US20100219224A1 - Conveyor and method of manufacturing absorbent article - Google Patents
Conveyor and method of manufacturing absorbent article Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20100219224A1 US20100219224A1 US12/715,939 US71593910A US2010219224A1 US 20100219224 A1 US20100219224 A1 US 20100219224A1 US 71593910 A US71593910 A US 71593910A US 2010219224 A1 US2010219224 A1 US 2010219224A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- web
- press
- conveyor
- side edge
- conveyance
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
- A61F13/00—Bandages or dressings; Absorbent pads
- A61F13/15—Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators
- A61F13/15577—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing
- A61F13/15764—Transferring, feeding or handling devices; Drives
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H23/00—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs
- B65H23/04—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally
- B65H23/28—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally by longitudinally-extending strips, tubes, plates, or wires
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H37/00—Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating devices for performing specified auxiliary operations
- B65H37/04—Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating devices for performing specified auxiliary operations for securing together articles or webs, e.g. by adhesive, stitching or stapling
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H37/00—Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating devices for performing specified auxiliary operations
- B65H37/06—Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating devices for performing specified auxiliary operations for folding
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H45/00—Folding thin material
- B65H45/12—Folding articles or webs with application of pressure to define or form crease lines
- B65H45/22—Longitudinal folders, i.e. for folding moving sheet material parallel to the direction of movement
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
- B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
- B65H2301/45—Folding, unfolding
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
- B65H2301/50—Auxiliary process performed during handling process
- B65H2301/51—Modifying a characteristic of handled material
- B65H2301/512—Changing form of handled material
- B65H2301/5124—Stretching; Tentering
- B65H2301/51242—Stretching transversely; Tentering
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2701/00—Handled material; Storage means
- B65H2701/10—Handled articles or webs
- B65H2701/17—Nature of material
- B65H2701/171—Physical features of handled article or web
- B65H2701/1716—Elastic
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2701/00—Handled material; Storage means
- B65H2701/10—Handled articles or webs
- B65H2701/18—Form of handled article or web
- B65H2701/186—Several articles or webs processed together
- B65H2701/1864—Superposed webs
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2801/00—Application field
- B65H2801/57—Diaper manufacture
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to a conveyor configured to convey a continuous stretchable web, and a method of manufacturing an absorbent article.
- a method of manufacturing an absorbent article such as a pants-type diaper, a sanitary napkin and a panty liner is implemented in an assembly line, in general.
- a continuous web including a continuum of top sheets and a continuum of bottom surface sheets to form absorbent articles is conveyed under tension in a web conveyance direction by a conveyor (for example, see PTL 1).
- component members such as a gather (elastic member) and a waterproof film are placed on the web being conveyed under tension in the web conveyance direction.
- a web with stretchable component members, such as a gather and a waterproof film, arranged thereon sometimes extends or shrinks in a cross direction (a web width direction) perpendicular to the web conveyance direction.
- a cross direction a web width direction
- the web during conveyance is often asymmetrical with respect to the center line that bisects the width of the web, and sometimes shrinks toward the center in the web width direction.
- the conveyer includes an endless belt configured to rotate between multiple pairs of rollers, a drive mechanism configured to rotate the belt, and a suction mechanism configured to suck the web down onto the belt through multiple suction holes formed in the belt.
- the suction mechanism causes the web to stick to the belt through the suction holes.
- the inventors have discovered that once a web shrinks toward the center in the width direction, the web is stuck to the belt in the shrunken state. Consequently, the web has one or more creases therein in some cases. Such creases need to be smoothed out to avoid manufacturing defects.
- the present invention is aimed to provide a conveyor and a method of manufacturing an absorbent article which are capable of surely smoothing out a crease generated in a stretchable web even when the crease is generated in the web.
- the present invention has the following aspects.
- a conveyor for conveying a continuous stretchable web in a conveyance direction comprising a conveying mechanism for conveying the web in a conveyance plane; and a press mechanism for pressing the web in at least one of the center or side edge region of the web, to deflect the web off the conveyance plane and cause the web to be stretched in the cross direction.
- a method of manufacturing absorbent articles comprises conveying, in a conveyance plane, a continuous web to be processed by a plurality of processes into the absorbent article.
- the web has, in a cross direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction, a center region and side edge regions on opposite sides of the center region.
- the method further comprises pressing the web in at least one of the center or side edge region of the web, to deflect the web off the conveyance plane.
- a aspect of the present invention provides a conveyor that conveys a long stretchable web, comprising a press mechanism configured to press the web in at least a center region in a cross direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the web, or at least side edge regions located in positions shifted from the center region toward both side edges of the web in the cross direction, wherein the press mechanism is provided in a position shifted from a conveyance plane of the web when viewed along a surface of the web in the cross direction.
- a conveyor and a method of manufacturing an absorbent article which are capable of surely smoothing out a crease generated in a stretchable web even when the crease is generated in the web.
- FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway, perspective view showing an absorbent article according to one or more embodiments.
- FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a relevant part of a method of manufacturing absorbent articles according to one or more embodiments.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a relevant part of a conveyor according to one or more embodiments.
- FIG. 4 is a side view of a press mechanism of the conveyor of FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 5 is a front view of the press mechanism.
- FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a press board of the press mechanism.
- FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a press mechanism according to a Modified Example 1.
- FIGS. 8A and 8B are front views of a press mechanism according to a Modified Example 2.
- FIG. 9 is a front view of a press mechanism according to a Modified Example 3.
- FIG. 10 is a front view of a press mechanism according to a Modified Example 4.
- FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the absorbent article 1 .
- the absorbent article 1 is a disposable pants-type diaper for adults.
- the absorbent article 1 mainly includes a top sheet 2 , a back sheet 3 , an absorber 4 and a waterproof sheet 5 .
- the top sheet 2 is adapted to come into contact with the skin of a person to wear the absorbent article 1 (hereinafter, “wearer”).
- the top sheet 2 is made of a liquid permeable sheet such as a nonwoven fabric or a perforated plastic film.
- the back sheet 3 is provided outside the top sheet 2 (on the side farther from the wearer).
- the back sheet 3 is made of a nonwoven fabric or the like.
- the absorber 4 is provided between the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 , for absorbing excretion discharged from the wearer.
- the absorber 4 is made of a mixture of g pulp and superabsorbent polymer particles, or the like.
- the waterproof sheet 5 is provided between the back sheet 3 and the absorber 4 , for blocking the permeation of the excretion from the wearer to the outside of the absorbent article 1 .
- the waterproof sheet 5 is made of a liquid impermeable sheet.
- the absorbent article 1 is provided with the top sheet 2 , the absorber 4 , the waterproof sheet 5 and the back sheet 3 in order, from the skin side of the wearer.
- the absorbent article 1 thus configured includes, in combination, a front waistline portion 10 to be fitted to the front waist of a wearer, a back waistline portion 20 to be fitted to the back waist of the wearer, and a crotch portion 30 to be fitted to the crotch of the wearer.
