Visual correction device and absorption product production equipment with same

Abstract

The utility model discloses a visual deviation rectifying device, which comprises at least one deviation rectifying roller, at least one visual deviation rectifying device and at least one visual deviation rectifying device, wherein the deviation rectifying roller is arranged transversely to the conveying direction of absorption products and is provided with a deviation rectifying motor; the controller is connected with the signal; and the monitoring assembly is provided with a detection table and a visual camera located above the detection table, and the controller controls the swing angle of the deviation rectifying motor based on the pose information from the monitoring assembly, so that deviation rectifying is conducted on the absorption product through the swing angle of the deviation rectifying roller. The utility model further relates to absorption product production equipment with the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of production and manufacturing of disposable absorbent products, and more particularly to an improved visual correction device and absorbent product production equipment having the same. Background Art

[0002] The main material of the waistband of traditional pants-type diapers or pants-type sanitary napkins currently on the market is waistband non-woven fabric. Since the waistband non-woven fabric has poor elasticity and cannot provide sufficient elastic force to fix the diaper, it is necessary to compound multiple circles of elastic components on the waistband to provide elastic force. The specific processing process is to first spray hot melt adhesive on the waistband non-woven fabric and the elastic component, and then compound the waistband non-woven fabric and the elastic component to form the waistband structure of pants-type diapers or pants-type sanitary napkins. In the above processing process, since the hot melt adhesive will become an airtight solid substance after cooling, it will block the tiny gaps in the non-woven fabric after compounding with the waistband non-woven fabric, reducing the air permeability of the non-woven fabric, and then reducing the air permeability of the waistband structure, making the wearer breathable when wearing it, and prone to symptoms such as prickly heat and rashes, affecting the wearer's health. This will make the wearer feel very stuffy, especially in the summer, reducing the attractiveness and competitiveness of the product.

[0003] To this end, attempts have been made to address the aforementioned deficiencies by cutting holes in the elastic waistband. Specifically, attempts have been made to cut holes in the nonwoven fabric of the elastic waistband, thereby cutting out a portion of the nonwoven fabric to form a channel for gas circulation and creating an attractive hollow design on the elastic waistband. However, in practice, it has been found that the hole cutting operation requires the removal of the nonwoven fabric of the elastic waistband, resulting in cut-out waste. During mass production, this cut-out waste needs to be removed from the mold as quickly as possible, otherwise it will affect normal production. However, the mold's waste suction port is prone to the risk of material blockage, causing the production line to stop. In addition, to ensure sufficient space for cutting holes, the spacing between the multiple elastic components within the elastic waistband needs to be widened when manufacturing it. However, elastic components with large spacing and sparse arrangement may lead to various deficiencies such as poor fit or red marks.

[0004] To this end, the applicant's previously filed Chinese utility model patent application, CN 2023224557825, teaches an absorbent product whose breathable waistband is produced by cutting holes in an elastic member between an upper non-woven fabric layer and a lower non-woven fabric layer. After the elastic member and non-woven fabric are cut, the natural expansion and contraction of the elastic band creates breathable holes, thereby increasing the product's breathability and aesthetics, thereby enhancing its competitiveness.

[0005] However, during the large-scale production of these absorbent products, it was discovered that these thin sheets often swerve during transport. Traditional web-correction systems use sensors to detect the edge or center of the material, which then provide feedback to a web-correction actuator to correct the deviation. This approach can affect the precision control of subsequent processes due to fluctuations in material tension and width during transport, as well as the accuracy of the front-end laminating process.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a correction device that can continuously and precisely position and correct sheet-like absorbent products in multiple dimensions, thereby meeting the requirements for continuous and efficient mass production of the above-mentioned absorbent products. Utility Model Content

[0007] Therefore, the task of the present invention is to provide a visual correction device that can overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art.

[0008] In order to accomplish the above-mentioned task, the present invention provides a visual correction device, which is suitable for correcting the absorbent article during its continuous transportation along the transverse direction through the absorbent article production equipment, wherein the absorbent article has a high grayscale area and a low grayscale area, wherein the visual correction device includes: at least one correction roller arranged transversely to the conveying direction of the absorbent article, wherein at least one correction roller is equipped with a correction motor that drives it to rotate around its own swing axis to correct the absorbent article during its transportation; a controller, which is connected to the correction motor signal; a monitoring component communicatively connected to the controller, wherein the monitoring component includes: at least one detection platform arranged adjacent to at least one correction roller, wherein the at least one detection platform is equipped with a visual camera above it, wherein the visual camera is designed to detect the posture information of the low grayscale area located therein when the absorbent article is conveyed through at least one detection platform; thereby, the controller controls the swing angle of the correction motor based on the posture information from the monitoring component, thereby correcting the absorbent article through the swinging of at least one correction roller to keep the absorbent article near a preset position.

[0009] Therefore, the utility model can continuously perform multi-dimensional precise positioning and correction of thin sheet-like absorbent products with the help of a visual correction device with a correction roller, thereby realizing the high speed, expansion and digitization of the absorbent product production equipment, so that the absorbent product production equipment has the characteristics of rapid response and refinement.

