Manufacturing device for absorbent article

Abstract

The utility model provides a manufacturing device of an absorptive article. The manufacturing device of the absorptive article can enable the absorptive article which is not normally folded at a folded part not to be discharged easily under the condition that a sheet which forms an article and is used for the absorptive article is conveyed and folded at the same time. An apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with: a transport device for transporting a sheet, which is a constituent article of the absorbent article, in a transport direction; a folding device that folds the sheet back in an intersecting direction intersecting with the conveyance direction, and overlaps a folded-back portion, which is a folded-back portion of the sheet, with a non-folded-back portion, which is a non-folded-back portion of the sheet; and a detection device that detects whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the fold-back of the sheet, with the fold-back portion before being folded back in the intersecting direction as a detection target, during a period from the start of tilting the fold-back portion with respect to the non-fold-back portion for the fold-back of the sheet to the completion of the fold-back of the sheet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent article having a folding device for folding back a sheet of material constituting an absorbent article in a cross direction. Background Technology

[0002] Conventionally, there are known folding devices that fold back sheets of constituent articles used as absorbent articles in an intersecting direction (for example, see Patent Document 1) during the conveying process. By using a folding device to fold back the sheet in the intersecting direction while conveying, manufacturing time can be shortened.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-111266 Utility Model Content

[0006] Problems to be solved by utility models

[0007] However, when using conventional folding devices to fold the sheet back in the intersecting directions, the following problems exist. Since sheets generally have low rigidity, the position of the sheet in the intersecting direction is easily unstable during transport. Therefore, for example, if the sheet is transported biased towards one side of the intersecting direction, the length of the folded portion on the other side of the intersecting direction may become insufficient. As a result, there are concerns that absorbent articles with short folded portions or absorbent articles with unfolded portions may be manufactured, leading to the shipment of absorbent articles with improperly folded portions.

[0008] Therefore, this invention was made in view of the following problem, and its object is to provide an apparatus for manufacturing absorbent articles in which absorbent articles are shipped out with the folded portion not easily misfolded when the sheet of the constituent article used as the absorbent article is being conveyed and folded back.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] An apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent article includes: a conveying device that conveys a sheet of material constituting the absorbent article along a conveying direction; a folding device that folds the sheet back in an intersecting direction that intersects the conveying direction, such that the folded portion of the sheet overlaps with the unfolded portion of the sheet; and a detection device that, from the time the folded portion begins to tilt relative to the unfolded portion for the purpose of folding the sheet until the folding of the sheet is completed, detects whether an abnormality has occurred in the folding of the sheet, taking the folded portion before being folded back in the intersecting direction as the detection target.

