MXPA97003551A - A cuchi - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a blade comprising: a) a first linear cutting member having a first end, b) a second cutting member having a linear section and an arcuate section attached to said first end of said first cutting member; c) a third cutter member having a linear section and an arcuate section attached to said first end of said first cutter member and further attached to said arcuate section of said second cutter member; d) a bird breast fuse configuration formed by said arcuate sections of said second and third cutting members cooperating with said first cutting member and having an outer edge and a central line arcuately shaped; e) a cutting edge on said first, second and third cutting members having a blade thickness of cutting edge in the range of about 0.001 inches to about 0.003 inches; and f) a surface area of cutting edge in the range of about 20% to 40% of the total area area of an unctangle drawn on said bird breast fuze configuration and formed by a first rectangle lateral line between each of the located corner rectangle points on said outer edges of said second and third cutting members, respectively, in a place where said respective arcuate section is joined to said linear section, a second lateral line of rectangle and a third lateral line of rectangle perpendicular to said first lateral line of rectangle in each of said two rectangle corner points and extending for a distance through a central line located where said second cutter member joins said third cutter member, and a fourth rectangle sideline parallel to said first lateral line of rectangle at a distance from the centerline equal to the di stance between said first rectangle side line and said center line, said fourth rectangle side line intersects said second and third rectangle side lines to form said rectangle within the first, second, third and fourth rectangle side lines

Description

A KNIFE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a blade for cutting articles of a sheet or fabric of material. More specifically, this invention relates to a blade having a unique configuration which can be formed or secured to the outer surface of a rotating die cutter to cut a plurality of articles from a sheet or fabric of material with a zero spacing between at least parts of the outer peripheries of two adjacent articles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many different kinds and types of articles are currently manufactured which involve cutting or stamping a plurality of identically shaped articles of a sheet or elongated fabric of material. The sheet or fabric of material may be a single layer or a laminate formed of two or more layers. In the production of such articles, trimming waste is usually present and it is beneficial from a cost point of view to minimize such waste. Cutting waste is defined as all material that does not constitute a finished item. This includes the waste located on one side of the periphery of each item as well as the waste cut from the inside of an item. Even when the trimmed waste is kept to a minimum, its presence can still cause problems in the sense that it has to be separated and taken out of the finished items. Crop waste also has to be handled if it is desired to dispose of it properly, reclaim it or recycle it.

For articles configured in a unique way having at least one non-linear border, it is very difficult not to have a report waste. However, it is possible to minimize the amount of clipping waste and design the waste to have a certain profile so that it can be easier to handle when separated from the finished items.

One way to minimize clipping waste is to design the cutting blade to have a profile so that the blade will simultaneously cut two adjacent articles from a sheet or fabric of material. By arranging two or more items through and along a sheet or fabric of material so that two items are joined by a common peripheral segment, a waste reduction can be obtained.

A blade having a unique configuration and which can be formed or secured to the outer surface of a rotary die cutter has now been invented to cut a plurality of articles from a fabric or sheet of material with a zero spacing or clearance between at least a part of the outer peripheries of two adjacent articles.

SYNTHESIS OF THE INVENTION Briefly, this invention relates to a blade which can be formed or secured to the outer surface of a rotating die cutter for cutting a plurality of articles from a sheet or fabric of material. The blade includes a first cutter member having a first end, and a second and a third cutter member joined to the first end of the first cutter member. The second and third cutter members are arranged in relation to each other to form an angle therebetween from about 15 degrees to about 180 degrees. Each of the second and third cutter members may also have an arcuate section which cooperates with the first cutter member to form a breast fuze configuration in general. This unique configuration allows two articles to be cut simultaneously from a sheet or fabric of material with a zero separation between at least a portion of the outer peripheries of two adjacent articles.

The general object of this invention is to provide a blade for cutting articles from a sheet or fabric of material. A more specific object of this invention is to provide a blade having a unique configuration which can be formed or secured to the outer surface of a rotating die cutter to cut a plurality of articles from a sheet or fabric of material with a separation zero between at least a portion of the outer peripheries of two adjacent articles.

Another object of this invention is to provide a blade which has a bifurcated configuration which can simultaneously cut a portion of the outer peripheries of two adjacent articles.

A further object of this invention is to provide a blade which has at least three cutting members intersecting in a common place.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a blade which has a more economical way of cutting a plurality of articles from a sheet or fabric of material.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a die cutter having a thickness of about 0.025 millimeters.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art with regard to the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic view of a rotating die cutter having a pair of blades each having an hourglass profile and arranged end-to-end so that a common section of the blade can simultaneously cut a portion of the peripheries exteriors of two adjacent articles.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of one of the blades shown in Figure 1 taken along line 2-2.

