Device for shaping and / or smoothing a tampon end

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for shaping and / or smoothing at least one end (101, 101') of a tampon blank, in particular an axial end of a tampon blank. The device comprises a guide unit (10) driven by at least one shaft (54), wherein the guide unit (10) comprises a first conveyor plane (72) and a second conveyor plane (70). The device also comprises a plurality of shaping sleeves (52) on the second conveyor plane (70) for receiving at least one respective tampon blank, and rotatable shaping caps (51) on the first conveyor plane (72), each designed to be operatively connected to at least one end of a tampon blank in a shaping sleeve (52). The first conveyor plane and the second conveyor plane are designed in order to guide a respective at least one of the plurality of shaping sleeves (52) on the second conveyor plane (70) coaxially relative to at least one of the plurality of rotatable shaping caps (51) on the first conveyor plane (72) on the conveyor plane. The invention also relates to a corresponding method and a computer program product for controlling a device.

Description

[0001] Device for shaping and / or smoothing a tampon end

[0002] The present invention relates to a device for shaping and / or smoothing at least one end of a tampon or tampon blank, in particular an axial end of said tampon or tampon blank, as well as a corresponding method for shaping and / or smoothing at least one end of a tampon blank and a computer program product for controlling a device according to the invention, all according to the preambles of the characterizing claims.

[0003] Technological background

[0004] Tampons are used both in medicine and for feminine hygiene, for example during menstruation. The main purpose of tampons in this application is to stop bleeding, for example, or in the case of women's periods, to collect menstrual blood. For this purpose, tampons usually contain at least one absorbent core, e.g. made of a cellulose fiber fabric, such as viscose. In some sophisticated or specialized models, the absorbent core made of fiber material is additionally surrounded by a nonwoven fabric, which in special designs can also extend into the absorbent body. This nonwoven fabric can, for example, be made of a thermoplastic polymer and is often used where the smoothest possible appearance is desired and the protrusion of individual fibers from the absorbent body is undesirable or even detrimental to the actual function, e.g.because the product should under no circumstances leave any fiber residue when removed from the body or the bleeding site.

[0005] The tampons used for feminine hygiene are manufactured in a process in which essentially ribbon-like cellulose strips are rolled up or folded and then pressed into a tampon shape. This tampon shape usually comprises an essentially cylindrical base body and has a distal and a proximal end. The distal end is defined as the end opposite the user's hand, i.e. in the case of a tampon for feminine hygiene, the end that is inserted first. Accordingly, the proximal end is considered to be the end closest to the user's hand. Tampons for feminine hygiene often have additional structures on their cylindrical base body that are intended to facilitate the transport of fluid into the interior of the absorbent body and / or from the distal end to the proximal end.

[0006] In tampons for feminine hygiene, it is generally desirable to avoid hard edges. In particular, a tapered distal end, e.g., a hemispherical end or a conically tapered end, facilitates insertion of the tampon. The proximal end can also be shaped, but is usually not subject to the same requirements. Furthermore, in most areas of application, and particularly in the area of ​​feminine hygiene, the proximal end must be able to accommodate a retrieval thread, which facilitates removal of the tampon from the body orifice. Due to the manufacturing process, which provides for radial compression of the strips to produce the cylindrical tampon, the lateral sheath of the tampon is generally available from the press with a satisfactory smoothness. However, there is a need to also shape the axial ends, e.g.,the distal and / or proximal end of a tampon, so that the surface of the tampon is as smooth as possible.

[0007] In the past, solutions were presented in which a tampon blank was held on a conveyor for processing and an operative connection was established with a processing tool. This processing tool, which has been used in Ruggli tampon manufacturing machines, among others, rotates around its longitudinal axis in one direction and thus processes the tampon blank with pressure, friction, and possibly heating, thus flattening the head. Flattening with heat can be achieved in a similar way to flattening clothes with an iron. In some rare cases, the thermoplastic copolymer on the distal tampon surface can also be melted for flattening.

[0008] However, new tampon products include, among other things, tampons made entirely of cotton. Furthermore, the higher cycle times in tampon production enabled by new solutions, such as those found in WO 2019 / 186325 A1, are rarely feasible with older solutions.

[0009] There is therefore a need for devices for forming a tampon head, ie, a distal and / or proximal end of a tampon, that meet these new requirements. Description of the invention

[0010] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a device, a method and a computer program product for controlling a device according to the invention, which overcomes at least one disadvantage of the known device.

[0011] Preferably, such a device, such a method, or a corresponding computer program product is to be provided that can be operated efficiently and is capable of producing shaped and / or smoothed tampon heads of consistently high quality. A further object of the present invention may be to provide a solution that can be used for precisely this purpose regardless of the tampon material or any surface coating or texture of the tampon, and that is capable of producing consistently high quality tampon heads through minor adjustments to the process parameters.

[0012] At least one of these problems has been solved according to the characterising part of the independent claims.

[0013] One aspect of the present invention relates to a device for shaping and / or smoothing at least one end of a tampon blank. In particular, the device serves for shaping and / or smoothing an axial end of a tampon blank. The device according to the invention comprises a guide unit driven by at least one axis. The guide unit comprises a first conveying plane and a second conveying plane.

[0014] It further comprises a plurality of mold sleeves on the second conveying plane, each for receiving at least one tampon blank. Furthermore, the device according to the invention comprises at least one, in particular radially arranged, rotatable mold cap, which is designed to be brought into operative connection with at least one end of a tampon blank in a mold sleeve. The mold cap is also designed to effect a shaping and / or smoothing of at least one end of a tampon blank by exerting at least one of: contact pressure and / or heat and / or friction. The first conveying plane and the second conveying plane are designed to each guide at least one of the plurality of mold sleeves on the second conveying plane coaxially to at least one of the plurality of rotatable mold caps on the first conveying plane.Preferably, the conveying planes are arranged parallel to one another such that the mold sleeves and mold caps are each arranged concentrically over the entire period of the operative connection. Alternatively and / or additionally, the conveying planes are arranged parallel to one another such that the mold sleeves and mold caps are each arranged concentrically over a processing area of ​​a conveying direction of the guide unit.

[0015] In a particular embodiment, the first conveying plane and the second conveying plane are arranged parallel to each other for at least the period of the operative connection.

