Apparatuses and methods for making absorbent articles

1. A method for assembling disposable pant diapers, each pant diaper comprising a chassis having a first end region and an opposing second end region separated from each other by a central region, and having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the chassis comprising: a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the method comprising steps of:

advancing a first continuous substrate layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface in a machine direction, and defining a width in a cross direction;

advancing a second continuous substrate layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface in a machine direction, and defining a width in a cross direction;

advancing inner and outer elastic strands in the machine direction in a stretched state;

continuously bonding the outer elastic strands to the first surface of the first substrate layer;

folding a first portion of the first substrate layer onto a second portion of the first substrate layer to sandwich the outer elastic strands between and in direct contact with first surfaces of the first and second portions of the first substrate layer;

subsequent to the step of folding the first portion of the first substrate layer, forming an elastic laminate by intermittently bonding the inner elastic strands in the stretched state directly to the first surface of the first substrate layer and the first surface of the second substrate layer and between the first surface of the first substrate layer and the first surface of the second substrate layer, the elastic laminate including bonded regions and non-bonded regions intermittently spaced along the machine direction, wherein the inner elastic strands are bonded to the first surface of the first substrate layer and the first surface of the second substrate layer in the bonded regions, and wherein the inner elastic strands are not bonded to the first surface of the first substrate layer and the first surface of the second substrate layer in the non-bonded regions;

intermittently applying adhesive in first strips along the machine direction to at least one of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the inner elastic strands in the bonded regions such that the first strips of adhesive bond the first substrate, the second substrate, and the inner elastic strands together in the bonded regions;

intermittently applying adhesive in second strips along the machine direction to at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate in the non-bonded regions such that the second strips of adhesive are positioned between inner elastic strands in the non-bonded regions to bond the first and second substrates together, wherein the first strips of adhesive are offset from the second strips of adhesive in the cross direction;

cutting the elastic laminate along the machine direction to form a first continuous elastic laminate and a second continuous elastic laminate, each of the first continuous elastic laminate and the second continuous elastic laminate including bonded regions and non-bonded regions;

separating the first continuous elastic laminate and the second elastic laminate in the cross direction;

bonding the first substrate layer with the second substrate layer in the non-bonded regions of the first continuous elastic laminate by applying pressure to the first substrate layer, the second substrate layer, and the inner elastic strands with a distal edge of a blade to melt and fuse the first substrate together with the second substrate while simultaneously severing all the inner elastic strands in the non-bonded regions of the first continuous elastic laminate such that severed ends of the inner elastic strands retract to the bonded regions of the first continuous elastic laminate and wherein the inner elastic strands are severed no more than once in the non-bonded regions;

bonding the first substrate layer with the second substrate layer in the non-bonded regions of the second continuous elastic laminate while simultaneously severing all the inner elastic strands in the non-bonded regions of the second continuous elastic laminate such that severed ends of the inner elastic strands retract to the bonded regions of the second continuous elastic laminate and wherein the inner elastic strands are severed no more than once in the non-bonded regions; and

bonding the first end regions of each chassis with non-bonded regions of first continuous elastic laminate, and bonding the second end regions of each chassis with non-bonded regions of the second continuous elastic laminate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of bonding the first substrate layer with the second substrate layer in the non-bonded regions of the first continuous elastic laminate further comprises cutting the inner elastic strands and the first continuous substrate layer in the non-bonded regions without cutting the second continuous substrate layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of bonding the first substrate layer with the second substrate layer in the non-bonded regions of the first continuous elastic laminate further comprises cutting the inner elastic strands in the non-bonded regions without cutting either the first continuous substrate layer or the second continuous substrate layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of bonding the first substrate layer with the second substrate layer in the non-bonded regions of the first continuous elastic laminate further comprises cutting the inner elastic strands and both the first continuous substrate layer and the second continuous substrate layer in the non-bonded regions.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

advancing a third continuous substrate in the machine direction;

cutting the third continuous substrate into discrete chassis, wherein each chassis advances such that the longitudinal axis is parallel with the machine direction; and

turning each chassis such that the lateral axis is parallel with the machine direction.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:

folding each chassis along the lateral axis to position the first continuous elastic laminate into a facing relationship with the second continuous elastic laminate;

bonding the first continuous elastic laminate with the second continuous elastic laminate at discrete bond regions; and

cutting the first and second continuous elastic laminates to form pant diaper side seams.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first end region is a front waist region.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second end region is a back waist region.