[0010] As a preferred aspect, the system includes first and second correcting rollers, respectively, located transversely to the conveying direction of the absorbent article and offset from each other. The first and second correcting rollers are respectively equipped with first and second correcting motors that drive them to rotate about their first and second pivot axes. The monitoring assembly includes at least one detection station: a first detection station located adjacent to the first correcting roller, wherein the first detection station is equipped with a first visual camera above it, wherein the first visual camera is designed to detect position information of a low-grayscale area within the absorbent article as it passes through the first detection station; and a second detection station located adjacent to the second correcting roller, wherein the second detection station is equipped with a second visual camera above it, wherein the second visual camera is designed to detect position information of another low-grayscale area within the absorbent article as it passes through the second detection station. The controller controls the pivot angle of the first and / or second correcting motors based on the position information from the monitoring assembly. This allows the absorbent article sheet to be controlled to shrink, deflect, or curl in a direction perpendicular to the transverse direction.

[0011] As a preferred aspect, the first inspection station and the second inspection station further each include a light source located in the inspection station and capable of emitting light toward the first and second visual cameras above the inspection station.

[0012] As a preferred aspect, it also includes a vertically extending mounting plate located on one side of the absorbent product production equipment and a front support beam extending laterally with respect to the mounting plate, wherein the first correction motor and the second correction motor are fixedly mounted to the front support beam in a manner spaced apart from each other.

[0013] As a preferred aspect, the monitoring component also includes a limit switch arranged near the second correction motor, wherein the limit switch is located at a preset position of the monitoring component farthest from the edge of the absorbent product and is designed to communicate with the controller, and when the limit switch is triggered by the edge of the absorbent product, the controller controls the operation of the absorbent product production equipment.

[0014] As a preferred aspect, the first correcting roller and the second correcting roller are both designed to include idler wheels that can pivot around their own axes.

[0015] As a preferred aspect, the controller is designed as a programmable logic controller and the communication connection between the monitoring component and the controller is achieved by Ethernet communication.

[0016] As a preferred aspect, the visual camera is an industrial camera.

[0017] As a preferred aspect, the absorbent article comprises a diaper comprising a front panel and a back panel, wherein the front panel and the back panel each comprise an upper non-woven fabric, a lower non-woven fabric and a waistline of at least one elastic member sandwiched therebetween, wherein the high grayscale area is a non-woven fabric without an elastic member and the low grayscale area is at least one elastic member.

[0018] The utility model also relates to an absorbent product production device, which is suitable for producing absorbent products with a front piece and a back piece, wherein the front piece and the back piece both include an upper non-woven fabric, a lower non-woven fabric and a waistline of an elastic component sandwiched between the two, wherein the upper non-woven fabric and the lower non-woven fabric have edges in their longitudinal direction, and wherein it includes a visual correction device that can correct the absorbent product, which is the above-mentioned visual correction device; a pair of conveying rollers located downstream of the visual correction device, which are designed to drive the absorbent product to be continuously conveyed through the visual correction device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A side view of an absorbent product production apparatus with a visual correction device according to the present invention is shown;

[0020] Figure 2-3 A perspective view and a front view respectively show an absorbent product production apparatus with a visual correction device according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4-5 A perspective view showing another perspective of an absorbent product production apparatus with a visual correction device according to the present invention, wherein some components are removed to better illustrate details;

[0022] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A side view of the , with parts removed to better illustrate details;

[0023] Figure 7-8 The three-dimensional diagrams of the visual correction device according to the present invention are shown from different perspectives;

[0024] Figure 9 A side view of the visual correction device according to the present invention is shown, wherein some components are removed to better illustrate the details;

[0025] Figure 10 A top plan view of an absorbent product processed by the absorbent product production equipment with a visual correction device according to the present invention is shown.

[0026] Repeated use of reference numerals in this specification and the drawings is intended to represent the same or similar elements of the present invention.

[0027] Description of Reference Numerals

[0028] 100- visual correction device; 101- first correction roller; 101A- first correction motor;

[0029] 102 - second deviation-correcting roller; 102A - second deviation-correcting motor; 103 - first visual camera;

[0030] 103A-second visual camera; 104-first inspection station; 105-second inspection station;

[0031] 106-lower supporting beam; 107-upper supporting beam; 108-front supporting beam;

[0032] 200-absorbent product; 300-absorbent product production equipment; 301-transfer roller;

[0033] 10- rear panel; 11- elastic member; 12- gap portion; 13- incision; 14- rear end edge;

[0034] 20-front panel; 21-elastic member; 22-gap portion; 23-incision; 24-front edge;

[0035] 30-absorbent body; MD-transverse direction; CD-longitudinal direction; S1-first swing axis;

[0036] S2-second swing axis; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Those skilled in the art will understand that the following detailed description is merely illustrative of exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the broader aspects of the present disclosure.

[0038] Definition of terms

[0039] As used in this invention, the term "nonwoven" or "nonwoven" generally refers to a web having a structure of individual fibers or yarns that is a laminate, but not in a discernible manner such as a knitted fabric. Examples of suitable nonwoven or nonwoven fabrics or webs include, but are not limited to, meltblown webs, spunbond webs, bonded-carded webs, airlaid webs, coform webs, hydroentangled webs, and the like.

