Apparatus and method for forming absorbent cores

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10828204-B2
Application number	US-201213607127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2012
Priority date	Sep 8, 2011
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

Several variations of core formation techniques and machines to produced cores are disclosed, including a large and small discrete core, formed on a screen and combined; a large and small continuous core, formed on a web; and two and three-dimensional cores, formed on a screen, and core formation on a non-woven web.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of forming an absorbent core comprising:
at a first core-forming drum, forming a first core having a first fluff layer and a first super absorbent polymer (SAP) and fluff mixture layer by:
introducing a non-woven web to the first core-forming drum;
applying the first fluff layer atop the non-woven web; and
applying the first SAP and fluff mixture layer atop the first fluff layer;

at a first debulking unit, debulking said first core;
at a second core-forming drum, forming a second core having a second SAP and fluff mixture layer;
at a second debulking unit, debulking said second core;
after debulking said first core, conveying at a first speed said first core towards said second core-forming drum;
after debulking said second core, receiving said second core at a second speed at a core acceleration unit, said second speed being less than said first speed;
wrapping at least one of said first core and said second core with a permeable web;
with said acceleration unit, accelerating the second core from the second speed to substantially match the first speed; and
depositing said second core from said core acceleration unit onto said first core.

2. A method according to claim 1 , said first core having a contoured figure, and said second core having a substantially rectangular figure, and said second core smaller than said first core.

3. A method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising depositing the combined first and second cores onto a top side of a carrier layer traveling at a third speed.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein said first core is placed onto said carrier layer.

5. A method according to claim 3 , wherein said second core is placed onto said carrier layer.

6. A method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising introducing a second non-woven web at the second core-forming drum and forming the second core atop the second non-woven web.

7. A method according to claim 3 , the method further comprising placing said first core onto said carrier layer, and said second core onto said first core.

8. A method according to claim 3 , the method further comprising placing said second core onto said carrier layer, and said first core onto said second core.

9. Previously Presented A method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first core and said second core are formed from an air-laid material.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said first core is larger than said second core.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said second SAP and fluff mixture layer of said second core is placed onto said first, larger core.

12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said first core is formed in a single pocket on a core forming drum.

13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said second core is formed in a single pocket on a core forming drum.

14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and said second cores are formed as a continuous core web, said continuous core web cut by a knife to form discrete cores.

15. A method according claim 1 , wherein said second core is formed by severing discrete core pieces from a continuous strip of core material.

16. A method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and said second cores has a width, a length, and at least two different heights.

17. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second cores are the same shape.

18. A method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising scarfing at least one of the first and second cores.

19. A method according to claim 6 , the first core having a first core first end and a first core second end and the second core having a second core first end and a second core second end, the method further comprising sealing at least one of the pair of first core first and second ends and the second core first and second ends.

Assignees

• Nelson Chris
• Heinz Collin
• Joa Curt G Inc

Inventors

• Nelson Chris
• Heinz Collin

Classifications

• A61F13/15764

  Transferring, feeding or handling devices; Drives · CPC title

• A61F13/15699 Primary

  Forming webs by bringing together several webs, e.g. by laminating or folding several webs, with or without additional treatment of the webs · CPC title