[0011] According to this solution, compared to detecting folding anomalies when the folded and non-folded portions overlap, by detecting the folded portion before it is folded back before the folding is completed, high-precision detection of whether an anomaly has occurred during sheet folding can be achieved. Furthermore, there is a concern that if the detection device performs the detection before the sheet is folded back, the sheet's cross-direction position may shift due to transport after the detection, causing the detection result to deviate from the actual result of whether an anomaly has occurred during sheet folding. Therefore, according to this solution, the detection device begins detection from the moment the folded portion is tilted relative to the non-folded portion for sheet folding, thus folding back the portion quickly from the start of detection. As a result, the detection result of the detection device is more likely to match the actual result of whether an anomaly has occurred during sheet folding, enabling high-precision detection of whether an anomaly has occurred during sheet folding. As described above, by detecting whether the folding of the sheet material is abnormal with high precision, absorbent articles with abnormal folding of the sheet material will not be manufactured or shipped based on the detection results, and absorbent articles with abnormal folding of the sheet material will not be shipped.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment, the detection device detects an abnormality in the folding of the sheet material if the length of the folded portion in the cross direction before folding back is less than a predetermined value, and detects no abnormality in the folding of the sheet material if the length of the folded portion in the cross direction before folding back is greater than or equal to the predetermined value. According to this embodiment, the detection device can detect an abnormality in the folding of the sheet material when the actual length of the folded portion is less than the predetermined value, thus making the length of the folded portion prone to being insufficient. On the other hand, the detection device can detect no abnormality in the folding of the sheet material when the actual length of the folded portion is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, thus making the length of the folded portion prone to being sufficient.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment, the folding device overlaps the folded portion with the non-folded portion from one side perpendicular to the conveying direction. Before overlapping the non-folded portion, the folding device folds the folded portion towards the other side of the vertical direction from the end edge of the sheet in the cross direction using a fold line that moves downstream towards the center side of the cross direction, thereby tilting the folded portion relative to the non-folded portion. The detection device performs detection from the position where the folded portion begins to be folded towards the other side of the vertical direction to the position where the folding of the sheet towards the vertical direction is completed. According to this embodiment, by folding the folded portion once towards the side opposite to the direction in which the folded portion and the non-folded portion overlap just before folding, the folded portion is stretched, and the wrinkles of the folded portion are extended. Thus, the detection device can perform detection with the folded portion in a wrinkle-free state, enabling high-precision detection of whether the folding of the sheet has become abnormal. In addition, the length of the folded portion can be ensured, making it easy to manufacture absorbent articles that are folded properly.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment, the folding device gradually folds back the folded portion conveyed along the conveying direction in the intersecting direction. The measurement range of the detection device for detecting whether the folding of the sheet is abnormal includes a position downstream of the position where at least part of the folded portion is folded back so that the folded portion begins to overlap with the non-folded portion. According to this embodiment, since the folded portion is folded back during the detection process, the detection result of the detection device is easily consistent with the actual result of whether the folding of the sheet is abnormal, enabling high-precision detection of whether the folding of the sheet is abnormal.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment, the detection device is an optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor. According to this embodiment, compared to detection devices that use, for example, images to detect the position of the sheet, optical and ultrasonic sensors do not require complex analysis and processing, thus resulting in faster detection speeds. Therefore, even when the sheet is being transported at high speed, it is possible to detect whether any abnormalities have occurred in the folding of the sheet.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment, the manufacturing apparatus includes a cylindrical wrinkle-removing device that contacts the sheet at a position upstream of the folding device in the conveying direction. The radius of the contact surface of the wrinkle-removing device that contacts the folded portion is smaller than the radius of the contact surface of the wrinkle-removing device that contacts the non-folded portion. According to this embodiment, compared to the case where the radius of the contact surface of the wrinkle-removing device is constant, a difference arises between the vertical height of the contact surface of the wrinkle-removing device that contacts the folded portion and the vertical height of the contact surface of the wrinkle-removing device that contacts the non-folded portion, thus applying a vertical force to the sheet. As a result, by applying tension to the conveyed sheet, even if wrinkles exist in the sheet, the wrinkles can be stretched, thereby increasing the length of the sheet in the cross direction (i.e., the width of the sheet). This ensures the length of the folded portion, making it easy to manufacture absorbent articles that can be folded normally. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view of the apparatus 100 for manufacturing absorbent articles according to the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic side view of the apparatus 100 for manufacturing absorbent articles according to the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus 100 for manufacturing absorbent articles according to the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the folding of a sheet of material constituting an absorbent article as an embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The apparatus 100 for manufacturing an absorbent article according to the embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are labeled with the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic diagrams, and the proportions of the dimensions may differ from reality. Therefore, specific dimensions should be determined by referring to the following description. Additionally, the drawings may include portions with different dimensional relationships or proportions.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view of the apparatus 100 for manufacturing absorbent articles according to the embodiment. Figure 2 This is a schematic side view of the apparatus 100 for manufacturing an absorbent article according to the embodiment. The sheet 10 is indicated by dashed lines. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus 100 for manufacturing absorbent articles according to the embodiment. Specifically, Figure 3 (A) is along Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of line AA. Figure 3(B) is along Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the BB line. Figure 3 (C) is along Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the CC line. Figure 3 (D) is along Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the DD line. Figure 3 (E) is along Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the EE line. Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the folding of a sheet of material constituting an absorbent article as an embodiment.