[0016] The device according to the invention makes it possible to form the ends of tampon blanks in such a way that a smooth tampon head is obtained in an efficient and scalable manufacturing process. The device according to the invention can, for example, be integrated into a continuous production line. Due to the drum being arranged so as to rotate about the central axis, the device according to the invention can be operated, for example, with a transfer wheel according to WO 2019 / 186325 A1, which enables a scalable continuous production line for the processes required for tampon production. A particular advantage of the rotatable forming cap arranged radially on the drum is that the number of forming caps is adjustable. This allows, for example, very high production cycles to be achieved.Because the forming cap is designed to produce at least one of contact pressure and / or heat and / or friction for forming and / or smoothing at least one end of a tampon blank, the process can be adapted to different tampon materials. For example, a person skilled in the art can decide, depending on the material, size and nature of the tampon, whether heating is necessary. This can be the case in particular when a thermoplastically fusible nonwoven fabric is to be softened or slightly melted, or when a non-thermoplastic material is to be smoothed using heat in the manner of an iron. In other cases, a combination of friction and contact pressure can be suitable for achieving the desired smoothing. In a particular embodiment, the guide unit is designed as a drum driven about a central axis, in particular as a drum driven about exactly one axis.This drum arrangement has the advantage that it allows for continuous processing and is therefore particularly gentle on the material, as no stops are necessary.

[0017] In a particular embodiment, the device is provided for shaping an axial end of a tampon blank. The axial end within the meaning of the present invention can be one of the two ends of a substantially cylindrical tampon. In unidirectionally designed tampons, the direction of use creates a distal end facing the body and a proximal end facing the user. Particularly preferably, the device according to the invention is designed for shaping the distal end, which in many preferred embodiments is a tapered end. Alternatively, the distal end can also be a flat end. The shaping and / or smoothing would then affect the flat end face and possibly an edge.

[0018] In a special embodiment, the tampon blank is coated with a thermoplastic nonwoven fabric at least at the axial end. The use of a purely organic tampon blank, e.g., made of cotton or hemp fibers, is also conceivable.

[0019] In a particular embodiment, the application of at least one of: contact pressure and / or heat and / or friction for forming and / or smoothing the end of the tampon blank is in each case a parameter that can be individually and predefinedly adjusted depending on the properties of the tampon blank, such as material properties.

[0020] In a particular embodiment, the first conveying plane is designed as a first drum disk, and the second conveying plane is designed as a second drum disk. The first and second drum disks are arranged parallel and coaxially to each other on the central axis.

[0021] In a particular embodiment, the plurality of mold sleeves are arranged radially on the second conveying plane, in particular on the second drum disc (70). In a particular embodiment, the first conveying plane and the second conveying plane are each designed to coaxially guide at least one of the plurality of mold sleeves (52) on the second conveying plane (70) to at least one of the plurality of rotatable mold caps (51) on the first conveying plane (72) on the conveying plane for a processing period, in particular at least one period of the operative connection.

[0022] In an alternative embodiment, the plurality of mold sleeves are arranged linearly on the second conveying plane (70). Similarly, the mold caps can also be arranged linearly, at least for a period of the operative connection, in order to guide them coaxially to the mold sleeves.

[0023] In a particular embodiment, a plurality of rotatable mold caps arranged radially on the drum are provided. The mold caps are particularly preferably synchronously rotatable. In the context of the present invention, synchronously rotatable can be understood as meaning that all mold caps are designed to perform an identical rotational movement about their longitudinal axes at the same time. The mold caps are particularly preferably arranged such that their longitudinal axes are arranged radially on a drum disk and parallel to one another. As an alternative to the synchronous rotatability of the mold caps, the mold caps can also be individually rotatable. For example, the mold caps can be designed to rotate about their longitudinal axis at different rotational speeds. This makes it possible, for example, to control a staggered forming process in which friction for forming and / or smoothing the end of the tampon blank is designed to be variable. The rotation can, for example,accelerated from a low to a higher level and then braked again.

[0024] In the context of the present invention, an operative connection can be understood as when the mold cap has physical contact with a tampon blank to be formed. Alternatively and / or additionally, an operative connection can already exist when the mold cap is able to exert a physical influence on the end to be formed, e.g., heating it. Preferably, physical contact is established between the mold cap and a tampon blank received in the mold sleeve, wherein the mold cap is able to exert at least one, in particular all three, of: contact pressure and / or heat and / or friction on said end. In a particular embodiment, an operative connection exists over a period of time while the tampon blanks continue to be conveyed on the conveying plane. This has the advantage that processing and conveying do not have to be decoupled, i.e.The device according to the invention can be connected to a continuous production line.

[0025] In a particular embodiment, a plurality of mold caps are arranged radially on a first drum disc.

[0026] In a further particular embodiment, a plurality of mold sleeves, each for receiving at least one tampon blank, are arranged on a second drum disk. The two drum disks are preferably arranged parallel to one another, so that a distance between the two preferably coaxially arranged drum disks defines a processing space.

[0027] In a particular embodiment, the mold cap is designed such that it can come into operative connection with a tampon blank located in a mold sleeve by bridging a distance in the processing space. For this purpose, the mold cap can be attached, for example, to one end of a plunger that can be moved translationally from the first drum disc to the second drum disc. The translational displaceability of the plunger can also serve to generate the contact pressure parameter. In this embodiment, for example, the first and second drum discs can be arranged in parallel such that a mold cap arranged radially on the first drum disc is assigned a corresponding mold sleeve arranged on a second drum disc, e.g. by the mold cap and the corresponding mold sleeve being arranged coaxially.An intermediate processing space can be bridged by the mold cap in order to enter into operative connection with the corresponding mold sleeve in such a way that a tampon blank contained therein can undergo shaping and / or smoothing by exerting contact pressure and / or heat and / or friction.

[0028] In a further special embodiment, the first drum disc and the second drum disc are driven by the central axis. A particular advantage of this arrangement is that the processing space can also be used for further processing steps. For example, the processing space can be used as an inlet or outlet to feed the tampon blanks to the device according to the invention or to remove them from it after processing has been completed and, for example, to feed them to a packaging process or a further processing step. A further advantage of the inventive design with two drum discs arranged in parallel is the modularity of the system. By selecting the drum disc diameter, not only can certain parameters be defined, such as the duration of a processing step, but also the batch sizes, ieThe number of tampon blanks processed simultaneously can be adapted to the available space. By utilizing flexible and dynamic removal options, as previously described in the disclosure of WO 2019 / 186325 A1, the device according to the invention can be used to enable continuously scalable production cycles with very high throughput rates.

[0029] A further advantage of the inventive design with two parallel drum discs is the fine adjustment of the parameters. Thus, the aforementioned parameters, such as contact pressure and / or heat and / or friction, can be individually adjusted. Particularly preferably, the contact pressure is adjustable by overcoming a distance from the first drum disc to the second drum disc.

