Absorbent body manufacturing device

Abstract

To provide an absorbent body manufacturing device capable of shortening the stop time of a manufacture line and more accurately scattering a particulate matter containing an absorbent substance into a desired shape.SOLUTION: A particulate matter containing an absorbent substance is scattered from scattering outlets 12a to 12c of a particulate matter supply device 12 onto one main surface of a first sheet 2 being conveyed along a conveying path 3 between a first roller 13 and a second roller 15. First suction holes 14a to 14c opened on a support surface 14s so as to face the scattering outlets 12a to 12c are formed on a sheet support member 14 which has the support surface 14s that supports the first sheet 2 in contact with the other main surface of the first sheet 2. The first suction holes 14a to 14c are connected to a negative pressure source 18a to suck the first sheet 2. An adhesive application device 20 applies adhesive to one main surface of the first sheet 2 and / or one main surface of a second sheet 4, and a guide roller 16 guides the second sheet 4 such that the one main surface of the second sheet 4 overlaps the one main surface of the first sheet 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly to a technique for manufacturing an absorbent body used in an absorbent article. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, disposable pants, sanitary napkins, and incontinence pads use absorbent bodies containing powdery or granular absorbent material capable of absorbing and retaining liquid.

[0003] For example, Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 101 used to manufacture such an absorbent body, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a main portion of the absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 101. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in the absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 101, a conveying device conveys a first sheet 201 diagonally downward, and powder and granular material containing an absorbent substance is sprayed onto one main surface of the first sheet 201 from a spraying port 48c of a powder and granular material supplying device 40, and then a second sheet 202 is superimposed on the first sheet 201. Before being superimposed on the first sheet 201, an adhesive is applied to the second sheet 202 by an adhesive applying device 82. After the first sheet 201 and the second sheet 202 are adhered together and the powder and granular material is sandwiched between the first sheet 201 and the second sheet 202, the absorbent body is passed between a pair of rollers 72, 72 of a pressing device 70 and compressed in the thickness direction.

[0004] The conveying device is configured such that a breathable conveyor belt 118a circulates and sucks the first sheet 201 via the conveyor belt 118a. That is, a suction port 51a of a suction device 50 is disposed so as to face the spray port 48c of the powder / granular material supplying device 40 across the conveyor belt 118a, and air around the suction port 51a is sucked in by driving a suction pump 52. This causes the first sheet 201 and the powder / granular material to be sucked in.

[0005] The powder and granular material supply device 40 is configured so that the powder and granular material stored in the hopper 42 passes through the adjustment device 44 and continuously falls toward the spray outlet 48c, and the opening / closing member 122c crosses the falling path along which the powder and granular material falls to the spray outlet 48c, blocking the spray outlet 48c, thereby intermittently stopping the supply of the powder and granular material from the spray outlet 48c. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 131025 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] During the production of absorbents using this type of absorbent body manufacturing apparatus, some of the powder and granular material spread on the first sheet passes through the first sheet and adheres to and accumulates on the conveyor belt, making it necessary to stop the production line and clean the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt has a complex structure made up of multiple parts, and cleaning takes a long time, which increases the downtime of the production line and reduces production efficiency.

[0008] Furthermore, although it is desirable to scatter the powder or granular material in a desired shape with greater precision on one main surface of the first sheet, this is difficult to achieve.

[0009] In view of this situation, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide an absorbent manufacturing apparatus that can reduce the downtime of the manufacturing line and more accurately spread powder containing absorbent material in a desired shape. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus configured as follows.

[0011] The absorbent body manufacturing apparatus includes: (a) a first roller and a second roller that define a conveyance path for a first sheet; (b) a powder / granular material supplying device that has a sprinkling port that is disposed between the first roller and the second roller so as to face the conveyance path, and that sprinkles powder / granular material containing an absorbent material from the sprinkling port onto one main surface of the first sheet that is being conveyed along the conveyance path; and (c) a guide roller that is disposed on the second roller side of the sprinkling port of the powder / granular material supplying device and that guides the second sheet so that one main surface of the second sheet overlaps with the one main surface of the first sheet that is being conveyed along the conveyance path and onto which the powder / granular material has been sprinkled. (d) a sheet support member having a support surface that contacts the other main surface of the first sheet being transported along the transport path between the first roller and the guide roller and supports the first sheet, and a first suction hole that opens into the support surface so as to face the spray port of the powder / granular material supply device is formed, and the first suction hole is connected to a negative pressure source and sucks the first sheet; and (e) an adhesive application device that applies adhesive to either or both of the one main surface of the first sheet and the one main surface of the second sheet before the one main surface of the first sheet overlaps with the one main surface of the first sheet.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the sheet support member has a simple structure that allows the time required to remove adhering powder and granular material to be shorter than that required for a conveyor belt, thereby reducing the downtime of the production line. In addition, since the first sheet is sucked directly through the first suction holes that open on the sheet support surface, the rebound of the powder and granular material immediately after it reaches the first sheet can be more effectively prevented than when sucked through a conveyor belt, allowing the powder and granular material to be scattered more accurately in the desired shape.