[0040] As used in this invention, the term "meltblown web" generally refers to a nonwoven web prepared by a process in which a molten thermoplastic material is extruded as molten fibers through a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries into a concentrated high-speed gas (e.g., air) stream, which causes the fibers of the molten thermoplastic material to be attenuated to reduce their diameter. Thereafter, the meltblown fibers are transported by the high-speed gas stream and deposited onto a collecting surface to form a web of randomly distributed meltblown fibers. This process is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,241 to Butin et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Generally speaking, meltblown fibers can be continuous or discontinuous microfibers, typically less than 10 microns in diameter, and typically are tacky when deposited onto a collecting surface.

[0041] As used in this invention, the term "spunbond web" generally refers to a web comprising substantially continuous fibers of small diameter. The fibers are produced by extruding a molten thermoplastic material through a plurality of fine, usually circular, spinneret capillaries, whereupon the diameter of the extruded fibers is rapidly reduced by, for example, draw-out and / or other known spunbonding mechanisms. The production of spunbond webs is described and illustrated in, for example, U.S. Patents 4,340,563 to Appel et al., 3,692,618 to Dorschner et al., 3,802,817 to Matsuki et al., 3,338,992 to Kinney, 3,341,394 to Kinnev, 3,502,763 to Hartman, 3,502,538 to Levy, 3,542,615 to Dobo et al., and 5,382,400 to Pike et al.

[0042] As used herein, the term "cross direction" or "MD" generally refers to the direction of production of a material. The term "machine direction" or "CD" refers to the direction perpendicular to the cross direction.

[0043] As used herein, the term "extensible" or "extendable" generally refers to a material that stretches or elongates in the direction of force by at least about 25%, in some embodiments, about 50%, and in some embodiments, at least about 75% of its relaxed length or width. Extensible materials do not necessarily have recovery properties. For example, elastomeric materials are extensible materials with recovery properties. Meltblown webs can be extensible but do not have recovery properties and are therefore extensible, non-elastic materials.

[0044] As used in this disclosure, the term "elastomeric" or "elastic" generally refers to a material that is stretched in at least one direction (e.g., the MD direction) by application of a stretching force, and that contracts / recovers to approximately its original dimensions by release of the stretching force. For example, a stretched material may have a stretched length that is at least about 50% longer than its relaxed, unstretched length, and, by release of the stretching force, may recover to a length that is within at least 50% of its stretched length. A hypothetical example may be a 1-inch sample of material that can be stretched to 1.50 inches and, by release of the stretching force, will recover to a length of no more than 1.25 inches. Ideally, the material contracts or recovers by at least 50%, and even more ideally, by at least 80% of the stretched length.

[0045] As used herein, the term "bonded" refers to the joining, adhering, connecting, attaching, etc. of two elements. Two elements will be considered to be joined together when they are joined, adhered, connected, attached, etc. directly to each other or indirectly to each other, such as when bonded to an intermediate element. Bonding can be performed, for example, via adhesives, pressure bonds, heat bonds, ultrasonic bonds, splicing, sewing, and / or welding.

[0046] As used herein, the term "thermal bonding" generally refers to a process performed, for example, by passing the material between an engraved roll (e.g., a calender roll) and another roll (e.g., an anvil roll) that may or may not be patterned. Typically, one or both of the rolls may be heated.

[0047] As used herein, the term "ultrasonic bonding" generally refers to a process, such as by passing a material between an ultrasonic generator (sonic horn) and an engraved roller (e.g., an anvil roll). For example, ultrasonic bonding using a stationary generator and a rotating patterned anvil roll is described in Grgach et al., US Patent No. 3,939,033, Rust Jr., US Patent No. 3,844,869, and HNI, US Patent No. 4,259,399, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. Furthermore, ultrasonic bonding using a rotating generator and a rotating patterned anvil roll is described in Neuwirth, US Patent No. 5,096,532, Ehlert, US Patent No. 5,110,403, and Brennecke et al., US Patent No. 5,817,199, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. Of course, any ultrasonic bonding technique may be used in the present invention.

[0048] As used herein, the term "elastic member" includes an elastic elongated material, such as but not limited to elastic rubber bands and elastic fiber nonwoven fabrics. The elastic rubber bands can be made of spandex in a warp-beam spinning process.

[0049] absorbent products

[0050] As in Figure 1 The example of the absorbent product 200 processed by the absorbent product production equipment 300 shown in FIG is a pair of pants-type disposable diapers. Figure 10 2 is a schematic perspective view of a baby diaper as an example of an absorbent article 200. Of course, the absorbent article can also be a baby pull-up pants, a women's night pants, or an adult incontinence pants.

[0051] exist Figure 10 As shown, the absorbent article 200 has an intersecting vertical direction, width direction, and front-to-back direction. The absorbent article 200 is a so-called three-piece disposable diaper having an absorbent body 30 that is placed against the wearer's crotch to absorb fluids such as excretions, a front sheet 20 that covers the wearer's ventral side, and a back sheet 10 that covers the wearer's back.