[0030] In a further preferred embodiment, the friction is adjustable by the rotatability of the mold cap.

[0031] In another special embodiment, the heat is adjustable by heating and / or friction of the mold cap. Alternatively or additionally, the mold sleeve can also be designed to be heatable. This can be particularly useful if the tampon blank comprises a material that is not suitable for uneven heating in different areas. This can prevent shear effects on the material, which could adversely affect the overall surface structure.

[0032] In a particular embodiment, the mold cap is designed to shape and / or smooth the end of a tampon blank by applying contact pressure, heat, and friction. Particularly preferably, the mold cap is arranged at its end on a translationally displaceable plunger, so that it can be moved relative to a coaxially arranged mold sleeve. The translational movement of the plunger allows the mold cap to exert contact pressure on a tampon blank received in the mold sleeve. It has surprisingly been shown that a combination of all three parameters—contact pressure, heat, and friction—can produce a particularly smooth tampon surface on a tampon head.

[0033] In a particular embodiment, the at least one mold cap comprises a hollow mold. This essentially corresponds to the resulting shape of the end of the tampon blank to be formed. The hollow mold can, for example, define a conically tapered shape. Alternatively, the hollow mold can define a hemisphere. In a further alternative, the hollow mold can define a flat end of a cylinder.

[0034] These shapes have proven in practice to be particularly suitable for tampons for feminine hygiene. Alternative designs are also conceivable, however. For example, the hollow mold can have geometric structures, such as a bulge, which then results in an indentation on the corresponding tampon head. These special geometries can be realized in the hollow mold of the mold cap by a specialist if required for certain applications or for medical tampons. A particular advantage of the hemispherical hollow mold in the mold cap is the particularly low friction that such a hollow mold exerts when it is rotated under contact pressure against a tampon blank, in particular an axial end of a tampon blank.

[0035] In a special embodiment, the mold cap is arranged to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis.

[0036] In a further particular embodiment, the mold cap is also arranged radially on the first drum disc in such a way that it is rotatable about the central axis of the drum.

[0037] In a particular embodiment, the mold cap has a defined roughness. Particularly preferably, the roughness is as low as possible. This can be achieved, for example, by using a highly polished stainless steel as the material for the mold cap.

[0038] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the mold cap is designed to be interchangeable. This can be achieved, for example, by the mold cap being detachably mounted on a drum disc or a plunger and being detachably and force-fittingly fixed, for example, via a thread. This makes it possible to select and adapt the device to the desired geometry of the tampon by choosing a specific mold cap. In addition, the roughness of the mold cap can be adapted to the material to be processed. For example, a person skilled in the art can decide that a mold cap with a different roughness is preferable for a tampon made of pure cotton without a coating of thermoplastic nonwoven fabric; and a different mold cap achieves ideal smoothness for a tampon coated with a thermoplastic nonwoven material.

[0039] In a particular embodiment, the at least one mold cap is arranged to be reversibly rotatable. It is particularly preferably configured to be reversibly rotatable such that it is capable of rotating around its longitudinal axis by between 0° and + / - 360°, preferably by up to + / - 120°, particularly preferably by + / - 60°, and in particular by at least + / - 10°.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the mold cap is designed to be reversibly rotatable, so that it can perform a rotation about its longitudinal axis of substantially + / - 20°.

[0041] Particularly preferably, the mold cap is arranged such that it can exert this reversible rotatability mechanically. Alternatively, the mold cap can be designed to be electrically reversibly rotatable.

[0042] In the sense of the present invention, reversibly rotatable can be understood to mean that a rotational movement is possible in both directions, e.g. clockwise and counterclockwise.

[0043] In a particular embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises a centering aid for the mold cap and the corresponding mold sleeve. For example, a centering aid can be provided which enables optimal alignment and guidance when the mold cap enters into an operative connection with the mold sleeve. Particularly preferably, the centering aid is designed as a geometric shape on a mold sleeve and a mold cap. Particularly preferably, this geometric shape is a complementary shape, with the mold sleeve and the mold cap complementing each other. For example, the mold cap can be provided with a beveled stop surface and the mold sleeve with a correspondingly complementary beveled stop surface. During operation, a stroke would ensure that the mold cap comes into operative connection with the mold sleeve, and the centering aid ensures that the two elements are arranged perfectly concentrically with one another.

[0044] In a particular embodiment, the device comprises a drive for rotation, which drives the central axis of the rotatably arranged drum.

[0045] In a particularly preferred embodiment, this drive is also designed to drive the rotation of the mold caps about their longitudinal axes.

[0046] In a particular embodiment, the at least one rotatable mold cap arranged radially on the drum is coupled to the drive. It is particularly preferably coupled to the drive via a cam disk, preferably in such a way that rotation of the drum is coupled to a rotational movement of the mold cap. The rotation of the drum can, via a cam disk, cause the mold cap to rotate about its longitudinal axis of, for example, + / - 20°. This can be adjusted, among other things, via the geometry of the cam disk. The cam disk particularly preferably has a guide which, via a lever, causes the mold cap to rotate. This guide preferably runs radially to the axis of the drum disk. By varying the radius on the cam disk using this guide, a corresponding rotation about the longitudinal axis of the mold cap can be generated. The rotatable mold caps are particularly preferably designed so that they can be decoupled.This has the advantage that in areas of the drum where other functions, e.g. loading and unloading of the drum, are carried out, self-rotation of the mold caps can be prevented.

[0047] In a special embodiment, a portion of the circumference of the drum disc is equipped with a cam disc, which enables the coupling of a mold cap. The coupling can be made possible in particular by establishing an operative connection to a guide groove on the cam disc via a lever, which extends radially from the mold cap, by means of a roller. If this lever is removed from the operative connection, e.g. by a ram being retracted translationally from a machining area, the mold cap is decoupled from the cam disc, and the intrinsic rotation of the mold cap is stopped. If, on the other hand, the mold cap is brought into operative connection with the mold sleeve, e.g.By extending a ram with a shaped cap at the end into the machining space and coming into physical contact with a tampon located in a shaped sleeve, the guide roller is transferred into the guide groove and, through its movement along the guide groove arranged in a wave shape on the circumference of the drum disc, the movement is transferred to rotate around its own longitudinal axis of the shaped cap.

