JP2017080057A - Absorbent product manufacturing device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an absorbent product manufacturing device which can suppress a change in basis weight of the absorbent product due to difference in raw material of textile material, and can stably manufacture the absorbent product of consistent quality.SOLUTION: A absorbent product manufacturing device includes: a rotational drum 2 on an outer surface of which a plurality of collection recesses 22 are formed; a duct 4 for supplying a textile material 31 in a scattering manner to the outer surface of the rotational drum 2; a textile material supplying part 5 for supplying the textile material into the duct 4; and mold release means 6, 6A for releasing the deposit formed in the collection recesses 22 as an absorbent product from the collection recesses 22. A supply amount control unit 8 is provided to measure a state of the absorbent product 3 released by the mold release means, and change a supply amount of the textile material supplied by the textile material supplying part 5 to the duct 4 based on the measured state of the absorbent product 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an absorber manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method.

  As a manufacturing apparatus for absorbent articles for absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, incontinence pads, etc., a rotating drum having a plurality of stacking recesses formed at predetermined intervals on the outer peripheral surface, and toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum A duct that supplies the fiber material as the absorbent material in a scattered state, a fiber material supply unit that supplies the fiber material into the duct, and a deposit generated by the deposition of the fiber material in the recesses for accumulation 2. Description of the Related Art Absorber manufacturing apparatuses are known that include release means for releasing a mold from an accumulation recess as an absorber. The absorbent body is used as an absorbent body of an absorbent article as it is or after being coated with a cover sheet such as paper or a breathable nonwoven fabric.

  In addition, as a technique for producing a deposit that can be used as an absorbent body of an absorbent article, when supplying pulp fibers by a supply means, and depositing pulp fibers on a mount placed on a traveling mesh belt, a deposit is obtained. A technique is known in which the rotation speed of the drive source of the supply means is controlled in accordance with the traveling speed of the mesh belt so that the pulp fiber has a deposition amount substantially proportional to the traveling speed of the mesh belt (patent) Reference 1).

JP 2000-327127 A

  However, in the conventional method for manufacturing an absorbent body, when the basis weight of a pulp sheet or the like, which is a raw material for fiber materials, changes due to differences in manufacturers or moisture absorption during storage, the basis weight of the resulting absorbent body also changes. End up. Therefore, every time the raw material is changed, it is necessary to perform calibration of the raw material, but this takes time.

  The present invention relates to providing an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method capable of solving the problems of the prior art.

  The present invention includes a rotating drum having a plurality of accumulation recesses formed on the outer peripheral surface at predetermined intervals, and a duct for supplying fiber material as an absorbent material in a scattered state toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum. A fiber material supply unit for supplying the fiber material into the duct, and a release means for releasing the deposit generated by the deposition of the fiber material in the accumulation recess as an absorber from the accumulation recess. An absorbent body manufacturing apparatus, comprising: measuring the state of the absorbent body after being released by the release means; and based on the measured state of the absorbent body, It is an object of the present invention to provide an absorber manufacturing apparatus including a supply amount control unit that changes a supply amount.

  The present invention includes a rotating drum having a plurality of accumulation recesses formed on the outer peripheral surface at predetermined intervals, and a duct for supplying fiber material as an absorbent material in a scattered state toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum. A fiber material supply unit for supplying the fiber material into the duct, and a release means for releasing the deposit generated by the deposition of the fiber material in the accumulation recess as an absorber from the accumulation recess. An absorber manufacturing method for manufacturing an absorber using an absorber manufacturing apparatus provided, measuring the state of the absorber during operation of the manufacturing apparatus, based on the measured state of the absorber, An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an absorbent body in which the amount of fiber material supplied to a duct by a fiber material supply unit is changed.