[0023] Manufacturing apparatus 100 manufactures absorbent articles. The absorbent articles manufactured by manufacturing apparatus 100 may include, for example, shorts-type sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, menstrual pads, incontinence pads, and sanitary liners. The absorbent articles use sheet 10 as a constituent article. Sheet 10 may be a sheet-like component, for example, it may be made of non-woven fabric. As described later, sheet 10 is folded back in the cross direction CD, which intersects the conveying direction MD. In sheet 10, the folded portion 11, which is the folded part of sheet 10, overlaps with the non-folded portion 12, which is the unfolded part of sheet 10.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, the manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a conveying device 110, a folding device 120, and a detection device 130. The conveying device 110 conveys the sheet 10, which is a constituent article of an absorbent article, along the conveying direction MD. The conveying device 110 may, for example, include: a conveyor body 111 having a conveyor roller and a drive source for driving the conveyor roller; and a conveyor belt 112 mounted on the conveyor roller.

[0025] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the folding device 120 folds the sheet 10 back in the cross direction CD, which intersects the conveying direction MD, so that the folded portion 11 overlaps with the non-folded portion 12. A pair of folding devices 120 may be arranged in the cross direction CD. The folding device 120 may, for example, have a guide plate 122 and a folding guide 124. The guide plate 122 is positioned upstream of the folding guide 124, guiding the sheet 10 towards the folding guide 124. The folding guide 124 folds the sheet 10 back in the cross direction CD. Figure 1 , Figure 3 (D) and Figure 3 As shown in (E), the width of the fold-back guide 124 in the cross direction CD increases as it moves toward the downstream side of the conveying direction MD, so that as the sheet 10 moves toward the downstream side, the sheet 10 (specifically the fold-back portion 11) moves toward the center side of the cross direction CD.

[0026] The folding device 120 can, for example, fold the sheet 10 as follows. Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, sheet 10 can be folded by a first fold line F1 extending along the intersection direction CD. The overlap of the folded-back portion 11 and the non-folded-back portion 12 in the vertical direction TD can begin at a position downstream of the first fold line F1. This can be, for example... Figure 2 As shown, when viewing the manufacturing apparatus 100 from the side, the angle of the conveying direction MD is changed at the position corresponding to the first fold line F1.

[0027] The sheet 10 can be folded from the side edge 11s of the cross direction CD of the sheet 10 (specifically the folded portion 11) by a second fold line F2 extending downstream toward the center side of the cross direction CD. This can be, for example... Figure 1 As shown, when viewed from above, the second fold line F2 extends obliquely relative to the transport direction MD. The second fold line F2 extends from upstream to downstream in the transport direction MD to (near) the first fold line F1, which serves as the boundary between the fold-back section 11 and the non-fold-back section 12. This could be, for example... Figure 3 (C) and Figure 4 As shown, the sheet 10 folded by the second fold line F2 (specifically, a portion of the folded-back portion 11) is inclined relative to the non-folded-back portion 12.

[0028] It is possible that the folded-back portion 11, after being folded by the second fold line F2, is folded by the third fold line F3. The folded-back portion 11 (hereinafter referred to as folded-back portion 11p), which is folded by the second fold line F2 and before being folded by the third fold line F3, is inclined relative to the non-folded-back portion 12. It is possible that, as Figure 1 As shown, when viewing the manufacturing apparatus 100 from above, the third fold line F3 is parallel to the transport direction MD. The foldback section 11 can be folded using the third fold line F3 at a position downstream of the first fold line F1.

[0029] It is possible that the folded-back portion 11, after being folded by the third fold line F3, is folded by the fourth fold line F4. It is also possible that the folded-back portion 11 (hereinafter referred to as folded-back portion 11q), after being folded by the third fold line F3 and before being folded by the fourth fold line F4, extends parallel to the non-folded-back portion 12. It is possible that, as... Figure 1 As shown, when viewing the manufacturing apparatus 100 from above, the fourth fold line F4 is inclined relative to the transport direction MD. It is possible that the folded-back portion 11 is folded by the fourth fold line F4, causing the surface and back sides to flip. Therefore, it is possible that the upper surface of the folded-back portion 11 before being folded back by the folding device 120 is opposite to the non-folded-back portion 12 after the folded-back portion 11 is folded by the fourth fold line F4. Figure 3 (D) and Figure 3As shown in (E), the fold-back portion 11 is completed by folding along the fourth fold line F4, thereby folding back in the cross direction CD. Therefore, at the downstream end F4d of the fourth fold line F4, the fold-back of the sheet 10 in the cross direction CD is completed.