[0048] As an alternative to the cam disc, the mold caps can also be designed to be individually rotatable. For example, it is conceivable to use a rotor-stator system to make the mold caps magnetically rotatable. It would also be conceivable to drive the mold caps individually or synchronously using a toothed gear. The cam disc has the advantage that a single drive is required, namely the drive for the drum axis and the drive for the self-rotation of the mold caps can be carried out via this. The cam disc also has the advantage that by adjusting its geometry, i.e. by changing the path of the guide groove of the cam disc, the angle of the self-rotation of the mold caps can be adjusted accordingly.

[0049] In a particular embodiment, a mold cap is designed to be heatable. Particularly preferably, it comprises a heating element designed to heat the mold cap to a temperature of more than 10°C, in particular more than 20°C, more particularly between 20°C and 180°C, and particularly preferably between 20°C and 120°C.

[0050] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the mold cap is designed to be heated to 120°.

[0051] In another particular embodiment, the molded cap is designed to be supplied with electrical energy via a sliding contact. The sliding contact is particularly preferably arranged between the axle and the first drum disc.

[0052] In a particular embodiment, the mold sleeve comprises a second plunger for dispensing a shaped or smoothed tampon. This plunger can be arranged such that it can move translationally along the longitudinal axis of the mold sleeve, thus ejecting a tampon.

[0053] In a particular embodiment, the drum according to the invention comprises a first drum disk and a second drum disk. The two drum disks are arranged parallel and define a processing space between them. This processing space can be designed to enable an intervention that removes a finished tampon, i.e., a tampon with a smoothed head, from the drum. This intervention can, for example, be designed synchronously with the drum in such a way that it removes a tampon from the processing space between the two drum disks while it is being ejected from the mold sleeve by means of an ejection pin.

[0054] In a particular embodiment, the ram is designed to perform a stroke that allows the ram to extend into the machining space in such a way that a mold cap attached to the end of the ram can come into operative connection with a mold sleeve arranged concentrically to it and trigger the corresponding forming of a tampon blank located therein. This process can be designed to begin at a specific section of the circumference of the drum disc and end at a specific second section of the drum disc, for example, by reversing the stroke and the ram moving away from the machining space again.

[0055] In a special embodiment, this also allows the operative connection between the mold cap and the cam disk to be decoupled. The section during which the rams have established said operative connection can be referred to as the machining section. The section in which the ram has retracted, i.e., has left the machining area together with the mold cap, can be referred to as the loading and unloading section.

[0056] In a particular embodiment, the drum is designed such that between one-quarter and two-thirds of the drum's circumference is designed as a processing section. Particularly preferably, approximately two-thirds of the drum is designed as a processing section. This means that a section of between three-quarters and one-third is essentially designed as a loading and unloading section.

[0057] In a particular embodiment, the device according to the invention additionally comprises a thread shaft. The thread shaft is designed to securely stow a retrieval thread during processing. The thread shaft is preferably formed on the forming sleeve. The thread shaft can, for example, be designed as a shaft running parallel to the forming sleeve lumen. Particularly preferably, this shaft ends in a suction opening through which air can be sucked in through the shaft. By sucking in air, the retrieval thread is securely retained in the thread shaft during processing, and interference of the retrieval thread with the forming process is thus largely eliminated. A further advantage of the suction effect is that the device can thus be operated essentially dust-free. The suction device can be designed such that it can serve a plurality of thread shafts simultaneously.During operation, a tampon blank with a retrieval thread protruding at the proximal end would be pushed into the molded sleeve with the proximal end first under suction of air. The retrieval thread would be drawn around a bend into the thread shaft. The thread shaft serves to securely store the retrieval thread for the entire processing. If the tampon is expelled, the thread is simply pulled out of the thread shaft and can be processed further. Particularly preferably, the tools for removing and / or loading the device according to the invention are also equipped with appropriate thread-securing elements, such as thread shafts and suction openings.

[0058] In a particular embodiment, a plurality of mold sleeves and a plurality of rotatable mold caps are provided. Preferably, the number of mold sleeves corresponds to the number of mold caps, and these are each arranged concentrically to one another on two opposing, parallel drum discs.

[0059] In a particular embodiment, the device comprises between 6 and 28, in particular between 6 and 18, and more particularly between 8 and 16, molded caps. A corresponding second drum disc can have the same number of molded sleeves.

[0060] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for forming and / or smoothing at least one end of a tampon blank, preferably an axial end.

[0061] In a particular embodiment, the method according to the invention comprises providing a device as described above. In the following, the present invention will be further defined based on concrete method steps. It is self-evident to a person skilled in the art that further structural features of the device according to the invention can be derived from the method features. Likewise, corresponding method steps can be derived from the structural design of the device according to the invention, as described above. The method according to the invention provides for loading a mold sleeve with a tampon blank. This loading can be carried out, for example, by means of a lever engaging in a processing space. This lever can, for example,be designed to have a coaxial alignment with a mold sleeve, as described above, for a certain period of time and to use this period by means of a translationally displaceable ram to load the mold sleeve with a tampon blank. The method according to the invention further provides for contacting the tampon blank with a mold cap, which is arranged in particular radially on a drum. This occurs in such a way that at least one end of the tampon blank in the mold sleeve is subjected to at least one of: contact pressure and / or heat and / or friction.

[0062] The method according to the invention further provides the step of processing the tampon blank during a period of operative connection on a conveyor section of the conveyor unit, in particular on a drum orbit. This processing can take place, for example, using said parameters, in that a mold cap that has entered into operative connection, for example, rotates around its longitudinal axis to exert friction on the head of the tampon blank, or in that the mold cap is capable of exerting contact pressure on said tampon head, for example, via a translatory plunger that is designed to perform a stroke. Furthermore, the mold cap can be designed to be heatable in order to apply said heat to the head of the tampon blank as a processing step.

[0063] This processing is carried out in particular during the rotation of a drum around a central axis or during conveying on a conveying plane. This processing particularly preferably takes place over an angular range of this rotation, for example over an angular range of between 0° and 270°, preferably between 0° and 180°, more preferably between 0° and 90°. In the sense of the present invention, 0° is defined as the point in time at which a mold cap comes into operative connection with a tampon blank located in a mold sleeve and processing with at least one of the three aforementioned parameters heat and / or contact pressure and / or friction begins. It is particularly preferred that all three parameters be applied to the axial end of the tampon blank simultaneously throughout the entire processing. In a particular embodiment, the friction is generated substantially by a reversing rotation of the mold cap.Particularly preferably, the molded cap has a defined, low roughness. The reversing rotation can take place, for example, in an angular range of + / - 10° to 30°, particularly preferably + / - 20°.