- leg-surrounding openings 40 into which the legs of the wearer are inserted are formed on both sides of the crotch portion 30 .
- the front waistline portion 10 and the back waistline portion 20 are joined together by joint portions 50 , and thereby form a waist opening to be fit around the body of the wearer.
- a waist gather 6 A made of a stretchable rubber strand or the like is provided to an entire peripheral edge of the front waistline portion 10 and the back waistline portion 20 .
- the front waistline portion 10 and the back waistline portion 20 may be provided with the waist gather 6 A, or may themselves be made of a stretchable sheet.
- the crotch portion 30 is provided between the front waistline portion 10 and the back waistline portion 20 .
- Leg gathers 6 B made of stretchable rubber strands or the like are provided on both sides of the crotch portion 30 .
- the crotch portion 30 may be provided with the leg gathers 6 B, or may itself be made of a stretchable sheet.
- FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a relevant part of the absorbent article manufacturing method.
- the method of manufacturing absorbent articles includes at least a waistline forming step S 1 , an absorber transferring step S 2 , a leg-surrounding forming step S 3 , a folding step S 4 , a joining step S 5 and a cutting step S 6 .
- gathers (waist gathers 6 A and/or leg gathers 6 B) are placed between a web 7 A and a web 7 B, and thereby a web 7 prepared to form the front waistline portion 10 and the back waistline portion 20 is formed.
- the web 7 (webs 7 A, 7 B) during conveyance is stretchable in a width direction CD (cross direction) perpendicular to a conveyance direction MD of the web 7 .
- the web 7 is asymmetrical with respect to a center line CL that bisects a width in the width direction CD of the web 7 and extends in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 .
- a crotch portion member 30 A to form the crotch portion 30 is transferred onto the web 7 , more specifically, between the front waistline portion 10 and the back waistline portion 20 after the waistline forming step S 1 .
- the crotch portion member 30 A includes the back sheet 3 and the absorber 4 .
- the leg-surrounding openings 40 are formed by cutting the web 7 (webs 7 A, 7 B) after the absorber transferring step S 2 .
- the formation of the leg-surrounding openings 40 does not necessarily involve cutting only the web 7 A and the web 7 B, but may involve cutting, together with the web 7 A and the web 7 B, the back sheet 3 constituting the crotch portion member 30 A.
- absorber transferring step S 2 and the leg-surrounding forming step S 3 may be performed in the reverse order.
- the web 7 is folded into two parts along a folding line extending in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 by bringing a side edge 10 A of the front waistline portion 10 toward a side edge 20 A of the back waistline portion 20 , after the leg-surrounding forming step S 3 .
- the folding line is the center line CL.
- the folding line is not necessarily the center line CL, and may be shifted from the center line CL toward either of the side edge 10 A and the side edge 20 A.
- the folded parts of the web 7 are joined together in joint regions 50 A through ultrasonic treatment or heat treatment after the folding step S 4 .
- the joint region 50 A extends in the conveyance direction MD across an imaginary line SL that indicates a to-be-cut position and extends in the width direction CD.
- the web 7 joined in the joint regions 50 A is cut along the imaginary lines SL after the joining step S 5 . Thereby, the absorbent article 1 is manufactured.
- the method of manufacturing absorbent articles includes conveying steps between the steps (S 1 to S 6 ).
- the web 7 to be processed into the absorbent article 1 is conveyed by a conveyor 100 , which will be described later.
- the conveying step is performed before each of the process steps (S 1 to S 6 ) in which the web 7 is processed.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a relevant part of the conveyor 100 according to one or more embodiments.
- the conveyor 100 conveys the web 7 under tension in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 .
- the conveyor 100 includes at least a press mechanism 110 and a conveyor mechanism 120 .
- a configuration of the press mechanism 110 will be described later.
- the conveyor mechanism 120 is provided on the opposite side of the web 7 from the press mechanism 110 .
- the conveyor mechanism 120 is provided downstream of the press mechanism 110 in the conveyance direction MD.
- the conveyor mechanism 120 includes a belt 121 , a drive unit 122 , a suction unit 123 and an edge press unit 124 .
- the belt 121 is an endless belt configured to rotate around plural rollers (for example, a driving roller 122 A and an unillustrated roller) while having the web 7 placed thereon.
- the belt 121 is provided with multiple suction holes 121 A through which the web 7 is sucked.
- the drive unit 122 rotates the belt 121 .
- the drive unit 122 includes two or more rollers (unillustrated) and the driving roller 122 A.
- the drive unit 122 includes a motor configured to rotate the driving roller 122 A through a shaft, and the like.
- the suction unit 123 sucks air through the suction holes 121 A which will be described later. In other words, the suction unit 123 causes the web 7 during conveyance to stick to the belt 121 .
- the edge press unit 124 presses the side edges 10 A and 20 A of the web 7 against the belt 121 .
- the edge press unit 124 includes a first press portion 124 A arranged along the side edge 10 A of the web 7 and a second press portion 124 B arranged along the side edge 20 A of the web 7 .
- the first press portion 124 A and the second press portion 124 B are coupled to each other with a pipe 125 .
- FIG. 4 is a side view of the press mechanism 100 as seen in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 5 is a front view of the press mechanism 100 as seen in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a press board 111 of the press mechanism.
- the press mechanism 110 is provided on the opposite side of the web 7 from the conveyor mechanism 120 .
- the press mechanism 110 is located close to the belt 121 rotating around the drive unit 122 , and upstream of the conveyor mechanism 120 in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 .
- the press mechanism 110 is provided in a position shifted from a conveyance plane R in which the web 7 is to be conveyed by the belt 121 . More specifically, the press mechanism 110 is located below the conveyance plane R defined by belt 121 .
- the press mechanism 110 presses downward the web 7 in a center region C in the width direction CD of the web 7 and/or in at least one of side edge regions S located in positions shifted from the central region C toward the side edges in the width direction CD of the web 7 .
- the side edge regions S are located on opposite sides of the center region as seen in the cross direction CD.
- the press mechanism 110 presses downward the side edge regions S, except for the side edge 10 A and the side edge 20 A of the web 7 , and therefore is not in contact with any of the side edges (the side edge 10 A or the side edge 20 A).
- the press mechanism 110 includes a press board 111 .
- the press board 111 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene or the like.
- the press board 111 is bent when viewed along the surface of the web 7 in the width direction CD.
- the press board 111 is fixed through a fixed frame 112 to a support bar 113 extending in the width direction CD.
- the press board 111 includes a press face 111 A to be in contact with the web 7 .
- the press face 111 A is in a straight-line form when viewed along the surface of the web 7 in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 (i.e., viewed in a direction perpendicular to the support bar 113 ).