[0013] Preferably, a second suction hole is formed in the support surface of the sheet support member, opening in a first region closer to the second roller than the first suction hole, and the second suction hole is connected to a negative pressure source to suck in the first sheet.

[0014] In this case, the first sheet on which the powder or granular material is scattered is sucked through the second suction holes that open in the sheet support surface, thereby preventing the scattered powder or granular material from shifting in position.

[0015] Preferably, a third suction hole is formed on the support surface of the sheet support member, opening to a second region that overlaps or is adjacent to the side edge of the first sheet supported on the support surface, and the third suction hole is connected to a negative pressure source to suck in the portion of the first sheet near the side edge.

[0016] In this case, by sucking the vicinity of the side edge of the first sheet supported on the support surface of the sheet support member through the third suction holes opening in the sheet support surface, meandering and flapping of the first sheet can be suppressed.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive applicator is disposed between the spray opening of the supply device and the guide roller, and applies the adhesive to the one main surface of the first sheet.

[0018] In this case, the application of the adhesive can prevent the powder particles scattered on the first sheet from scattering.

[0019] In another preferred embodiment, the adhesive applicator is disposed away from between the spray port of the supply device and the guide roller, and applies the adhesive to the one main surface of the second sheet.

[0020] In this case, the distance between the powder supply device's spray port and the guide roller can be shortened, allowing the sheet support member to be made smaller, thereby shortening the time required to clean the sheet support member to which powder has adhered, and further reducing the downtime of the production line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, the downtime of the production line can be reduced, and powder containing an absorbent substance can be dispersed in a desired shape with higher accuracy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus (Example 1). [Figure 2]2 is a schematic view taken along line AA in FIG. 1 (Example 1). [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus (Variation 1). [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus (conventional example 1). [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 4 (Conventional Example 1). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0024] Example 1 An absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10 of Example 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0025] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10. As shown in Fig. 1, in the absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10, a second roller 15 is disposed diagonally below a first roller 13, and between the first roller 13 and the second roller 15, there are disposed spray ports 12a to 12c of a powder / granular material supply device 12, an adhesive applicator 20, an introduction roller 19, a guide roller 16, a sheet support member 14, and a suction box 18. Furthermore, the absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10 is equipped with a pressure roller 17 and a press mechanism 30.

[0026] The absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10 sprinkles powder containing an absorbent substance onto the first sheet 2, and then forms the absorbent body 6 by overlaying the second sheet 4 on the first sheet 2.

[0027] The absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10 conveys the first sheet 2 in the direction indicated by the arrow 2x along a conveyance path 3 between a first roller 13 and a second roller 15. In other words, the first roller 13 and the second roller 15 define the conveyance path 3 for the first sheet 2.

[0028] The first roller 13 and / or the second roller 15 may be configured to be rotationally driven or driven. It is also possible for the first roller 13 and / or the second roller 15 to be configured not to rotate.

[0029] Powder and granular material supplying device 12 has spraying ports 12a to 12c arranged to face conveying path 3 between first roller 13 and second roller 15, and sprays powder and granular material containing an absorbent substance such as SAP (Super Absorbent Polymers) from spraying ports 12a to 12c toward conveying path 3. As a result, the powder and granular material is sprayed onto one main surface of first sheet 2 being conveyed along conveying path 3. Powder and granular material supplying device 12 is configured similarly to powder and granular material supplying device 40 of Patent Document 1, for example.

[0030] The adhesive applicator 20 is disposed closer to the second roller 15 than the spraying ports 12a to 12c of the powder / granular material supply device 12, and applies adhesive by spraying or the like to one main surface of the first sheet 2 onto which the powder / granular material has been sprayed. This makes it possible to prevent the powder / granular material sprayed onto the first sheet 2 from scattering.

