Apparatus for producing sanitary absorbent articles comprising a perforating device of a web and process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12186168-B2
Application number	US-201916714860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2019
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus for producing sanitary absorbent articles comprising at least one perforating device of at least one web intended for making sanitary absorbent articles capable of making perforated patterns spaced apart along the extension of the web, that is, in phase. The present invention also relates to a perforating process implemented in an apparatus for producing sanitary absorbent articles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for producing sanitary absorbent articles, comprising:
at least one perforating device of at least one web intended for making said sanitary absorbent articles,
wherein said perforating device comprises a first roller and a second roller respectively provided with a first mantle and a second mantle and between which, in use, passes said web,
wherein said first roller and said second roller are configured to rotate in opposite directions respectively around a first axis of rotation at a first velocity and around a second axis of rotation, parallel to said first axis of rotation, at a second velocity different from said first velocity,
wherein said first mantle comprises a first protruding pattern including a plurality of first protrusions having outermost first end surfaces, and said second mantle comprises at least a first zone,
wherein a second protruding pattern is present including a plurality of second protrusions having outermost second end surfaces, and at least a second zone without protruding patterns and adjacent to said first zone along a circumference of said second mantle,
wherein said second end surfaces of said of second protruding pattern are configured, in use, to temporally engage said web by engagement with the first end surfaces of said first protruding pattern without interpenetrating the latter for locally perforating said web.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second mantle comprises a plurality of said first zones and a plurality of said second zones arranged alternately along a circumference of said second mantle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first protruding pattern has a protruding profile inclined by an angle of inclination with respect to said first axis of rotation equal to or less than 90°.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said second protruding pattern has a protruding profile inclined by an angle of inclination with respect to said second axis of rotation equal to or less than 90°.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said first protruding pattern and said second protruding pattern have the same protruding profile inclined so that, in use, the respective inclined protruding profiles of said first protruding pattern and of said second protruding pattern intersect each other in localized zones of said web to locally perforate it.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a maximum distance between said second axis of rotation and said second zone is less than a maximum distance between said second axis of rotation and said first zone.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said perforating device comprises at least one spacer member coupled with said first roller and/or with said second roller and configured, in use, to keep said first protruding pattern spaced apart from a surface of said second zone of said second mantle by a distance equal to a distance between the surface of said second zone of said second mantle and an outermost end of said second protruding pattern.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a perimeter of said first zone is shaped in relation to a perimeter of a perforated pattern to be made on said web.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a printing unit placed upstream of said perforating device and configured to print a plurality of graphic patterns spaced apart along an extension of said web,
wherein said perforating device is configured to make perforations in correspondence with said graphic patterns so as to make a plurality of perforated graphic patterns spaced apart along the extension of said web.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first roller and/or said second roller are coupled with heating means configured to heat said first roller and/or said second roller for perforating, in use, said web by heating it locally.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein engagement of the first and second end surfaces with the at least one web therebetween results in holes being created thereby locally perforating said at least one web.

12. A process for perforating at least one web intended for making sanitary absorbent articles implemented in an apparatus for producing sanitary absorbent articles comprising at least one perforating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said process comprises:
supplying said web along an advancement direction at an advancing velocity;
passing said web between a first roller and a second roller respectively provided with a first mantle and a second mantle,
wherein said first roller and said second roller rotate in opposite directions respectively around a first axis of rotation at a first velocity and around a second axis of rotation, parallel to said first axis of rotation, at a second velocity different from said first velocity,
wherein said first mantle comprises a first protruding pattern including a plurality of first protrusions having outermost first end surfaces, and said second mantle comprises at least a first zone,
wherein a second protruding pattern is present including a plurality of second protrusions having outermost second end surfaces, and at least a second zone without protruding patterns and adjacent to said first zone along a circumference of said second mantle;

perforating said web in correspondence with the first and second zones of said first protruding pattern and said second protruding pattern by engagement of said first end surfaces with said second end surfaces so as to make a plurality of perforated patterns spaced apart along an extension of said web.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein said advancing velocity is comprised between said first velocity and said second velocity.

14. The process of claim 12 , further comprising printing a plurality of graphic patterns spaced apart on said web before making said plurality of perforated patterns.

15. The process of claim 14 , further comprising making said plurality of perforated patterns in correspondence with said graphic patterns.

16. The process of claim 12 , wherein said web is a composite web comprising a first layer of non-woven fabric, a second layer of non-woven fabric and at least one elastic element placed between said first layer and said second layer, and wherein said process provides to locally weld said first layer and said second layer together while said elastic element is tensioned.

17. The process of claim 12 , wherein engagement of the first and second end surfaces with the at least one web therebetween results in holes being created thereby locally perforating said at least one web.

Assignees

• Fameccanica Data Spa

Inventors

• Bonelli Guido
• Gagliardone Paolo

Classifications

• A61F2013/15934

  for making non-woven · CPC title

• A61F13/51394

  creating a visual effect, e.g. having a printed or coloured topsheet, printed or coloured sub-layer but being visible from the topsheet, other than embossing for purposes of bonding, wicking, acquisition, leakage-prevention · CPC title

• A61F13/512

  characterised by its apertures, e.g. perforations · CPC title

• B26F1/10

  Roller type punches · CPC title

• A61F13/15731 Primary

  Treating webs, e.g. for giving them a fibrelike appearance, e.g. by embossing · CPC title