| US 7,468,114 B2 | ||
| Composite sheet and process and apparatus for producing the same | ||
| Kenichi Sato, Tochigi (Japan); Yoshinobu Machida, Tochigi (Japan); Minoru Tsukada, Tochigi (Japan); and Yuichi Ishino, Tochigi (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Kao Corporation, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Nov. 12, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/704,908. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2002-329213 (JP), filed on Nov. 13, 2002; application No. 2003-351594 (JP), filed on Oct. 10, 2003; and application No. 2003-351691 (JP), filed on Oct. 10, 2003. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2004/0140047 A1, Jul. 22, 2004 | ||
| Int. Cl. B29C 59/04 (2006.01); B31F 1/07 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 156—209 [156/210; 156/285; 156/290] | 8 Claims |
| 1. A process of producing a topsheet of an absorbent disposable article comprising a nonwoven upper layer made of a substantially
inextensible sheet and a nonwoven lower layer made of a substantially inextensible sheet which are partially bonded to each
other at a large number of joints, the nonwoven upper layer projecting outward to form a large number of hollow projections
in an area other than the joints, and the projections and the joints being arranged such that the projections and the joints
alternate in one direction to make lines and the projections in each of the lines are out of alignment with the projections
in adjacent lines, the process comprising:
embossing the sheet forming the nonwoven upper layer through the mesh of a first roll having projections and depressions on
the peripheral surface thereof and a second roll having projections and depressions mating with the depressions and the projections
of the first roll on the peripheral surface thereof to make the upper layer,
wherein at least the first roll is composed of a plurality of first and second gears mounted on a rotating shaft to provide
projections and depressions alternating in the rotating direction of the roll, the plurality of gears including recesses of
a prescribed width formed on a peripheral surface of the first roll by the first gears and at least one of the second gears,
and the recesses connecting to and composing a part of suction paths that are formed in the first roll and extend in an axial
direction of the first roll, and
joining the embossed nonwoven upper layer, while being vacuum held to the peripheral surface of the first roll, with the nonwoven
lower layer at the parts corresponding to the tops of the projections of the first roll; and
wherein the embossed upper layer is vacuum held to the peripheral surface of the first roll by applying suction through the
suction paths.
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