[0052] exist Figure 10 In the unfolded state, the absorbent article 200 has a longitudinal direction and a left-right direction that intersect each other. One side in the longitudinal direction in the unfolded state is also referred to as the "ventral side" or "front side", and the other side in the longitudinal direction is also referred to as the "dorsal side" or "back side". The longitudinal direction in the unfolded state is the direction along the up-down direction of the shorts-type state. In addition, as Figure 10 As shown, the thickness direction is the direction in which the materials constituting the absorbent article 200 are stacked. The side in contact with the wearer in the thickness direction is referred to as the skin side, and the opposite side is referred to as the non-skin side.

[0053] exist Figure 10 In the unfolded state, the absorbent body 30 is fixed in a stretched state between the front sheet 20 and the back sheet 10, which are arranged substantially in parallel. When the absorbent article 200 is worn, the absorbent body 30 is folded in half at the center portion in the longitudinal direction, and the front sheet 20 and the back sheet 10 facing each other are joined to each other at the left and right side edges, thereby forming the absorbent article 200 in a worn state with a waist opening and a pair of leg openings.

[0054] Further, in Figure 10 The absorbent body 30 in the embodiment includes an absorbent core for absorbing liquid. The absorbent core is a member formed by stacking liquid-absorbent raw materials and is capable of absorbing excretions such as urine. Liquid-absorbent fibers such as pulp fibers can be used as the liquid-absorbent raw materials. The absorbent core can contain, for example, a superabsorbent polymer as the liquid-absorbent particulate matter, or it can contain liquid-absorbent raw materials other than liquid-absorbent fibers and liquid-absorbent particulate matter.

[0055] The front panel 20 is a portion covering the wearer's ventral waistline and comprises an upper nonwoven fabric layer disposed on the non-skin side in the thickness direction, a lower nonwoven fabric layer disposed closer to the skin side than the upper nonwoven fabric layer, and a plurality of elastic members 21 extending in the transverse direction between the upper and lower nonwoven fabric layers. The upper and lower nonwoven fabric layers are laminated and sealed at a front waist edge 24 at the lowest end in the longitudinal direction of the front panel 20.

[0056] Similarly, the back sheet 10 is a portion covering the waistline of the wearer's back, and comprises an upper nonwoven fabric layer disposed on the non-skin side in the thickness direction, a lower nonwoven fabric layer disposed closer to the wearer's skin than the upper nonwoven fabric layer, and a plurality of elastic members 11 extending in the transverse direction between the upper and lower nonwoven fabric layers. The upper and lower nonwoven fabric layers can be laminated and sealed at a rear waist edge 14 at the uppermost end of the back sheet 10 in the longitudinal direction.

[0057] Here, the elastic member 11 or 21 is a generally elastic band-shaped member, preferably a rubber band, etc., and multiple elastic members 11 or 21 are arranged along the short side direction between the upper non-woven fabric and the lower non-woven fabric, and are fixed at multiple connection points in a state of being extended along the long side direction to form a fastening part. Here, for example, three or four fastening parts can be spaced apart in the longitudinal direction (CD direction), wherein a gap part 12 or 22 is formed between each two fastening parts, wherein the width of each gap part is not less than 1 mm. Although Figure 10 As shown, these gaps 12 or 22 generally have the same width, but this is not required; the widths of the gaps 12 or 22 can vary. Thus, multiple gaps 12 or 22 are formed between the multiple fastening sections, and the fastening sections and gaps 12 or 22 are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction. With this design, the fastening sections comprise an upper nonwoven fabric layer, multiple elastic members 11 or 21, and a lower nonwoven fabric layer, while the gaps 12 or 22 comprise an upper nonwoven fabric layer and a lower nonwoven fabric layer, without the elastic members 11 or 21.

[0058] Next, a plurality of partition lines are formed by two adjacent gaps 12 or 22 along the longitudinal direction or CD direction, and each partition line is spaced apart along the longitudinal direction or CD direction, and two adjacent partition lines can form a cutting area that can extend continuously along the transverse direction or MD direction. Thus, a cutting operation (instead of a poking operation) can be performed on the fastening part (instead of the gap part 12 or 22) along the transverse direction in the cutting area defined by the two adjacent partition lines, thereby forming a plurality of cuts 13 or 23 arranged transversely in the fastening part. Here, these cuts 13 or 23 are designed to pass through the upper non-woven fabric, the multiple elastic members 11 or 21, and the lower non-woven fabric that are stacked on top of each other in the fastening part. As shown in FIG. Figure 10As best shown in the figure, these incisions 13 or 23 can expand when the breathable waistband is in an extended state to form a breathable channel that can connect the upper non-woven fabric and the lower non-woven fabric, preferably a plurality of generally diamond-shaped, triangular, or polygonal holes arranged at intervals in the transverse direction as described in detail below.

[0059] Visual correction device

[0060] Next, combine Figures 1 to 9 To describe the visual correction device 100 according to the present invention. Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the visual correction device of the present invention is designed to be arranged as a part of an absorbent product production device 300. Here, the absorbent product production device 300 is used to make the absorbent product 200 described above. To this end, Figure 1 In the embodiment, the sheet-like absorbent article 200 is Figure 1 The visual correction device 100 is continuously delivered from the left side to the right side. In order to achieve the delivery of the absorbent article 200, a device for driving the absorbent article 200 from the downstream of the visual correction device 100 is optionally arranged. Figure 1 The pairs of conveying rollers 301 moving from the left side to the right side in the embodiment of the present invention are provided. Thus, the continuous delivery of the absorbent article 200 is achieved by means of the friction force of the pairs of conveying rollers 301 acting on the absorbent article 200.

