Method for Manufacturing Absorbent Article and Absorbent Article

• US 20190328582A1
• Filed: 01/24/2017
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DAIO Paper Corporation
• Original Assignee: DAIO Paper Corporation
• Inventors: Manabe, Sadanao, Ochi, Ryoichi, Mizobuchi, Keita
• Application Number:
  US16/467,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20190328582A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15617 Making absorbent pads from fibres or pulverulent material with or without treatment of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15634 Making fibrous pads between sheets or webs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/1565 by depositing continuous layers of fibrous material between webs, e.g. wrapping layers of fibrous material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15658 Forming continuous, e.g. composite, fibrous webs, e.g. involving the application of pulverulent material on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49011 the elastic means is located at the waist region
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49019 the elastic means being placed longitudinally, transversely or diagonally over the article
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/496 in the form of pants or briefs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/531 having a homogeneous composition through the thickness of the pad A61F13/538, A61F13/539 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/534 having an inhomogeneous composition through the thickness of the pad A61F13/538, A61F13/539 take precedence; homogeneous cores with tissue wrapping A61F13/53
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/539 characterised by the connection of the absorbent layers with each other or with the outer layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/49093 having multiple barriers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53051 being only in particular parts or specially arranged
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/5312 with structure resisting compression
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/5315 with a tissue-wrapped core
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53445 from several sheets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53463 with a reinforcing structure, e.g. net
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/5395 with thermoplastic agent, i.e. softened by heat
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 1/00 Treatment of filament-forming or like material working of plastics or substances in a plastic state, in general B29

Abstract

To make it possible to manufacture an absorber having a reinforcing layer sandwiched between a plurality of accumulation layers with simple and compact equipment An accumulation material in an absorber mold at a first accumulation position and a second accumulation position disposed in this order on an outer peripheral surface of a fiber accumulating drum at intervals in a rotational direction of the fiber accumulating drum, and supplying a belt-shaped reinforcing layer formed of a nonwoven fabric or the like, passing over the absorber mold on the outer peripheral surface of the fiber accumulating drum and continuous in the rotational direction of the fiber accumulating drum between the first and the second accumulation positions to form, in the absorber mold, an absorber including a first accumulation layer accumulated at the first accumulation position, a second accumulation layer accumulated at the second accumulation position, and the reinforcing layer sandwiched therebetween.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article using an absorber manufactured using a fiber accumulating apparatus which

includes a fiber accumulating drum, which is rotatably driven and has a recessed absorber mold formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, a front-back direction of the recessed absorber mold being a rotational direction of the drum and many suction holes being formed on a bottom surface of the absorber mold, and

flies and supplies an accumulation material to an outer peripheral surface of the fiber accumulating drum on an air flow by suction from the suction holes, and accumulates the accumulation material in the absorber mold to form an absorber, the method comprising:

accumulating an accumulation material in the absorber mold at a first accumulation position and a second accumulation position disposed in this order on the outer peripheral surface of the fiber accumulating drum at intervals in a rotational direction of the fiber accumulating drum;

stacking an air-permeable reinforcing layer passing over the absorber mold on the outer peripheral surface of the fiber accumulating drum and continuous in the rotational direction of the fiber accumulating drum between the first accumulation position and the second accumulation position; and

forming, in the absorber mold, an absorber including a first accumulation layer accumulated at the first accumulation position, a second accumulation layer accumulated at the second accumulation position, and a reinforcing layer directly sandwiched therebetween.

2. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein

the fiber accumulating apparatus includes:

a defibrating machine for sequentially defibrating a continuous belt-shaped short fiber sheet continuously supplied in a longitudinal direction at a tip portion thereof;

a first chamber for supplying the defibrated product defibrated with the defibrating machine to the first accumulation position; and

a second chamber for supplying the defibrated product defibrated with the defibrating machine to the second accumulation position,

inlets of the defibrated product in the first chamber and the second chamber are disposed in CD (Cross Direction) corresponding to a defibrating position of the short fiber sheet in the CD in the defibrating machine, and

outlets of the defibrated product in the first chamber and the second chamber are disposed in a circumferential direction of the fiber accumulating drum so as to face the first accumulation position and the second accumulation position, respectively.

3. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 1, comprising:

accumulating an accumulation material containing short fibers and not containing super absorbent polymer particles at the first accumulation position; and

accumulating an accumulation material containing short fibers and super absorbent polymer particles at the second accumulation position.

4. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 3, wherein the reinforcing layer is formed of a nonwoven fabric.

5. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein

the absorber mold has a narrower portion narrowed on an axial direction central side in an intermediate portion in the rotational direction, and

a width of the reinforcing layer is narrower than a width of a narrowest portion of the narrower portion, and the reinforcing layer is stacked so as to pass through the narrowest portion of the narrower portion.

11. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 2, comprising:

accumulating an accumulation material containing short fibers and not containing super absorbent polymer particles at the first accumulation position; and

accumulating an accumulation material containing short fibers and super absorbent polymer particles at the second accumulation position.

12. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according claim 2, wherein

the absorber mold has a narrower portion narrowed on an axial direction central side in an intermediate portion in the rotational direction, and

a width of the reinforcing layer is narrower than a width of a narrowest portion of the narrower portion, and the reinforcing layer is stacked so as to pass through the narrowest portion of the narrower portion.

13. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according claim 3, wherein

the absorber mold has a narrower portion narrowed on an axial direction central side in an intermediate portion in the rotational direction, and

a width of the reinforcing layer is narrower than a width of a narrowest portion of the narrower portion, and the reinforcing layer is stacked so as to pass through the narrowest portion of the narrower portion.

14. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according claim 4, wherein

the absorber mold has a narrower portion narrowed on an axial direction central side in an intermediate portion in the rotational direction, and

a width of the reinforcing layer is narrower than a width of a narrowest portion of the narrower portion, and the reinforcing layer is stacked so as to pass through the narrowest portion of the narrower portion.

6. An absorbent article comprising an absorber for absorbing excrement, wherein

the absorber includes:

a reinforcing layer continuous in a front-back direction;

an upper accumulation layer which is in contact with an upper surface of the reinforcing layer and in which an accumulation material is accumulated; and

a lower accumulation layer which is in contact with a lower surface of the reinforcing layer and in which an accumulation material is accumulated.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein the reinforcing layer is formed of a nonwoven fabric or a filament assembly.

8. The absorbent article according to claim 6 or 7, wherein

the upper accumulation layer and the lower accumulation layer contain short fibers as an accumulation material,

at least one of the upper accumulation layer and the lower accumulation layer contains super absorbent polymer particles as an accumulation material,

a weight of the super absorbent polymer particles is larger than a weight of fibers contained in the upper accumulation layer and the lower accumulation layer, and

a content of the super absorbent polymer particles stepwise or continuously increases from a back surface side to a front surface side.

9. The absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein

each of the upper accumulation layer and the lower accumulation layer has a narrower portion narrowed on a width direction center side in an intermediate portion in a front-back direction, and

the reinforcing layer is disposed within a width direction range of a narrowest portion of the narrower portion.

10. The absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein

the reinforcing layer is formed of a nonwoven fabric, and an amount of polymer in a region including the reinforcing layer in a thickness direction is largest.

15. The absorbent article according to claim 7, wherein

the upper accumulation layer and the lower accumulation layer contain short fibers as an accumulation material,

at least one of the upper accumulation layer and the lower accumulation layer contains super absorbent polymer particles as an accumulation material,

a weight of the super absorbent polymer particles is larger than a weight of fibers contained in the upper accumulation layer and the lower accumulation layer, and

a content of the super absorbent polymer particles stepwise or continuously increases from a back surface side to a front surface side.

16. The absorbent article according to claim 7, wherein

each of the upper accumulation layer and the lower accumulation layer has a narrower portion narrowed on a width direction center side in an intermediate portion in a front-back direction, and

the reinforcing layer is disposed within a width direction range of a narrowest portion of the narrower portion.

17. The absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein

each of the upper accumulation layer and the lower accumulation layer has a narrower portion narrowed on a width direction center side in an intermediate portion in a front-back direction, and

the reinforcing layer is disposed within a width direction range of a narrowest portion of the narrower portion.

18. The absorbent article according to claim 7, wherein

the reinforcing layer is formed of a nonwoven fabric, and an amount of polymer in a region including the reinforcing layer in a thickness direction is largest.