Method and apparatus for manufacturing wet wipes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9242826-B2
Application number	US-201113877015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2011
Priority date	Sep 30, 2010
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

This method for producing wet wipes includes the following steps: a step for vertically folding non-woven cloth sheets; a step for impregnating the sheets with a chemical; a step for stacking the sheets; a step for cutting the sheets at predetermined lengths; a step for pulling the cut sheets away from a transporting conveyer provided with a suction mechanism by means of a pusher, and stacking the cut sheets; a step for pressing a bundle comprising the sheets; and a step for packaging the bundle. The pusher is disposed between the transporting conveyers. The blades of the pusher have a plurality of tooth sections. The pusher drops the sheets suctioned to the transporting conveyer downwards by means of moving vertically downwards.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing wet wipes formed of a stacked body of sheets impregnated with a predetermined chemical, the method comprising:
conveying, in a conveyance direction, a fabric of a plurality of sheets in a state where the sheets are folded, impregnated with the predetermined chemical, and stacked on each other;
cutting the stacked sheets during conveyance, at a predetermined interval in a cross direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction to obtain the stacked body of the sheets; then
conveying, by a conveyance device, the stacked body of the sheets; and
detaching the stacked body of the sheets from the conveyance device, by means of a pusher which is provided with a projection protruding toward a surface of the stacked body of the sheets, and reciprocates in a direction intersecting with the conveyance direction and the surface of the stacked sheets, wherein
the projection has a plurality of tooth portions,
each of the tooth portions has an inlet side and an outlet side downstream of the inlet side in the conveyance direction,
the inlet and outlet sides of the tooth portion are inclined with respect to the conveyance direction at first and second inclination angles, and
the first inclination angle between the inlet side and the conveyance direction is greater than the second inclination angle between the outlet side and the conveyance direction.

2. The manufacturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the tooth portions have tips spaced away from each other in the conveyance direction at a predetermined distance.

3. A manufacturing device for manufacturing wet wipes formed of a stacked body of sheets impregnated with a predetermined chemical, the manufacturing device comprising:
a cutting unit configured to cut a fabric of a plurality of sheets in a state where the sheets are folded, impregnated with the predetermined chemical, and stacked on each other,
wherein the cutting unit is configured to cut the fabric, while the fabric being conveyed in a conveyance direction, at a predetermined interval in a cross direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction to obtain the stacked body of the sheets; and

a conveyance device configured to convey the stacked body of the sheets in the conveyance direction downstream from the cutting unit;
a dropping mechanism configured to reciprocate in a direction intersecting with the conveyance direction and a surface of the stacked body of the sheets, so as to detach the stacked body of the sheets conveyed by the conveyance device from the conveyance device,
wherein
the dropping mechanism has a projection protruding toward the surface of the stacked body of the sheets,
the projection has a plurality of tooth portions, and
the tooth portions have tips spaced away from each other in the conveyance direction at a predetermined distance.

4. The manufacturing device according to claim 3 , wherein
the projection comprises a blade having the plurality of tooth portions.

5. The manufacturing device according to claim 3 , wherein
each of the tooth portions has an inlet side and an outlet side downstream of the inlet side in the conveyance direction,
the inlet and outlet sides of the tooth portion are inclined with respect to the conveyance direction to define first and second inclination angles, and
the first inclination angle between the inlet side and the conveyance direction is greater than the second inclination angle between the outlet side and the conveyance direction.

Assignees

• Bando Takeshi
• Miyake Daisuke
• Hiramatsu Ikue
• Ishikawa Yoshihide
• Unicharm Corp

Inventors

• Bando Takeshi
• Miyake Daisuke
• Hiramatsu Ikue
• Ishikawa Yoshihide

Classifications

• B65D75/5838

  combined with separate fixed tearing means, e.g. tabs · CPC title

• B65H2404/261

  Arrangement of belts, or belt(s) / roller(s) facing each other for forming a transport nip · CPC title

• B65H2701/18272

  Z-folded · CPC title

• B65D83/0894 Primary

  the articles being positioned relative to one another or to the container in a special way, e.g. for facilitating dispensing, without additional support · CPC title

• B65H2404/513

  with limited number of active areas · CPC title