  According to the absorbent body manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of the present invention, it is possible to suppress changes in the basis weight of the absorbent body due to differences in the raw materials of the fiber material, and it is possible to stably manufacture an absorbent body with a constant quality.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the concave portion for accumulation in the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 (a) is a graph showing how to change the supply amount of the fiber material in the preferred embodiment, and FIG. 3 (b) shows the concave portion for accumulation and absorption corresponding to the supply speed of FIG. 3 (a). It is a graph which shows the relationship with a body shape, FIG.3 (c) is explanatory drawing of the period of the recessed part for accumulation | stacking. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of an absorbent body obtained by the present invention. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are graphs showing the relationship between the supply rate and time when the reference supply rate is changed while periodically changing the supply rate of the fiber material. FIG. 5A shows a case where the reference supply speed is increased from the original reference supply speed, and FIG. 5B shows a case where the reference supply speed is decreased from the original reference supply speed. 6 (a) and 6 (b) show that the fiber material is deposited in the recesses for accumulation when the supply speed of the raw material sheet of the fiber material to the pulverizer is changed in the pattern shown in FIG. 3 (a). 6A is a diagram showing a state at the maximum supply speed of the raw material sheet, and FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a state at the minimum supply speed of the raw material sheet.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on preferred embodiments thereof.
As shown in FIG. 1, an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a rotating drum 2 having a plurality of accumulation recesses 22 formed on an outer peripheral surface at predetermined intervals, and an outer periphery of the rotating drum 2. The duct 4 that supplies the fiber material 31 as the absorber material in a scattered state toward the surface 2f, the fiber material supply unit 5 that supplies the fiber material 31 into the duct 4, and the accumulation recess 22 A release air blow device 6 is provided as a release means for releasing the deposit formed by the deposition of the material 31 and the water-absorbing polymer 32 from the accumulation recess 22 as the absorbent body 3, and the rotating drum 2. A vacuum conveyor 7 serving as a conveying means disposed below and a supply amount control unit 8 for controlling the amount of the fiber material 31 supplied from the fiber material supply unit 5 into the duct 4.

The rotary drum 2 includes a cylindrical drum main body 20 made of a metal rigid body, and an outer peripheral member 21 that is arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the drum main body 20 and forms the outer peripheral surface 2 f of the rotary drum 2. Has been. The outer peripheral member 21 receives power from a motor (not shown) such as a motor and rotates around the horizontal axis in the direction of arrow R, while the drum body 20 is fixed and does not rotate.
As shown in FIG. 2, the outer peripheral member 21 has a porous plate 27 (porous member) and a pattern forming plate 28 that is fixed on the outer surface 27 a side of the porous plate 27, as shown in FIG. 2. . The bottom surface of the accumulation recess 22 is formed from a porous plate 27.

  The pattern forming plate 28 has an outer surface 28a that forms the outer peripheral surface 2f of the rotating drum 2 and an inner surface 28b that faces the rotating shaft side of the rotating drum 2, and an accumulation recess is provided between the outer surface 28a and the inner surface 28b. 22 has a space portion 280 having a shape corresponding to the three-dimensional shape in 22. The outline 22L of the space 280 coincides with the outline of the accumulation recess 22. As the pattern forming plate 28, for example, a plate formed by machining a metal or resin plate such as stainless steel or aluminum to form an opening (a space portion 280 having a shape corresponding to the three-dimensional shape in the accumulation recess 22), Alternatively, a plate in which the opening is integrally formed using a mold, a punched or etched plate, a superposition of these plates, or the like can be used.

The porous plate 27 transmits the air flow generated by the suction from the drum body 20 side to the outside of the rotating drum 2, holds the absorber material carried on the air flow without passing it, and the air It is a breathable plate that only allows it to pass through. The porous plate 27 is formed with a plurality of (multiple) suction holes (pores) penetrating the plate 27 in the thickness direction with a uniform distribution over the entire plate 27, and the accumulation recess 22 is a rotating drum. While passing through a space maintained at a negative pressure in 2, the suction hole functions as an airflow vent. The porous plate 27 in the present manufacturing apparatus 1 has a constant aperture ratio over the entire region, and no suction force control plate or the like that partially varies the suction force is disposed below the porous plate 27. . That is, the accumulation recess 22 in the manufacturing apparatus 1 generates a uniform suction force on the entire bottom surface.
As the porous plate 27, for example, a metal or resin mesh plate, or a metal or resin plate formed with a plurality of (many) pores by etching or punching can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the drum body 20 includes a plurality of mutually independent spaces A, B, C, partitioned by a partition plate 20p provided from the central axis side of the rotary drum 2 toward the outer peripheral surface 2f. D. An intake fan (not shown) is connected to the central shaft portion 222 of the drum body 20, and a shutter valve or the like whose opening area can be adjusted is installed between the central shaft portion 222 and each space. Thus, the pressure in the partitioned spaces A to D in the rotary drum 2 can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the opening area of the shutter. In the manufacturing apparatus 1, the suction force in the region of the space A located in the region where the outer peripheral surface 2 f is covered with the duct 4 is stronger than the suction force in the regions of the spaces B to D. Since the spaces C and D are regions including the transfer position of the absorber 3 in the accumulation recess 22 and the front and back thereof, zero pressure or positive pressure is preferable.

