PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT FOR FOLDING A PANT TYPE DIAPER

1 - 67 . (canceled)

68 . A method of engaging side panels of an absorbent article comprising:

providing a training pant comprising a leading portion, a trailing portion, and a central portion extending in a longitudinal direction between the leading portion and the trailing portion, the training pant comprising a first pair of side panels attached to the central portion proximal one of the leading portion and the trailing portion of the training pant and a second pair of side panels attached to the central portion proximal another of the leading portion and the trailing portion of the training pant, wherein the first pair of side panels each comprise a first fastening region and the second pair of side panels each comprise a second fastening region; folding the central portion of the training pant about a transverse axis orthogonal to the longitudinal direction to form a folded training pant; and engaging at least a portion of the first fastening regions and at least a portion of the second fastening regions while the central portion of the folded training pant is received by at least one recessed seat, wherein the at least one recessed seat is located on at least one of a first belt and a second belt of a conveyance system.

69 . The method of claim 68 , wherein the conveyance system comprises:

a first conveying device comprising a first belt; and a second conveying device comprising a second belt; wherein the first conveying device and the second conveying device are each configured such that the first belt and the second belt form at least one parallel rectilinear branch.

70 . The method according to claim 68 , wherein the step of engaging further comprises refastenably engaging the at least a portion of the first fastening regions and the at least a portion of the second fastening regions, and wherein the first fastening regions comprise first fastening components and the second fastening regions comprise second fastening components.

71 . The method according to claim 68 , wherein the step of folding further comprises situating at least a portion of the central portion of the training pant on the at least one recessed seat.

72 . The method according to claim 68 , further comprising transporting the folded training pant in a machine direction while the central portion of the folded training pant is situated within the at least one recessed seat on the at least one of the first belt and the second belt.

73 . The method of claim 72 , wherein the first belt comprises the at least one recessed seat and the second belt comprises the at least one other recessed seat and the central portion of the folded training pant is received by both the at least one recessed seat and the other at least one recessed seat.

74 . The method of claim 73 , wherein the step of transporting the folded training pant further comprises gripping the folded training pant to the at least one of the first belt and the second belt using a vacuum connected to one or more perforations in the respective at least one of the first belt and the second belt.

75 . The method of claim 74 , wherein the step of folding further comprises positioning at least one side panel of the first pair of side panels and at least one side panel of the second pair of side panels on an outside region of the at least one of a first belt and a second belt, wherein the outside region of the at least one of a first belt and a second belt does not comprise the at least one recessed seat.

76 . The method of claim 75 , wherein the outside region comprises one or more perforations adapted to grip the at least one side panel of the first pair of side panels and at least one side panel of the second pair of side panels of the training pant using vacuum suction.

77 . An apparatus for preparing a folded training pant comprising:

a conveyance system comprising:

a first conveying device comprising a first belt;

a second conveying device comprising second belt, wherein the first conveying device and the second conveying device are each configured such that the first belt and the second belt form at least one parallel rectilinear branch; and a folding nip, situated between the respective rectilinear branches of the first belt and the second belt and adapted to fold a training pant about a transverse axis orthogonal to a longitudinal direction to form a folded training pant; wherein at least one of the first belt and the second belt further comprises at least one recessed seat configured to receive a central portion of the folded training pant.

78 . The apparatus of claim 77 , wherein at least one of the first belt and the second belt further comprises one or more perforations connected to a vacuum adapted to grip the folded training pant, and wherein the one or more perforations are located within the at least one recessed seat of the at least one of the first belt and the second belt.

79 . The apparatus of claim 78 , wherein the first belt comprises at least one recessed seat and the second belt comprises at least one other recessed seat and the central portion of the folded training pant is received by both the at least one recessed seat and the other at least one recessed seat.

80 . The apparatus of claim 79 , wherein the first belt comprises at least one first recessed seat and the second belt comprises at least one second recessed seat.

81 . The apparatus of claim 80 , wherein the at least one of the first belt and the second belt further comprises an outside region adapted to transport at least one side panel of a first pair of side panels and at least one side pan& of a second pair of side panels in a machine direction, wherein the outside region does not comprise the recessed seat.

82 . The apparatus of claim 81 , wherein the outside region of the at least one of the first belt and the second belt comprises one or more perforations connected to a vacuum and adapted to grip the at least one side panel of the first pair of side panels and the at least one side pan& of the second pair of side panels.