Claims
- 1. A process for splicing a first section of absorbent material to a second section of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length of an absorbent material suitable for a substantially uninterrupted sequential in-feed to a processing system, the process comprising:
a placing of a trailing end of a first portion of an airlaid, nonwoven absorbent material in a position that overlaps in substantially direct contact with a leading end of a second portion of airlaid, nonwoven absorbent material to provide an overlapped splicing region; and an attaching of said trailing end of the first portion to said leading end of the second portion along at least a part of said overlapped splicing region with a thermal bond that provides a splice between said first portion of absorbent material and said second portion of absorbent material, said splice having an operative tensile strength which is sufficient to support the sequential in-feed.
- 2. A process as set forth in claim 1, further including a substantial aligning of said trailing end of said first portion of absorbent material with said leading end of said second portion of absorbent material.
- 3. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said splice is provided with a tensile strength of at least about 600 grams per inch of cross-directional width of the splicing region.
- 4. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said splice is provided with a tensile strength which is substantially equal to or greater than a tensile strength of said first portion of absorbent material.
- 5. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first portion of absorbent material has been configured to include at least about 6 wt % of a substantially thermoplastic binder.
- 6. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first portion of absorbent material has been configured to include at least about 8 wt % of a substantially thermoplastic binder.
- 7. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first portion of absorbent material has been configured to include at least about 10 wt % of a substantially thermoplastic binder.
- 8. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second portion of absorbent material has been configured to include at least about 6 wt % of a substantially thermoplastic binder.
- 9. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second portion of absorbent material has been configured to include at least about 8 wt % of a substantially thermoplastic binder.
- 10. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said attaching of said trailing end of the first portion to said leading end of the second portion along at least a part of said overlapped splicing region includes an attaching with an ultrasonic bond.
- 11. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said process further includes a substantial aligning of lateral side edges of said trailing end of said first portion of absorbent material with lateral side edges of said leading end of said second portion of absorbent material; said splice is provided with a tensile strength of at least about 600 grams per inch of cross-directional width of the splicing region; said first portion of absorbent material and said second portion of absorbent material have been configured to include at least about 6 wt % of substantially thermoplastic binder; said first portion of absorbent material and said second portion of absorbent material have been configured to include not more than about 15 wt % of the substantially thermoplastic binder; and said attaching of said trailing end of the first portion to said leading end of the second portion includes an ultrasonic bonding with an ultrasonic bonding time of not more than a maximum of about 6 sec.
- 12. A process for forming a personal care absorbent article which includes an absorbent material having a splice therein, the process comprising:
a providing of a liquid permeable bodyside liner for placement adjacent a wearer; and a joining of an absorbent core to the bodyside liner to absorb liquid passing through the bodyside liner; wherein
said absorbent core includes a first portion of absorbent material, and at least a second portion of absorbent material; a trailing end of the first portion of absorbent material has been placed in a position that overlaps in substantially direct contact with a leading end of the second portion of absorbent material to provide an overlapped splicing region; the trailing end of the first portion has been attached to the leading end of the second portion along at least a part of said overlapped splicing region with a thermal bond that provides a splice between the first portion of absorbent material and the second portion of absorbent material; and said splice has been configured with an operative tensile strength which is sufficient to support a substantially uninterrupted sequential in-feed to the process.
- 13. A process as set forth in claim 12, wherein
lateral side edges of said trailing end of said first portion of absorbent material have been at least generally aligned with lateral side edges of said leading end of said second portion of absorbent material; said splice has been provided with a tensile strength of at least about 600 grams per inch of cross-directional width of the splicing region; said first portion of absorbent material and said second portion of absorbent material have been configured to include at least about 6 wt % of substantially thermoplastic binder; said first portion of absorbent material and said second portion of absorbent material have been configured to include not more than about 15 wt % of the substantially thermoplastic binder; and said attaching of said trailing end of the first portion to said leading end of the second portion has included an ultrasonic bonding with an ultrasonic bonding time of not more than a maximum of about 6 sec.
- 14. A substantially continuous length of absorbent material for a substantially uninterrupted sequential in-feed to a processing machine, the length of absorbent material comprising:
a first portion of absorbent material having a trailing end; a second portion of absorbent material having a leading end; the trailing end of the first portion of absorbent material placed in a position that overlaps in substantially direct contact with the leading end of the second portion of absorbent material to provide an overlapped splicing region; the trailing end of the first portion attached to the leading end of the second portion along at least a part of said overlapped splicing region with a thermal bond that provides a splice between said first portion of absorbent material and said second portion of absorbent material; and said splice having an operative tensile strength which is sufficient to support the sequential in-feed.
- 15. A length of absorbent material as set forth in claim 14, wherein
lateral side edges of said trailing end of said first portion of absorbent material have been substantially aligned with lateral side edges of said leading end of said second portion of absorbent material; said splice has been provided with a tensile strength of at least about 600 grams per inch of cross-directional width of the splicing region; said first portion of absorbent material and said second portion of absorbent material have been configured to include at least about 6 wt % of substantially thermoplastic binder; said first portion of absorbent material and said second portion of absorbent material have been configured to include not more than about 15 wt % of the substantially thermoplastic binder; and said attaching of said trailing end of the first portion to said leading end of the second portion has included an ultrasonic bonding with an ultrasonic bonding time of not more than a maximum of about 6 sec.
- 16. A personal care absorbent article which includes an absorbent material having a splice therein, the article comprising:
a liquid permeable bodyside liner for placement adjacent a wearer; and an absorbent core attached to the bodyside liner for absorbing liquid passing through the liner,
said absorbent core including a first portion of absorbent material, and a second portion of absorbent material, a trailing end of the first portion of absorbent material placed in a position that overlaps in direct contact with a leading end of the second portion of absorbent material to provide an overlapped splicing region, the trailing end of the first portion attached to the leading end of the second portion along at least a part of said overlapped splicing region with a thermal bond that provides a splice between said first portion of absorbent material and said second portion of absorbent material, and said splice having an operative tensile strength which is sufficient to support a substantially uninterrupted sequential in-feed to a processing system.
- 17. An article as set forth in claim 16, wherein
lateral side edges of said leading end of the second portion of absorbent material are at least generally aligned with lateral side edges of said trailing end of the first portion of absorbent material; said splice has a tensile strength of at least about 600 grams per inch of cross-directional width of the splicing region; said first portion of absorbent material and said second portion of absorbent material include at least about 6 wt % of substantially thermoplastic binder; said first portion of absorbent material and said second portion of absorbent material include not more than about 15 wt % of the substantially thermoplastic binder; and said trailing end of the first portion has been ultrasonically bonded to said leading end of the second portion by employing an ultrasonic bonding time of not more than a maximum of about 6 sec.
- 18. A personal care absorbent article as set forth in claim 16 wherein said article is a feminine hygiene product.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of copending, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/366,285 entitled USABLE SPLICE FOR A STABILIZED ABSORBENT AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SPLICE by R. J. Makolin et al. and filed Mar. 20, 2002, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60366285 |
Mar 2002 |
US |