252229 | Bonelli | Sep 2017 | A1 |
| 20170335498 | Hansen | Nov 2017 | A1 |
| 20180014979 | Fujita | Jan 2018 | A1 |
| 20180015709 | Takeuchi | Jan 2018 | A1 |
| 20180042777 | Dalal | Feb 2018 | A1 |
| 20180042778 | Lenser | Feb 2018 | A1 |
| 20180042779 | Lenser | Feb 2018 | A1 |
| 20180042780 | Lenser | Feb 2018 | A1 |
| 20180042784 | Koshijima | Feb 2018 | A1 |
| 20180042785 | Dalal | Feb 2018 | A1 |
| 20180042786 | Mueller | Feb 2018 | A1 |
| 20180042787 | Lenser | Feb 2018 | A1 |
| 20180271716 | Dalal | Sep 2018 | A1 |
| 20180271717 | Dria | Sep 2018 | A1 |
| 20180281296 | Uchida | Oct 2018 | A1 |
| 20190046363 | Lenser | Feb 2019 | A1 |
| 20190083323 | Sakai | Mar 2019 | A1 |
| 20190110936 | Becker | Apr 2019 | A1 |
| 20190125597 | Sauer et al. | May 2019 | A1 |
| 20200046576 | Schonbeck | Feb 2020 | A1 |
| 20200170846 | Lenser | Jun 2020 | A1 |
| 20200179179 | Lenser | Jun 2020 | A1 |
| 20200268563 | Lenser | Aug 2020 | A1 |
| 20200397625 | Sakai | Dec 2020 | A1 |
| 20210000656 | Greening, II | Jan 2021 | A1 |
| 20210077315 | Schönbeck et al. | Mar 2021 | A1 |
| 20210077316 | Schönbeck et al. | Mar 2021 | A1 |
| 20210077317 | Schönbeck et al. | Mar 2021 | A1 |
| 20210085532 | Lenser et al. | Mar 2021 | A1 |
| 20210186769 | Lenser et al. | Jun 2021 | A1 |
| 20210186770 | Lenser et al. | Jun 2021 | A1 |
| 20210307970 | Lenser et al. | Oct 2021 | A1 |
| 20210330514 | Lenser et al. | Oct 2021 | A1 |
| 20210378885 | Greening, II et al. | Dec 2021 | A1 |
| 20210393453 | Schönbeck et al. | Dec 2021 | A1 |
| 20220287887 | Lenser et al. | Sep 2022 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 101170977 | Apr 2008 | CN |
| 103209828 | Jul 2013 | CN |
| 104582945 | Apr 2015 | CN |
| 104703567 | Jun 2015 | CN |
| 104797228 | Jul 2015 | CN |
| 103434239 | Nov 2015 | CN |
| 204909840 | Dec 2015 | CN |
| 104837455 | Apr 2018 | CN |
| 108601686 | Sep 2018 | CN |
| 0666308 | Aug 1995 | EP |
| 1256594 | Nov 2002 | EP |
| 1447066 | Aug 2004 | EP |
| 2100575 | Sep 2009 | EP |
| 1263580 | Sep 2010 | EP |
| 1990188 | Oct 2012 | EP |
| 2891480 | Jul 2015 | EP |
| 2841364 | Aug 2016 | EP |
| 3170884 | May 2017 | EP |
| 3246443 | Nov 2017 | EP |
| 2647360 | Jun 2018 | EP |
| 3639801 | Apr 2020 | EP |
| 3251642 | Aug 2020 | EP |
| 2004223238 | Aug 2004 | JP |
| 2007521036 | Aug 2007 | JP |
| 2011139843 | Jul 2011 | JP |
| 4934835 | Mar 2012 | JP |
| 5036641 | Jul 2012 | JP |
| 2012524645 | Oct 2012 | JP |
| 2017065142 | Apr 2017 | JP |
| 6240733 | Nov 2017 | JP |
| 9115365 | Oct 1991 | WO |
| 9510996 | Apr 1995 | WO |
| 95010996 | Apr 1995 | WO |
| 9511652 | May 1995 | WO |
| 9516746 | Jun 1995 | WO |
| 9828123 | Jul 1998 | WO |
| 9919449 | Apr 1999 | WO |
| 2000045763 | Aug 2000 | WO |
| 2000059430 | Oct 2000 | WO |
| 0073031 | Dec 2000 | WO |
| 2002067809 | Sep 2002 | WO |
