Apparatus and method for manufacturing laminate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023398774-A1
Application number	US-202118036174-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 19, 2021
Priority date	Nov 17, 2020
Publication date	Dec 14, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device for manufacturing a layered material including an elastic thread sandwiched between a pair of sheets, including: a pair of nip rolls arranged with their axes parallel to each other for nipping the elastic thread between the pair of sheets being conveyed in a conveyance direction; a needle arranged upstream of the nip roll in the conveyance direction for guiding and arranging the elastic thread between the pair of sheets while dispensing the elastic thread through a through hole, through which the elastic thread passes; a needle body that holds the needle; a reciprocating section, to which the needle body is attached, for reciprocating in a width direction, which intersects with the conveyance direction; and a stabilizer that stabilizes the reciprocation of the reciprocating section, wherein the stabilizer is a non-contact-type guide.

First claim

1 . A device for manufacturing a layered material including an elastic thread sandwiched between a pair of sheets, comprising:
a pair of nip rolls arranged with their axes parallel to each other for nipping the elastic thread F-between the pair of sheets being conveyed in a conveyance direction; a needle arranged upstream of the nip rolls in the conveyance direction for guiding and arranging the elastic thread between the pair of sheets while dispensing the elastic thread through a through hole, through which the elastic thread passes; a needle body that holds the needle; a reciprocating section, to which the needle body is attached, for reciprocating in a width direction, which intersects with the conveyance direction; and a stabilizer that stabilizes the reciprocation of the reciprocating section, wherein the stabilizer is a non-contact-type guide.

2 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 1 , wherein the guide is an air guide or a magnetic guide.

3 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 1 , wherein:
the reciprocating section is a belt; the needle body is attached to a surface of the belt; and the guide extends along the surface of the belt and is configured to push the belt, to which the needle body is attached, in a direction orthogonal to the surface of the belt by blowing out air or by magnetic force.

4 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 3 , wherein the guide has a plurality of outlet holes through which the air is blown, the outlet holes being provided intermittently in a longitudinal direction of the guide.

5 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 4 , wherein a plurality of rows of the outlet holes of the guide are provided spaced apart from each other in a width direction, which is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the guide.

6 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 4 , wherein the needle body includes a flat plate portion that is surface-joined to the surface of the belt, the flat plate portion facing the guide, and
an air layer of the air blown out through the outlet holes is formed between the flat plate portion and the guide.

7 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 6 , wherein a pressing mechanism is provided for applying tension to the belt so that the flat plate portion is close to the guide.

8 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 4 , wherein the guide includes an air tank, which is long along the belt, and an air plate, which covers an opening formed in a side surface of the air tank, the side surface facing the surface of the belt, the outlet holes being formed in the air plate.

9 . A method for manufacturing a layered material including an elastic thread sandwiched between a pair of sheets, the method using a device for manufacturing the layered material, the device comprising:
a pair of nip rolls arranged with their axes parallel to each other for nipping the elastic thread between the pair of sheets being conveyed in a conveyance direction; a needle arranged upstream of the nip rolls in the conveyance direction for guiding and arranging the elastic thread between the pair of sheets while dispensing the elastic thread through a through hole, through which the elastic thread passes; a needle body that holds the needle; a reciprocating section, to which the needle body is attached, for reciprocating in a width direction, which intersects with the conveyance direction; and a stabilizer that stabilizes the reciprocation of the reciprocating section, the method comprising: a step of continuously supplying the pair of sheets to a nipping section between the pair of nip rolls; a step of continuously dispensing and supplying the elastic thread through the through hole of the needle between the pair of sheets immediately before the pair of sheets are supplied to the nipping section between the pair of nip rolls; a step of reciprocating the reciprocating section in the width direction to reciprocate a position of the needle in the width direction, thereby arranging the elastic thread in a wave-like form between the pair of sheets; and a step in which the stabilizer guides the reciprocating section in a non-contact manner by blowing out air or by magnetic force while reciprocating the needle.

10 . The method for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 9 , wherein:
the stabilizer is a guide extending along a surface of a belt; and in a stabilizing step, the guide pushes the belt, to which the needle body is attached, in a direction orthogonal to a surface of the belt by blowing out air or by magnetic force, thereby suppressing swinging of the belt in the orthogonal direction.

11 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 5 , wherein the guide includes an air tank, which is long along the belt, and an air plate, which covers an opening formed in a side surface of the air tank, the side surface facing the surface of the belt, the outlet holes being formed in the air plate.

12 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 6 , wherein the guide includes an air tank, which is long along the belt, and an air plate, which covers an opening formed in a side surface of the air tank, the side surface facing the surface of the belt, the outlet holes being formed in the air plate.

13 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 7 , wherein the guide includes an air tank, which is long along the belt, and an air plate, which covers an opening formed in a side surface of the air tank, the side surface facing the surface of the belt, the outlet holes being formed in the air plate.

14 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 5 , wherein the needle body includes a flat plate portion that is surface-joined to the surface of the belt, the flat plate portion facing the guide, and
an air layer of the air blown out through the outlet holes is formed between the flat plate portion and the guide.

15 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 14 , wherein a pressing mechanism is provided for applying tension to the belt so that the flat plate portion is close to the guide.

16 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 14 , wherein the guide includes an air tank, which is long along the belt, and an air plate, which covers an opening formed in a side surface of the air tank, the side surface facing the surface of the belt, the outlet holes being formed in the air plate.

17 . The device for manufacturing a layered material according to claim 15 , wherein the guide includes an air tank, which is long along the belt, and an air plate, which covers an opening formed in a side surface of the air tank, the side surface facing the surface of the belt, the outlet holes being formed in the air plate.

Assignees

• Zuiko Corp

Inventors

• Fujita Hideki

Classifications

• B32B37/18 Primary

  involving the assembly of discrete sheets or panels only · CPC title

• B32B37/0046

  characterised by constructional aspects of the apparatus · CPC title

• B32B37/10

  characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure · CPC title

• B32B38/18

  Handling of layers or the laminate · CPC title

• B32B5/022

  Non-woven fabric · CPC title