[0064] Particularly preferably, the reversing rotation is coupled to the drive of the drum, in particular via a cam disk coupled to the drive of the drum.

[0065] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the reversing rotation is coupled to the drive of the drum via a cam disk during processing and is stopped during loading and / or unloading by decoupling from the cam disk.

[0066] In a further particular embodiment of the method according to the invention, the mold cap is designed to come into operative connection with the tampon blank stored in a mold sleeve via a stroke.

[0067] Particularly preferably, a shaped cap is also coupled to the cam disc with this stroke in such a way that a rotation of the drum disc on which the shaped cap is arranged triggers a self-rotation of the shaped cap via the cam disc.

[0068] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a computer program product for controlling an above-mentioned device, in particular for carrying out the described method using the above-mentioned device. The computer program provides that the parameters selected from the group consisting of: contact pressure, heat and friction for forming and smoothing at least one end of a tampon blank can be individually preset. This individual pre-adjustability can take place depending on the materials used or the geometric properties of the tampon blank. A particular advantage of the present invention is that the processing can take place via the control of a drive, namely a central drive of the axis of the drum. A further defined, adjustable process parameter is the heat, which can be supplied, for example, via a slip ring as an electrical contact of the mold cap.The geometry of the cam disk can be used to control the inherent rotation of the mold cap, which defines the corresponding friction. The present invention provides a device, a method, and a corresponding computer program product for controlling said device and for carrying out a method according to the invention, which exhibits a high degree of adaptability. Not only can a particularly high cycle rate be achieved with the device shown, for example, by implementing continuous processing, but it can also process a variety of different tampon shapes and geometries, ensuring a consistently high quality of smoothing a tampon head.

[0069] The present invention will now be explained in more detail below using specific exemplary embodiments and figures, but is not limited to these. A person skilled in the art will also be able to derive further advantageous embodiments from this detailed description.

[0070] Character description

[0071] Embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the following figures. For the sake of simplicity, the same components are provided with the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0072] They show schematically:

[0073] Fig. 1 a shaped cap guide of a first drum disc;

[0074] Fig. 1 b Detailed view of a section from Fig. 1a;

[0075] Fig. 2a molding unit;

[0076] Fig. 2b Alternative mold unit;

[0077] Fig. 2c Further alternative mold unit;

[0078] Fig. 3a second drum disc;

[0079] Fig. 3b First and second drum discs; Fig. 4a Molded tampon with hemispherical head;

[0080] Fig. 4b Shaped tampon with flat head;

[0081] Fig. 4c Shaped tampon with conical head;

[0082] Fig. 5 Device with linear guide unit;

[0083] Fig. 6a molded sleeve, and

[0084] Fig. 6b wide drum disc.

[0085] Implementation of the invention

[0086] The device described in the following figures is particularly suitable for forming the head ends of tampons for feminine hygiene, which essentially consist of a folded or rolled fiber material as an absorbent body, e.g., viscose cellulose fibers, and a thermoplastic nonwoven lining on the outside. However, the device shown is equally suitable for purely organic tampons, e.g., those made of cotton or hemp fibers.

[0087] The device shown as an example is arranged as a drum and has two parallel drum disks that define a processing space. This drum arrangement is particularly suitable for integrating the device according to the invention into a production line with multiple processing steps.

[0088] Fig. 1a shows a molded cap guide of a first drum disc. It is essentially a view from the longitudinal axis of a drive shaft of a drum 10.

[0089] The drum 10 comprises a first drum disk (in the extension of the drive axis in the picture at the back). This first drum disk is driven by a drive 20. A plurality of tappets 16 are arranged on the first drum disk 15. These tappets 16 rotate by the rotation of the first drum disk about the axis of the drive 20. The tappets 16 have a first configuration and a second configuration. They are designed to perform a stroke which moves the tappets from the first configuration to the second configuration and back to

[0090] REVISED SHEET (RULE 91) ISA / EP. The tappets can also be coupled to a cam disc 11 via a lever 13.

[0091] In the first configuration, the plungers are decoupled from the cam disk. In this first configuration, as will be seen later in the following figures, the device according to the invention can be loaded with tampon blanks and the smoothed tampons can be unloaded.

[0092] The pivoting levers 13 have a guide pin 14 which is located parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tappet 16 at the end of the pivoting lever 13 and, in the first configuration, engages in a guide 19.1 of a guide plate 19. This can, for example, prevent the pivoting lever 13 from pivoting in the first configuration. The guide 19.1 extends (not visible in Fig. 1a) over the angular range of the drum according to the invention in which loading and unloading takes place. In contrast, a further angular range is defined by a cam disk 11 which is rigidly connected to a machine frame. If the tappet is in the second configuration, an operative connection to a cam disk groove 12 of the cam disk 11 is established via the pivoting lever 13. The pivoting lever 13 thereby generates a rotational movement of the tappet 16. This movement is driven via the cam disk 11 by the central drive 20.The plunger 16 is pivotally mounted to the pivot lever 13 via a bearing 18.

[0093] Electrical energy is supplied to the drum disc via a sliding contact (not shown), which in turn supplies the tappets 16 via cables 21 and heats a mold cap (not shown, as it is arranged behind the image plane and first drum disc 11).

[0094] The cam disc 11 is preferably made of a material with a low coefficient of friction. It is preferably designed to be replaceable. Particularly preferably, a bearing is provided at the end of the pivot lever 13, with which the pivot lever 13 can operatively engage the cam disc 11, more precisely, the cam disc groove 12. Particularly preferably, a bearing roller 17 is provided.

[0095] During operation, the tappets 16 rotate, on the one hand, radially around the central axis 20 of the drum by being rotated on the drum disk 156 in an orbit around the axis, and, on the other hand, over an angular range around their own longitudinal axis, namely when the pivoting lever 13 engages the cam disk 11 with the corresponding roller 17 and, due to the geometric profile of the cam disk groove 12, performs a pivoting movement that leads to a self-rotation of the tappet 16 within a specific angular range. This angular range depends on the geometry of the cam disk and cam disk groove 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the length of the pivoting lever 13, the "amplitude" of the cam disk groove 12, is selected such that pivoting the pivoting lever 13 leads to a rotation of the tappet from +20° to -20°. Overall, a rotational movement of 40° is thus performed, albeit in a reversing direction.The reversibly rotating plungers transfer the corresponding rotation from the mold cap to the tampon blank to be formed, which has surprisingly shown that particularly smooth tampon heads can be produced.

