Process and Equipment for Manufacturing Three Dimensionally Shaped or Belted Articles, Such as Garments or Absorbent Articles

A method for manufacturing shaped articles from one ore more web materials on a manufacturing equipment, wherein

• said articles form a closed hoop structure or a three-dimensional structure and have an inner and an outer surface;
• said articles being formed by connecting one or more regions of one or more web pieces of one or more web materials;
• said web materials being essentially flat by having a length dimension (x-direction) and a width dimension (y- direction) exceeding the thickness dimension (z-direction), thus having a first and a second surface along the x-y-direction;
• said web materials forming a sequence of web material pieces;
• said method being an essentially continuous manufacturing process, comprising at least one web treatment step acting on said inner and outer surfaces simultaneously by a web treatment unit comprising a web treatment head and a counteracting web treatment tool;
• said manufacturing equipment comprising a web path splitter means for parallel treatment of at least two web pieces in at least two web treatment sections, each comprising:
• (i) a treatment head of said web treatment unit,
• (ii) and at least a first and a second web support means for temporarily holding and moving said web material pieces, said second web support means being positioned z-directionally offset relative to the first web support means, thereby forming a gap between said first and second web support means, wherein the gap distance between said first and second web support means can be varied;
• said method comprising the steps of:
• (a) feeding one or more pieces of web material via said web path splitter means to said web treatment sections;
• (b) temporarily attaching
• (b1) a first region of a piece of a web material to said first web support means,
• (b2) and a second region of the same or a different piece of a web material to said second web support means;
• such that said first and said second regions are positioned in said gap between said first and said second web support means;
• (c) increasing the z-directional distance of said first and second web support means whilst said first and second regions of said web material(s) remain at least partly affixed to the respective web support means, so as to increase the gap distance between said web support means and said regions of said web material piece(s) affixed thereto,
• (d) positioning said web treatment head in said gap to contact the surfaces of said web material regions oriented towards said web treatment head;
• (e) positioning said web treatment head and said web treatment tool relative to each other and to the web material so as to allow them to interact each with one of the opposite surfaces of said web material(s);
• (f) treating said first and said second web regions jointly by cooperatively operating said web treatment head and said web treatment tool of said treatment unit, thereby forming the structure of said article;
• (g) removing said web treatment head from said gap and/or said article from said head;
• (h) optionally further treating said article;
• and
• (i) removing said article from said web handling equipment.

A method for handling a web material, which is an essentially continuous web or an essentially continuous sequence of pieces of an essentially continuous web, on a web handling equipment, said web handling equipment having an overall web path connecting a web supply means with a process section end point, said web material comprising at least a first and second section being connected and spaced apart with the first section being oriented along said overall web path more towards said process section end point than the second section, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

• (a) providing said web material on said web supply means;
• (b) moving said web material from said web supply means towards said process end section along said overall web path at an overall web path speed |v0| relative to the frame of said web handling equipment;
• (c) providing a web path splitting means positioned along said overall web path and comprising at least a first and a second web handling section, each of these web handling sections comprising a section frame, and at least one web support means connected to said section frame, having a surface which is movable relative to said section frame;
• (d) splitting said web path on said web path splitting means into at least a first and a second web sub-path, each running through one of said web handling sections;
• and transferring said web material along said web sub-paths to said web handling sections;
• (e) handling said web material in each of said web handling sections by
• 1) affixing at least said first section of said web material to the surface of a web support means in the initial contact region of said web support means, without affixing said second section of said web material to said web support means surface;
• 2) changing the speed of said surfaces of said web support means, while having at least said first section of said web material remaining affixed thereto, thereby changing the relative speed of said first section of said web material to a second section of said web material;
• (f) thereby transferring at least parts of said web material out of the initial contact regions of said web support means into an operating region of said web support means or of a further web support means, thereby forming a cross-directional fold in said web material;
• (g) optionally performing further web handling or treatment steps on said web material;
• (h) removing said web material from said web handling section;
• and
• (i) providing said web handling section for repeated executions of the web handling steps (d) to (h).

An apparatus for manufacturing shaped articles from one ore more web materials, said apparatus comprising:

• a web path splitting means comprising at least two web treatment sections;
• and
• a web treatment unit, comprising at least two web treatment elements in the form of a web treatment head and a web treatment tool, which interact at least for the treatment of said web;
• wherein said web treatment sections comprising:
• at least a first and a second web support means comprising moveable surfaces to which said web materials can be temporarily affixed;
• an element of said web treatment unit, preferably a treatment head;
• wherein said web support means comprise means to freely program the surface speed and direction;
• said first and said second web support means are arranged and comprise means to adjust their relative positioning, thereby forming a gap with a variable gap distance between them;
• said web treatment head and said first and second web support means being arranged and comprise means to adjust their relative positioning to allow positioning of said treatment head in said gap.