Wearable Article Waist Sheet Folding for Compact Manufacturing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method of manufacturing wearable articles, such as diapers, requires parallel conveyance of sheets forming waist members with a gap, leading to increased width of manufacturing equipment.
Innovation Solution
Convey and fold sheets forming waist members orthogonally to their width direction, allowing for reduced equipment size and material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sheets for forming first waist member and second waist member are conveyed parallel to each other with a gap, then the absorbent body can be attached between them, but the width of manufacturing equipment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the conveyance arrangement from a parallel two-dimensional layout (requiring width for both sheets) to a sequential one-dimensional layout (conveying sheets one after another). This dimensional change in the process flow eliminates the need for simultaneous width accommodation, thereby reducing equipment width while maintaining the ability to attach the absorbent body between waist members
2Productivity
If sheets are conveyed parallel to each other, then waist members can be formed simultaneously, but manufacturing equipment becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from simultaneous parallel conveyance (requiring wide equipment) to sequential conveyance in the same equipment. By utilizing the longitudinal dimension for sequential processing, the system maintains productivity through continuous operation while reducing the横向 width requirement of the manufacturing equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustment capabilities where the conveyance system can adaptively control the timing and positioning of sheets during sequential conveyance. This dynamic control enables flexible production rhythms that maintain productivity levels while accommodating the reduced equipment width through optimized process sequencing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided is a wearable article manufacturing method that can downsize manufacturing equipment. The wearable article manufacturing method is a method of manufacturing a wearable article having an absorbent body that is disposed in the crotch of a wearer and extends in a first direction between a first end and a second end, a first waist member that is connected to the absorbent body on the first end side and is disposed on the front waist of the wearer when the wearable article is worn, and a second waist member that is connected to the absorbent body on the second end side and is disposed on the back waist of the wearer when the wearable article is worn. The wearable article manufacturing method includes a process of conveying in a second direction (D2) a sheet (S) that is to be formed into the first waist member and the second waist member and a folding process. The second direction is a direction orthogonal to the width direction (W) of the sheet, and the width direction of the sheet is a direction along the waist of the wearer when the wearable article is worn by the wearer. In the folding process, both ends in the width direction of the conveyed sheet are folded toward a center of the sheet in the width direction.