[0096] Fig. 1b schematically shows a detailed view of a section of Fig. 1a. The area shown is a section of the processing area.

[0097] The plunger 16 has performed a lifting movement which extends through the first drum disc 15 and brings a guide roller 17 into operative connection with a cam disc groove 12. Through the selected cam disc groove 12, an up and down movement of the pivot lever 13 is transmitted as a reversing rotation to the plunger 16. The guide roller 17 is connected to the pivot lever 13 via a bearing with a nut 22. When the drive 20 rotates, a rotation is thus transmitted to the plunger 16 via the cam disc 11. The drum disc 15 is supplied with energy via a slip ring, and a cable guide 21 supplies the plunger with electrical energy for heating a molded cap (not visible in Fig. 1 b).

[0098] Fig. 2a to 2c schematically show different embodiments of a molding unit and also illustrate how the operative connection is produced.

[0099] A molding unit 50 according to the invention is shown in Fig. 2a with an operative connection established. The molding unit 50 comprises a rotatable, in particular reversibly rotatable, molding cap 51. It further comprises a molding sleeve 52, which is designed to receive a tampon blank to be molded in a molding chamber 53.

[0100] An ejection pin 71, which can be displaced translationally in the longitudinal direction, serves to empty the mold sleeve 52 and release a tampon blank from the molding chamber into a processing chamber. The mold cap 51 shown here was brought into said operative connection, for example, by means of a translational movement that occurred essentially coaxially with the longitudinal axis Z. The mold cap 51 shown is also rotated in a rotational direction C by a ram that performed the said translational movement, namely, for example, reversibly rotated by +20° to -20°.

[0101] The translational movement is effected by a ram stroke B of a ram 16, to whose front end the forming cap 51 is attached. This ram 16 also transmits the rotational movement, which can be effected, for example, by a cam disk coupled to the drive of a drum or a guide unit, to the forming cap 51. The forming cap 51 rotates reversibly C, i.e., in both directions, clockwise and counterclockwise, around the longitudinal axis of the ram, or rather, the forming cap 51, and thus smooths a tampon blank inserted in the forming chamber 53.

[0102] In the example shown in Fig. 2a, the molding chamber 53 and the corresponding geometry of the molding cap 51 are designed to produce a substantially semicircular tampon head. Removal of the tampon blank is facilitated by an ejection stroke A of the ejection pin 71, which pushes the tampon out of the sleeve 52 into a processing chamber (not shown in Fig. 2a) after the molding cap 51 has released the operative connection.

[0103] To optimally establish the operative connection, the mold unit 50 has a centering aid. In the present example of Fig. 2a, this centering aid is implemented by a sleeve stop surface 58 formed on the mold sleeve 52 and a corresponding precisely fitting cap stop surface 59 formed on the mold cap 51. These stop surfaces 58, 59 extend over the entire circumference of the sleeve 52 or the mold cap 51, respectively, and thus facilitate the precise positioning of the tool, i.e., the mold cap 51 on the mold sleeve 52, and thus define the precise machining space.

[0104] As already mentioned, the molding chamber 53 can be adapted to various tampon geometries. For example, the diameter of the molding chamber 53, its longitudinal extent, or even its opening toward the molding cap can be adapted to the corresponding tampon geometries. A skilled person can achieve this by exchanging a corresponding assembly consisting of the molding sleeve 52 and the molding cap 51. Accordingly, the molding unit 50 according to the invention is a separately tradable unit, which allows for a high degree of adaptability to specific tampon parameters for the device according to the invention and can thus be adapted to specific customer needs.

[0105] This is illustrated by way of example in Fig. 2b, which shows a molding unit 50 according to the invention, which is designed to satisfy an alternative tampon geometry. In the present example, a tampon with a conically tapered tampon head is molded. Fig. 2b also illustrates an alternative embodiment of the centering aid. In Fig. 2b, an adapted molding sleeve 52' is equipped with a stop surface 58', which extends around the circumference of the outlet opening of the molding chamber 53. The molding cap 51' has a corresponding counterstructure in the form of a cap stop surface 59', which extends around the mold, which itself has a conically tapered blind hole opening. During operation, the two stop surfaces are contacted by a ram stroke, thus closing the molding unit and bringing the two elements, molding cap 51' and molding sleeve 52', into operative connection.

[0106] Another example of a molding unit according to the invention is shown in Fig. 2c, where a correspondingly geometrically adapted mold sleeve 52' can be operatively connected to a correspondingly adapted mold cap 51". In this example, too, the sleeve stop surface 58" and the mold cap stop surface 59" are designed to complement each other and serve to perfectly center the two tools. This particular molding unit serves to produce a tampon with a substantially flat tampon head. Those skilled in the art will derive numerous suggestions from these examples for transferring and adapting the inventive concept to other, more specific tampon geometries. Fig. 3a shows a second drum disc of a device according to the invention. A second drum disc 70 comprises a plurality of molding sleeves 52, each molding sleeve 52 being suitable for receiving a tampon / tampon blank.For this purpose, it has a corresponding mold space 53.

[0107] The second drum disk 70 shown can be rotated about a central axis of rotation via a drive 20. The mold sleeves 52 move in an orbit. This orbit is set such that the mold sleeves 52 are each arranged coaxially with tappets 16, which are aligned on a first drum disk (not shown in Fig. 3a) and can extend into a processing space by means of a stroke, so that a mold cap 51 at the end of the tappet 16 can come into operative connection with a tampon in a molding space 53 in such a way that friction can be applied to the tampon blank via rotation of the mold cap 51, contact pressure via the tappet 16, and heat can be applied to the tampon blank via heating of the mold cap 51.

[0108] A schematic view of the two drum discs 70, 72 of a drum 10 according to the invention is shown in Fig. 3b. Fig. 3b shows the second drum disc 70 described in Fig. 3a, which comprises a series of molded sleeves 52.

[0109] On a first drum disc 72, a series of recesses 23 are formed, through which a plurality of plungers 16 can extend, also coaxially to the mold sleeves 52, into a processing space 57. They overcome this processing space 57 upon performing a reversible lifting movement, which represents a transition from a processing state to a loading and unloading state of the drum according to the invention.

[0110] Once the mold caps 51, which are provided at the ends of the rams 16, have overcome the processing space 57, they come into operative connection with the tampons contained in the mold sleeves 52. A rotation about their respective longitudinal axes of the rams 16 is transmitted to the mold caps 51.