[0031] The guide roller 16 is disposed closer to the second roller 15 than the spray ports 12a to 12c of the powder / granular material supply device 12 and the adhesive applicator 20, and in the vicinity of the conveying path 3, and guides the second sheet 4 so that one main surface of the second sheet 4 overlaps one main surface of the first sheet 2 to which adhesive has been applied. When one main surface of the second sheet 4 overlaps one main surface of the first sheet 2, the absorbent body 6 is formed.

[0032] The introduction roller 19 is disposed between the adhesive applicator 20 and the guide roller 16. The introduction roller 19 faces the conveying path 3 at an appropriate distance and defines the conveying path of the second sheet 4 so that the second sheet 4 is conveyed toward the guide roller 16 and covers one main surface of the first sheet 2 on which the powder or granular material has been scattered. The second sheet 4 between the introduction roller 19 and the guide roller 16 prevents the powder or granular material scattered on one main surface of the first sheet 2 from scattering before it is sandwiched between the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 4. The introduction roller 19 is preferably disposed as close as possible to the adhesive applicator 20.

[0033] The sheet support member 14 and the suction box 18 are disposed below the conveying path 3 between the first roller 13 and the second roller 15.

[0034] The sheet support member 14 is disposed along the conveying path 3 and has a support surface 14s that contacts the other main surface of the first sheet 2 being conveyed along the conveying path 3 between the first roller 13 and the guide roller 16 and supports the first sheet 2. The sheet support member 14 is formed with first suction holes 14a to 14c, second suction hole 14d, and third suction hole 14e, which will be described later. The sheet support member 14 is formed using a material such as stainless steel or a polyethylene fluoride resin (e.g., Teflon (registered trademark)).

[0035] The suction box 18 is disposed adjacent to the sheet support member 14 on the opposite side from the conveyance path 3. The suction box 18 has an internal space 18a facing the sheet support member 14, and the suction holes 14a to 14e of the sheet support member 14 are configured to communicate with the internal space of the suction box 18. The internal space 18a is suctioned by a suction pump (not shown) or the like as indicated by arrow 16x, creating a negative pressure. As a result, the suction holes 14a to 14e of the sheet support member 14 are connected to the internal space 18a, which is a common negative pressure source, and the first sheet 2 is sucked in.

[0036] Although Figure 1 shows a gap between the support surface 14s of the sheet support member 14 and the conveying path 3, which corresponds to the plane contacting the first roller 13 and the second roller 15, it is preferable that the support surface 14s of the sheet support member 14 overlaps the conveying path 3 and contacts the other main surface of the first sheet 2 so as to prevent unnecessary tension from being generated in the first sheet 2 due to friction.

[0037] However, it is also possible to arrange the support surface 14s below the plane in contact with the first roller 13 and the second roller 15, and to have the other main surface of the first sheet 2 come into contact with the support surface 14s by suction through the suction holes 14a to 14e. Conversely, it is also possible to arrange the support surface 14s above the plane in contact with the first roller 13 and the second roller 15, and to have the support surface 14s push up the first sheet 2.

[0038] Figure 2 is a schematic view taken along line AA in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the first suction holes 14a to 14c, the second suction hole 14d, and the third suction hole 14e are formed to penetrate between the support surface 14s of the sheet support member 14 and the opposite main surface 14t, and to open to the support surface 14s.

[0039] The first suction holes 14a to 14c are formed on the first roller 13 side of the sheet support member 14 so as to face the spray ports 12a to 12c of the powder / granular material supply device 12, and more specifically, are formed so as to extend from the area facing the spray ports 12a to 12c toward the second roller 15. In other words, the first suction holes 14a to 14c are formed so as to face not only the area where the powder / granular material sprayed from the spray ports 12a to 12c of the powder / granular material supply device 12 reaches the first sheet, but also the area where the powder / granular material reaches the first sheet and rebounds.

[0040] The first suction holes 14a to 14c suck the powder or granules scattered on one main surface of the first sheet 2 through the first sheet 2. This makes it possible to prevent the powder or granules that reach the one main surface of the first sheet 2 from bouncing back.