- the press board 111 has a width (w) in the width direction CD which becomes larger, more particularly, gradually larger, from an upstream side to a downstream side in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 . More precisely, a downstream side width (w 1 ) in the press board 111 is larger than an upstream side width (w 2 ) in the press board 111 . It should be noted that the downstream side width (w 1 ) in the press board 111 is larger than the width of the web 7 , and therefore, as best seen in FIG. 3 , is located above the edges 10 A, 20 A of the web 7 to flatten out the edges 10 A, 20 A when the web 7 emerges from under the press board 111 .
- the press mechanism 110 is provided in the position shifted from the conveyance plane R of the web 7 when viewed along the surface of the web 7 in the width direction CD, and presses the center region C and the side edge regions S. Unlike the case where the web 7 is not pressed, such pressing deflects the web 7 off the conveyance plane R and causes the web 7 during conveyance to be stretched toward outer sides in the width direction CD when passing under the press mechanism 110 . Therefore, even when a crease is generated in the web 7 during conveyance, such crease is surely smoothed out. It should be noted that the center region S of the web 7 is deflected further away from the conveyance plane R than the side edge regions S of the web.
- any crease in the web 7 is smoothed out by the press mechanism 110 before the web 7 reaches the conveyor mechanism 120 , and thus the edge press unit 124 presses the side edges 10 A and 20 A of the web 7 which has no crease. In this way, the web 7 can be conveyed surely in a state free from any crease.
- the edge press unit 124 provided in the conveyor mechanism 120 has a first press unit 124 A, a second press unit 124 B and a pipe 125 .
- the first press unit 124 A and the second press unit 124 B press the side edges 10 A and 20 A of the web 7 toward the belt 121 .
- the side edges 10 A and 20 A of the web 7 are pressed toward the belt 121 by the edge press unit 124 . In this way, the web 7 can be surely conveyed in a state free from any crease in the conveyor mechanism 120 as well.
- the performing of the conveying step before (immediately before, in particular) each of the process steps (S 1 to S 6 ) in which the web 7 is processed enables the process to be applied to the web 7 having no crease.
- the conveying step can surely reduce manufacturing defects of the absorbent articles 1 and prevent the manufacturing line from stopping.
- the press face 111 A is in a straight-line form when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 .
- the web 7 is stretched to be in a planar state immediately before each process (e.g., any of S 1 -S 6 ).
- the process is applied to the web 7 which has been tuned into and then kept in the planar state by the press face 111 A. Consequently, manufacturing defects of the absorbent articles 1 can be reduced more surely.
- the conveyor 100 includes the conveyor mechanism 120 in addition to the press mechanism 110 .
- the conveyor mechanism 120 can surely prevent the web 7 after passing under the press mechanism 110 from shrinking toward the center in the width direction CD.
- the edge press unit 124 presses the side edge 10 A and the side edge 20 A of the web 7 against the belt 121 , whereby the stretchable web 7 can be more surely prevented from shrinking toward the center in the width direction CD. As a result, creases can be more surely prevented from occurring in the web 7 .
- the width (w) of the press board 111 in the width direction CD is larger on the downstream side than on the upstream side.
- the press mechanism 110 may be modified as follows.
- the description will be provided mainly for the differences from the foregoing description, with the same or similar reference signs denoting the same or similar elements.
- FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the press mechanism 210 A according to the Modified Example 1.
- the press mechanism 110 includes the press board 111 .
- the press mechanism 210 A includes a body roller 114 in a cylindrical shape, as shown in FIG. 7 .
- the body roller 114 is attached to a shaft 115 extending in the width direction CD of the web 7 .
- the body roller 114 may be configured to rotate or not to rotate along with conveyance of the web 7 .
- the body roller 114 is a passive roller that follows the movement of the web 7 .
- the body roller 114 is an actively driven roller that may rotate with, or against, the conveyance of the web 7 for varying crease smoothing effects.
- the body roller 114 includes a press face 114 A to be in contact with the web 7 .
- FIGS. 8A and 8B are front views of the press mechanism 210 B according to the Modified Example 2.
- the press mechanism 110 presses downward a whole surface including the center region C and the side edge regions S of the web 7 .
- the press mechanism 210 B presses downward only the center region C of the web 7 as shown in FIG. 8A .
- the center regions C are regions including the center portion of the width direction CD of the web 7 .
- the side edge regions S are regions with which the press mechanism 210 B is not in contact.
- the press mechanism 210 B does not necessarily have to press downward only the center region C of the web 7 , and, instead, may press downward only the side edge regions S as shown in FIG. 8B . While it is shown in FIG. 8B that the edges of web 7 (i.e., edges 10 A, 20 A) are not in contact with the press mechanism 210 B, in some unshown embodiments, at least one of the edges of the web 7 is in contact with the press mechanism 210 B.
- the web 7 is stretchable. Therefore, when a force is applied to an arbitrary region in the width direction of the web 7 , a tension can be applied to the web 7 .
- a location of the web 7 relative to the conveyor 100 is decided based on a centerline in the width direction of the web 7 . Accordingly, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 ( b ), applying a force to the edge portions (side edges 10 A and 20 A) of the outside in the width direction of the web 7 prevents the edge portions from shrinking in the inside of the width direction. Thus, the web 7 to be conveyed is stabilized.
- the press mechanism 210 B may be formed of only the body roller 114 , or may be formed of only the press board 111 as described above.
- the body roller 114 and the press board 111 are used together in the same press mechanism 210 B, e.g., by arranging the press board 111 in the position illustrated in FIG. 8A and, at the same time, arranging two body rollers 114 in the position illustrated in FIG. 8B .
- the press board 111 can be upstream or downstream of the body rollers 114 . Other arrangements are within the scope of this disclosure.
- FIG. 9 is a front view of the press mechanism 210 C according to the Modified Example 3.
- the press face 111 A is in the straight-line form when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 .
- the press face 114 A is in a curved form when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 , as shown in FIG. 9 .
- Bending points 111 B and 111 C are formed on the press face 114 A in cross sectional surface seen from the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 . Since the web 7 is conveyed at least two points (bending points 111 B and 111 C) of the web 7 are supported, it is possible to prevent the web 7 from traveling in a meandering manner.
- the press mechanism 210 C may be formed of only the body roller 114 or only the press board 111 as described above.
- FIG. 10 is a front view of the press mechanism 210 D according to the Modified Example 4.
- the press face 111 A is in the straight-line form when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 .
- the press face 114 A is bent when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 , as shown in FIG. 10 .
- the press mechanism 210 D includes a center press face 211 and a pair of side edge press faces 212 .
- the center press face 211 presses the center region C.
- the pair of the side edge press faces 212 are located next to the center press face 211 , more specifically, at both sides of the center press face 211 in the width direction CD of the web 7 , and press the side edge regions S, respectively.
- the side edge press faces 212 are each extends from an end 212 A of the center press face 211 , obliquely away from the web 7 (upward, in short) when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 .
- the press mechanism 210 D may be formed of only the body roller 114 or may be formed of only the press board 111 as described above.
- the absorbent article 1 has been described as including the front waistline portion 10 , the back waistline portion 20 and the crotch portion 30 .