[0061] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the visual correction device 100 includes a first correction roller 101 and a second correction roller 102 (preferably at the bottom) which are located on both sides of the conveying direction of the absorbent article 200 and are staggered with each other. Figure 8-9 ), whereby the first deflection correction roller 101 and the second deflection correction roller 102 are both located within the conveying path of the absorbent article 200, specifically, below the absorbent article 200 to be conveyed. Preferably, the first deflection correction roller 101 and the second deflection correction roller 102 are both designed to include an idler wheel or a driven roller, for example, made of rubber, which can pivot around its own axis. Thus, the self-rotation of the idler wheel allows the absorbent article 200 placed thereon to run unimpeded along the preset conveying direction. Here, the absorbent article production equipment 300 includes a mounting plate extending vertically on one side, wherein the first deflection correction roller 101 and the second deflection correction roller 102 are respectively supported by a first deflection correction motor 101A and a second deflection correction motor 102A fixedly mounted to the mounting plate and located below the mounting plate.

[0062] exist Figure 1 and 8As best shown in FIG. 9 , the second skew correction motor 102A and the second skew correction roller 102 located thereon are arranged closer to a mounting plate located on one side of the absorbent article production apparatus 300. Here, the first skew correction roller 101 and the first skew correction motor 101A located therebelow, and the second skew correction roller 102 and the second skew correction motor 102A located therebelow, are fixedly mounted, spaced apart from one another, to a front support beam 108 extending transversely with respect to the mounting plate. The first skew correction motor 101A and the second skew correction motor 102A are respectively configured to drive the first skew correction roller 101 and the second skew correction roller 102 to pivot about their first pivot axis S1 and second pivot axis S2 relative to the front support beam 108 located therebelow. As a result, the first skew correction roller 101 and / or the second skew correction roller 102, either individually or in combination, can be used to correct the skew of the absorbent articles 200 being transported and placed thereon.

[0063] With this design, Figure 1 As shown, in the sheet-like absorbent article 200, Figure 10 When the absorbent article 200 is conveyed between the first and second correcting rollers 101 and 102 in the posture shown in FIG (i.e., the transverse direction MD of the absorbent article 200 is aligned with its conveying direction), and its longitudinal (CD) sides are placed between the first and second correcting rollers 101 and 102, it can be driven, for example, by a pair of conveying rollers 301 to advance along the conveying direction without being hindered by the rotation of the first and second correcting rollers 101 and 102. Furthermore, when the absorbent article 200 deviates from its desired conveying direction, the first and second correcting rollers 101 and 102 can be controlled to rotate about their respective rotation axes S1 and S2, thereby correcting the absorbent article 200 while conveying through the first and second correcting rollers 101 and 102. As a result, when the absorbent article 200 as a whole deviates from the current conveying direction, the angle between the absorbent article 200 and the desired conveying direction can be eliminated, thereby correcting the deflection of the thin absorbent article 200. This is essential for ensuring the overall position or posture control of the absorbent article 200 in the absorbent article production equipment 300.

[0064] In order to monitor the deviation of the absorbent product 200 during the conveying process of the absorbent product production equipment 300, the visual correction device 100 includes a controller connected to the first correction motor 101A and the second correction motor 102 of the first correction roller 101 and the second correction roller 102 respectively, and a monitoring component connected to the controller. Figure 2-7As shown, the monitoring assembly includes a first inspection station 104 positioned immediately downstream of the first deflection correction roller 101 and a first visual camera 103 positioned above the first inspection station 104. Preferably, the visual camera 103 can be, for example, an industrial camera commercially available from Allied Vision (Shanghai) Optical Instrument Co., Ltd. The inspection station can be, for example, a fully transparent or translucent glass tabletop, and a light source, such as white light, is preferably provided below the tabletop. The image of the absorbent article 200 captured by the visual camera 103 can then be grayscaled to obtain information about high and low grayscale areas on the outer surface of the absorbent article 200. Alternatively, a light source, such as white light, can be provided near the visual camera 103 above the inspection station 104, emitting light toward the absorbent article on the inspection station, thereby illuminating the absorbent article 200 using varying intensities of reflected light. The image of the absorbent article 200 captured by the visual camera 103 may then be converted to grayscale, thereby obtaining information on high grayscale areas and low grayscale areas on the outer surface of the absorbent article 200 .

[0065] In the present invention, the term "grayscaling" refers to the process of converting a color image of an absorbent article captured by a visual camera into a grayscale image, during which the three components of the color image, red (R), green (G), and blue (B), are made equal, so that each pixel in the grayscale image has only one sample color and contains only brightness information but no color information. This can be achieved, for example, by means of a binarization algorithm.

[0066] The term "grayscale" refers to the multiple levels of brightness between black and white. Pixels with larger grayscale values ​​or grayscale levels are brighter, while those with smaller grayscale values ​​are darker. The maximum pixel value is 255 (representing white), and the minimum pixel value is 0 (representing black). The grayscale of a region refers to the average grayscale value of the pixels within a region of an image, calculated by quantitatively calculating the grayscale values ​​of the pixels within that region.

