Folding apparatus for a continuous web

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021122603-A1
Application number	US-202017078855-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2020
Priority date	Oct 24, 2019
Publication date	Apr 29, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A folding apparatus for a continuous web being fed in a plant for the production of hygienic absorbent articles and intended to be folded into a “V” or “U” shape in a first and in a second longitudinal portion according to a longitudinal folding line parallel to a feeding line of the continuous web comprises a folding section including a first and a second power-driven, movable suction belt and an adjusting system for adjusting a relative position of the longitudinal edges of the continuous web once it has been folded; the adjusting system is configured to adjust the position of the first belt and/or of the second belt depending on at least a first information sent by the first sensor to the computerised control unit.

First claim

1 . A folding apparatus for a continuous web being fed in a plant for the production of hygienic absorbent articles and intended to be folded into a “V” or “U” shape in a first and in a second longitudinal portion according to a longitudinal folding line parallel to a feeding line of the web,
said folding apparatus comprising
a folding section comprising
an infeed section, at which the continuous web is not folded, and an outfeed section, positioned downstream of the infeed section according to a web feeding direction, at which the continuous web is folded into a “V” or “U” shape and has the first portion and the second portion set at an angle to each other;
a first suction belt for feeding the continuous web comprising at least one first stretch movable in a first feeding direction for feeding a first edge of the continuous web and dragging the first portion of the continuous web;
a second suction belt for feeding the continuous web comprising at least one second stretch movable in a second feeding direction for feeding a second edge and dragging the second portion of the continuous web, said first and second belt being positioned on opposite sides of a lying plane of the folding line orthogonal to a lying plane of the continuous web upstream of the folding section;

an adjusting system for a relative position of the longitudinal edges of the continuous web once it has been folded, said adjusting system comprising at least one first sensor positioned downstream of the folding section and configured for checking a relative position of the longitudinal edges of the continuous web once it has been folded, at least one first actuator operatively connected to said first belt and/or said second belt, a computerised control unit in communication with the first sensor and with the first actuator;

said folding apparatus being characterised in that the positions of said first belt and/or said second belt are adjustable and said adjusting system is configured to adjust using feedback, by means of the first actuator, the position of said first belt and/or of said second belt depending on at least a first information sent by the first sensor to the computerised control unit.

2 . The folding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting system comprises at least one second sensor positioned upstream of the folding section, in communication with the computerised unit, configured for checking a position of at least one of said longitudinal edges of the continuous web when it is not folded and sending a second information to the computerised control unit.

3 . The folding apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the adjusting system adjusts using feedback, by means of the at least one first actuator, the position of said first and second belt depending on at least the second information sent by the second sensor to the computerised control unit.

4 . The folding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting system comprises at least one suspension element configured for counterbalancing the weight of at least part of the folding section.

5 . The folding apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the suspension element comprises a spring.

6 . The folding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the folding section comprises a contact unit for the continuous web extending along the feeding line of the continuous web and defining, at least partially, the folding line, said contact unit preferably lying in the lying plane of the folding line.

7 . The folding apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the position of said contact unit is adjustable and said adjusting system comprises a second actuator, operatively connected to the contact unit and in communication with the computerised control unit, for adjusting using feedback the position of said contact unit depending on at least the first information.

8 . The folding apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the position of said contact unit is adjustable and said adjusting system comprises a second actuator, operatively connected to the contact unit and in communication with the computerised control unit, for adjusting using feedback the position of said contact unit depending on at least the second information.

9 . The folding apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said contact unit comprises a third movable belt, said third movable belt operating in conjunction with said first belt and said second belt during folding of the continuous web.

10 . The folding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the folding section comprises a first guide and a second guide, which are positioned on opposite sides of the lying plane of the folding line and respectively having a first sliding surface for the continuous web and a second sliding surface for the continuous web.

11 . The folding apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the first sliding surface of the first guide and the second sliding surface of the second guide extend in a helical fashion and extend along said feeding line.

12 . The folding apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein, at the infeed section, the first sliding surface of the first guide and the second sliding surface of the second guide are substantially coplanar with the lying plane of the continuous web upstream of the folding section.

13 . The folding apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein, at the outfeed section, the first sliding surface of the first guide and the second sliding surface of the second guide are transversal, preferably orthogonal, to the lying plane of the continuous web upstream of the folding section and at least partly converging in the feeding direction of the continuous web.

14 . The folding apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the positions of the first guide and/or the second guide are adjustable and said adjusting system comprises at least one third actuator, operatively connected to said first guide and/or to said second guide and in communication with the computerised control unit, for adjusting using feedback the position of said first guide and/or second guide depending on at least the first information.

15 . The folding apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the positions of the first guide and the second guide are adjustable and said adjusting system comprises at least one third actuator, operatively connected to said first guide and/or to said second guide and in communication with the computerised control unit, for adjusting using feedback the position of said first guide and/or second guide depending on at least said second information.

16 . A folding method for a continuous web being fed in a plant for the production of hygienic absorbent articles and intended to be folded into a “V” or “U” shape in a first and in a second longitudinal portion according to a longitudinal folding line parallel to a feeding line of the continuous web,
the method comprising, in sequence, the steps of:
preparing a folding section comprising an infeed section, where the continuous web is not folded, an outfeed section, positioned downstream of the infeed section according to a continuous web feeding direction, where the continuous web is folded into a “V” or “U” shape and has the first portion and the second portion set at an angle to each other; said section also comprising at least one first suction belt and one second suction belt, both with adjustable position and configured for feeding, respectively, the first and the second portion of the continuous web;
feeding said continuous web along the feeding line according to the feeding direction of the continuous web;
first detection of the position of a

Assignees

• Gdm Spa

Inventors

• Fusar Poli Aldo
• Rosani Marco
• Piantoni Matteo

Classifications

• A61F2013/15796

  of the alignment or position of article or components · CPC title

• A61F13/15747 Primary

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

• A61F13/496

  in the form of pants or briefs · CPC title

• A61F13/15772

  Control · CPC title

• A61F2013/15821

  characterized by the apparatus for manufacturing · CPC title