Unit for feeding a component of a hygiene absorbent article provided with a linear electric motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10478348-B2
Application number	US-201716084274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 18, 2016
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A feeding unit for feeding a component of a hygiene absorbent article; the feeding unit has: at least one sucking-holding head, which is designed to receive and hold the component; a conveyor to cyclically move the holding head along an annular application path; an input station in which the holding head receives a corresponding component which is connected—without gaps—to a continuous web; a cutting station provided with a cutting device, which cuts the continuous web crosswise; and an output station in which the holding head releases the component; the conveyor has: an annular guide; a slide which supports the holding head and is coupled to the guide so as to freely slide along the guide itself; and a linear electric motor, which has a stator, which is arranged in a fixed position along the guide and a mobile slider which is electro-magnetically coupled to the stator so as to receive, from the stator, a driving force and is rigidly connected to the slide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A feeding unit ( 1 ) for feeding components ( 2 ) of a hygiene absorbent articles; the feeding unit ( 1 ) comprises:
a plurality of sucking-holding heads ( 4 ), each of which is designed to receive and hold a corresponding component ( 2 );
a conveyor ( 5 ) to cyclically move each holding head ( 4 ) along an annular application path (P);
an input station (S 1 ), which is arranged along the application path (P) and in which each holding head ( 4 ) receives a corresponding component ( 2 ), which is connected—without gaps—to a continuous web ( 3 );
a cutting station (S 3 ), which is arranged along the application path (P) downstream of the input station (S 1 ) and is provided with a cutting device ( 23 ), which cuts the continuous web ( 3 ) crosswise, so as to separate the component ( 2 ) held by each holding head ( 4 ) from the remaining part of the continuous web ( 3 ); and
an output station (S 2 ), which is arranged along the application path (P) downstream of the rotation station (S 4 ) and in which each holding head ( 4 ) releases the component ( 2 );
wherein the conveyor ( 5 ) comprises:
an annular guide ( 8 ), which is arranged in a fixed position along the application path (P);
a plurality of slides ( 9 ), each of which supports a corresponding holding head ( 4 ) and is coupled to the guide ( 8 ) so as to freely slide along the guide ( 8 ), and
a linear electric motor ( 10 ), which comprises a single stator ( 11 ), which is arranged in a fixed position along the guide ( 8 ), and a plurality of mobile sliders ( 12 ), each of which is electro-magnetically coupled to the same stator ( 11 ) so as to receive, from the same stator ( 11 ), a driving force and is rigidly connected to a corresponding slide ( 9 ).

2. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting device ( 23 ) comprises an emitter ( 25 ), which emits a laser beam ( 24 ), which cuts into the continuous web ( 3 ) and moves across the continuous web ( 3 ), from an edge to the other of the continuous web ( 3 ), so as to sublimate the continuous web ( 3 ) along a cutting line.

3. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting device ( 23 ) comprises:
at least one blade ( 26 ) and at least one counter-blade ( 27 ) cooperating with one another so as to cut the continuous web ( 3 ) crosswise;
a cutting drum ( 28 ), which is arranged on one side of the application path (P), supports the blade ( 26 ), and rotates around a first rotation axis ( 29 ) so as cyclically allow the blade ( 26 ) to come into contact with the continuous web ( 3 ), and
a counter-drum ( 30 ), which is arranged on one side of the application path (P) opposite the cutting drum ( 28 ), supports the counter-blade ( 27 ), and rotates around a second rotation axis ( 31 ) so as cyclically allow the counter-blade ( 27 ) to come into contact with the continuous web ( 3 ) on the opposite side of the blade ( 26 ).

4. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the counter-drum ( 30 ) is arranged beside the guide ( 8 ).

5. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the feeding path (P) is circular.

6. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the feeding path (P) has an oval shape comprising two opposite curved segments, preferably semicircular, and two opposite straight segments, which join the two curved segments to one another.

7. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the cutting station (S 3 ) is arranged along a straight segment of the feeding path (P).

8. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 7 and comprising a rotation station (S 4 ), which is arranged along the same straight segment of the feeding path (P) as the cutting station (S 3 ), downstream of the cutting station (S 3 ) and in which the holding head ( 4 ) rotates relative to the conveyor ( 5 ) so as to vary the orientation of the component ( 2 ).

9. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the input station (S 1 ) and the output station (S 2 ) are arranged along two different straight segments of the feeding path (P), which are opposite one another.

10. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein:
the sucking-holding head ( 4 ) is fitted on the slide ( 9 ) in a rotary manner, so as to rotate around a rotation axis ( 7 ); and
an operating system is provided, in order to control the rotation of the sucking-holding head around the rotation axis ( 7 ).

11. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 10 , wherein the operating system comprises:
a cam ( 13 ), which is arranged in a fixed position beside the guide ( 8 ) and long the application path (P); and
a cam follower roller ( 14 ), which is coupled to the cam ( 13 ) and is mechanically connected to the sucking-holding head ( 4 ).

12. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the conveyor ( 5 ) comprises a support element ( 16 ), which is arranged beside the guide ( 8 ) and in which the cam ( 13 ) is obtained.

13. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the slide ( 9 ) is “U”-shaped and embraces the guide ( 8 ) on both sides of the guide ( 8 ).

14. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 13 , wherein the slide ( 9 ) supports a plurality of wheels ( 17 ), which are fitted on the slide ( 9 ) in an idle manner and roll along respective rolling surfaces of the guide ( 8 ).

15. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 14 , wherein, on each side, the guide ( 8 ) comprises a pair of rolling surfaces ( 18 ), which are arranged at a given distance from one another, are oriented perpendicularly to one another, and are coupled to corresponding wheels ( 17 ) of the slide ( 9 ).

16. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein a bracket ( 19 ) is provided, which projects from the slide ( 9 ) and supports the sucking-holding head ( 4 ).

17. The feeding unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 and comprising a rotation station (S 4 ), which is arranged along the feeding path (P) downstream of the cutting station (S 3 ) and in which the holding head ( 4 ) rotates relative to the conveyor ( 5 ) so as to vary the orientation of the component ( 2 ).

Assignees

• Gdm Spa

Inventors

• Piantoni Matteo
• Soli Valerio
• Rosani Marco
• Tordini Federico
• Pallavera Massimo

Classifications

• B65H29/241

  Suction devices · CPC title

• B65H2301/33216

  about an axis perpendicular to the direction of displacement and to the surface of material · CPC title

• B65H2406/3454

  performing oscillating movement during rotation · CPC title

• B65H2555/13

  magnetic, e.g. induction motors · CPC title

• A61F13/15723

  Partitioning batts; Cutting · CPC title