[0067] The term "high grayscale area" refers to an area in the image where the average pixel grayscale value is above 70; the term "low grayscale area" refers to an area in the image where the average pixel grayscale value is below 30.

[0068] Furthermore, the monitoring assembly includes a second inspection platform 105 positioned immediately downstream of the second deflection-correcting roller 102 and a second visual camera 103A positioned above the second inspection platform 105. Preferably, the first inspection platform 104 and the second inspection platform 105 are identical, and the first visual camera 103 and the second visual camera 103A are also identical. The first inspection platform 104 and the second inspection platform 105 are fixedly mounted, spaced apart from each other, on a lower support beam 106 extending transversely relative to the mounting plate.

[0069] Here, it is best to Figure 1 As shown in FIG, the lower support beam 106 is located downstream of the front support beam 108 along the conveying direction of the absorbent article 200 and is arranged in a height direction of the mounting plate so that the first detection station 104 and the second detection station 105 located thereon are lower than the absorbent article 200 conveyed by the first and second deflection correcting rollers 101 and 102 by a certain height. This allows the light sources located at the first and second detection stations 104 and 105 to project light through the absorbent article 200 located thereon without interference, thereby obtaining a satisfactory illumination image of the absorbent article 200 and subsequently graying it to obtain high grayscale areas and low grayscale areas on the outer surface of the absorbent article 200. Here, the position information of the low grayscale area is used as a fiducial point or reference mark.

[0070] Furthermore, an upper support beam 107 extending laterally with respect to the mounting plate is arranged above the lower support beam 106, wherein the first visual camera 103 and the second visual camera 103A are fixedly mounted to the upper support beam 107 in a manner spaced apart from each other. Here, the positional relationship between the front support beam 108, the lower support beam 106, and the upper support beam 107 is not specifically limited. For example, Figure 1 As shown, the lower support beam 106 is located directly below the upper support beam 107, thereby allowing the first inspection station 104 and the second inspection station 105 to be located within the field of view of the first visual camera 103 and the second visual camera 103A to which they are assigned, and the front support beam 108 is located at the following height position upstream of the two: the absorbent article 200 conveyed by the front support beam 108 passes between the lower support beam 106 and the upper support beam 107, thereby forming high grayscale areas and low grayscale areas (here used as reference points or reference marks) on the outer surface of the absorbent article 200 visible thereon formed by the light emitted by the inspection stations 104 and 105, and the high grayscale areas and low grayscale areas can be completely and clearly read and collected by the first visual camera 103 and the second visual camera 103A located above them.

[0071] In one possible implementation, the monitoring component also includes a limit switch, which can be arranged on the second correcting motor 102A, for example. The limit switch is located at the position farthest from the edge of the absorbent product in the monitoring component and is designed to communicate with the controller. When the limit switch is triggered by the rear end edge 14 or the front end edge 24 of the absorbent product 200, the controller controls the conveying roller 301 and the first correcting roller 101 and the second correcting roller 102 to stop running. At the same time, the entire absorbent product production equipment stops running and an alarm is issued, thereby fundamentally avoiding the adverse consequences caused by excessive deviation of the absorbent product 200.

[0072] The inventors of the present invention discovered that, in order to improve the breathability of the waistband of the absorbent article 200 described above, it is necessary to perform a perforation operation on the plurality of generally strip-shaped elastic members 11 or 21 sandwiched between the upper and lower nonwoven fabric layers to provide a breathable passage connecting the upper and lower nonwoven fabric layers. To ensure the accuracy of the perforation operation, simply detecting the position of the rear edge 14 or the front edge 24 of the absorbent article 200 and performing a correction operation based on this detection would not meet the precision requirements of the production line. The inventors further discovered that, at least due to the fact that the transmittance of the absorbent article 200 is not uniform across the entire area, the first and second visual cameras 103 and 103A can be used to obtain a high-grayscale region, for example, primarily consisting of nonwoven fabric without elastic members, and a low-grayscale region, for example, primarily consisting of at least one elastic member 11 or 21. By means of the difference in light transmittance of the absorbent article 200, a clear light and dark pattern consisting of high grayscale areas and low grayscale areas can be formed when light is transmitted therethrough. The posture of the low grayscale areas in these patterns, in particular, can be used as a reference mark for the current posture information.

[0073] To this end, with the aid of the first and second detection stations 104, 105 in the monitoring component and the first and second visual cameras 103, 103A located above these detection stations 104, 105, while the absorbent article 200 is being conveyed through the first deflection correction roller 101 and the second deflection correction roller 102, the front piece 20 or the back piece 10 of the absorbent article 200 is located above these detection stations 104, 105 after being conveyed through the first and second deflection correction rollers 101, 102 (depending on the delivery posture of the absorbent article 200: upright or inverted), and is illuminated by the light sources assigned to these detection stations 104, 105. Since the upper and lower layers of non-woven fabrics have significantly different light transmittances from the multiple elastic components 11 or 21, the front piece 20 or the back piece 10 of the absorbent article 200 forms a light and dark pattern with distinct layers composed of high grayscale areas and low grayscale areas on itself. The posture of these patterns, especially the low grayscale areas, can be used as reference marks for the current posture information. Therefore, compared with the nearly transparent non-woven fabric, the low grayscale areas corresponding to the multiple elastic components 11 or 21 with significantly different light transmittances are allowed to be used as reference marks to represent the current posture information of the absorbent article 200.