Figure 3 is a top view of an absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin or a panty liner and having a central longitudinal axis X-X which has been cut by the rotary die cutter.

Figure 4 is a side view of the absorbent article shown in Figure 3 showing several distinct layers.

Figure 5 is an exploded top view of the area with the dotted circle shown in Figure 1 showing the bifurcation of the blade.

Figure 6 is an exploded top view of the blade profile located within the area of the dotted circle shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a part of the view shown in Figure 6 showing a rectangle pulled around the bifurcation point of the blade.

Figure 8 is an exploded view of an alternative blade profile located within the dotted circle area shown in Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a part of the view shown in Figure 8 showing a rectangle drawn around the bifurcation point of the blade.

Figure 10 is an exploded view of an alternate blade profile located within the area of the dotted circle shown in Figure 5.

Figure 11 is a part of the view shown in Figure 10 showing a rectangle drawn around the bifurcation point of the blade.

Figure 12 is an exploded view of another alternate blade profile located within the area of the dotted circle shown in Figure 5.

Figure 13 is a part of the view shown in Figure 12 showing a rectangle drawn around the bifurcation point of the blade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a rotary knife cutter 10 having an outer periphery 12 which is circular in configuration. On the outer periphery 12 are secured or mounted two or more blades 14 which are shown having an hourglass configuration and a central longitudinal axis X-X which circumscribes the outer periphery 12 of the rotary blade cutter 10. The blades 14 they are arranged so that they are butted against one another and have a common edge 16 located between them. It should be noted that the blades 14 can have any type of desired configuration including: a square; a rectangle; a circle; an ellipse; a sand clock; an oval; etc. The blades 14 can also be used to cut a sheet of material which is composed of a single layer or of a fabric of material which is composed of two or more layers. For the purposes of this invention, the blades 14 will be described as being secured to or mounted on a rotary blade cutter but it is known to those skilled in the art, that the blades 14 can be used by themselves or attached to a moving member or to some other type of rotary or reciprocating mechanisms.

For ease of understanding, the present invention will be described in relation to cutting or stamping a plurality of absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, training pants, incontinent garments, etc. from an elongated material sheet or fabric.

Referring to Figure 2, the blade 14 is shown as integrally formed with the rotary knife cutter 10 and extending outwardly in the radial direction of the outer periphery 12. The knife 14 includes a handle 18 which ends in a knife blade 20. The knife blade 20 has an inner edge 22 and an outer edge 24, one or both of which may be tapered or inclined towards one another so as to form a vertex 26. The apex 26 may be a sharp point or it may be have a flat surface as seen under a microscope. The overall thickness (t) will be in the vicinity of about .0305 millimeters to about .0460 millimeters when it is used to cut an absorbent article, such as a panty liner. As the knife of the blade 20 is worn by use, it is possible to sharpen one or both of the surfaces 22 and 24 so as to maintain the desired thickness (t) of the apex 26.

As mentioned above, even when the blade 14 is shown to be integrally formed or fastened to the rotary die cutter 10, it is also possible for the blade 14 to be mounted on a plate which is then screwed, bolted or otherwise clamped in place. ovibly to the rotary die cutter 10.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the blade 14 is designed to cut an article 28 from an elongated sheet or fabric of material. The sheet or fabric of material can be a single layer of a material or it can be formed of two or more different, different or identical layers which can be stacked vertically, assembled, laminated or joined together. When two or more layers are present, the layers can be laminated or bonded together by heat, pressure, heat and pressure, rubber, adhesive, thermal bonds, mechanical bonds, chemical bonds, etc. Articles 28 can have almost any kind of configuration imaginable. For purposes of illustration, article 28 is shown as an elongate pant liner having a central longitudinal axis X-X. However, it should be noted that the invention is not limited to this particular form. The materials which can be cut by the blade 14 include plastic paper, film, thermoplastic films, absorbent eraser, coform, foam, wood pulp, cardboard, wood or any other material or combinations thereof. The coform consists of a carrier sheet spun-bonded with a blend of pulp fibers and extruded polypropylene which is available from Kimberly-Clark Corporation having offices at 401 North Lake Street, Neenah, Wisconsin 54956. For discussion purposes only, the Article 28 will be described as an absorbent article such as a sanitary napkin, a panty liner or an incontinence garment. It should be noted that the blade 14 can cut both linear and non-linear edges, curves, arched shapes, circles, etc. Articles having a straight or linear segment such as a rectangle, square or parallelogram profile tend to be easier to nest and cut in a line-to-line manner.