| 2003007864 | Jan 2003 | WO |
| 2004017882 | Mar 2004 | WO |
| 2004017885 | Mar 2004 | WO |
| 2004041990 | May 2004 | WO |
| 2004060652 | Jul 2004 | WO |
| 2006124337 | Nov 2006 | WO |
| 2006138725 | Dec 2006 | WO |
| 2007036907 | Apr 2007 | WO |
| 2008023291 | Feb 2008 | WO |
| 2008026106 | Mar 2008 | WO |
| 2008156075 | Dec 2008 | WO |
| 2009082277 | Jul 2009 | WO |
| 2009146307 | Dec 2009 | WO |
| 2010055699 | May 2010 | WO |
| 2010118214 | Oct 2010 | WO |
| 2010126415 | Nov 2010 | WO |
| 2011080643 | Jul 2011 | WO |
| 2011125893 | Oct 2011 | WO |
| 2012030571 | Mar 2012 | WO |
| 2012052172 | Apr 2012 | WO |
| 2012112501 | Aug 2012 | WO |
| 2012137553 | Oct 2012 | WO |
| 2012154318 | Nov 2012 | WO |
| 2013018846 | Feb 2013 | WO |
| 2013027390 | Feb 2013 | WO |
| 2013047890 | Apr 2013 | WO |
| 2013132403 | Sep 2013 | WO |
| 2013157365 | Oct 2013 | WO |
| 2013163141 | Oct 2013 | WO |
| 2014011839 | Jan 2014 | WO |
| 2015168032 | Nov 2015 | WO |
| 2015195467 | Dec 2015 | WO |
| 2015195468 | Dec 2015 | WO |
| 2016069269 | May 2016 | WO |
| 2016073713 | May 2016 | WO |
| 2016109514 | Jul 2016 | WO |
| 2018031841 | Feb 2018 | WO |
| 2018183315 | Oct 2018 | WO |
| 2016121979 | Jan 2019 | WO |
| 2019089689 | May 2019 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| All Office Actions, U.S. Appl. No. 15/674,561, filed Aug. 11, 2017. |
| All Office Actions, U.S. Appl. No. 15/674,596, filed Aug. 11, 2017. |
| All Office Actions, U.S. Appl. No. 16/748,885, filed Jan. 22, 2020. |
| All Office Actions; U.S. Appl. No. 16/916,655, filed Jun. 30, 2020. |
| All Office Actions; U.S. Appl. No. 17/195,677, filed Mar. 9, 2021. |
| All Office Actions; U.S. Appl. No. 17/195,679, filed Mar. 9, 2021. |
| All Office Actions; U.S. Appl. No. 17/720,363, filed Apr. 14, 2022. |
| PCT Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2017/046394 dated Sep. 28, 2017, 15 pages. |
| U.S. Unpublished U.S. Appl. No. 17/195,677, filed Mar. 9, 2021, to first inventor Todd Douglas Lenser et al. |
| U.S. Unpublished U.S. Appl. No. 17/195,679, filed Mar. 9, 2021, to first inventor Todd Douglas Lenser et al. |
| U.S. Unpublished U.S. Appl. No. 17/720,363, filed Apr. 14, 2022, to Todd Douglas Lenser. |
| All Office Actions; U.S. Appl. No. 17/869,815, filed Jul. 21, 2022. |
| U.S. Unpublished U.S. Appl. No. 17/869,815, filed Jul. 21, 2022, to Urmish Popatlal Dalal et. al. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220233362 A1 | Jul 2022 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62419515 | Nov 2016 | US | |
| 62406025 | Oct 2016 | US | |
| 62374010 | Aug 2016 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17195679 | Mar 2021 | US |
| Child | 17720363 | US | |
| Parent | 16748885 | Jan 2020 | US |
| Child | 17195679 | US | |
| Parent | 15674596 | Aug 2017 | US |
| Child | 16748885 | US |