- the absorbent article 1 is not limited to this configuration, but maybe formed entirely as a single portion. In this case, needless to say, a different method of manufacturing such an absorbent article is employed.
- the conveyor 100 used in the manufacturing of a pants-type disposal diaper.
- the conveyor 100 is not limited to such use.
- the conveyor 100 may be used to manufacture another product such as an open-type disposal diaper, a sanitary napkin and a panty liner, for example.
- the conveyor 100 maybe used for the conveyance of any web 7 that is stretchable in the width direction CD of the web, not necessarily for the manufacturing of the absorbent article 1 .
- the conveyor 100 may be used between steps other than the steps described with respect to FIG. 2 .
- the conveyor 100 is not limited to such use.
- a single conveyor 100 may be provided for each or both of the webs.
- multiple conveyors 100 may be provided between any two of the process steps.
- press mechanism 110 has been described as the one pressing the web 7 downward, but it is not limited to this configuration.
- the press mechanism 110 may press the web 7 upward, for example.
- the press mechanism 110 has been described as the one located below the belt 121 , which is in contact with the web 7 , when viewed in the axial direction of the drive unit 122 , but it is not limited to this configuration. Instead, the press mechanism 110 may be located above the belt 121 , for, e.g., pressing the web 7 upward.
- the press mechanism 110 has been described as the one pressing the side edge regions S, except for the side edge 10 A and the side edge 20 A, but it is not limited to this configuration.
- the press mechanism 110 may press the side edge regions S including the side edge 10 A and the side edge 20 A, apparently.
- the conveyor and method of manufacturing absorbent article of the present invention is capable of surely smoothing out a crease generated in a stretchable web even when the crease is generated in the web, it is useful in manufacturing technology for absorbent articles.
Abstract
A conveyor conveys a continuous stretchable web. The conveyor includes a press mechanism configured to press the web in at least a center region C in a cross direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the web, or at least side edge regions S located in positions shifted from the center region toward both side edges of the web in the cross direction. The press mechanism is provided in a position shifted from a conveyance plane R of the web when viewed along a surface of the web in the cross direction.
Description
- The present disclosure relates to a conveyor configured to convey a continuous stretchable web, and a method of manufacturing an absorbent article.
- A method of manufacturing an absorbent article such as a pants-type diaper, a sanitary napkin and a panty liner is implemented in an assembly line, in general. For instance, a continuous web including a continuum of top sheets and a continuum of bottom surface sheets to form absorbent articles is conveyed under tension in a web conveyance direction by a conveyor (for example, see PTL 1). Then, component members such as a gather (elastic member) and a waterproof film are placed on the web being conveyed under tension in the web conveyance direction.
- A web with stretchable component members, such as a gather and a waterproof film, arranged thereon sometimes extends or shrinks in a cross direction (a web width direction) perpendicular to the web conveyance direction. In particular, in a system in which a web is conveyed in the web conveyance direction in a state where a pair of waistline portions to be eventually fitted to the waist of a wearer are arranged to extend in the web conveyance direction (as known as a crosswise conveyor system), the web during conveyance is often asymmetrical with respect to the center line that bisects the width of the web, and sometimes shrinks toward the center in the web width direction.
- To address this problem, a conveyor has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-145485 to prevent a web from shrinking toward the center in a width direction. The conveyer includes an endless belt configured to rotate between multiple pairs of rollers, a drive mechanism configured to rotate the belt, and a suction mechanism configured to suck the web down onto the belt through multiple suction holes formed in the belt. The suction mechanism causes the web to stick to the belt through the suction holes.
- The inventors have discovered that once a web shrinks toward the center in the width direction, the web is stuck to the belt in the shrunken state. Consequently, the web has one or more creases therein in some cases. Such creases need to be smoothed out to avoid manufacturing defects.
- Under these circumstances, the present invention is aimed to provide a conveyor and a method of manufacturing an absorbent article which are capable of surely smoothing out a crease generated in a stretchable web even when the crease is generated in the web.
- To solve the above-described problem, the present invention has the following aspects.
- In an aspect, a conveyor for conveying a continuous stretchable web in a conveyance direction is provided. The web has, in a cross direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, a center region and side edge regions on opposite sides of the center region. The conveyor comprises a conveying mechanism for conveying the web in a conveyance plane; and a press mechanism for pressing the web in at least one of the center or side edge region of the web, to deflect the web off the conveyance plane and cause the web to be stretched in the cross direction.
- In another aspect, a method of manufacturing absorbent articles is provided. The method comprises conveying, in a conveyance plane, a continuous web to be processed by a plurality of processes into the absorbent article. The web has, in a cross direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction, a center region and side edge regions on opposite sides of the center region. The method further comprises pressing the web in at least one of the center or side edge region of the web, to deflect the web off the conveyance plane.
- To solve the above-described problem, the present invention has the following aspects. A aspect of the present invention provides a conveyor that conveys a long stretchable web, comprising a press mechanism configured to press the web in at least a center region in a cross direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the web, or at least side edge regions located in positions shifted from the center region toward both side edges of the web in the cross direction, wherein the press mechanism is provided in a position shifted from a conveyance plane of the web when viewed along a surface of the web in the cross direction.
- According to the aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a conveyor and a method of manufacturing an absorbent article which are capable of surely smoothing out a crease generated in a stretchable web even when the crease is generated in the web.
-
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway, perspective view showing an absorbent article according to one or more embodiments. -
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a relevant part of a method of manufacturing absorbent articles according to one or more embodiments. -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a relevant part of a conveyor according to one or more embodiments. -
FIG. 4 is a side view of a press mechanism of the conveyor ofFIG. 3 . -
FIG. 5 is a front view of the press mechanism. -
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a press board of the press mechanism. -
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a press mechanism according to a Modified Example 1. -
FIGS. 8A and 8B are front views of a press mechanism according to a Modified Example 2. -
FIG. 9 is a front view of a press mechanism according to a Modified Example 3. -
FIG. 10 is a front view of a press mechanism according to a Modified Example 4. - Hereinafter, a conveyor and a method of manufacturing an absorbent article according to one or more embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that, in the following description and in the drawings, the same or similar reference signs denote the same or similar elements and portions. In addition, it should be also noted that the drawings are schematic, and are not to scale unless otherwise specified. For this reason, the specific dimensions should be determined in consideration of the following descriptions. Moreover, the drawings do not necessarily reflect the real-life dimensional relationships and ratios of components.