As shown in Figure 1, two blades 14 are shown being formed in a portion of the outer periphery 12 of the solid shaft die cutter 10. The blades 14 are arranged in an end-to-end configuration around the outer periphery 12 of the rotary die cutter 10 and cooperates with other blades 14 (not shown) which can form a row of blades 14 which extend completely around the outer periphery 12. The number of blades 14 that will be present will depend on the length of the circumference of the die cutter 10 and the size of the shape of the individual knives 14. The knives 14 can be machined within the axis of the die cutter 10 so that they appear in an off-center and / or side arrangement by side. The multiple blades 14 can be machined around the periphery 12 through the width of the die cutter 10. For example, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. blades 14 can be formed around the periphery 12 and across the width of the rotating die cutter 10 so that a plurality of articles can be cut for each revolution of the die cutter 10. It should be noted that when the blades 14 have an irregular profile, they can be it is advantageous to nest the blades 14 in a pattern across the width of the blade cutter 10, so as to be able to cut additional articles.

Referring again to Figures 3 and 4, the absorbent cle 28 is shown which is designed to be adhesively attached to the inner crotch portion of an undergarment of the wearer. Such items usually consist of several layers of different materials which are arranged vertically. The layers, from the top to the bottom, can include a liquid permeable cover 30, an absorbent 32, a liquid impervious separator 34, a garment fastening adhesive 36 secured to a lower surface of the separator 34 and a removable peeling strip 38. Other layers, such as the transfer layer, a transmission layer, a layer containing absorbent materials, additional absorbent layers etc. they can also be used. The various layers can be stacked vertically, assembled, laminated and / or joined together to form a multilayer fabric of material from which the cles 28 can be cut or stamped. The various layers can be joined together by using heat, pressure, heat and pressure, adhesive construction, a hot-melt gum, thread seam, ultrasonic bonding, mechanical bonding, thermal bonding, chemical bonding or a combination of these and other means known to the experts in The liquid-permeable cover 30 is designed to make contact with the wearer's body and may be constructed of a woven or nonwoven material which is easily penetrated by body fluid. The liquid permeable cover 30 can be formed of either natural or synthetic fibers. Suitable materials include bonded carded fabrics of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon or other heat-stable fibers. Other polyolefins such as polypropylene and polyethylene copolymers, linear low density polyethylene, finely perforated film fabrics and network materials, also work well. A preferred material is a composite of a perforated thermoplastic film placed on top of a non-woven fabric. Such a composite material can be formed by extruding a polymer onto a fabric of a spunbonded material to form an integral sheet. An example of this is a perforated thermoplastic polyethylene film bonded to a spunbonded material. Spunbonded is a non-woven material which is commercially manufactured and sold by Kimberly-Clark Corporation having an office located at 401 North Lake Street, Neenah, Wisconsin 54956. The nonwoven laminate / perforated film exhibits a smooth appearance and is soft to the touch. This material is relatively soft and does not irritate the skin of the user and still has a cushioned feeling due to its volume.

Another useful material such as the liquid permeable cover 30 is a polypropylene spunbond fabric. Spunbonded fabric can contain from about 1 percent to about 6 percent of a bleaching agent such as titanium dioxide (Ti02) or calcium carbonate (CaC03) to give it a clean white appearance. A uniform thickness of spunbonded is desirable because it will have sufficient strength after being punched to resist being torn or pulled apduring use. The most preferred polypropylene fabrics have a basis weight of between about 18 grams per square meter (gsm) to about 40 grams per square meter. An optimum weight is between about 30 grams per square meter to around 40 grams per square meter.

The absorbent layer 32 may be present as a single layer or as two or more layers. The absorbent 32 may be formed of several natural or synthetic fibers such as wood pulp fibers, virgin cellulose fibers, regenerated cellulose fibers, cotton fibers, swamp moss, or a mixture of pulp and other fibers. The absorbent layer 32 can also be formed of a fine-pored fabric such as an air-dried tissue placed wet or from a non-creped air-dried tissue (UCTAD) having a basis weight of from about 30 grams per square meter to around 120 grams per square meter. The UCTAD tissue can be prepared by a process described in the United States patent number 5No. 048,589 issued to Crook et al. On September 17, 1991. The UCTAD tissue is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,399,412 issued to Sudall et al. On March 21, 1995. Each of these patents is incorporated. by reference and become a part of this. The absorbent layer 32 may also comprise other well-known materials such as cellulose fibers, rayon fibers, cellulose sponge, hydrophilic synthetic sponge, for example polyurethane and the like.

