Method and apparatus for making prefastened and refastenable pant with desired waist and hip fit

Abstract

A process for making a prefastened and refastenable pant includes providing a plurality of discrete articles having side panels and waist regions including an activatable retractive material. The side panels can be folded parallel to a longitudinal centerline to overlap at least portions of first and second fastening components. The fastening components are then engaged to form a prefastened and refastenable pant. The retractive material can be activated subsequent to engagement of the fastening components, or subsequent to obtaining position control of the side panels, to provide the pant with a waistband-to-hip circumference ratio of about 95 percent or less. The prefastened and refastenable pant and apparatus for its manufacture are also disclosed.

1 . An apparatus for making a prefastened and refastenable pant, comprising: 
 a pant assembly unit adapted to provide a plurality of discrete articles, each article having first and second waist regions, a crotch region interconnecting the waist regions, a longitudinal centerline, first and second fastening components disposed in the first and second waist regions respectively and adapted to refastenably engage one another, the first waist region having opposed side panels, the pant assembly unit further adapted to provide an activatable retractive material in at least one of the waist regions;    a product folding mechanism adapted to fold each article through the crotch region;    a side panel folding mechanism adapted to fold the opposed side panels parallel to the longitudinal centerline to overlap at least portions of the first and second fastening components;    a fastener engaging mechanism adapted to engage the first and second fastening components; and    an activating mechanism adapted to activate at least a portion of the retractive material and cause the retractive material to retract subsequent to engagement of the fastening components.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the activating mechanism emits electromagnetic radiation.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the activating mechanism emits heated air.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein a greater volume of heated air is applied to a waistband as compared to a hip section.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein a higher temperature air flow is applied to a waistband as compared to a hip section.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for making a prefastened and refastenable pant, comprising: 
 a pant assembly unit adapted to provide a plurality of discrete articles, each article having first and second waist regions, a crotch region interconnecting the waist regions, a longitudinal centerline, first and second fastening components disposed in the first and second waist regions respectively and adapted to refastenably engage one another, the first waist region having opposed side panels, the pant assembly unit further adapted to provide an activatable retractive material in at least one of the waist regions;    a position control mechanism adapted to obtain position control of the opposed side panels;    an activating mechanism adapted to activate at least a portion of the retractive material and cause the retractive material to retract;    a product folding mechanism adapted to fold each article through the crotch region;    a side panel folding mechanism adapted to fold the opposed side panels parallel to the longitudinal centerline to overlap at least portions of the first and second fastening components; and    a fastener engaging mechanism adapted to engage the first and second fastening components;    wherein the position control mechanism maintains position control of the opposed side panels until the fastening components are engaged.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the activating mechanism emits electromagnetic radiation.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the activating mechanism emits heated air.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein a greater volume of heated air is applied to a waistband as compared to a hip section.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein a higher temperature air flow is applied to a waistband as compared to a hip section.  
     
     
         11 . A prefastened and refastenable pant, comprising: 
 a chassis defining a first waist region having opposed side panels, an opposite second waist region, a crotch region disposed between and interconnecting the waist regions, and a longitudinal centerline, the waist regions together defining a waistband and a hip section;    at least one first fastening component disposed in the first waist region;    at least one second fastening component disposed in the second waist region and adapted to refastenably engage the first fastening component;    a retractive material disposed in at least the waistband; wherein the pant is folded through the crotch region and folded through the opposed side panels so that portions of the waist regions overlap, the first and second fastening components are engaged with one another to maintain the pant in a prefastened condition, and the pant has a waistband-to-hip circumference ratio of about 95 percent or less which results from activation of the retractive material after the fastening components are engaged to one another.    
     
     
         12 . The prefastened and refastenable pant of  claim 11 , wherein the pant has a waistband-to-hip circumference ratio of about 90 percent or less.  
     
     
         13 . The prefastened and refastenable pant of  claim 12 , wherein the pant has a waistband-to-hip circumference ratio of about 75 to about 90 percent.  
     
     
         14 . The prefastened and refastenable pant of  claim 11 , wherein the pant has a waistband-to-hip circumference ratio measured at 2000 grams of about 100 percent.  
     
     
         15 . The prefastened and refastenable pant of  claim 11 , wherein the retractive material comprises an elastomeric material.  
     
     
         16 . The prefastened and refastenable pant of  claim 11 , wherein the retractive material comprises a nonelastomeric material.  
     
     
         17 . The prefastened and refastenable pant of  claim 11 , wherein the retractive material is disposed in the side panels.