[0030] Here, the folding-back device 120 and the folding-back of the sheet 10 are explained. For example... Figure 3 As shown in (B), the sheet 10 (particularly the folded-back portion 11) is conveyed while in contact with the upper surface of the guide plate 122. Figure 3 As shown in (C), the folding device 120 (specifically the guide plate 122) folds the folded portion 11 downwards in the vertical direction TD using the second fold line F2 before the folded portion 11 overlaps with the non-folded portion 12, thereby tilting the folded portion 11 relative to the non-folded portion 12. Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown in (D), the folding device 120 (specifically, the folding guide 124) gradually folds back the folding section 11, which has been conveyed along the conveying direction MD, in the intersecting direction CD. Figure 3 (D) and Figure 3 As shown in (E), the folding guide 124 causes the folded portion 11 to overlap with the non-folded portion 12 from the upper side of the vertical direction TD.

[0031] The detection device 130 detects whether the folding of the sheet 10 is abnormal. The detection device 130 takes the folded portion 11 before it is folded back in the cross direction CD as the detection object. The detection device 130 performs the detection from the time the folded portion 11 is tilted relative to the non-folded portion 12 for the purpose of folding back the sheet 10 until the folding back of the sheet 10 is completed.

[0032] Generally, when sheet 10 is folded in the cross direction CD, the folded portion 11 and the non-folded portion 12 overlap, making it difficult to distinguish between the folded portion 11 and the non-folded portion 12. Therefore, the detection device 130 has difficulty detecting whether sheet 10 has been properly folded after it has been folded. That is, the detection device 130 has difficulty accurately detecting abnormalities in the folding of sheet 10. Especially when sheet 10 is conveyed at high speed, it is more difficult to accurately detect abnormalities in the folding of sheet 10 compared to when it is conveyed at low speed. Therefore, according to this solution, compared to detecting abnormalities in the folding when the folded portion 11 and the non-folded portion 12 overlap, by detecting the folded portion 11 before it is folded as the detection object before the folding of sheet 10 is completed, it is possible to detect with high precision whether abnormalities have occurred in the folding of sheet 10.

[0033] Furthermore, there is a concern that if the detection device 130 performs the detection before the sheet 10 is folded back, the position of the sheet 10 in the cross direction CD may shift due to transport after the detection, causing the detection result to deviate from the actual result of whether the folding of the sheet 10 is abnormal. Therefore, according to this solution, the detection device 130 starts the detection from the moment the folded portion 11 is tilted relative to the non-folded portion 12 for the purpose of folding back the sheet 10, so that the folded portion 11 is folded back without any time elapsed from the start of the detection by the detection device 130. As a result, the detection result of the detection device 130 is more likely to be consistent with the actual result of whether the folding of the sheet 10 is abnormal, and it is possible to detect whether the folding of the sheet 10 is abnormal with high accuracy.

[0034] As described above, by detecting with high precision whether the folding of the sheet 10 is abnormal, based on the detection result, absorbent articles with abnormal folding of the sheet 10 will not be manufactured or will not be shipped, and absorbent articles with abnormal folding of the sheet 10 will not be shipped.

[0035] The detection device 130 can be, for example, an optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor. Compared to detection devices that use, for example, images to detect the position of the sheet 10, optical and ultrasonic sensors do not require complex analysis and processing, and therefore have a faster detection speed. Therefore, even when the sheet 10 is being transported at high speed, it is possible to detect whether an abnormality has occurred in the folding of the sheet 10.

[0036] The detection device 130 can also detect whether the sheet 10 exists within its measurement range MR (i.e., the presence or absence of the sheet 10 within the measurement range MR). The detection device 130 can detect an abnormality in the folding of the sheet 10 if the sheet 10 is not present within the measurement range. Conversely, the detection device 130 can detect no abnormality in the folding of the sheet 10 if the sheet 10 is present within the measurement range MR.