[0074] It is particularly important to point out that although the light transmittance difference between the elastic component and the non-woven fabric is used to form a light and dark pattern consisting of high grayscale areas and low grayscale areas, those skilled in the art will understand that grayscale differentiation can also be achieved by means of methods such as coating the inner area of ​​the absorbent product with reflective or dark ink or pattern, and all of the above fall within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0075] Here, the position information corresponding to the low-grayscale area of ​​the elastic member 11 or 21 can be accurately and directly read by the first and second visual cameras 103 and 103A located above the detection stations 104 and 105. For ease of understanding, the low-grayscale area of ​​the elastic member 11 facing the first visual camera 103 is considered the first reference mark, and the low-grayscale area of ​​the elastic member 21 facing the second visual camera 103A is considered the second reference mark. The position information of the first and second reference marks can accurately and comprehensively reflect the angle between the absorbent article 200 and the desired conveying direction during conveyance, that is, whether there is deviation and the magnitude of the deviation angle that currently requires correction. Subsequently, the position information of the elastic member 11 or 21 identified and read by the visual cameras 103 and 103A in the monitoring assembly is transmitted and aggregated to a controller communicatively connected to the monitoring assembly. Preferably, the controller is a PLC controller, and the communication between the monitoring assembly and the controller is achieved via Ethernet.

[0076] During normal operation of the visual correction device 100 according to the present invention, the monitoring assembly is used to simultaneously monitor the position information of the elastic members 11 and 21 of the absorbent article 200, which serve as reference marks. A controller is in communication with the monitoring assembly and the first correction motor 101A of the first correction roller 101 and the second correction motor 102A of the second correction roller 102 to receive the position information of the reference marks. The controller controls the operation of the first and second correction motors 101A and 102A based on the position information of the reference marks to adaptively control the swing angles of the first and second correction rollers 101 and 102 relative to the swing axes S1 and S2. When the absorbent article 200 is not deviating from the preset conveying path, the monitoring assembly monitors and determines in real time that the elastic members 11 and 21, which serve as reference marks, are in the preset position. At this point, the controller receives and records the preset position information.

[0077] When the monitoring component finds that either the elastic component 11 or 21 of the absorbent product 200 is not in the preset position, the monitoring component prompts that the absorbent product 200 has deviated and synchronously monitors the actual position information of the elastic component 11 or 21 of the absorbent product 200 after the deviation, and transmits the position information after the deviation to the controller. The controller compares the position information after the deviation with the preset position information to obtain the deviation distance of the absorbent product 200. When the deviation distance exceeds the allowable deviation range of the absorbent product 200, the controller controls the first and second correction motors 101A and 102A to act accordingly to correct the absorbent product 200 placed on the first correction roller 101 and the second correction roller 102.

[0078] Furthermore, the controller in the present invention can also be designed to control the first and second skew-correcting motors 101A and 102A to execute the widening process for the absorbent article 200. For example, the first and second skew-correcting motors 101A and 102A are designed to swing away from each other relative to the swing axes S1 and S2, thereby preventing the sheet material in the absorbent article 200 from shrinking or curling in a direction perpendicular to the transverse direction. Thus, the present invention achieves high-speed, wide-width, and digitalized absorbent product production equipment, resulting in rapid response and precision.

[0079] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although the embodiment shown in the drawings shows the first and second correcting rollers 101, 102 offset from each other transversely to the conveying direction of the absorbent article 200 and respectively assigned a first visual camera 103 and a second visual camera 103A, it is also feasible to arrange only a single correcting roller and its associated visual camera transversely to the conveying direction of the absorbent article 200, and then have the controller control the swing angle of the correcting motor based on the position information from the monitoring component, thereby correcting the absorbent article 200 by swinging at least one correcting roller to maintain the absorbent article near a preset position. Since its operating principle and timing are the same as the embodiment described in detail above, they will not be repeated here. This method of separately arranging a correcting roller and its associated visual camera is sufficient for correcting the deflection of certain absorbent articles, thereby expanding the application scenarios of the present invention.

[0080] It should be noted that the visual correction device 100 of the present invention can be applied to any absorbent product production equipment that needs to convey sheet-like articles. Figure 10 The absorbent product 200 shown in the figure is used as an example to illustrate the working process of the visual correction device 100. However, when the visual correction device 100 in the present invention is used to convey thin sheet-like items such as transparent or translucent female absorbent products (such as sanitary napkins), it can also prevent the transparent or translucent female absorbent products from deviating. Specifically, the areas with different reflectivity or transmittance on the surface of the sanitary napkin can be used to form a distinct layered light and dark pattern composed of high grayscale areas and low grayscale areas, and the low grayscale area is used as a reference mark for reading the current posture information of the sanitary napkin. In this way, the problem of spilling of the conveyed items can be avoided, the production efficiency of the production equipment of the absorbent products can be improved, and the quality of the absorbent products produced can be guaranteed.

