Apparatus and method for inverting a child's training pant or the like
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Corporation
InventorsDean W. Westphal, David T. Strohbeen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and method are provided for inverting a child's training pant or the like. The apparatus generally comprises a pair of mutually facing, diverging conveyor belt assemblies and a pair of suction systems respectively associated with the conveyor belt assemblies. As the conveyor belt assemblies move the training pant therealong, the suction systems act on opposite surfaces of the training pant to draw them apart, thereby opening the training pant. At the end of the conveyor belt assemblies is an inverting assembly for inverting the opened pant.
Claims21
Apparatus for opening and inverting a child's training pant or the like, comprising:
- a pant conveyor means having a starting end portion and a finishing end portion and being adapted for conveying a pant from said starting end portion to said finishing end portion,
- a suction means being disposed generally between said starting end portion and said finishing end portion and being adapted to be positionable near generally opposed exterior surface portions of the pant for drawing the generally opposed exterior surface portions apart, thereby opening the pant,
- said suction means being selectively variable in drawing force between said starting end portion and said finishing end portion, whereby pants of various sizes and weights can be opened, and
- means at said finishing end portion adapted for inverting the opened pant.
Apparatus for opening and inverting a child's training pant or the like, comprising:
- a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt being in mutually facing and spaced-apart relation and moveable from a starting position to a finishing position, said first and said second conveyor belts diverging in a direction from said starting position to said finishing position and being adapted to move a pant therebetween, said conveyor belts being selectively adjustable in their spaced-apart relation,
- a first variable force suction means adjacent said first conveyor belt on a side opposite from said second conveyor belt and extending generally between said starting position and said finishing position for providing a suction force through said first conveyor belt,
- a second variable force suction means adjacent said second conveyor belt on a side opposite from said first conveyor belt and extending generally between said starting position and said finishing position for providing a suction force through said second conveyor belt, whereby the pant is drawn open by the oppositely acting suction forces as it is moved by said conveyor belts from said starting position to said finishing position, and
- an inverting means including a plunger member on one side of said finishing position and being selectively reciprocative across said conveyor belts, and an inverting member on an opposite side of said finishing position in alignment with said plunger member, whereby said plunger member is selectively reciprocated against the open pant to invert the pant when moved through said inverting member.
A method of opening and inverting a child's training pant or the like, comprising the steps of:
- conveying the pant from a starting position to a finishing position,
- establishing a source of suction generally between the starting position and the finishing position.
- applying a suction force generated from the source of suction on generally opposed exterior surface portions of the pant to draw the portions apart as the pant conveys from the starting position to the finishing position, thereby opening the pant,
- selectively varying the applied suction force, whereby pants of various sizes and weights can be opened, and
- inverting the opened pant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.