[0111] This self-rotation within an angular range of between +20° and -20° is made possible by a cam disk, which is fed by the same drive that drives the rotation of the two drum disks 70, 72. The two parallel drum disks 70, 72 rotate in such a way that the mold sleeves and the mold caps are always arranged coaxially with each other. Once the lifting movement is successful, the plungers 16 move from a first configuration 55 to a second configuration 56. The first configuration 55, as mentioned, is used for loading and / or unloading the drum. The second configuration 56 is the configuration in which the tampon blanks are processed, i.e., contact pressure, heat, and friction are applied to the tampons.

[0112] With the device according to the invention, tampons according to Fig. 4a can be produced, among other things, which have a smoothed, conically tapered tampon head 101'. In the present example, the produced tampons 100 have grooves 102 running parallel to the longitudinal axis and a tampon body 104 designed to absorb fluid. A retrieval thread extends from the tampon at its proximal end.

[0113] Fig. 4b shows an example of a tampon with a flat head 101. The edges are beveled. Fig. 4c shows an example of a tampon with a conically tapered head 101.

[0114] This tampon can also be smoothed with the aid of the device according to the invention and the method according to the invention, for example by the specific design of the mold cap used, as shown by way of example in Figures 21 to 2c.

[0115] Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention to the drum configuration described above. The device shown serves for shaping and / or smoothing at least one axial end of a tampon blank. In this device, the tampon blanks are conveyed in a substantially linear conveying direction 80 while being processed. The tampon blanks (not shown) are fed into the device by means of a loading lever 86, on the front side of which a loading engagement 85 is formed. Specifically, a tampon blank is inserted into a forming sleeve 52.

[0116] This formed sleeve 52 is rigidly connected to a second conveying plane 81, e.g. in that this second conveying plane 81 has a recess into which the formed sleeve 52 can be connected to the second conveying plane 81 with a precise, form-fitting connection. The second conveying plane 81 can be designed as a belt, e.g. as a conveyor belt. A person skilled in the art is familiar with numerous ways in which such a conveyor belt can be designed, e.g. it can be an elastic belt driven by rollers, but solutions with toothed chain links are also conceivable, as are widely known from conveying technology. Alternatively, the formed sleeve can be guided in a rail or groove of the second conveying plane, and a driver or driver system serves to convey the formed sleeves in the conveying direction. In the case of a belt for the second conveying plane 81, this can, for example, be designed to be circumferential, so that the belt essentially fulfills a driver function for the formed sleeves 52.The mold sleeves 52 include an ejection pin, which serves to eject the molded tampons from the device after processing. The mold sleeves 52 are configured with a cavity designed to receive the tampon blank and which is further configured to operatively engage a mold cap 51.

[0117] The mold cap 51 is attached at its end to a plunger 16, which is arranged on a carousel on a second conveying plane 82. The mold sleeve 52 and the mold cap 51 are designed such that they are essentially concentrically aligned with one another for the duration of a processing operation, i.e. whenever an operative connection is being produced and / or has been produced. Overall, the conveyance of the tampon blanks and tampons on the device according to the invention shown as an example can be divided into two configurations. In a first configuration 55, the tools are not operatively connected and are also not concentrically aligned with one another. The device according to the invention can be loaded in this configuration of the first configuration 55.Likewise, in this newly adopted first configuration 55, after processing has taken place, a removal engagement 83 can engage in a processing space 57, wherein the removal engagement 83 performs a movement into this processing space 57 via a removal lever 84, and removes a fully formed tampon, wherein the ejection pin 71 carries out the ejection from the mold sleeve 52 and pushes this tampon into the removal engagement 83, where it can be supplied for further processing.

[0118] The machining space 57 is defined as the space between the two tools, the mold cap 51 and the mold sleeve 52, and is the space that must be bridged when the mold caps 51 are brought into operative connection with the mold sleeves 52 by means of a stroke of the rams 16. In this machining space 57, in the example shown, the mold sleeves 52 and the mold caps 51 are also concentrically aligned with one another. As previously shown, these can each be designed with centering aids, as shown, for example, in Figs. 2a to 2c.

[0119] The first conveyor level 82 is designed as a carousel and, once the operative connection has been released, guides the tools back to their starting position. The first conveyor level 82 can be driven by means of a drive, and a corresponding cam disk, e.g. on the profile of the first conveyor level 82, can serve to effect the stroke of the plungers 16. Once this stroke has been fully completed, the tools move into a second configuration 56. During the period in which the tools are in the second configuration 56, at least one of pressure, friction and / or heat can be applied to the tampon blanks by means of a rotation of the mold caps 51 about their longitudinal axis, by means of contact pressure from the stroke of the plungers 16, and by means of thermal heating, so that they undergo a forming process.In order to apply heat to the tampon blanks, a cable 21 is provided in the present example, which can conduct electrical energy into the mold cap 51 for heating.

[0120] A particular advantage of the device shown is that the entire device can be driven by a single drive and corresponding cam disks or transmission wheels. The tools are designed to be concentrically aligned synchronously with each other. Another particular advantage is the processing time during which the tampon blanks can be processed while simultaneously being moved along a section of the conveying direction 80. This ensures continuous forming of tampon blanks into formed tampons.

[0121] The present invention also makes it possible to adapt to specific needs with regard to tampon geometries. Fig. 6a shows an example of a molded sleeve 52 according to the invention. The molded sleeve 52 has a substantially cylindrical base body into which a molded sleeve groove 61 is recessed. The molded sleeve groove can serve to lock the molded sleeve in a corresponding recess of a conveying plane. It prevents the molded sleeve from falling out during operation and can, for example, enable a positive fit using a bayonet-type locking mechanism. The molded sleeve 52 has a loading opening 64 through which a tampon blank can be inserted into the molded sleeve 52. At the opposite end there is a sleeve recess 63 through which an ejection pin (not shown in Fig. 6a) can act into the molded sleeve and eject a tampon.A sleeve flange 62 secures the shaped sleeve 52 relative to the respective conveying plane, such as the drum disc.

[0122] This is illustrated in Fig. 6b, where a drum disc 70 is configured with a molded sleeve receptacle 65, which is suitable for receiving a molded sleeve 52, as shown in Fig. 6a. The drum disc 70 is aligned parallel to another drum disc, which, concentrically to the molded sleeve receptacle 65, comprises tools in the form of rams 16, at the end of which a molded cap 51 is located. The molded cap 51 has a matching, complementary cap stop surface 59, which serves as a centering aid for the molded sleeve 52.