As shown in FIG. 1, the duct 4 extends from the fiber material supply unit 5 to the rotary drum 2, and an opening on the downstream side of the duct 4 is above the space A of the rotary drum 2 maintained at a negative pressure. 2f is covered. The fiber material supply unit 5 includes a pulverizer 51 as a defibrator. A raw material sheet 31A of a fiber material such as a wood pulp sheet is introduced into the pulverizer 51 by raw material supply rollers 52 and 52, and the pulverizer 51 The fiber material 31 generated by the fiber is configured to be supplied into the duct 4.
Between the rotating drum 2 and the fiber material supply unit 5 in the duct 4, a spray pipe 55 that supplies the duct 4 with a water-absorbing polymer 32, which is another kind of absorber material, is provided. By the operation of the intake fan (not shown) of the rotating drum 2, the absorber material (the fiber material 31 and the water-absorbing polymer 32) is sucked into the space in the duct 4 toward the outer peripheral surface 2 f of the rotating drum 2. Such an air flow is generated.

  The holding belt 24 is an endless breathable or non-breathable belt, and is stretched over the roll 25, the roll 26, and other rolls (not shown), and is rotated along with the rotation of the rotary drum 2. When the pressing belt 24 is a breathable belt, it is preferable that the absorbent material (the fiber material 31 and the water-absorbing polymer 32) in the accumulation concave portion 22 is not allowed to pass therethrough. Even if the pressure in the space B is set to atmospheric pressure, the presser belt 24 can hold the deposit in the stacking recess 22 in the stacking recess 22 until it is transferred onto the vacuum conveyor 7.

  The vacuum conveyor 7 (conveying means) is disposed below the rotary drum 2 and is close to the outer peripheral surface 2f located in the space C where the rotary drum 2 is set to have a weak positive pressure or zero pressure (atmospheric pressure). Are arranged. The vacuum conveyor 7 includes an endless breathable belt 73 and a vacuum box 74 disposed at a position facing the outer peripheral surface 2f of the rotary drum 2 with the breathable belt 73 interposed therebetween. On the vacuum conveyor 7, a covering sheet 35 made of tissue paper or a liquid-permeable nonwoven fabric is introduced.

  The mold release air blow device 6 is a mold release means for releasing the deposit obtained by depositing the absorbent material (the fiber material 31 and the water-absorbing polymer 32) in the stacking recess 22 from the stacking recess 22. Function as. In the present manufacturing apparatus 1, a deposit having a predetermined shape generated by depositing the absorber material in the accumulation recess 22 is the absorber 3, and in the mold release portion 6 </ b> A provided at the lower end of the rotary drum 2, The mold 3 is released from the accumulation recess 22 of the absorber 3. The release air blow device 6 is disposed inside the outer peripheral member 21 in the space C, and the inner surface of the porous plate (porous member) that forms the bottom surface of the accumulation recess 22 on which the absorbent material is deposited. Air can be blown from the side toward the outer surface 27a, and the release of the deposit from the accumulation recess 22 is performed by the air. The release means in the present invention may be any means as long as it can promote the release of the absorber 3 in the release portion 6A where the absorber 3 is released from the concave portion 22 for accumulation. The present invention is not limited to supplying air from the rotary shaft side toward the bottom of the accumulation recess 22.

  The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a supply amount control unit 8 that controls the amount of the fiber material 31 supplied from the fiber material supply unit 5 into the duct 4. Although not shown in detail, the supply amount control unit 8 includes a computer having a display unit and an input unit, an interface for electrically connecting the computer and other devices, and a predetermined program incorporated in the computer. It is configured.

In addition, the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a measuring unit 82 that measures the state of the absorber 3 that is a deposit released from the accumulation recess 22 as a part of the supply amount control unit 8.
The measuring means 82 measures the state of the absorbent body 3 being conveyed by a known conveying means such as a vacuum conveyor, directly or indirectly, based on the information output from the measuring means. It is possible. Examples of the state of the absorbent body 3 to be measured include the basis weight of the absorbent body 3 and the thickness of the absorbent body 3. The basis weight of the absorbent body 3 may be the total basis weight of all the components of the absorbent body 3 or the basis weight of the fiber material contained in the absorbent body 3.
Examples of the measuring unit 82 that measures the state of the absorber 3 include a capacitance sensor, a surface displacement measuring instrument, and an image processing apparatus.