- Firstly, a configuration of an
absorbent article 1 according to one or more embodiments will be explained with reference toFIG. 1 which is a partially cutaway perspective view showing theabsorbent article 1. In this particularly illustrated embodiment, theabsorbent article 1 is a disposable pants-type diaper for adults. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , theabsorbent article 1 mainly includes atop sheet 2, aback sheet 3, an absorber 4 and awaterproof sheet 5. - The
top sheet 2 is adapted to come into contact with the skin of a person to wear the absorbent article 1 (hereinafter, “wearer”). Thetop sheet 2 is made of a liquid permeable sheet such as a nonwoven fabric or a perforated plastic film. Theback sheet 3 is provided outside the top sheet 2 (on the side farther from the wearer). Theback sheet 3 is made of a nonwoven fabric or the like. - The
absorber 4 is provided between thetop sheet 2 and theback sheet 3, for absorbing excretion discharged from the wearer. Theabsorber 4 is made of a mixture of g pulp and superabsorbent polymer particles, or the like. Thewaterproof sheet 5 is provided between theback sheet 3 and theabsorber 4, for blocking the permeation of the excretion from the wearer to the outside of theabsorbent article 1. Thewaterproof sheet 5 is made of a liquid impermeable sheet. - The
absorbent article 1 is provided with thetop sheet 2, the absorber 4, thewaterproof sheet 5 and theback sheet 3 in order, from the skin side of the wearer. - The
absorbent article 1 thus configured includes, in combination, afront waistline portion 10 to be fitted to the front waist of a wearer, aback waistline portion 20 to be fitted to the back waist of the wearer, and acrotch portion 30 to be fitted to the crotch of the wearer. Incidentally, leg-surroundingopenings 40 into which the legs of the wearer are inserted are formed on both sides of thecrotch portion 30. - The
front waistline portion 10 and theback waistline portion 20 are joined together byjoint portions 50, and thereby form a waist opening to be fit around the body of the wearer. A waist gather 6A made of a stretchable rubber strand or the like is provided to an entire peripheral edge of thefront waistline portion 10 and theback waistline portion 20. - For example, to make the
front waistline portion 10 and theback waistline portion 20 stretchable in the cross direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction from thefront waistline portion 10 toward theback waistline portion 20, thefront waistline portion 10 and theback waistline portion 20 may be provided with the waist gather 6A, or may themselves be made of a stretchable sheet. - The
crotch portion 30 is provided between thefront waistline portion 10 and theback waistline portion 20. Leg gathers 6B made of stretchable rubber strands or the like are provided on both sides of thecrotch portion 30. - For example, to make the
crotch portion 30 stretchable in the leg-encircling direction, thecrotch portion 30 may be provided with the leg gathers 6B, or may itself be made of a stretchable sheet. - Secondly, a method of manufacturing absorbent articles, such as the aforementioned
absorbent article 1, according to one or more embodiments will be explained with reference toFIG. 2 which is a diagram for explaining a relevant part of the absorbent article manufacturing method. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , the method of manufacturing absorbent articles includes at least a waistline forming step S1, an absorber transferring step S2, a leg-surrounding forming step S3, a folding step S4, a joining step S5 and a cutting step S6. - In the waistline forming step S1, gathers (waist gathers 6A and/or leg gathers 6B) are placed between a
web 7A and aweb 7B, and thereby aweb 7 prepared to form thefront waistline portion 10 and theback waistline portion 20 is formed. - Note that the web 7 (
webs web 7. In addition, theweb 7 is asymmetrical with respect to a center line CL that bisects a width in the width direction CD of theweb 7 and extends in the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7. - In the absorber transferring step S2, a
crotch portion member 30A to form thecrotch portion 30 is transferred onto theweb 7, more specifically, between thefront waistline portion 10 and theback waistline portion 20 after the waistline forming step S1. Here, thecrotch portion member 30A includes theback sheet 3 and theabsorber 4. - In the leg-surrounding forming step S3, the leg-surrounding openings 40 (so-called leg holes) are formed by cutting the web 7 (
webs openings 40 does not necessarily involve cutting only theweb 7A and theweb 7B, but may involve cutting, together with theweb 7A and theweb 7B, theback sheet 3 constituting thecrotch portion member 30A. - Note that the absorber transferring step S2 and the leg-surrounding forming step S3 may be performed in the reverse order.
- In the folding step S4, the
web 7 is folded into two parts along a folding line extending in the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7 by bringing aside edge 10A of thefront waistline portion 10 toward aside edge 20A of theback waistline portion 20, after the leg-surrounding forming step S3. - Note that, in this particularly illustrated embodiment, the folding line is the center line CL. However, the folding line is not necessarily the center line CL, and may be shifted from the center line CL toward either of the
side edge 10A and theside edge 20A. - In the joining step S5, the folded parts of the
web 7 are joined together injoint regions 50A through ultrasonic treatment or heat treatment after the folding step S4. Thejoint region 50A extends in the conveyance direction MD across an imaginary line SL that indicates a to-be-cut position and extends in the width direction CD. - In the cutting step S6, the
web 7 joined in thejoint regions 50A is cut along the imaginary lines SL after the joining step S5. Thereby, theabsorbent article 1 is manufactured. - Here, the method of manufacturing absorbent articles includes conveying steps between the steps (S1 to S6). In each of the conveying steps, the
web 7 to be processed into theabsorbent article 1 is conveyed by aconveyor 100, which will be described later. In other words, the conveying step is performed before each of the process steps (S1 to S6) in which theweb 7 is processed. - Hereinafter, a configuration of the
conveyor 100 used in the conveying steps will be described with reference toFIG. 3 which is a perspective view of a relevant part of theconveyor 100 according to one or more embodiments. - Since the
conveyors 100 used in the conveying steps before the respective steps (51 to S6) have the same configuration, the description will be provided by taking, as an example, theconveyor 100 that conveys theweb 7 before the waistline forming step S1. - As shown in
FIG. 3 , theconveyor 100 conveys theweb 7 under tension in the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7. Theconveyor 100 includes at least apress mechanism 110 and aconveyor mechanism 120. A configuration of thepress mechanism 110 will be described later. - The
conveyor mechanism 120 is provided on the opposite side of theweb 7 from thepress mechanism 110. Theconveyor mechanism 120 is provided downstream of thepress mechanism 110 in the conveyance direction MD. Theconveyor mechanism 120 includes abelt 121, adrive unit 122, asuction unit 123 and anedge press unit 124. - The
belt 121 is an endless belt configured to rotate around plural rollers (for example, a drivingroller 122A and an unillustrated roller) while having theweb 7 placed thereon. Thebelt 121 is provided withmultiple suction holes 121A through which theweb 7 is sucked. - The
drive unit 122 rotates thebelt 121. Thedrive unit 122 includes two or more rollers (unillustrated) and the drivingroller 122A. Thedrive unit 122 includes a motor configured to rotate the drivingroller 122A through a shaft, and the like. Thesuction unit 123 sucks air through the suction holes 121A which will be described later. In other words, thesuction unit 123 causes theweb 7 during conveyance to stick to thebelt 121. - The
edge press unit 124 presses the side edges 10A and 20A of theweb 7 against thebelt 121. Theedge press unit 124 includes afirst press portion 124A arranged along theside edge 10A of theweb 7 and asecond press portion 124B arranged along theside edge 20A of theweb 7. Thefirst press portion 124A and thesecond press portion 124B are coupled to each other with apipe 125. - Hereinafter, a configuration of the
