Method and apparatus for making absorbent structures with absorbent material

• US 9,492,328 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2013
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Jackels, Hans Adolf, Kreuzer, Carsten Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Hug, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/043,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20140027066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 162/116, 162/117, 162/296, 162/297, 162/361, 162/362, 162/409, 162/390, 162/397, 162/398, 162/408, 162/416, 156/62.2, 156/196, 156/199, 156/209, 156/210, 264/119, 425/115, 425/224, 425/335, 425/336, 425/362, 425/363, 425/385, 425/394, 425/395, 425/406, 425/447, 604/374, 604/375
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/00987 Apparatus or processes for manufacturing non-adhesive dressings or bandages
• 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 13/15658 Forming continuous, e.g. composite, fibrous webs, e.g. involving the application of pulverulent material on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15747 Folding; Pleating; Coiling; Stacking; Packaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15764 Transferring, feeding or handling devices; Drives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15804 Plant, e.g. involving several steps
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4704 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49001 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53 characterised by the absorbing medium A61F13/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/532 inhomogeneous in the plane of the pad
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15821 characterized by the apparatus for manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15926 for vacuum forming
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530868 characterized by the liquid distribution or transport means other than wicking layer A61F13/537 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B31F 1/07 Embossing , i.e. producing impressions formed by locally deep-drawing, e.g. using rolls provided with complementary profilesB31F1/128 takes precedence; corrugating B31F1/20; embossing in combination with printing B41F19/02, B41M1/24; typewriters for embossing B41J3/38; stamping in combination with deforming B41K3/36
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 11/006 Making patterned paper
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 11/08 paper or board consisting of two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/17 Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means

Abstract

Apparatus and method for producing absorbent structures with absorbent layers with channel(s) without absorbent material, using a first moving endless surface with specific raised strip(s) and a second moving endless surface with specific mating strip(s).

Claims

1. An apparatus for making an absorbent structure for an absorbent article, the absorbent structure comprising a supporting sheet and an absorbent layer on the supporting sheet, the absorbent layer comprising absorbent material and a channel that is substantially free of absorbent material, the apparatus comprising:

a first moving endless surface having an absorbent layer-forming reservoir defining a void volume for receiving absorbent material therein, the reservoir comprising a substantially longitudinally extending raised strip;

a feeder for feeding absorbent material to the first moving endless surface;

a second moving endless surface having an outer shell including an air permeable receptacle for receiving a supporting sheet, the receptacle having a substantially longitudinally extending mating strip

a vacuum system connected to the outer shell, the vacuum system adapted to facilitate retention of the supporting sheet and the absorbent material on the outer shell; and

wherein, in a meeting point, the first moving endless surface and the second moving endless surface are adjacent and in close proximity of one another during transfer of absorbent material from the first moving endless surface to the second moving endless surface;

wherein the mating strip is arranged to mate with the raised strip during transfer of the absorbent material; and

a downstream pressure roll with a raised pressure pattern substantially corresponding to the mating strip, for contacting the supporting sheet in an area thereof corresponding to a channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reservoir is formed by a multitude of cavities with a void volume for receiving the absorbent material therein.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reservoir, excluding the raised strips, has apertures to be partially air permeable and wherein the first moving endless surface has a cylindrical surface with the reservoir rotatably moving around a stator comprising a vacuum chamber connected to the vacuum system;

and wherein the second outershell is cylindrical rotatably moving around a stator comprising a vacuum chamber connected to the vacuum system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

at least two mating strips the at least two mating strips are mirror images of one another with respect to a longitudinal axis of the receptacle; and

at least two raised strips being mirror images of one another with respect to a longitudinal axis of the reservoir.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receptacle further comprises a multitude of substantially longitudinally extending rods spaced apart from one another in transverse direction, and wherein top surfaces of the rods and the mating strips in the same plane of the receptacle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reservoir is formed by a plurality of cavities, and wherein cavities that are directly adjacent the raised strip have volumes that are greater than volumes of cavities that are not directly adjacent the raised strip.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising an adhesive application unit positioned upstream from the meeting point.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising downstream from the meeting point a unit to cover the absorbent layer with a further material, selected from a unit for folding the supporting sheet over the absorbent layer;

a unit for applying a further supporting sheet;

a unit for applying a further layered material, for example an acquisition material;

a unit for combining the structure with a further absorbent structure.