Michael Devin Long, Harrison Township, OH; and Uwe Schneider, Cincinnati, OH.
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH.

Filed: 9/14/20
Issued: 2/14/23

A method for assembling absorbent articles, the method comprising steps of: advancing a first substrate in a machine direction at a first speed, the first substrate comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface and defining a width, Ws, in a cross direction; decelerating a portion of the first substrate to a second speed; arranging the second surface of the portion the first substrate and a die surface in a facing relationship, wherein the die surface comprises cavities; applying energy to the portion of the first substrate while advancing at the second speed such that softened material of the first substrate moves into the cavities of the die surface to form a zone of protrusions, wherein the zone of protrusions extends in the machine direction for a length, Lz, wherein each protrusion protrudes from the second surface of the first substrate to a distal end, and wherein the protrusions comprise hooks; accelerating the portion of the first substrate with the zone of protrusions from the second speed to the first speed; and cutting the first substrate into discrete pieces each having a pitch length, PL, extending along the machine direction, wherein the length, Lz, of the zone of protrusions extends in the machine direction for less than the pitch length, PL.

A method for assembling absorbent articles, the method comprising steps of: advancing a first substrate in a machine direction at a first speed, the first substrate comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface and defining a width, Ws, in a cross direction; decelerating a portion of the first substrate to a second speed; arranging the second surface of the portion the first substrate and a die surface in a facing relationship, wherein the die surface comprises cavities; applying energy to the portion of the first substrate while advancing at the second speed such that softened material of the first substrate moves into the cavities of the die surface to form a zone of protrusions, wherein the zone of protrusions extends in the cross direction for a width, Wz, wherein each protrusion protrudes from the second surface of the first substrate to a distal end, and wherein the protrusions comprise hooks; accelerating the portion of the first substrate with the zone of protrusions from the second speed to the first speed; and cutting the first substrate into discrete pieces, wherein the width, Wz, of the zone of protrusions extends in the cross direction for a distance that is equal to or less than the width, Ws.

A method for assembling absorbent articles, the method comprising steps of: advancing a first substrate in a machine direction at a first speed, the first substrate comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface and defining a width, W, in a cross direction; decelerating a portion of the first substrate to a second speed; arranging the second surface of the portion the first substrate and a die surface in a facing relationship, wherein the die surface comprises cavities; applying energy to the portion of the first substrate while advancing at the second speed such that softened material of the first substrate moves into the cavities of the die surface to form a zone of protrusions, wherein the zone of protrusions extends in the machine direction for a length, Lz, wherein each protrusion protrudes from the second surface of the first substrate to a distal end, and wherein the protrusions comprise hooks; combining a second substrate with the portion of the first substrate; bonding the second substrate with the portion of the first substrate while at the second speed; accelerating the second substrate and the portion of the first substrate with the zone of protrusions from the second speed to the first speed; and cutting the first substrate into discrete pieces.