[0081] While the embodiments of the present invention have been exemplified and described herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the aforementioned and other modifications, omissions, and additions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The present invention should not be limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but should encompass all possible embodiments of the features recited in the appended claims within the scope and equivalents thereof.

[0082] The dimensions and values ​​disclosed herein should not be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values ​​recited. Instead, unless otherwise indicated, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "approximately 40 mm."

[0083] All documents cited in the "Detailed Description" are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document shall not be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. In the event of a conflict between any meaning or definition of a term in this written document and any meaning or definition of a term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to the term in this written document shall prevail.

[0084] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that all such changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention be encompassed in the appended claims.

[0085] When introducing elements of the present invention or its preferred embodiment(s), the articles "a", "an", "the", and "said" are intended to indicate the presence of one or more elements. The terms "comprising", "including", and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that in addition to the listed elements, additional elements may be present. Many modifications and variations may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the above embodiments should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A visual correction device, which is suitable for correcting the absorbent product during the absorbent product is continuously conveyed in the transverse direction through the absorbent product production equipment, wherein the absorbent product includes a high gray area and a low gray area, characterized in that The visual correction device comprises: At least one deflection correction roller is arranged transversely to the conveying direction of the absorbent articles, wherein the at least one deflection correction roller is equipped with a deflection correction motor that drives the at least one deflection correction roller to rotate about its own pivot axis so as to correct the deflection of the absorbent articles while they are being conveyed therethrough; A controller connected to the correction motor signal; A monitoring component in communication with the controller, wherein the monitoring component comprises: At least one detection station is arranged adjacent to at least one correcting roller, wherein the at least one detection station is equipped with a vision camera above it, wherein the vision camera is designed to detect position information of a low grayscale area located in the absorbent article when the absorbent article is transported through the at least one detection station; Thus, the controller controls the swing angle of the correction motor based on the posture information from the monitoring component, thereby correcting the absorbent article through the swing of at least one correction roller to keep the absorbent article near a preset position.

2. The visual correction device according to claim 1, wherein: The first and second deflection correction rollers are respectively located on both sides transverse to the conveying direction of the absorbent articles and are arranged staggered with each other, wherein the first and second deflection correction rollers are respectively equipped with first and second deflection correction motors that drive them to rotate around their first and second pivot axes; The monitoring components include: a first detection station disposed adjacent to the first deflection correction roller, wherein the first detection station is equipped with a first vision camera above the first detection station, wherein the first vision camera is configured to detect position information of a low-grayscale area of ​​the absorbent article when the absorbent article is conveyed through the first detection station; a second detection station disposed adjacent to the second deflection correction roller, wherein the second detection station is equipped with a second visual camera above the second detection station, wherein the second visual camera is configured to detect position information of another low-grayscale area located in the absorbent article as the absorbent article is conveyed through the second detection station; Thus, the controller controls the swivel angle of the first correcting motor and / or the second correcting motor based on the posture information from the monitoring component.

3. The visual correction device according to claim 2, wherein: The first inspection station and the second inspection station further each include a light source located in the inspection station and capable of emitting light toward the first and second visual cameras above the inspection station.

4. The visual correction device according to claim 2, wherein: It also includes a vertically extending mounting plate located on one side of the absorbent product production equipment and a front support beam extending laterally with respect to the mounting plate, wherein the first and second correcting motors are fixedly mounted to the front support beam in a manner spaced apart from each other.

5. The visual correction device according to claim 2, wherein: The monitoring component also includes a limit switch arranged near the second correction motor, wherein the limit switch is located at a preset position of the monitoring component farthest from the edge of the absorbent product and is designed to communicate with the controller. When the limit switch is triggered by the edge of the absorbent product, the controller controls the operation of the absorbent product production equipment.

6. The visual correction device according to claim 2, wherein: The first deviation-correcting roller and the second deviation-correcting roller are both designed to include idler wheels that can pivot around their own axes.

7. The visual correction device according to claim 2, wherein: The controller is designed as a programmable logic controller and the communication connection between the monitoring component and the controller is achieved by Ethernet communication.

8. The visual correction device according to claim 2, wherein: The visual camera is an industrial camera.

9. The visual correction device according to claim 2, wherein: The absorbent article comprises a diaper having a front panel and a back panel, wherein the front panel and the back panel each comprise an upper non-woven fabric, a lower non-woven fabric and a waistline of at least one elastic member sandwiched therebetween, wherein the high grayscale area is a non-woven fabric without an elastic member and the low grayscale area is at least one elastic member.

10. An absorbent product production apparatus suitable for producing absorbent products having a front panel and a back panel, wherein the front panel and the back panel each comprise an upper nonwoven fabric layer, a lower nonwoven fabric layer, and a waist band of an elastic member sandwiched therebetween, wherein the upper nonwoven fabric layer and the lower nonwoven fabric layer have edges in their longitudinal direction, wherein: include: A visual correction device capable of correcting an absorbent article, which is a visual correction device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A pair of conveyor rollers located downstream of the visually correcting device are designed to drive the absorbent articles to continuously pass through the visually correcting device.

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