Manufacturing facility of absorbent body, absorbent body and absorbent article

• US 7,717,150 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DAIO Paper Corporation
• Original Assignee: DAIO Paper Corporation
• Inventors: Manabe, Sadanao, Hanao, Hiroyuki, Matsui, Tomotsugu, Maeda, Toshikazu, Furudoi, Takeshi, Yano, Hiroyuki, Kubo, Taira, Fukae, Akinori, Miyashita, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): SELLS, JAMES D
• Application Number:
  US11/630,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20080038504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: 156/497, 156/500, 156/502, 156/516, 156/522, 156/555, 156/578, 156/580, 156/582
• US Class Current: 156/497
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/537 characterised by a layer facilitating or inhibiting flow in one direction or plane, e.g. a wicking layer A61F13/538 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1343 Cutting indefinite length web after assembly with discrete article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1798 with liquid adhesive or adhesive activator applying means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/233 Foamed or expanded material encased

Abstract

A shuffling hand feeling and unwanted non-uniform absorption characteristics in the case of using a tow (fiber bundle) are prevented.

An absorbent body includes a fiber aggregate 21 formed by opening the tow, a super absorbent polymer 54, and a sheet covering these components; and includes

the super absorbent polymer 54 bonded to the sheet 58 with an adhesive that is applied in a continuous plane to the entire surface or the substantially entire surface of at least the portion to be provided with the super absorbent polymer 54 in this sheet 58.

Claims

1. An absorbent body manufacturing facility comprising;

a polymer application means for applying a super absorbent polymer particle to an outer surface of a fiber aggregate formed by opening a tow;

a polymer moving means for passing gas through a fiber aggregate applied with the super absorbent polymer particle to cause the super absorbent polymer particle to move into the fiber aggregate by a passing force of the gas; and

a means for providing an adhesive to the fiber aggregate before the super absorbent polymer particle is applied to the fiber aggregate, to the fiber aggregate after the super absorbent polymer particle is applied to the fiber aggregate as well as before the super absorbent polymer particle is moved into the fiber aggregate, or to the fiber aggregate after the super absorbent polymer particle is moved into the fiber aggregate,

wherein

there is provided a covering means for covering a surface applied with the super absorbent polymer article in the fiber aggregate with a sheet face;

the polymer moving means performs suction from a side opposite to a face covered with the sheet in the fiber aggregate; and

there is provided an absorbent body manufacturing facility comprising a means for shielding means for providing an adhesive to a face being on a side of the fiber aggregate in the sheet before covered with the sheet.

2. The absorbent body manufacturing facility according to claim 1, further comprising an opening means for opening a tow with compressed air to form a fiber aggregate, and a shielding means for shielding air flowing from the opening means to the means for providing an adhesive.

3. The absorbent body manufacturing facility according to claim 1, wherein

the polymer moving means exerts the passing force of the gas more strongly or in a longer time period with respect to a first portion of the fiber aggregate than a second portion of the fiber aggregate, the first portion being a width directional intermediate portion of the fiber aggregate, and the second portion being both width directional side portions of the fiber aggregate.

4. The absorbent body manufacturing facility according to claim 1, wherein

the polymer moving means exerts the passing force of the gas more strongly or in a longer time period with respect to a first portion of the fiber aggregate than a second portion of the fiber aggregate, the first portion being a longitudinal intermediate portion of the fiber aggregate, and the second portion being a front side portion and a rear side portion of the longitudinal intermediate portion of the fiber aggregate.

5. The absorbent body manufacturing facility according to claim 3, wherein

the polymer application means applies a super absorbent polymer particle so that an amount of the super absorbent polymer particle at the first portion of the fiber aggregate is larger than the amount of the super absorbent polymer at the second portion of the fiber aggregate.

6. The absorbent body manufacturing facility according to claim 1, further comprising a means for making a fiber density at a first portion of the fiber aggregate higher than a fiber density at a second portion of the fiber aggregate, the first portion being a width directional intermediate portion of the fiber aggregate, and the second portion being both width directional side portions of the fiber aggregate.

7. The absorbent body manufacturing facility according to claim 1, further comprising a means for making a fiber density at a first portion of the fiber aggregate higher than a fiber density at a second portion of the fiber aggregate, the first portion being a longitudinal intermediate portion of the fiber aggregate, and the second portion being a front side portion and a rear side portion of the longitudinal intermediate portion of the fiber aggregate.

8. The absorbent body manufacturing facility according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyer line for conveying a fiber aggregate formed by opening a tow, and the polymer application means applying the super absorbent polymer particle while periodically changing an application amount with respect to a fiber aggregate on the conveyor line.

9. The absorbent body manufacturing facility according to claim 8, wherein

the polymer application means intermittently applies the super absorbent polymer particle in a conveying direction to provide alternately in a conveying direction a portion where the super absorbent polymer particle is applied and a portion where the super absorbent polymer particle is not applied;

and

there is provided a cutter for cutting the fiber aggregate into individual absorbent bodies at the portion where the super absorbent polymer particle is not applied.

10. The absorbent body manufacturing facility according to claim 4, wherein

the polymer application means applies a super absorbent polymer particle so that an amount of the super absorbent polymer particle at the first portion of the fiber aggregate is larger than an amount of the super absorbent polymer at the second portion of the fiber aggregate.