Hygiene Article Absorber Core Transport via Porous Screen Belt

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Solution Overview

Problem

The production of hygiene articles, such as sanitary napkins and diapers, faces challenges in maintaining a contamination-free and efficient process flow due to loose particles and material residues from the absorber core mixture, which can interfere with subsequent processing steps and affect product quality.

Innovation Solution

The method involves suspending absorber cores after shaping and portioning, allowing them to be transported 'hanging' with a vacuum-loaded suction belt, supported by a moving sieve belt with appropriate mesh size, to separate and remove loose particles using gravity, ensuring reliable removal before embedding in material webs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the material stream is transported conventionally on a solid belt, then the transport is stable and reliable, but loose particles and material residues cannot be effectively removed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocess reliabilityVSAvoidloose particles and material residues
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a porous or perforated belt structure that allows loose particles and material residues to fall through the belt during transport. The belt contains openings of specific size (0.5-5mm) that enable gravity-driven removal of contaminants while maintaining structural integrity for reliable transport of the absorber core material stream.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts harmful loose particles and material residues from the material stream by allowing them to fall through the porous belt during transport. This separation process removes contaminants before the material reaches subsequent processing stages, preventing disruptions and quality issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If the production process runs at high throughput rates, then productivity increases, but contamination and disruptions from loose particles increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethroughput rateVSAvoidcontamination and disruptions
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The porous belt transport system performs preliminary removal of loose particles and contaminants before the material enters subsequent processing stages. This preventive action ensures that high throughput rates do not lead to accumulation of contaminants that could cause disruptions or quality problems later in the process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If a porous belt is used for transport, then loose particles can be removed by gravity, but the belt structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparticle removal effectivenessVSAvoidbelt structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a porous or perforated belt with openings of 0.5-5mm that enables gravity-driven removal of loose particles during transport. Despite the increased structural complexity compared to solid belts, the design maintains simplicity through regular geometric patterns and standard manufacturing techniques, achieving reliable particle removal without excessive complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach effectively prevents disruptions from loose particles, enhancing process reliability and product quality by ensuring a clean and efficient production process, particularly in high-throughput manufacturing environments.

Implementation Method 1

transporting the material stream provided with the upper material web to a feed station for the lower material web by means of a transport means arranged on the upper side and being supported downwards by a moving screen belt during this transport

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP2818147B1Method and device for manufacturing hygiene articles
Publication Date: 2019.10.02 WINKLER & DUNNEBIER GMBH
  • EP2818147B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

A method and a system (1) for the production of hygiene articles, each with an absorber core (4) provided on its upper and lower sides with one or more layers of material webs (8, 14), in which a portioned material stream (2) formed from a mixture provided for the formation of the absorber cores (4) is first provided on its upper side and then on its lower side with a glued material web (8, 14), are intended to promote resource-saving and particularly efficient process control. According to the invention, the material stream (2) provided with the upper material web (8) is transported by means of a transport means arranged above to a feed station (12) for the lower material web (14) and is supported during this downward transport by a moving screen belt (20).