The liquid impervious separator 34 is designed to allow air or steam to pass outside the absorbent article 28 while blocking the passage of fluid from the body. The liquid impermeable separator 34 can be made of any material having these profiles. The liquid-impermeable separator 34 can also be constructed of a material that will block the passage of vapor as well as fluids if desired. A good material from which the separator 34 can be constructed is a micro-etched polymeric film, such as a polyethylene or polypropylene. Two-component films can also be used. A preferred material is a polyethylene film. More preferably, the separator 34 will be made of a polyethylene film having a thickness in the range of from about 0.5 to about 2.0 millimeters.

It should be noted that the adhesive construction can be used in article 28 to fasten and join the various layers together. For example, the adhesive construction can be used to attach the liquid impermeable separator 34 to the absorbent 32 or to attach the absorbent 32 to the liquid permeable cover 30. The presence of such an adhesive construction and the amount used will depend on the manufacturer's specifications. . The adhesives of useful construction are commercially sold by National Starch and Chemical Company, having an office located at 10 Finderne Ave., Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807.

The absorbent article 28 may also include one or more elongated strips or areas of garment fastening adhesive 36 which are secured to the bottom surface of the liquid impervious separator 34. The garment fastening adhesive 36 functions to secure the article 28. to the inner crotch part of the user's garment. The garment fastening adhesive 36 allows the absorbent article 28, particularly a sanitary napkin, panty lining or incontinence garment, to be properly aligned and retained in relation to the wearer's vaginal opening so that maximum fluid protection can be obtained .

The garment fastening adhesive 36 may cover the entire bottom surface of the liquid impervious separator 34 or only a portion thereof. The garment fastening adhesive 36 may consist of a swirl pattern of adhesive or may be one or more strips of adhesive. The garment fastening adhesive 36 may also consist of a plurality of adhesive spots which are arranged randomly or evenly on the outer surface of the separator 34. When in a strip form, the garment fastening adhesive 36 may be aligned along the central longitudinal axis X-X of the absorbent article 28. Alternatively, the garment fastening adhesive 36 may be present as two or more spaced longitudinal strips. The garment fastening adhesive 36 is of such a nature that it will allow the wearer to remove the absorbent article 28 and replace it on the wearer's undergarment if necessary. A hot melt adhesive which works well as the garment fastening adhesive is commercially sold by National Starch and Chemical Company having an office located at 10 Finderne Avenue, Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807.

In order to protect the garment fastening adhesive 36 from contamination before use, the adhesive 36 can be protected by a peelable peel strip 38. The peel strip 38 can be a white kraft paper which is coated on one side of the adhesive. so that this can be released from the adhesive 36. The coating can be a silicone coating, such as a commercially available silicone polymer from Akrosil having an office located at 206 Garfield Avenue, Menasha, Wisconsin, 54952. The strip strip 38 is designed to be removed by the wearer before fastening the absorbent article 28 to the inner crotch portion of her garment.

Referring to Figure 5, an exploded top view of the blade 14 is shown showing the common edge 16. The blade 14 includes a first cutter member 40 having a first end 42. The first end 42 is shown as a dotted line simply for purposes of a better understanding of the invention. The blade 14 also includes a second cutting member 44 which is attached to the first end 42 of the first cutting member 40. The blade 14 further includes a third cutting member 46 which is also attached to the first end 42 of the first cutting member 40. It should be noted that the word "attached" is meant to mean that the second and third cutter members, 44 and 46 respectively, are integrally machined or formed of the material constituting the first cutter member 40. Additionally, the word "attached" may include the securing the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, to the first cutter member 40 by means of welding, mechanical bonding, thermal bonding, chemical bonding or other type of physical restraint known to those skilled in the art. For best results, the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, should be machined from a single piece of metal with the first cutter member 40. It should be noted that the entire cutter 14 is machined from the solid shaft of the die cutter 10.

The first cutter member 40 can be a linear member formed of a ferrous or non-ferrous metal.

Preferably, the blade 14 is formed of steel. The first cutter member 40 should have a thickness t, of at least about .0254 millimeters + .0050 millimeters and preferably has a thickness of between about .0254 millimeters + .0050 millimeters to about .1270 millimeters + .0050 millimeters The second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, may also be formed of a ferrous or non-ferrous metal and are preferably formed of steel. The second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, must have a thickness of at least about 1,254 millimeters + .0050 millimeters. In addition, the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, should have a thickness of between about 0.0254 millimeters + .0050 millimeters to about .1270 millimeters + .0050 millimeters. The thickness t2 of the second cutter member 44 and the thickness t3 of the third cutter member 46 may be equal to the thickness t, of the first cutter member 40. It should be noted that, preferably, the first, second and third cutter members 40, 44 and 46 respectively They will have the same thickness within .0050 millimeters, but they can have different thicknesses if desired. For example, the first cutter member 40 may have a thickness t, which is greater than or equal to or less than the thickness t2 of the second cutter member 44 and / or the thickness t3 of the third cutter member 46.

