Patent attributes
The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for assembling diapers, each including a chassis connected with front and back elastic belts. As discussed in more detail below, opposing end regions of the chassis are connected with regions of the elastic belts where the elasticity of the elastic belts has been removed or deactivated. An elastic laminate may be formed by continuously bonding elastic strands between a first continuous substrate layer and a second continuous substrate layer such that the elastic strands are bonded to both the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer in heavy-bond regions. And the elastic strands are bonded to the first substrate layer and/or the second substrate layer with in light-bond regions. The elastic strands are then intermittently deactivated by cutting the strands into one or more discrete pieces in the light-bond regions. The discrete pieces retract and remain in the light-bond regions.