When the measuring means 82 is a capacitance sensor, the supply amount control unit 8 determines the electrostatic capacity based on the relationship between the output value (output voltage, etc.) of the capacitance sensor obtained in advance and the basis weight of the absorber. The basis weight of the absorber 3 can be calculated (measured) from the output value of the capacitance sensor. The electrostatic capacity sensor is preferable because it is suitable for measuring insulators such as cellulose fibers such as pulp fibers, rayon fibers, and cotton fibers used as a material for absorbent articles, and synthetic fibers such as polyethylene.
When the measuring means 82 is a surface displacement measuring device, the supply amount control unit 8 is based on the relationship between the output value (output voltage or the like) of the surface displacement measuring device obtained in advance and the basis weight or thickness of the absorber. The basis weight and thickness of the absorber can be calculated (measured) from the output value of the surface displacement measuring instrument.
The image processing apparatus includes an imaging unit such as a CCD camera. When the measuring unit 82 is an image processing apparatus, the supply amount control unit 8 compares the image input from the image processing apparatus with an image whose state is registered in the storage unit in advance, and The state of the absorber such as the basis weight of the absorber can be measured from the image. Further, based on the relationship between the brightness or shade of the whole or a part of the image output from the image processing apparatus and the basis weight or thickness of the absorber, absorption of the basis weight or thickness of the absorber from the image of the image processing apparatus. The body condition can be measured.

  As for the basis weight of the absorbent body 3 to be measured, one basis weight may be calculated for the entire individual absorbent body 3, or the basis weight of a plurality of portions may be calculated for each individual absorbent body 3. When manufacturing an absorbent body in which the absorbent material such as a fiber material or a water absorbent polymer is unevenly distributed, the basis weight of each part of the absorbent body 3 along the conveying direction is intermittently or continuously measured. It is preferable because control (phase control or the like) for reliably achieving the uneven distribution state is facilitated.

The measurement of the state of the absorber 3 is preferably performed as early as possible after the mold is released from the accumulation recess 22. For example, the state of the absorber 3 is measured on one side of the absorber 3 that is in contact with the bottom surface of the accumulation recess 22. It is preferable to carry out at a stage where other members do not contact, or at a stage where one side of the absorbent body 3 is not covered with the covering sheet 36. For example, when a pressing device (not shown) for the absorbent body 3 is arranged downstream from the release part 6A by the release means, that is, downstream of the transport path of the absorbent body 3, measurement of the state of the absorbent body 3 is measured. The means 82 is preferably arranged between the release part 6A and a press device (not shown) from the viewpoint of high-precision control. A press apparatus pressurizes the absorber 3 after mold release, and the purpose of pressurization is not particularly limited. Examples of the press device include a nip roll for compressing the entire absorbent body, a press roll provided with a shape for pressing at a point in accordance with the absorbent body shape, and the like. Further, the number of press devices is not particularly limited.
The state of the absorbent body 3 is measured in a state where one side of the absorbent body 3 that is in contact with the bottom surface side of the accumulation recess 22 is not covered with the core wrap sheet or before the entire absorbent body 3 is covered with the core wrap sheet. It is preferable to carry out in the state.

  Information from the measuring means 82 is input to the computer of the supply amount control unit 8, and the absorption state along the state of the absorber 3, preferably the flow direction X of the absorber 3 conveyed by the conveying means 7, 7A, etc. The basis weight of the body 3, the change in the height position of the upper surface, and the like are recorded on a storage device such as an HDD, RAM, or SSD and displayed on the display unit. The computer outputs a control signal to the drive motor 53 to control the rotation of the drive motor 53, thereby controlling the supply amount of the raw material sheet 31 </ b> A to the pulverizer 51, and the fiber material 31 in the duct 4. Can be controlled. Instead of a computer, a programmable logic controller (PLC) can also be used.

  The drive motor 53 rotates the pair of supply rollers 52 and 52 that feed the raw material sheet 31 </ b> A of the fiber material 31 to the pulverizer 51. By increasing the rotation speed of the drive motor 53, the supply amount of the raw material sheet 31A to the pulverizer 51 increases, and the supply amount of pulp (fiber material) per unit time to the duct 4 increases. On the other hand, by reducing the rotation speed of the drive motor 53, the supply amount of the raw material sheet 31A to the pulverizer 51 is reduced, and the supply amount of pulp (fiber material) per unit time to the duct 4 is reduced.