As shown in Figure 5, the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, are arranged one in relation to the other to form an angle alpha (a) therebetween of 180 degrees or less. Preferably, this angle is from about 15 degrees to about 180 degrees, more preferably, from about 30 degrees to about 150 degrees, and more preferably from about 45 degrees to about 120 degrees. It should be noted that the angle alpha (a) can be measured anywhere between the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, and can vary as the configuration of the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 diverge from each other.

The second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, each have an arcuate section 48 and 50, respectively, which cooperates with the first cutter member 40 to form a general breast fuze configuration.

Referring to Figure 6, one can see that each of the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, contains a linear section 52 and 54 respectively, which is integrally connected to the arched sections, 48 and 50 respectively. In addition, each of the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, has an inner edge, 56 and 58 respectively. Both of the inner edges 56 and 58 can be joined to each other to form a circular arc 60 between the second and third cutter members, 44 and 46 respectively. The circular arc 60 can be formed on any given radius and can be in the form of a semicircular arc of about 180 degrees or be in the form of an arc of less than 180 degrees. When the first, second and third cutter members 40, 44 and 46 respectively are machined from a single piece of metal, it is advantageous to form the arc 60 with an arc of about 180 degrees.

Referring to both Figures 6 and 7, the second and third cutter members 44 and 46, respectively also contain an outer edge 62 and 64 respectively. Each of the first, second and third cutter members 40, 44 and 46, respectively, also contains a center line A-A, B-B and C-C, respectively, see Figure 7. The center line for the first cutter member 40 will be a linear line while the center line for the arcuate shaped portions of the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 will be an arched or curved shape. The center lines B-B and C-C of the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, will be joined at point "D" which is the equal distance between two vertically aed points located at the outer edges 62 and 64 of the second and third cutting members 44 and 46 respectively.

The unique configuration of the blade 14 can be described as a ratio of the area of the cutting surface of the blade 14 to the total surface area of a rectangle formed around the intersection of at least two of the first, second and third cutting members, 40, 44 and 46, respectively. The rectangle can be drawn around the intersection point "D" using the following procedure. A rectangle 66 is formed by drawing a first line 68 through two points. Each of the points being located on one of the outer edges 62 and 64 of the second and third cutting members, 44 and 46 respectively, in a place where the respective arcuate section 48 and 50 are joined to the respective linear sections 52 and 54. By doing this, a point "E" is established on the outer edge 62 of the second cutting member 44 and a point "F" is established on the outer edge 64 of the third cutting member 46. It should be noted that the point "D" is at an equal distance between points "E and F". A second line 70 and a third line 72 are then drawn perpendicular to the first line 68 at locations where the first line 68 crosses the outer edges 62 and 64 of the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively. In other words, lines 70 and 72 intersect perpendicularly the first line 68 at points "E" and "F", respectively. A fourth line 74 is then pulled parallel to the first line 68 so that it passes through a "G" point (see Figure 6). Point "G" represents the center of the smallest diameter circle which can be inscribed at the intersection of the first cutter members 40 with at least one of the second and third cutter members 44 and 46, respectively, while tangentially touching. the "H", "I" and "J" points.

The point "H" represents a point on at least one of the arched sections 48 and 50 of the second and third cutter members, 44 and 46 respectively. The point "H" is located on at least one of the inner edges 56 and 58 which forms the circular arc 60. The point "I" represents the intersection or meeting point of the outer edge 76 of the first cutter member 40 with any the outer edge 62 of the second cutter member 44. If these two edges 76 and 62 do not form a straight line, then each one extends so that they intersect as shown in the point of Figure 6. The "J" point represents the intersection or meeting point of the outer edge 78 of the first cutter member 60 with the outer edge 64 of the third cutter member 46. If these two edges 78 and 64 do not form a straight line, then each one extends so that these will intersect as is shown in Figure 6. The circumference of the circle will make tangential contact with the points "H", "I" and "J" and the center of the circle will be the point "G". When only the point "J" is known, a circle is drawn so that its outer circumference touches the point "J" as well as touching tangentially the outer edge 62 or 64 and the inner edge 56 or 58.

