Device for producing disposable wearable article and method for producing disposable wearable article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10111784-B2
Application number	US-201415023828-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A joining/cutting unit ( 60 ) includes a drum ( 61 ) having a peripheral surface ( 61 a ) on which a sheet (W) is to be placed, joining mechanisms ( 601 to 603 ), a cutting mechanism ( 604 ) arranged downstream of the joining mechanism ( 603 ) in a rotating direction of the drum ( 61 ), claw members ( 607 ) vertically movably mounted on the peripheral surface ( 61 a ) of the drum ( 61 ) and a vertically moving cam mechanism ( 630 ) configured to vertically move the claw members ( 607 ). The vertically moving cam mechanism ( 630 ) includes a cam disc ( 635 ) having an eccentric cam groove ( 634 ) and cam followers ( 633 ) configured to be engaged with the eccentric cam groove ( 634 ) so that the claw members ( 607 ) vertically move according to the rotation of the drum ( 61 ). Further, the joining/cutting unit ( 60 ) further includes a phase adjusting mechanism ( 631 ) provided on the cam disc ( 635 ) and capable of adjusting a phase of the eccentric cam groove ( 634 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for producing a disposable wearable article, comprising:
a doubling unit provided in a line for continuously conveying a sheet and configured to double the sheet together with an absorber such that opposite side edges of the sheet having the absorber arranged thereon are proximate to or overlapped with each other; and
a joining/cutting unit provided in the line and configured to join parts of the doubled sheet at opposite sides of a crotch part having the absorber arranged thereon and then cut the joined parts,
the joining/cutting unit including a drum having a peripheral surface and rotatable with the doubled sheet placed on the peripheral surface, at least one joining mechanism configured to join the parts of the doubled sheet at the opposite sides of the crotch part between the joining mechanism and the drum, a cutting mechanism arranged downstream of the joining mechanism in a rotating direction of the drum and configured to cut the parts of the sheet joined by the joining mechanism between the cutting mechanism and the drum, a claw member mounted on the drum to be vertically movable with respect to the peripheral surface of the drum, and a vertically moving cam mechanism configured to move the claw member downward to press a part of the sheet between the crotch parts against the peripheral surface of the drum on a side upstream of the at least one joining mechanism in the rotating direction of the drum and move the claw member upward to release the pressing on a side downstream of the cutting mechanism in the rotating direction of the drum,
the vertically moving cam mechanism including a cam disc having an eccentric cam groove, facing a side surface of the drum and coaxially arranged with the drum and a cam follower provided on the claw member and configured to be engaged with the eccentric cam groove so that the claw member vertically moves according to the rotation of the drum, and
the joining/cutting unit further including a phase adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting a phase of the eccentric cam groove with respect to the drum.

2. A device for producing a disposable wearable article according to claim 1 , wherein:
the phase adjusting mechanism includes a cam gear formed on an outer periphery of the cam disc, a cam drive gear meshed with the cam gear and an electric motor configured to drivingly rotate the cam drive gear so that the phase of the eccentric cam groove with respect to the drum changes.

3. A device for producing a disposable wearable article according to claim 1 , wherein:
the joining/cutting unit further includes a pressing mechanism provided on a carry-in side of the doubled sheet with respect to the drum and configured to press the crotch part against the peripheral surface of the drum when the doubled sheet is carried in to the peripheral surface.

4. A device for producing a disposable wearable article according to claim 3 , wherein:
the peripheral surface of the drum is formed with an air suction hole for sucking and holding the crotch part of the doubled sheet; and
the pressing mechanism is configured to press the crotch part against the air suction hole.

5. A device for producing a disposable wearable article according to claim 3 wherein:
the pressing mechanism further includes a rotational shaft configured to be rotated in synchronization with the drum and a pressing cam projecting radially outwardly of the rotational shaft from the rotational shaft and configured to press the crotch part against the peripheral surface of the drum.

6. A device for producing a disposable wearable article according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the at least one joining mechanism includes a joining rotary shaft and a seal member mounted on the joining rotary shaft to be rotatable about the joining rotary shaft and configured to join parts of the sheet;
the cutting mechanism includes a cutting rotary shaft and a cutter mounted on the cutting rotary shaft to be rotatable about the cutting rotary shaft and configured to cut the joined parts;
the joining/cutting unit further includes a synchronously rotating mechanism configured to rotate the seal member, the cutter, and the drum in synchronization with each other; and
the synchronously rotating mechanism includes a drum gear provided on the drum, a joining gear provided on the joining rotary shaft and meshed with the drum gear and a cutting gear provided on the cutting rotary shaft and meshed with the drum gear.

7. A device for producing a disposable wearable article according to claim 6 , wherein:
the joining/cutting unit includes a plurality of the joining mechanisms arranged side by side in the rotating direction of the drum and configured to successively heat-seal the same part of the sheet a plurality of times.

8. A method for producing a disposable wearable article using a device for producing a disposable wearable article according to claim 1 , comprising:
a conveying process of continuously conveying a sheet;
an absorber arranging process of arranging an absorber on a surface of the sheet;
a doubling process of doubling the sheet together with the absorber using the doubling unit such that opposite side edges of the sheet having the absorber arranged thereon are proximate to or overlapped with each other; and
a joining/cutting process of joining parts of the doubled sheet at opposite sides of a crotch part having the absorber arranged thereon and then cutting the joined parts using the joining/cutting unit.

Assignees

• Zuiko Corp

Inventors

• Wada Takao

Classifications

• B29C65/7847

  using vacuum to hold at least one of the parts to be joined (vacuum work holders in general B25B11/005) · CPC title

• A61F13/15747 Primary

  Folding; Pleating; Coiling; Stacking; Packaging · CPC title

• B29C66/433

  Casing-in, i.e. enclosing an element between two sheets by an outlined seam (for bookbinding B42C11/06; for packaging B65B; by laminating B32B37/00; enclosing tubular articles between substantially flat elements B29C66/53261) · CPC title

• B29C66/82265

  Eccentric mechanisms · CPC title

• B29C66/81465

  one placed behind the other in a single row in the feed direction · CPC title