[0037] Furthermore, when the detection device 130 is an optical sensor, the measurement range MR can be within the range reached by the light emitted from the detection device 130. When the detection device 130 is an ultrasonic sensor, the measurement range MR can be within the range reached by the ultrasonic waves emitted from the detection device 130. Moreover, the detection device 130 is not limited to optical or ultrasonic sensors; for example, it can be any device capable of detecting the presence of the sheet 10.

[0038] The detection device 130 can detect an abnormality in the folding of the sheet 10 if the length L of the folded portion 11 in the cross direction CD before folding back is less than a predetermined value P. The detection device 130 can also detect no abnormality in the folding of the sheet 10 if the length L of the folded portion 11 in the cross direction CD before folding back is greater than or equal to the predetermined value P. Therefore, when the actual length of the folded portion 11 is less than the predetermined value P, making the length L of the folded portion easily insufficient, the detection device 130 can detect an abnormality in the folding of the sheet 10. On the other hand, when the actual length of the folded portion 11 is greater than or equal to the predetermined value P, making the length L of the folded portion easily sufficient, the detection device 130 can detect no abnormality in the folding of the sheet 10.

[0039] Furthermore, the predetermined value P can be a value larger than the minimum allowable length of the folded-back portion 11. For example, Figure 3 As shown in (C), the detection device 130 is, for example, positioned in the cross direction CD at a distance P from the second broken line F2 to the measurement range MR of the detection device 130, where the distance is a predetermined value P.

[0040] The detection device 130 can also detect whether the length L of the folded portion 11 is smaller than the maximum permissible length. The detection device 130 can detect an abnormality in the folding of the sheet 10 if the length L of the folded portion 11 is greater than the maximum length. On the other hand, the detection device 130 can detect that the folding of the sheet 10 is not abnormal if the length L of the folded portion 11 in the cross direction CD before being folded back in the cross direction CD is less than the maximum length.

[0041] The measurement range MR can be the range within which the detection device 130 detects whether an abnormality has occurred in the folding of the sheet 10. The measurement range MR can include a position downstream of the position where at least a partial fold of the folded portion 11 begins to overlap with the non-folded portion 12. Therefore, since the folded portion is folded back during the detection process of the detection device 130, the detection result of the detection device 130 is more likely to be consistent with the actual result of whether an abnormality has occurred in the folding of the sheet 10, and the abnormality of the folding of the sheet 10 can be detected with high accuracy.

[0042] It can be, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, the detection device 130 performs detection from the position where the folded portion 11 is folded downwards in the vertical direction TD (e.g., the other side of the vertical direction TD) to the position where the sheet 10 is folded upwards in the vertical direction TD (e.g., one side of the vertical direction TD). Thus, by folding the folded portion 11 once in the opposite direction to the direction in which the folded portion 11 and the non-folded portion 12 overlap just before folding, the folded portion 11 is stretched, and the folds of the folded portion 11 are extended. Therefore, the detection device 130 can perform detection with the folded portion 11 in a wrinkle-free state, and can detect with high precision whether the folding of the sheet 10 is abnormal. Furthermore, the length L of the folded portion 11 can be ensured, making it easy to manufacture absorbent articles that are folded properly.

[0043] The detection device 130 can, for example, perform detection at a position between the upstream end F2u of the second fold line F2 and the downstream end F4d of the fourth fold line F4. At least a portion of the measurement range MR can also be located in region R1 between the upstream end F2u of the second fold line F2 and the first fold line F1. Additionally, at least a portion of the measurement range MR of the detection device 130 can also be located in region R2 between the first fold line F1 and the downstream end F4d of the fourth fold line F4. The measurement range MR can also span regions R1 and R2. Furthermore, the measurement range MR can be located within the region (i.e., the fold-back portion 11p) of the fold-back portion 11 surrounded by the second fold line F2, the third fold line F3, and the side edge 11s of the sheet 10 (specifically, the fold-back portion 11).

[0044] It can be, such as Figure 1 As shown, the manufacturing apparatus 100 includes, for example, a control device 140. The control device 140 is electrically connected to the detection device 130 and acquires detection results based on signals from the detection device 130. The control device 140 can perform control based on the detection results. The control device 140 may, for example, include a programmable logic controller (PLC).

