Packaging apparatus and packaging method for absorbent article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10011377-B2
Application number	US-201514837596-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2015
Priority date	Aug 28, 2014
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

It is an object of the invention to provide packaging means for an absorbent article that allows an absorbent article group comprising multiple absorbent articles arranged in a thickness direction to be easily and efficiently housed in a packaging container. Specifically, a forcing member that forces an absorbent article group mounted on a mount member into a container fitted on a container fitting member and houses it therein, is provided on a forward direction of the mount member, and is constructed so that when moving forward it contacts only with the absorbent article group mounted on the mount member, stopping movement of the absorbent article group on the mount member, thereby allowing the absorbent article group whose movement has been stopped to be inserted and forced into the container fitted on the container fitting member through an opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A packaging apparatus for an absorbent article, that inserts an absorbent article group comprising multiple absorbent articles arranged in a thickness direction of the absorbent article group, through an opening of a container to house the absorbent article group in the container, and seals the opening,
wherein the packaging apparatus comprises:
a mount member that mounts the absorbent article group, a container fitting member on which the container is fitted, a forcing member that forces the absorbent article group mounted on the mount member into the container fitted onto the container fitting member, and a sealing member that seals the opening of the container in which the absorbent article group has been housed,
the mount member being formed in a manner freely forward/backward movable along an axis,
the container fitting member being fitted onto a back side of the mount member and being formed in a manner freely forward/backward movable together with the mount member, and having a construction allowing fitting of the container while directing the opening in a forward direction of the mount member and holding the container open in a prescribed shape,
the forcing member being provided in the forward direction of the mount member, and being contacted only with the absorbent article group mounted on the mount member to stop movement of the absorbent article group as the mount member moves forward, while inserting and forcing the absorbent article group whose movement has been stopped, through the opening into the container fitted onto the container fitting member that is moving forward together with the back side of the mount member, and
the sealing member being provided in the forward direction of the mount member, and freely sealing the opening of the container into which the absorbent article group has been housed, and which has been detached from the container fitting member.

2. The packaging apparatus for an absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the forcing member stops at a predetermined position in the forward direction of the mount member during a time when the forcing member is contacting with the absorbent article group until the absorbent article group is housed in the container, and after the absorbent article group has been housed in the container, the forcing member is moved in a direction away from the container.

3. The packaging apparatus for an absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the forcing member maintains a stopped state of the absorbent article group, so that the container housing the absorbent article group is caused to detach from the container fitting member, as the containing fitting member moves forward, at a location where the opening of the container is to be sealed by the sealing member.

4. The packaging apparatus for an absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the mount member comprises a horizontal plate-shaped base section on a top surface of which the absorbent article group is mounted, and a first holding plate and a second holding plate that are provided at the base section at a predetermined spacing in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the forward direction of the mount member, the first and second holding plates each extending upward in a vertical direction and extending in the forward direction of the mount member, and the first and second holding plates freely clamping the absorbent article group mounted on the base section between the first holding plate and the second holding plate,
the first holding plate and the second holding plate both being set in a freely movable manner in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the forward direction of the mount member, with the spacing between the first holding plate and the second holding plate being freely adjustable.

5. The packaging apparatus for an absorbent article according to claim 4 , wherein the mount member mounts the absorbent article group on the base section in a state such that the thickness direction of the absorbent article group is parallel to the horizontal direction perpendicular to the forward direction of the mount member, the first holding plate and second holding plate freely clamp the absorbent article group mounted on the base section in a compressed state of the absorbent article group in the thickness direction of the absorbent article group, and
the forcing member inserts the absorbent article group compressed by the first holding plate and the second holding plate through the opening into the container that is fitted onto the container fitting member.

6. The packaging apparatus for an absorbent article according to claim 4 , wherein the container fitting member is provided with a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate that are mutually disposed at the base section on the back side of the mount member, at a predetermined spacing in a direction perpendicular to a forward/backward direction of the container fitting member, the first and second mounting plates each being formed in a plate-shaped manner extending upward and extending in the forward/backward direction of the container fitting member, for opening the opening of the container to a prescribed shape,
the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate both being set in a freely movable manner in the direction perpendicular to the forward/backward direction of the container fitting member, so that the spacing between the first mounting plate and second mounting plate is freely adjustable.

7. The packaging apparatus for an absorbent article according to claim 6 , wherein the container fitting member has the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate inserted into the container through the opening of the container, and is fitted with the container with the opening in a spread open state.

8. The packaging apparatus for an absorbent article according to claim 6 , wherein the first mounting plate of the container fitting member is at an edge of the first holding plate of the mount member on the back side of the mount member, with a plate surface of the first mounting plate and a plate surface of the first holding plate being mutually connected so as to define a first plane, while the second mounting plate of the container fitting member is at an edge of the second holding plate of the mount member on the back side of the mount member, with a plate surface of the second mounting plate and a plate surface of the second holding plate being mutually connected so as to define a second plane, and
when the spacing between the first holding plate and the second holding plate has been adjusted, the spacing between the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate is also adjusted in synchronization.

9. The packaging apparatus for an absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the packaging apparatus comprises a support member that supports the container in which the absorbent article group is housed.

Assignees

• Unicharm Corp

Inventors

• Oyama Hidetaka

Classifications

• B65B39/02 Primary

  Expansible or contractible nozzles, funnels, or guides · CPC title

• B65B51/146

  Closing bags · CPC title

• B65B5/067

  in bags (B65B5/061 - B65B5/065 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65B35/40

  by reciprocating or oscillatory pushers · CPC title

• B65B39/06

  adapted to support containers or wrappers · CPC title