When the outer circumference of the circle makes contact with the outer edges 76 and 78 of the first cutting member 40 or an extension of the outer edges 76 and 78 will depend on the angle and location in which the first cutter member 40 intersects the second cutter members and / or third 44 and 46 respectively. For example, in Figure 6, the first cutter member 40 intersects the second and third cutter members, 44 and 46, respectively, at a location where the second cutter member 44 is identical in length to the third cutter member 46. In this configuration , it is necessary to extend the outer edges 76 and 78 so that they intersect the outer edges 62 and 64 in the places so that the circle having a central point "G" can be circumscribed. In contrast to this, the configuration shown in Figure 8 shows the first cutter member 40 being off-center relative to the second and third cutter members 44 and 46. In this configuration, the "I" point is located at the point where the outer edge 76 finds outer edge 62 and point "J" is located at a point where outer edge 78 intersects outer edge 64. The establishment of the circle should now be understood in relation to the different configurations that are possible for the blade 14.

Referring again to Figure 7, it should be noted that when the first cutter member 40 equally divides the second and third cutter members 44 and 46 respectively, it forms a "mirror image" along the longitudinal center line A-A. By "mirror image" it is meant that the upper half of the blade 14 is a reflection of the lower half of the blade 14. The complete image of the blade 14 is very like a tuning fork which can be used to refine musical instruments . In Figure 7, the centerline A-A of the first cutter member 40 intersects point "D", the point where the centerlines B-B and C-C of the second and third cutter members, 44 and 46 respectively, they find each other.

Returning to the formation of the rectangle 66, the fourth line 74 will be drawn parallel to the first line 68 and will pass through the point "G". A fifth line 80 is then drawn parallel to the fourth line 74 at a distance from the fourth line 74 which is equal to the distance between the first and fourth lines, 68 and 74 respectively. It should be noted that when the rectangle 66 is formed, both the fourth line 74 and the fifth line 80 will be located on the same side of the first line 68. The fifth line 80 will be drawn so that it intersects the second and third lines, 70 and 72 respectively, to form the points "K" and "L". The rectangle 66 will then encompass an area joined by the points "E", "F", "L" and "K". This area is mentioned, for the purposes of this invention, as the total surface area of the rectangle 66. It is important that the rectangle 66 be constructed according to the aforementioned method so that the total surface area for the rectangle 66 can be established . Once this is achieved, the area of the cutting surface of any blade configuration can be compared to the total surface area of the rectangle 66. The total surface area of any of the two rectangles, formed by the above-mentioned method, does not It has to be the same but it must be fairly close in dimensions. For different blade configurations and different blade thicknesses, the total surface area for the rectangles 66 may be different when measured at the third or fourth decimal places.

The total surface area of the rectangle 66 can be calculated by multiplying its length times its width, it is known to those skilled in the art. One will then measure the area of the cutting surface of the blade 14 that is present within the total surface area of the rectangle 66 using common mathematical principles and formulas. It should be noted that the area of the cutting surface of the blade 14 can be easily calculated using a Cad-Cam program. Cad-Cam programs are commercially available and are known to those skilled in the art.

Referring to Table 1 given below, several calculations have been carried out by varying the thickness of the first, second and third cutter members, 40, 44 and 46 respectively. For each calculation, all three cutter members 40, 44 and 46 have approximately the same thickness as being either .025 millimeters, .050 millimeters or .127 millimeters. To cut absorbent articles, such as sanitary napkins and pant liners, it is not recommended to use a blade thickness of more than about .127 millimeters. The total surface area of the rectangle 66 and the area of the cutting surface of the blade 14, in square inches and in square millimeters, has been calculated. One will see that the area of the cutting surface of the blade 14 as a percent of the total surface area of the rectangle 66 will vary depending on the thickness of the cutting members 40, 44 and 46, as well as the angle and location of the intersection of the first cutter member 40 in relation to the second and third cutter members, 44 and 46 respectively. One will be able to realize that the thickness of the three cutting members 40, 44 and 46 does not have to be the same.