[0045] Alternatively, the manufacturing apparatus 100 may include, for example, a position adjustment device 150 for adjusting the position of the sheet 10 in the cross direction CD. Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 may, for example, stop the feeding of the sheet 10 if the detection device 130 detects an abnormality in the folding of the sheet 10. Additionally, the manufacturing apparatus 100 may also sound an alarm if the detection device 130 detects an abnormality in the folding of the sheet 10.

[0046] Alternatively, it could be, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in (A), the manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a cylindrical wrinkle-removing device 160 that contacts the sheet 10 on the upstream side of the folding device 120 in the conveying direction MD. This could be, for example... Figure 3As shown in (A), the radius r1 of the contact surface 161 of the wrinkle-removing device 160 that contacts the folded portion 11 is smaller than the radius r2 of the contact surface 162 of the wrinkle-removing device 160 that contacts the non-folded portion 12. Therefore, compared to the case where the radius of the contact surface of the wrinkle-removing device 160 is constant, a difference arises between the height of the vertical direction TD of the contact surface 161 of the wrinkle-removing device 160 that contacts the folded portion 11 and the height of the vertical direction TD of the contact surface 162 of the wrinkle-removing device 160 that contacts the non-folded portion 12, applying a force of vertical direction TD to the sheet 10. As a result, by applying tension to the conveyed sheet 10, even if the sheet 10 has wrinkles, the wrinkles can be stretched, increasing the length of the cross direction CD of the sheet 10 (i.e., the width of the sheet). This ensures the length of the folded portion 11, making it easy to manufacture absorbent articles that can be folded normally. Furthermore, the wrinkle-removing device 160 can also be a roller that rotates in accordance with the conveying direction MD.

[0047] The present invention has been described in detail above using the embodiments described above. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present invention can be implemented as modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description in this specification is for illustrative purposes only and does not have any limiting meaning for the present invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized in that, The apparatus for manufacturing this absorbent article includes: A conveying device that conveys sheets of material constituting the absorbent article along a conveying direction; A folding device that folds the sheet back in an intersecting direction that intersects the conveying direction, such that the folded portion, which is the folded part of the sheet, overlaps with the non-folded portion, which is the unfolded part of the sheet. as well as A detection device that, from the time the folded portion begins to tilt relative to the non-folded portion for the purpose of folding the sheet back until the folding of the sheet is completed, uses the folded portion before it is folded back in the cross direction as the detection object to detect whether an abnormality occurs in the folding of the sheet.

2. The apparatus for manufacturing absorbent articles according to claim 1, characterized in that, For the detection device mentioned above If the length of the folded portion in the intersecting direction before being folded back is less than a predetermined value, it is detected that the folding of the sheet is abnormal. If the length of the cross direction of the folded portion before being folded back in the cross direction is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, it is detected that the folding back of the sheet is not abnormal.

3. The apparatus for manufacturing absorbent articles according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The folding device causes the folded portion to overlap with the non-folded portion from one side in a vertical direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. Before overlapping the non-folded portion, the folding device folds the folded portion towards the opposite side of the vertical direction from the end edge of the sheet in the intersecting direction using a fold line that moves downstream in the conveying direction and towards the center side of the intersecting direction, thereby tilting the folded portion relative to the non-folded portion. The detection device performs detection from the position where the folded portion begins to fold towards the other side of the vertical direction to the position where the folding of the sheet towards the vertical direction is completed.

4. The apparatus for manufacturing absorbent articles according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The folding device gradually folds back the folding portion conveyed along the conveying direction in the intersecting direction. The measurement range of the detection device for detecting whether the folding of the sheet is abnormal includes a position downstream of the position where at least a partial fold of the folded portion begins to overlap with the non-folded portion.

5. The apparatus for manufacturing absorbent articles according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The detection device is an optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor.

6. The apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The apparatus for manufacturing the absorbent article includes a cylindrical wrinkle-removing device that contacts the sheet at a position upstream of the folding device in the conveying direction. The radius of the contact surface of the wrinkle-removing device that contacts the folded portion is smaller than the radius of the contact surface of the wrinkle-removing device that contacts the non-folded portion.

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