press mechanism 110 according to one or more embodiments will be described with reference toFIGS. 3 to 6 .FIG. 4 is a side view of thepress mechanism 100 as seen in the direction of arrow A inFIG. 3 .FIG. 5 is a front view of thepress mechanism 100 as seen in the direction of arrow B inFIG. 3 .FIG. 6 is a top plan view of apress board 111 of the press mechanism. - As shown in
FIG. 3 , thepress mechanism 110 is provided on the opposite side of theweb 7 from theconveyor mechanism 120. Thepress mechanism 110 is located close to thebelt 121 rotating around thedrive unit 122, and upstream of theconveyor mechanism 120 in the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7. - The
press mechanism 110 is provided in a position shifted from a conveyance plane R in which theweb 7 is to be conveyed by thebelt 121. More specifically, thepress mechanism 110 is located below the conveyance plane R defined bybelt 121. - The
press mechanism 110 presses downward theweb 7 in a center region C in the width direction CD of theweb 7 and/or in at least one of side edge regions S located in positions shifted from the central region C toward the side edges in the width direction CD of theweb 7. In other words, the side edge regions S are located on opposite sides of the center region as seen in the cross direction CD. In this particularly illustrated embodiment, thepress mechanism 110 presses downward the side edge regions S, except for theside edge 10A and theside edge 20A of theweb 7, and therefore is not in contact with any of the side edges (theside edge 10A or theside edge 20A). - More specifically, as shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5 , thepress mechanism 110 includes apress board 111. Thepress board 111 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene or the like. Thepress board 111 is bent when viewed along the surface of theweb 7 in the width direction CD. Thepress board 111 is fixed through a fixedframe 112 to asupport bar 113 extending in the width direction CD. - The
press board 111 includes apress face 111A to be in contact with theweb 7. Thepress face 111A is in a straight-line form when viewed along the surface of theweb 7 in the conveyance direction MD of the web 7 (i.e., viewed in a direction perpendicular to the support bar 113). - As shown in
FIG. 6 , thepress board 111 has a width (w) in the width direction CD which becomes larger, more particularly, gradually larger, from an upstream side to a downstream side in the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7. More precisely, a downstream side width (w1) in thepress board 111 is larger than an upstream side width (w2) in thepress board 111. It should be noted that the downstream side width (w1) in thepress board 111 is larger than the width of theweb 7, and therefore, as best seen inFIG. 3 , is located above theedges web 7 to flatten out theedges web 7 emerges from under thepress board 111. - The
press mechanism 110 is provided in the position shifted from the conveyance plane R of theweb 7 when viewed along the surface of theweb 7 in the width direction CD, and presses the center region C and the side edge regions S. Unlike the case where theweb 7 is not pressed, such pressing deflects theweb 7 off the conveyance plane R and causes theweb 7 during conveyance to be stretched toward outer sides in the width direction CD when passing under thepress mechanism 110. Therefore, even when a crease is generated in theweb 7 during conveyance, such crease is surely smoothed out. It should be noted that the center region S of theweb 7 is deflected further away from the conveyance plane R than the side edge regions S of the web. - In essence, any crease in the
web 7 is smoothed out by thepress mechanism 110 before theweb 7 reaches theconveyor mechanism 120, and thus theedge press unit 124 presses the side edges 10A and 20 A of theweb 7 which has no crease. In this way, theweb 7 can be conveyed surely in a state free from any crease. - The
edge press unit 124 provided in theconveyor mechanism 120 has afirst press unit 124A, asecond press unit 124B and apipe 125. Thefirst press unit 124A and thesecond press unit 124B press the side edges 10A and 20A of theweb 7 toward thebelt 121. The side edges 10A and 20A of theweb 7 are pressed toward thebelt 121 by theedge press unit 124. In this way, theweb 7 can be surely conveyed in a state free from any crease in theconveyor mechanism 120 as well. - As disclosed herein, the performing of the conveying step before (immediately before, in particular) each of the process steps (S1 to S6) in which the
web 7 is processed enables the process to be applied to theweb 7 having no crease. Thus, the conveying step can surely reduce manufacturing defects of theabsorbent articles 1 and prevent the manufacturing line from stopping. - As disclosed herein, the
press face 111A is in a straight-line form when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7. With thepress face 111A, theweb 7 is stretched to be in a planar state immediately before each process (e.g., any of S1-S6). In other words, the process is applied to theweb 7 which has been tuned into and then kept in the planar state by thepress face 111A. Consequently, manufacturing defects of theabsorbent articles 1 can be reduced more surely. - As disclosed herein, the
conveyor 100 includes theconveyor mechanism 120 in addition to thepress mechanism 110. Theconveyor mechanism 120 can surely prevent theweb 7 after passing under thepress mechanism 110 from shrinking toward the center in the width direction CD. In particular, theedge press unit 124 presses theside edge 10A and theside edge 20A of theweb 7 against thebelt 121, whereby thestretchable web 7 can be more surely prevented from shrinking toward the center in the width direction CD. As a result, creases can be more surely prevented from occurring in theweb 7. - As disclosed herein, the width (w) of the
press board 111 in the width direction CD is larger on the downstream side than on the upstream side. With this configuration, when theweb 7 during conveyance passes under thepress mechanism 110, theweb 7 in contact with thepress board 111 is stretched outward in the width direction CD by thepress board 111. Thus, any crease generated in theweb 7 can be even more surely smoothed out. - The
press mechanism 110 according to the foregoing description may be modified as follows. Here, the description will be provided mainly for the differences from the foregoing description, with the same or similar reference signs denoting the same or similar elements. - Firstly, a configuration of a
press mechanism 210A according to a Modified Example 1 will be described with reference toFIG. 7 which is a perspective view showing thepress mechanism 210A according to the Modified Example 1. - In the foregoing description, the
press mechanism 110 includes thepress board 111. In contrast, in the Modified Example 1, thepress mechanism 210A includes abody roller 114 in a cylindrical shape, as shown inFIG. 7 . - More specifically, the
body roller 114 is attached to ashaft 115 extending in the width direction CD of theweb 7. Here, thebody roller 114 may be configured to rotate or not to rotate along with conveyance of theweb 7. In some embodiments, thebody roller 114 is a passive roller that follows the movement of theweb 7. In other embodiments, thebody roller 114 is an actively driven roller that may rotate with, or against, the conveyance of theweb 7 for varying crease smoothing effects. Thebody roller 114 includes apress face 114A to be in contact with theweb 7. - Secondly, a configuration of a
press mechanism 210B according to a Modified Example 2 will be described with reference toFIGS. 8A and 8B which are front views of thepress mechanism 210B according to the Modified Example 2. - In the foregoing description, it is described that the
press mechanism 110 presses downward a whole surface including the center region C and the side edge regions S of theweb 7. In contrast, in the Modified Example 2, thepress mechanism 210B presses downward only the center region C of theweb 7 as shown inFIG. 8A . Here, the center regions C are regions including the center portion of the width direction CD of theweb 7. The side edge regions S are regions with which thepress mechanism 210B is not in contact. - The
