Production method of absorbent body

• US 6,811,642 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Petcare Corporation (Unicharm Corporation)
• Inventors: Ochi, Kengo
• Primary Examiner(s): YAO, SAMCHUAN CUA
• Application Number:
  US10/038,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20020056516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 156/62.2, 156/213, 156/214, 156/285, 264/101, 264/257, 264/571
• US Class Current: 156/213
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15634 Making fibrous pads between sheets or webs
• 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: Y10T 156/103 Encasing or enveloping the configured lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1031 with preshaping of lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1093 with covering of discrete laminae with additional lamina

Abstract

A production method of an absorbent body is provided. The method includes the steps of: supplying a first cover sheet on an outer surface of a rotating pattern drum, said pattern drum being provided with a concavity formed in a predetermined shape on the outer surface thereof; adapting the first cover sheet to the shape of the concavity and supplying an absorbent material into the concavity to form an absorbent material layer adapted to the shape of the concavity on the first cover sheet; supplying a second cover sheet toward the outer surface of the pattern drum; and separating the first cover sheet together with the absorbent material layer from the outer surface of the pattern drum and superposing the first cover sheet together with the absorbent material layer on the second cover sheet to produce an absorbent body comprised of the first cover sheet, the second cover sheet and the absorbent material layer interposed between the first cover sheet and the second cover sheet. An absorbent body produced by this method has improved absorption properties and can be used for disposable diapers, pet sheets, sanitary napkins, and the like.

Claims

1. A production method of an absorbent body, comprising the steps of:

supplying a first cover sheet on an outer surface of a first rotating pattern drum, said first pattern drum being provided with a first concavity formed in a predetermined shape on the outer surface thereof;

adapting the first cover sheet to the shape of the first concavity and supplying an absorbent material into the first concavity to form a first absorbent material layer adapted to the shape of the first concavity on the first cover sheet;

supplying a second cover sheet on the outer surface of a second rotating pattern drum, said second pattern drum provided with a second concavity formed in a predetermined shape on the outer surface thereof;

adapting the second cover sheet to the shape of the second concavity and supplying an absorbent material into the second concavity to form a second absorbent material layer adapted to the shape of the second concavity on the second cover sheet; and

separating the first cover sheet together with the first absorbent material layer from the outer surface of the first pattern drum and separating the second cover sheet together with the second absorbent material layer from the outer surface of the second pattern drum and superposing the first cover sheet together with the first absorbent material layer on the second cover sheet together with the second absorbent material layer to produce an absorbent body comprised of the first cover sheet, the second cover sheet and the first and second absorbent material layers interposed between the first cover sheet and the second cover sheet;

wherein each bottom of the first and second concavities is formed as a mesh, a first suction means is provided inside of the first pattern drum and a second suction means is provided inside of the second pattern drum, the suction means for sucking air through the mesh to adapt the first and second cover sheets to the shapes of the first and second concavities and for sucking air through the mesh and the first and second cover sheets to form the first and second absorbent material layers on the first and second cover sheets, and a first pressure means is provided inside of the first pattern drum and a second pressure means is provided inside of the second pattern drum, the pressure means for forcing air through the mesh to separate the first and second cover sheets together with the first and second absorbent material layers from the outer surfaces of the first and second pattern drums.

2. A production method of an absorbent body as described in claim 1, wherein the first absorbent material layer comprises absorbent fibers and optionally particulate super-absorbent polymers, and the second absorbent material layer comprises absorbent fibers and particulate super-absorbent polymers.

3. A production method of an absorbent body as described in claim 2, wherein the particle size of the super-absorbent polymers contained in the second absorbent material layer is smaller than the particle size of the super-absorbent polymers contained in the first absorbent material layer.

4. A production method of an absorbent body as described in claim 3, wherein the particle size of the super-absorbent polymers contained in the second absorbent material layer is 60 mesh or smaller.

5. A production method of an absorbent body as described in claim 2, wherein the content of the super-absorbent polymers in the second absorbent material layer is higher than the content of the super-absorbent polymers in the first absorbent material layer.

6. A production method of an absorbent body as described in claim 5, wherein the content of the super-absorbent polymers in the second absorbent material layer is 20% to 90% by weight.

7. A production method of an absorbent body as described in claim 1, wherein the first absorbent material layer and the second absorbent material layer are superposed to each other.

8. A production method of an absorbent body as described in claim 7, wherein the first absorbent material layer and the second absorbent material layer are formed in an identical shape and have different absorption properties from each other.

9. A production method of an absorbent body as described in claim 7, wherein the first absorbent material layer and the second absorbent material layer are formed in different shapes.

10. A production method of an absorbent body as described in claim 1, wherein the first absorbent material layer and the second absorbent material layer have different shapes and different absorption properties from each other and are combined adjacent to each other in a horizontal plane.