[0041] Although not shown, a breathable opening member such as a mesh member is disposed at the opening of each of the first suction holes 14a to 14c on the support surface 14s side. Instead of disposing an opening member, each of the first suction holes 14a to 14c may be configured with a plurality of through holes.

[0042] The second suction holes 14d are formed in first regions 14p-14r of the support surface 14s of the sheet support member 14, which are closer to the second roller 15 than the first suction holes 14a-14c, and are aligned in the conveying direction of the first sheet 2. Grooves 14f are formed in the support surface 14s of the sheet support member 14, connecting adjacent second suction holes 14d in the conveying direction. This allows suction of the first sheet 2 to be continuous in the conveying direction of the first sheet 2. The number of rows of the second suction holes 14d and grooves 14f aligned in the conveying direction in each of the first regions 14p-14r may be selected as appropriate.

[0043] The second suction holes 14d suck the scattered powder or granules through the first sheet 2 in the section until the second sheet 4 is placed on top of the first sheet 2 on which the powder or granules have been scattered. This makes it possible to prevent the powder or granules scattered on the first sheet 2 from shifting in position.

[0044] In the first regions 14p-14r, there is no need to suppress rebound of the powder or granular material, so the suction in the first regions 14p-14r may be weaker than the suction of the first suction holes 14a-14c. Therefore, the second suction hole 14d is smaller than the first suction holes 14a-14c. In other words, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path perpendicular to the air flow is smaller for the second suction hole 14d than for the first suction holes 14a-14c.

[0045] The third suction holes 14e open in second regions 14u, 14v of the support surface 14s of the sheet support member 14 that overlap or are adjacent to the side edges 2a, 2b of the first sheet 2 supported on the support surface 14s. While Fig. 2 illustrates a case where the third suction holes 14e are formed on both sides of the side edges 2a, 2b of the first sheet 2 and spaced apart from the side edges 2a, 2b, the third suction holes 14e may also be formed so as to overlap the side edges 2a, 2b of the first sheet 2.

[0046] The third suction holes 14e suck the areas near the side edges 2a and 2b of the first sheet 2 supported on the support surface 14s of the sheet support member 14. This makes it possible to prevent the first sheet 2 from meandering or flapping.

[0047] The pressure roller 17 is disposed opposite the second roller 15, and the absorbent body 6, in which the powder and granular material is sandwiched between the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 4, passes between the pressure roller 17 and the second roller 15. The pressure roller 17 is formed using, for example, a resin, and presses the absorbent body 6 toward the pressure roller 17 with a predetermined pressure. This ensures that the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 4 of the absorbent body 6 are bonded together. It is also possible to configure the absorbent body 6 without providing the pressure roller 17.

[0048] The press mechanism 30 conveys the absorbent body 6 pressed by the pressure roller 17 while compressing it to a predetermined thickness with a pair of press rollers 32, 34 that rotate in synchronization. A heater may be provided to heat the press rollers 32, 34 and / or the absorbent body 6 to promote penetration of the adhesive. Note that a configuration without the press mechanism 30 is also possible.

[0049] The absorbent body 6 continuously manufactured by the absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10 is cut at appropriate positions and used in the form of individual pieces for absorbent articles.

[0050] The first sheet 2 is a continuous sheet that is breathable, can hold the powder or granules on one main surface side, and can prevent the scattered powder or granules from passing through from the other main surface side. For the first sheet 2, for example, a nonwoven fabric whose density on one main surface side is lower than that on the other main surface side is used.

[0051] The second sheet 4 is a continuous sheet that is breathable and does not allow powder or granular material to pass through. For example, the second sheet 4 is made of thin paper (tissue).

[0052] The sheet support member 14 of the absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10 has a simpler shape than the conveyor belt 118a, and powder is less likely to adhere to it. Even if powder does adhere to it, it can be easily removed. Therefore, the sheet support member 14 can be cleaned in a short time, and the downtime of the manufacturing line can be reduced.

[0053] Furthermore, in the absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10, the support surface 14s of the sheet support member 14 contacts the other main surface of the first sheet 2 to support the first sheet 2, and the first sheet 2 is sucked directly from the first suction holes 14a to 14c opening in the support surface 14s. Therefore, compared to when suction is performed via the conveyor belt 118a, the powder and granules that reach the first sheet 2 can be sucked more strongly, and the scattered powder and granules can be more effectively prevented from bouncing back, allowing the powder and granules to be scattered more accurately in a desired shape on one main surface of the first sheet.