T B L A Thickness in Rectangle Area Cutting Area Blade Area Inches (mm) Total Surface Area of as percent of (pul.2) (mm2) Blade (pul.2) Rectangle (mm2) .001 (.025). 00012 (.07742) .000025 (.016130) 20.83 .001 (.025) .00012 (.07742) .00002 (.01290) 30. 77 .002 (.050) .00013 (.08387) .00004 (.02580) ) 30. 77 .002 (.050) .00013 (.08387) .00005 (.03226) 38.46 .005 (.127) .00016 (.10323) .0001 (.0645) 62. 50 .005 (.127) .00016 (.10323) .0001 (.0645) 68.75 NOTE: 1 in. = 25. 4 mm 1 in .2 = 64. 52 mm2 Referring again to Figure 7, the area of the cutting surface of the blade 14 represents 30.77 percent of the total surface area of the rectangle 66. The 30.77 percent was obtained when each of the first, second and third cutting members, 40, 44 and 46 respectively, had a thickness of approximately .025 millimeters. As the thickness of the blade 14 becomes larger and by changing the angle at which the first member 40 intersects the second and third cutting members 44 and 46 respectively, the area of the cutting surface of the blade 14 within the total surface area of rectangle 66 will change.

Referring to Figures 6 and 9, the first, second and third cutter members, 40, 44 and 46, respectively, also have a thickness of .025 millimeters but the first cutter member 40 intersects the second member 44 at an offset angle. The formation of the rectangle 82 is identical to that described above for the rectangle 66, shown in Figure 7. In fact, the rectangle 82 has the corner points "E", "F", "L" and "K" and the lines 68, 70, 72 and 80. For the blade profile shown in Figure 9, the area of the cutting surface of blade 14 is 20.83 percent of the total surface area of a rectangle 82. The reason why the area of the cutting surface of the blade 14 is smaller than that of Figure 9 which in Figure 7 is because the first cutting member 40 is off-centered from the second cutting member 44. This forms a non-symmetrical arrangement between the second and third cutting members. , 44 and 46, respectively. In this arrangement, less surface area of the second cutter member 44 is included in the calculation and therefore a lower ratio of the radius is obtained.

Similar calculations were made for the blade 14 when the thickness of the first, second and third cutter members, 40, 44 and 46, respectively, increased to .050 millimeters. In this case, the area of the cutting surface of the blade represented 30.77 percent of the total surface area of the rectangle when the blade 14 was similar in appearance to that shown in Figure 6 and of 38.46 percent of the total surface area of the blade. rectangle when blade 14 was similar in appearance to that shown in Figure 8.

Referring now to Figures 10 and 11, similar calculations were made by varying the thickness of the first, second and third cutter members, 40 ', 44' and 46 ', respectively, so that they all had a thickness of .127 millimeters In Figure 11, the area of the cutting surface of blade 14 was calculated as being 62.5 percent of the total surface area of rectangle 84.

Referring to Figures 12 and 13, the calculations were made for the three cutter members, 40 ', 44' and 46 ', respectively, when they had a thickness of .127 millimeters and the first cutter member 40' was off-centered in relation to the second cutter member 44 '. The area of the cutting surface of blade 44 was calculated as being 68.75 percent of the total surface area of rectangle 86. The calculations given above are listed in Table 1 given above.

It should be noted that the area of the cutting surface of the blade 14 can represent from between about 20 percent to about 70 percent of the total surface area of the rectangle. More particularly, the area of the cutting surface of the blade 14 can represent between about 21 percent to about 69 percent of the total surface area of the rectangle.

It has been found that such a blade 14 is extremely useful for cutting absorbent products because the common edge 16 decreases the amount of trim waste that would normally be present between two adjacent non-abutting blades. By reducing the amount of cut waste, one can obtain a more efficient operation using less raw material. The common edge 16 of the blade 14 is capable of cutting a part of the outer periphery of two adjacent products with a single cut and therefore can increase the production of the multiple products.

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with several specific embodiments, it is understood that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Therefore, this invention is intended to encompass all those alternatives, modifications and variations which fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims (20)

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. A blade comprising: a) a first cutter member having a first end; b) a second cutter member attached to said first end of said first cutter member; Y c) a third cutter member attached to the first end of said first cutter member, the second and third cutter members being arranged in relation to each other to form an angle therebetween of 180 degrees or less, each of the second cutter members and third has an arcuate section which cooperates with the first cutter member to form a breast fuze configuration.

2. The blade as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that said first cutter member is linear.

3. The blade as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that said first cutter member is not linear.

4. The blade as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that each of the second and third cutter members has a linear section integrally attached to said respective arcuate section, and each arched section has an outer edge and a central line arcuately shaped, and when a rectangle is drawn around the point of intersection of said first, second and third cutter members, the total area of the cutting surface of said cutter is between about 20 percent to about 70 percent of the total surface area of said rectangle, said rectangle being formed by drawing a first line through two points, each of said points being located on one of the outer edges of said second and third cutting members, respectively, in a place where said section arched is attached to said linear section, a second line and a third line are then d ibujadas perpendicular to said first line in places where said first line crosses said outer edges of said second and third cutting members, respectively, a fourth line is then drawn parallel to said first line so that it passes through a point where the center line of said second cutter member is attached to the center line of said third cutter member, and a fifth line is drawn parallel to said fourth line and a distance from said fourth line which is equal to the distance between said first line and the fourth line, said fifth line being drawn on the same first side of the first line as the fourth line is, and said fifth line intersects said second and third lines to form said rectangle.