press mechanism 210B does not necessarily have to press downward only the center region C of theweb 7, and, instead, may press downward only the side edge regions S as shown inFIG. 8B . While it is shown inFIG. 8B that the edges of web 7 (i.e., edges 10A, 20A) are not in contact with thepress mechanism 210B, in some unshown embodiments, at least one of the edges of theweb 7 is in contact with thepress mechanism 210B. - The
web 7 is stretchable. Therefore, when a force is applied to an arbitrary region in the width direction of theweb 7, a tension can be applied to theweb 7. - Moreover, in the
conveyor 100, a location of theweb 7 relative to theconveyor 100 is decided based on a centerline in the width direction of theweb 7. Accordingly, as in the embodiment shown inFIG. 8 (b), applying a force to the edge portions (side edges 10A and 20A) of the outside in the width direction of theweb 7 prevents the edge portions from shrinking in the inside of the width direction. Thus, theweb 7 to be conveyed is stabilized. - Moreover, the
press mechanism 210B may be formed of only thebody roller 114, or may be formed of only thepress board 111 as described above. In some embodiments, thebody roller 114 and thepress board 111 are used together in thesame press mechanism 210B, e.g., by arranging thepress board 111 in the position illustrated inFIG. 8A and, at the same time, arranging twobody rollers 114 in the position illustrated inFIG. 8B . In such embodiments, thepress board 111 can be upstream or downstream of thebody rollers 114. Other arrangements are within the scope of this disclosure. - Thirdly, a configuration of a
press mechanism 210C according to a Modified Example 3 will be described with reference toFIG. 9 which is a front view of thepress mechanism 210C according to the Modified Example 3. - In the foregoing description, the
press face 111A is in the straight-line form when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7. In contrast, in the Modified Example 3, thepress face 114A is in a curved form when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7, as shown inFIG. 9 . - Bending points 111B and 111C are formed on the
press face 114A in cross sectional surface seen from the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7. Since theweb 7 is conveyed at least two points (bending points 111B and 111C) of theweb 7 are supported, it is possible to prevent theweb 7 from traveling in a meandering manner. - Moreover, the
press mechanism 210C may be formed of only thebody roller 114 or only thepress board 111 as described above. - Fourthly, a configuration of a
press mechanism 210D according to a Modified Example 4 will be described with reference toFIG. 10 which is a front view of thepress mechanism 210D according to the Modified Example 4. - In the foregoing description, the
press face 111A is in the straight-line form when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7. In contrast, in the Modified Example 4, thepress face 114A is bent when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7, as shown inFIG. 10 . - More specifically, the
press mechanism 210D includes acenter press face 211 and a pair of side edge press faces 212. Thecenter press face 211 presses the center region C. The pair of the side edge press faces 212 are located next to thecenter press face 211, more specifically, at both sides of thecenter press face 211 in the width direction CD of theweb 7, and press the side edge regions S, respectively. The side edge press faces 212 are each extends from anend 212A of thecenter press face 211, obliquely away from the web 7 (upward, in short) when viewed in the conveyance direction MD of theweb 7. - Moreover, the
press mechanism 210D may be formed of only thebody roller 114 or may be formed of only thepress board 111 as described above. - As described above, the details of several embodiments have been exemplarily disclosed. It should not be understood that the description and drawings constituting part of this disclosure limit the present invention. Based on this disclosure, those skilled in the art may come up with various alternative embodiments, examples and operation techniques.
- For example, the following additional embodiments can be envisaged. Specifically, the
absorbent article 1 has been described as including thefront waistline portion 10, theback waistline portion 20 and thecrotch portion 30. Theabsorbent article 1 is not limited to this configuration, but maybe formed entirely as a single portion. In this case, needless to say, a different method of manufacturing such an absorbent article is employed. - Additionally, the description has been provided for the
conveyor 100 used in the manufacturing of a pants-type disposal diaper. However, theconveyor 100 is not limited to such use. For example, theconveyor 100 may be used to manufacture another product such as an open-type disposal diaper, a sanitary napkin and a panty liner, for example. In other words, theconveyor 100 maybe used for the conveyance of anyweb 7 that is stretchable in the width direction CD of the web, not necessarily for the manufacturing of theabsorbent article 1. As long as theconveyor 100 conveys astretchable web 7, theconveyor 100 may be used between steps other than the steps described with respect toFIG. 2 . - Moreover, the description has been provided for the
conveyor 100 used to convey asingle web 7. However, theconveyor 100 is not limited to such use. For example, when a web including a continuum of thefront waistline portions 10 and a web including a continuum of theback waistline portions 20 are conveyed simultaneously, asingle conveyor 100 may be provided for each or both of the webs. In addition,multiple conveyors 100 may be provided between any two of the process steps. - Further, the
press mechanism 110 has been described as the one pressing theweb 7 downward, but it is not limited to this configuration. Thepress mechanism 110 may press theweb 7 upward, for example. - Additionally, the
press mechanism 110 has been described as the one located below thebelt 121, which is in contact with theweb 7, when viewed in the axial direction of thedrive unit 122, but it is not limited to this configuration. Instead, thepress mechanism 110 may be located above thebelt 121, for, e.g., pressing theweb 7 upward. - Furthermore, the
press mechanism 110 has been described as the one pressing the side edge regions S, except for theside edge 10A and theside edge 20A, but it is not limited to this configuration. Thepress mechanism 110 may press the side edge regions S including theside edge 10A and theside edge 20A, apparently. - As described above, the present invention naturally includes various embodiments which are not described herein. Accordingly, the technical scope of the present invention should be determined only by the matters to define the invention in the scope of claims regarded as appropriate based on the description.
- The entire contents of Japanese Patent Applications 2009-048479 (filed on Mar. 2, 2009) and 2010-042183 (filed on Feb. 26, 2010) are incorporated herein by reference.
- Therefore, since the conveyor and method of manufacturing absorbent article of the present invention is capable of surely smoothing out a crease generated in a stretchable web even when the crease is generated in the web, it is useful in manufacturing technology for absorbent articles.
- 1 absorbent article
- 2 top sheet
- 3 back sheet
- 4 absorber
- 5 waterproof sheet
- 6 gather
- 6A waist gather
- 6B leg gather
- 7, 7A, 7B web
- 10 front waistline portion
- 10A side edge
- 20 back waistline portion
- 20A side edge
- 30 crotch portion
- 30A crotch portion member
- 40 leg-surrounding opening
- 50 joint portions
- 50A joint region
- 60 waist opening
- 100 conveyor
- 110 (210A to 210D) press mechanism
- 111 press board
- 111A press face
- 112 fixed frame
- 113 support bar
- 114 body roller
- 114A press face
- 115 shaft core
- 120 conveyor mechanism
- 121 belt
- 121A suction hole
- 122 drive unit
- 122A driving roller
- 123 suction unit
- 124 edge press unit
- 124A first press portion
- 124B second press portion
- 125 pipe
Claims (10)
1. A conveyor for conveying a continuous stretchable web in a conveyance direction, the web having, in a cross direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, a center region and side edge regions on opposite sides of the center region, said conveyor comprising:
a conveying mechanism for conveying the web in a conveyance plane; and
a press mechanism for pressing the web in at least one of the center or side edge region of the web, to deflect the web off the conveyance plane and cause the web to be stretched in the cross direction.