[0123] The mold cap and mold sleeve can be exchanged in just a few simple steps, allowing the device according to the invention to be highly adaptable to various tampon geometries. The specifically matching stop surfaces also ensure that the tools are installed correctly, i.e., that the appropriate mold caps are paired with the appropriate mold sleeves.

[0124] The present invention provides a device and a method, as well as a corresponding computer program product, which can easily and efficiently produce smooth tampon heads on tampon blanks.

[0125] List of reference symbols

[0126] 10 drums

[0127] 11 Cam disc

[0128] 12 cam disc groove

[0129] 13 swivel lever

[0130] 14 Guide pin

[0131] 15 first drum disc

[0132] 16 tappets

[0133] 17 Leadership role

[0134] 18 camps

[0135] 19 Guide plate

[0136] 19.1 Leadership

[0137] 20 drive

[0138] 21 cables

[0139] 22 Mother

[0140] 23 Recess

[0141] 50 mold units

[0142] 51 , 51 ', 51 ” shape cap

[0143] 52, 52', 52” molded sleeve

[0144] 53 Forming room

[0145] 54 Axis

[0146] 55 first configuration

[0147] 56 second configuration

[0148] 57 processing room

[0149] 58, 58', 58” case stop surface

[0150] 59, 59', 59” cap stop surface

[0151] 61 Form sleeve groove

[0152] 62 sleeve flange

[0153] 63 Sleeve recess

[0154] 64 assembly opening

[0155] 65 Form sleeve holder

[0156] 70 Second drum disc

[0157] 71 ejection pin

[0158] 72 First drum disc 80 Conveying direction

[0159] 81 second funding level

[0160] 82 first funding level

[0161] 83 Removal procedure

[0162] 84 Removal lever

[0163] 85 Insertion intervention 86 Insertion lever

[0164] 100 Tampon 101 Tampon head flat 101 ' Tampon head hemispherical

[0165] 101 ” Tampon head conical 102 Grooves 103 Removal thread 104 Tampon body

[0166] A Ejection stroke

[0167] B Ram stroke C Reversible rotation

[0168] Z longitudinal axis

Claims

Patent claims 1. Device for forming and / or smoothing at least one end (101, 101') of a tampon blank, in particular an axial end of a tampon blank, comprising: a. A guide unit (10) driven by at least one axis (54), wherein the guide unit (10) comprises a first conveying level (72) and a second conveying level (70); b. A plurality of forming sleeves (52) on the second conveying level (70) for receiving at least one tampon blank each; c.A plurality of, in particular radially arranged, rotatable forming caps (51) on the first conveying level (72), each designed to be brought into operative contact with at least one end of a tampon blank in a forming sleeve (52), and wherein the forming cap (51) is designed to effect a forming and smoothing of at least one end (101, 101') of a tampon blank by exerting at least one of: contact pressure and / or heat and / or friction, and characterized in that the first conveying level and the second conveying level are designed to guide at least one of the plurality of forming sleeves (52) on the second conveying level (70) coaxially to at least one of the plurality of rotatable forming caps (51) on the first conveying level (72).

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit is designed as a drum driven about a central axis, in particular as a drum driven about exactly one axis.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the first conveying level is designed as a first drum disk (72) and the second conveying level is designed as a second drum disk (70), and wherein the first and the second Drum discs (70, 72) are arranged parallel and coaxially to each other on the central axis (54). Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of forming sleeves (54) are arranged radially on the second conveying level (70), in particular on the second drum disc (70). Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first conveying level and the second conveying level are each designed to guide at least one of the plurality of forming sleeves (52) on the second conveying level (70) coaxially to at least one of the plurality of rotatable forming caps (51) on the first conveying level (72) for a processing period, in particular at least one period of the operative connection. Device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of forming sleeves (52) are arranged linearly on the second conveying level (70).A device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one forming cap comprises a hollow form which substantially corresponds to the resulting shape of one end of the tampon blank, in particular a substantially conically tapered recess as a hollow form for forming an axial end of a tampon blank, or a hemispherical recess as a hollow form, or a flat, axial end of a uniform cylinder as a hollow form. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the at least one forming cap (51) comprises a defined roughness, in particular a low roughness. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one forming cap (51) is designed to be reversibly rotatable, in particular is rotatably mounted.Device according to claim 2, wherein the device comprises a drive (20) for the rotation of the drum arranged to rotate about a central axis (54). Device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rotatable mold cap (51), in particular arranged radially on the drum, is coupled to the at least one axis (54) as a drive, in particular via a cam disk (11), such that a rotation of the drum (10) is coupled to a rotational movement of the mold cap (51). Device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at least one mold cap (51) is designed to be heated, in particular wherein the device comprises at least one heating element designed to heat the mold cap to a temperature of more than 10 °C, in particular more than 20 °C, in particular between 20 °C and 250 °C, in particular between 20 °C and 200 °C. Device according to claim 2, wherein the drum has between six and eighteen, in particular between eight and sixteen, shaped caps (51), in particular on a first drum disk (15, 72).Device according to claim 9, wherein the reversibly rotatable forming cap (51) is formed at the end face of a plunger (16) designed to perform a stroke, in particular wherein the stroke is capable of triggering a coupling with a cam disk (11). Method for forming at least one end (101) of a tampon blank, comprising the steps: a. In particular, providing a device according to claim 1; b. loading a forming sleeve with a tampon blank; c. contacting the tampon blank with a forming cap arranged, in particular radially, on a first conveying plane (72), such that at least one end of the tampon blank in the forming sleeve is subjected to at least one of: contact pressure and / or heat and / or friction, and. d. Processing the tampon blank during a period of active contact on a conveying section of the conveying unit, in particular a drum orbit of an angular range on the drum track, in particular an angular range of between 0° and 270°, preferably between 0° and 180°, more preferably between 0° and 90°. Method according to claim 15, wherein the tampon blank is subjected to contact pressure, heat, and friction for processing. Method according to claim 16, wherein the friction is generated by a reversing rotation of the mold cap, in particular wherein the mold cap comprises a defined roughness. Method according to claim 17, wherein the reversing rotation is coupled to a drive of the drum via a cam disk (11).A method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the tampon blank is subjected to a temperature of more than 10 °C, in particular more than 20 °C, in particular between 20 °C and 250 °C, in particular between 20 °C and 200 °C, and / or is subjected to friction by rotating the forming cap by between +20 degrees and -20 degrees. A computer program product for controlling a device according to claim 1, wherein the parameters selected from the group consisting of: contact pressure, heat, and friction for forming and smoothing the at least one end (101) of a tampon blank are individually preset depending on the materials used for the tampon blank.

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