[0054] <Modification 1> An absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10a of Modification 1 in which the adhesive application device 20 applies adhesive to the second sheet 4 instead of the first sheet 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0055] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10a. As shown in Fig. 3, the adhesive applicator 20 is disposed between the first roller 13 and the second roller 15, away from the conveyance path 3 of the first sheet 2, so as to face one main surface of the second sheet 2. The introduction roller 19 is preferably disposed as close as possible to the spraying ports 12a to 12c of the powder / granule supply device 12 so as to prevent the powder / granules sprayed on one main surface of the first sheet 2 from scattering.

[0056] In the absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10a, the distance between the guide roller 16 and the spraying ports 12a to 12c of the powder / granular material supplying device 12 can be made shorter than in the absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10 of Example 1, and accordingly the sheet support member 14x can be made smaller. At least a first suction hole is formed in the sheet support member 14x, and is configured to suck the first sheet 2.

[0057] The absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10a may be configured such that the sheet support member 14x does not have the second suction holes and / or the second suction holes.

[0058] By reducing the size of the sheet support member 14x, the time required to clean the sheet support member 14x can be further reduced, and the downtime of the production line can be further reduced.

[0059] <Summary> The absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 10, 10a described above can reduce the downtime of the manufacturing line by simplifying the configuration of the sheet support member 14, 14x. In addition, by more strongly suctioning the powder and granules that have reached the first sheet 2, rebounding of the dispersed powder and granules can be more effectively suppressed, and the powder and granules containing the absorbent material can be dispersed in a desired shape with greater accuracy.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented with various modifications.

[0061] For example, if the first sheet and the powder or granular material can be sucked in properly, it is possible to configure the first sheet to be conveyed horizontally or upward between the first roller and the second roller, rather than downward.

[0062] Furthermore, the first suction hole, the second suction hole, and the third suction hole may be connected to separate negative pressure sources. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 2. Sheet 1 2a,2b side edge 3. Transport Route 4. Second Sheet 6 Absorbent 10, 10a Absorbent body manufacturing equipment 12 Powder supply device 12a,12b,12c Spraying port 13 First Roller 14 seat support member 14a,14b,14c 1st suction hole 14d 2nd suction hole 14e 3rd suction hole 14p,14q,14r 1st area 14u,14v 2nd area 14s Sheet support surface 14x seat support members 15 Second Roller 16 Guide roller 18 Suction Box 18a Internal space (negative pressure source) 20 Adhesive application device

Claims

1. a first roller and a second roller that define a conveyance path for the first sheet; a powder / granular material supplying device having a spray opening disposed so as to face the conveying path between the first roller and the second roller, and configured to spray powder / granular material containing an absorbent substance from the spray opening onto one main surface of the first sheet being conveyed along the conveying path; a guide roller that is disposed closer to the second roller than the sprinkling port of the powder / granular material supplying device and that guides the second sheet so that one main surface of the second sheet overlaps the one main surface of the first sheet that has been transported along the transport path and onto which the powder / granular material has been sprinkled; a sheet support member having a support surface that contacts the other main surface of the first sheet being transported along the transport path between the first roller and the guide roller and supports the first sheet, and a first suction hole that opens into the support surface so as to face the sprinkling port of the powder / granular material supply device is formed, and the first suction hole is connected to a negative pressure source to suck the first sheet; an adhesive application device that applies adhesive to one or both of the one main surface of the first sheet and the one main surface of the second sheet before the one main surface of the first sheet is superimposed on the one main surface of the second sheet; An absorbent body manufacturing apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The absorbent body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second suction hole is formed in the support surface of the sheet support member, the second suction hole opening in a first region closer to the second roller than the first suction hole, and the second suction hole is connected to a negative pressure source to suck the first sheet.

3. 2. The absorbent body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a third suction hole is formed on the support surface of the sheet support member, the third suction hole opening in a second region that overlaps or is adjacent to a side edge of the first sheet supported on the support surface, and the third suction hole is connected to a negative pressure source to suck a portion of the first sheet near the side edge.

4. 4. The absorbent body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive applying device is disposed between the spray outlet of the supply device and the guide roller, and applies the adhesive to the one main surface of the first sheet.

5. The absorbent body manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the adhesive application device is positioned away from the spray outlet of the supply device and the guide roller, and applies the adhesive to the one main surface of the second sheet.

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