5. The blade as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that said first cutter member has a thickness of at least about .001 inches.

6. The blade as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that said first cutter member has a thickness of between about .001 inches to about .005 inches.

7. The blade as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that said second and third cutter members each have a thickness of at least about .001 inches.

8. The blade as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that said second and third cutter members each have a thickness of between about .001 inches to about .005 inches.

9. A blade comprising: a) a first cutting member having a first end; b) a second cutter member attached to the first end of said first cutter member; Y c) a third cutter member attached to the first end of said first cutter member, said second and third cutter members being arranged one in relation to another to form an angle therebetween of from about 15 degrees to about 180 degrees, each one of said second and third cutter members having an arcuate section which cooperates with the first cutter member to form a general breast fuze configuration.

10. The blade as claimed in clause 9 characterized in that the second cutting member has an inner edge and said third cutting member has an inner edge, both of the inner edges are joined to each other to form a circular arc between said cutting members second and third.

11. The cutting blade as claimed in clause 9, characterized in that said second cutting member has a linear section integrally connected to said arched section.

12. The cutting blade as claimed in clause 9, characterized in that said third cutting member has a linear section integrally connected to said arched section.

13. The cutting blade as claimed in clause 9, characterized in that said first cutting member has a thickness equal to that of said second cutting member.

14. The blade as claimed in clause 9 characterized in that said angle formed between said second and third cutting members is between about 30 degrees to about 150 degrees.

15. A blade comprising: a) a first cutting member having a first end; b) a second cutter member attached to said first end of the first cutter member; Y c) a third cutter member attached to said first end of said first cutter member, said second and third cutter members being arranged one relative to another to form an angle therebetween of from about 45 degrees to about 120 degrees, each of said second and third cutter members having an arcuate section which cooperates with said first cutter member to form a breast fuze configuration.

16. The blade as claimed in clause 15 characterized in that each of said second and third cutter members has a linear section integrally joined to said respective arcuate section, and each arched section has an outer edge and the central line arcuately shaped.

17. The blade as claimed in clause 16 characterized in that when a rectangle is drawn around the point of intersection of said first, second and third cutting members, the area of the cutting surface of said blade is between about 20 percent. to about 70 percent of the total surface area of said rectangle, said rectangle being formed by drawing a first line through two points, each of said points being located on one of the outer edges of said second and second cutting members. third, respectively, in a place where said respective arcuate section is attached to said linear section, a second line and a third line are then drawn perpendicularly to said first line in places where said first line crosses said outer edges of said cutting members second and third, respectively, a fourth line is then drawn parallel to the first line so that it passes through a point where the center line of said second cutter member joins the center line of said third cutter member, and a fifth line is drawn parallel to said fourth line, and a distance from said fourth line which is equal to the distance between said first and fourth lines, said fifth line being drawn on the same side of the first line as is the fourth line, said fifth intersecting line and said second and third lines to form said rectangle.

18. The blade as claimed in clause 15 characterized in that said first cutter member has a thickness greater than that of the second cutter member.

19. The blade as claimed in clause 17 characterized in that the area of the cutting surface of said blade is between about 21 percent to about 69 percent of the total surface area of said rectangle.

20. A blade comprising: a) a first cutting member having the ends spaced apart and first and second; b) a second cutter member having an arcuate section integrally attached to a linear section, said arcuate section being integrally joined to said first cutter member near said first end; Y c) a third cutter member having an arcuate section integrally attached to a linear section, said arcuate section being integrally joined to said first cutter member near the first end and cooperates with said second cutter member to form a breast fuze configuration having a interior shaped semicircular edge formed between said second and third arched sections. S U M E N A blade is described for cutting a plurality of articles from a fabric or sheet of material. The blade may be formed or secured to the outer surface of a rotating blade cutter. The blade includes a first cutter member, having a first end, second and third cutter members attached to the first end of the first cutter member. The second and third cutter members are arranged one relative to another to form an angle of between about 15 degrees to about 180 degrees. Each of the second and third cutter members also has an arcuate section which intersects the first cutter member to form a breast fuze configuration in general. This unique blade profile enables the two articles arranged adjacent to be simultaneously cut from a sheet or fabric of material with a zero separation between at least a portion of the outer peripheries of the two articles.