Manufacturing method and apparatus for composite body of continuous sheet associated with absorbent article and manufacturing method for absorbent article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9237970-B2
Application number	US-201113819723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2011
Priority date	Aug 30, 2010
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

There is provided a manufacturing method for a composite body of a continuous sheet associated with an absorbent article, the composite body being manufactured by attaching a single-cut sheet to the continuous sheet at a predetermined attachment pitch. The method includes: holding the single-cut sheet by a holding section in surface-to-surface contact, the holding section moving along a path; weakening a holding force by which the single-cut sheet is held; exerting a suction force on the single-cut sheet through the continuous sheet, the suction force causing the single-cut sheet to be sucked toward the continuous sheet; and when the holding section passes a delivery position set on the path, separating the single-cut sheet from the holding section, and delivering the single-cut sheet to the continuous sheet by attaching the single-cut sheet to the continuous sheet without pinching the single-cut sheet between the holding section and the continuous sheet due to the weakening and the exerting, the continuous sheet being running through a neighboring position near the delivery position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A manufacturing method for a composite body of a continuous sheet associated with an absorbent article, the composite body being manufactured by attaching a single-cut sheet to the continuous sheet at a predetermined attachment pitch, the method comprising:
providing a cutter roller and an anvil roller to form the single-cut sheet therewith;
receiving the single-cut sheet at a receipt position by a holding section in surface-to-surface contact from the anvil roller, the holding section moving along a path, the holding section having an arc-shaped surface extending along the path;
weakening a holding force by which the single-cut sheet is held;
exerting a suction force on the single-cut sheet through the continuous sheet, the suction force causing the single-cut sheet to be sucked toward the continuous sheet; and
when the holding section passes a delivery position set on the path,
separating the single-cut sheet from the holding section, and
delivering the single-cut sheet to the continuous sheet by attaching the single-cut sheet to the continuous sheet without pinching the single-cut sheet between the holding section and the continuous sheet due to the weakening and the exerting, the continuous sheet being running through a neighboring position near the delivery position,
wherein
a gap between the holding section and an adjacent holding section at the delivery position is wider than the gap between the holding section and the adjacent holding section at the receipt position,
a running speed of the continuous sheet being set so as to be higher than a peripheral speed of the anvil roller,
the holding section has a holding surface, a plurality of suction holes formed on the holding surface, and an air flow path that is formed inside the holding section and communicates with the suction holes,
when the holding section arrives at the delivery position, the air flow path communicates with a positive pressure chamber and the holding section ejects air outwardly toward the single-cut sheet, through all the suction holes on the holding surface substantially at the same time such that the elected air pushes the single-cut sheet toward the continuous sheet and the single-cut sheet jumps from the holding section to the continuous sheet,
suction holes are provided to a suction belt conveyer and at the neighboring position, the suction holes sucking air through the continuous sheet in a direction in which the single-cut sheet is separated from the holding section passing the delivery position, and
a suction amount of the suction applied to the holes provided to the suction belt conveyer is increased or decreased according to an increase or decrease of a running speed of the continuous sheet such that the higher the running speed becomes, the shorter a jumping time of the single-cut sheet toward the continuous sheet becomes.

2. A manufacturing method for a composite body of a continuous sheet associated with an absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein
a pair of press rollers that rotate with their outer circumferential surfaces facing each other are disposed at a position downstream from the neighboring position on a running path of the continuous sheet, and
when passing a nip between the press rollers, the continuous sheet and the single-cut sheet that is placed on the continuous sheet are pressed by the outer circumferential surfaces of the press rollers in a direction which the single-cut sheet is placed on the continuous sheet.

3. A manufacturing method for a composite body of a continuous sheet associated with an absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein
a size of a spacing between the holding section and the continuous sheet at the delivery position is set to a value more than 1.0 times and less than 3.0 times as large as the maximum thickness of the single-cut sheet.

4. A manufacturing method for a composite body of a continuous sheet associated with an absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein
a suction mechanism is provided at the neighboring position, the suction mechanism sucking air through the continuous sheet in a direction in which the single-cut sheet is separated from the holding section passing the delivery position, and
an air permeability of the continuous sheet is higher than that of the single-cut sheet.

5. A manufacturing method for a composite body of a continuous sheet associated with an absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein
a suction mechanism is provided at the neighboring position, the suction mechanism sucking air through the continuous sheet in a direction in which the single-cut sheet is separated from the holding section passing the delivery position, and
a suction amount of the suction mechanism is increased/decreased according to an increase/decrease of a running speed of the continuous sheet.

6. A manufacturing method for an absorbent article using a composite body that is manufactured in a method according to claim 1 , wherein
the absorbent article includes
an absorbent main body that has an absorbent body for absorbing a liquid and is brought into contact with a crotch of a wearer,
a pair of side sheets attached to both end portions of the absorbent main body in the width direction, and
a side flap attached to each of the side sheets so as to protrude outwardly in the width direction from an edge of the absorbent main body In the width direction,

the continuous sheet is a base material of the side sheet that has not been divided into a piece of the side sheet,
the single-cut sheet is the side flap,
the absorbent main body has a top sheet covering the absorbent body, and
the composite body is attached to a continuous sheet of the top sheet after manufacturing the composite body.

Assignees

• Iida Miwa
• Ishikawa Osamu
• Uni Charm Corp

Inventors

• Iida Miwa
• Ishikawa Osamu

Classifications

• B65H2406/33

  Rotary suction means, e.g. roller, cylinder or drum · CPC title

• B65H2406/32

  Suction belts · CPC title

• B65H2801/57

  Diaper manufacture · CPC title

• B65H35/08

  from or with revolving, e.g. cylinder, cutters or perforators · CPC title

• B26D1/405

  for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like · CPC title