2. The conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein
the press mechanism includes a press face to be in contact with the web, and
the press face is in a straight-line form when viewed along the surface of the web in the conveyance direction.
3. The conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein
the press mechanism includes a press face to be in contact with the web, and
the press face is in a curved form when viewed along the surface of the web in the conveyance direction.
4. The conveyor according to claim 3 , further comprising at least two support points for supporting the web while the press face is pressing the center region and the side edge regions of the web.
5. The conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the press mechanism includes, in the cross direction:
a center press face adapted to be in contact with the center region of the web; and
side edge press faces on opposite sides of the center press face and being adapted to be in contact with the side edge regions, respectively, and
when viewed in the conveyance direction, each of the side edge press faces extends from an end of the center press face obliquely away from the web.
6. The conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein
the press mechanism is provided upstream of the conveyor mechanism in the conveyance direction of the web.
7. The conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein
the press mechanism includes a press face to be in contact with the web, and
the press face has a width in the cross direction which is larger on a downstream side in the conveyance direction of the web than on an upstream side.
8. A method of manufacturing absorbent articles, the method comprising:
conveying, in a conveyance plane, a continuous web to be processed by a plurality of processes into the absorbent articles, the web having, in a cross direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction, a center region and side edge regions on opposite sides of the center region; and
pressing the web in at least one of the center or side edge region of the web, to deflect the web off the conveyance plane.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein
the conveying and the pressing are performed before any one of said processes.
10. The method of manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 9 , wherein
the web is not stretchable, and
in the process step, a sheet stretchable in the cross direction of the web is stacked on the web.
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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JP2009-048479 | 2009-03-02 | ||
JP2009048479 | 2009-03-02 | ||
JP2010042183A JP5615001B2 (en) | 2009-03-02 | 2010-02-26 | Conveying apparatus and method for manufacturing absorbent article |
JP2010-042183 | 2010-02-26 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20100219224A1 true US20100219224A1 (en) | 2010-09-02 |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US12/715,939 Abandoned US20100219224A1 (en) | 2009-03-02 | 2010-03-02 | Conveyor and method of manufacturing absorbent article |
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US (1) | US20100219224A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2403791A4 (en) |
JP (1) | JP5615001B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20110124794A (en) |
CN (1) | CN102341328A (en) |
AU (1) | AU2010221062A1 (en) |
BR (1) | BRPI1006550A2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2753293A1 (en) |
CL (1) | CL2011002141A1 (en) |
CO (1) | CO6501180A2 (en) |
MA (1) | MA33150B1 (en) |
MX (1) | MX2010002487A (en) |
NZ (1) | NZ595086A (en) |
RU (1) | RU2010107553A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010101280A1 (en) |
ZA (1) | ZA201106489B (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20160332435A1 (en) * | 2015-05-15 | 2016-11-17 | C&D Zodiac, Inc. | Laminate applicator |
EP3219297A4 (en) * | 2014-11-14 | 2018-05-23 | Zuiko Corporation | Method and device for manufacturing wearable article |
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JP5645575B2 (en) | 2010-09-30 | 2014-12-24 | ユニ・チャーム株式会社 | Absorbent article rotating device and absorbent article rotating method |
CN103662929A (en) * | 2013-12-25 | 2014-03-26 | 大唐微电子技术有限公司 | Strip guide device |
US20160374866A1 (en) * | 2015-06-24 | 2016-12-29 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Method and Apparatus for Selectively Folding Absorbent Articles |
CN107963503B (en) * | 2017-12-25 | 2019-09-06 | 芜湖扬展新材料科技服务有限公司 | Laminating mechanism of adhesive tape laminating machine |
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- 2010-02-26 JP JP2010042183A patent/JP5615001B2/en active Active
- 2010-03-02 WO PCT/JP2010/053737 patent/WO2010101280A1/en active Application Filing
- 2010-03-02 MX MX2010002487A patent/MX2010002487A/en unknown
- 2010-03-02 BR BRPI1006550A patent/BRPI1006550A2/en active Search and Examination
- 2010-03-02 MA MA34209A patent/MA33150B1/en unknown
- 2010-03-02 CN CN2010800101322A patent/CN102341328A/en active Pending
- 2010-03-02 EP EP10748871A patent/EP2403791A4/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2010-03-02 RU RU2010107553/12A patent/RU2010107553A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2010-03-02 CA CA2753293A patent/CA2753293A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2010-03-02 US US12/715,939 patent/US20100219224A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2010-03-02 KR KR1020117023125A patent/KR20110124794A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2010-03-02 AU AU2010221062A patent/AU2010221062A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2010-03-02 NZ NZ595086A patent/NZ595086A/en unknown
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2011
- 2011-09-02 CL CL2011002141A patent/CL2011002141A1/en unknown
- 2011-09-06 ZA ZA2011/06489A patent/ZA201106489B/en unknown
- 2011-09-29 CO CO11127851A patent/CO6501180A2/en active IP Right Grant
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Cited By (4)
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EP3219297A4 (en) * | 2014-11-14 | 2018-05-23 | Zuiko Corporation | Method and device for manufacturing wearable article |
US10342710B2 (en) | 2014-11-14 | 2019-07-09 | Zuiko Corporation | Method and device for manufacturing worn article |
US20160332435A1 (en) * | 2015-05-15 | 2016-11-17 | C&D Zodiac, Inc. | Laminate applicator |
US10766187B2 (en) * | 2015-05-15 | 2020-09-08 | Northwest Aerospace Technologies, Inc. | Laminate applicator |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CO6501180A2 (en) | 2012-08-15 |
BRPI1006550A2 (en) | 2018-02-14 |
ZA201106489B (en) | 2012-05-30 |
WO2010101280A1 (en) | 2010-09-10 |
RU2010107553A (en) | 2011-09-20 |
JP5615001B2 (en) | 2014-10-29 |
CN102341328A (en) | 2012-02-01 |
AU2010221062A1 (en) | 2011-09-29 |
NZ595086A (en) | 2013-01-25 |
KR20110124794A (en) | 2011-11-17 |
MX2010002487A (en) | 2010-10-05 |
EP2403791A4 (en) | 2012-10-10 |
CL2011002141A1 (en) | 2012-02-03 |
EP2403791A1 (en) | 2012-01-11 |
MA33150B1 (en) | 2012-03-01 |
JP2010227549A (en) | 2010-10-14 |
CA2753293A1 (en) | 2010-09-10 |
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