  The supply rollers 52 and 52 in the manufacturing apparatus 1 are connected and interlocked via, for example, gears and the like, and are rotated in the opposite directions at the same peripheral speed by one drive motor 53. As the drive motor 53, a servo motor is preferably used. A known device such as an input / output interface or a servo amplifier is provided between the drive motor 53 and the supply amount control unit 8 according to the type of rotation control signal output from the supply amount control unit 8 or the type of motor. Be placed.

In addition, the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a mechanism for covering the upper and lower surfaces of the absorber 3 released from the accumulation recess 22 with the covering sheets 35 and 36 to obtain the absorber continuous body 30A. The covering sheet 36 covering the surface opposite to the covering sheet 35 supplied on the vacuum conveyor 7 in the absorbent body 3 is placed after the absorbent body 3 is placed at the center in the width direction on one side of the covering sheet 35. Further, both sides of the covering sheet 35 folded back to the other side may be used, or a covering sheet 36 different from the covering sheet 35 supplied onto the vacuum conveyor 7 may be used. As the covering sheets 35 and 36, thin paper (tissue paper), liquid-permeable nonwoven fabric, or the like can be used.
Further, the manufacturing apparatus 1 cuts the absorbent continuous body 30A into the absorbent body 30 having a length (hereinafter also referred to as a length of one absorbent article) used for each absorbent article. A device 9 is provided. As the cutting device 9, various known cutting means used for manufacturing absorbent articles and absorbent bodies can be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a cutter roll 91 having a cutting blade 92 and its blade are received. It has the anvil roll 93, and what cuts the absorber continuous body 30A sequentially by a fixed period by rotation of both rolls can be used.

A method for continuously manufacturing the absorber 3 using the above-described absorber manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described.
In order to manufacture the absorber 3 using the manufacturing apparatus 1 described above, the rotary drum 2 is rotated and the intake fan is operated to make the space A have a negative pressure. Further, the release air blow device 6, the vacuum conveyor 7, the belt conveyor 7 </ b> A disposed adjacent to the vacuum conveyor 7, and the cutting device 9 are operated.
By the operation of the intake fan, a uniform suction force is generated over the entire bottom surface of the accumulation recess 22 located on the space A, and the air flowing in the duct 4 toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2. A flow is generated.

  When the supply rollers 52 and 52 of the fiber material supply unit 5 are operated to introduce the raw material sheet 31 </ b> A of the fiber material 31 into the pulverizer 51, the fiber material 31 generated by defibration by the pulverizer 51 is generated in the duct 4. To be supplied. The fiber material 31 supplied into the duct 4 is in a scattered state, is carried on the air flow flowing through the duct 4, and is supplied toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2.

  In a preferred embodiment (hereinafter, also referred to as a first embodiment) of the absorber manufacturing method of the present invention, the supply amount control unit 8 controls the rotating drum 2 during the steady operation of the absorber 3 manufacturing apparatus 1. The supply amount per unit time of the fiber material supplied in a scattered state is periodically changed. Specifically, the supply amount per unit time of the fiber material 31 supplied into the duct 4 is periodically changed. More specifically, the raw material sheet 31A of the fiber material is pulverized as a defibrating machine by periodically changing the rotational speed of the supply rollers 52, 52 for supplying the raw material by a computer included in the supply amount control unit 8. The speed supplied to the machine 51 is periodically changed, whereby the supply amount per unit time of the fiber material 31 supplied into the duct 4 is periodically changed. A program for causing such a change is installed in the computer of the supply amount control unit 8. The rotation speed of the supply rollers 52 and 52 may be periodically changed using a programmable logic controller.

For example, the supply amount control unit 8 periodically changes the rotation speed of the supply rollers 52 and 52 for supplying raw materials in the pattern shown in FIG. Thus, the mass a of the fiber material 31 supplied to the duct 4 is periodically changed in the same pattern.
The pattern shown in FIG. 3A is a pattern in which the step of supplying a relatively small amount of fiber material 31 to the duct 4 and the step of supplying a relatively large amount of fiber material 31 to the duct 4 are repeated alternately. The fiber material 31 is continuously supplied by changing the supply amount. Instead of this, the fiber material 31 may be supplied to the duct 4 in a pattern in which the step of not supplying the fiber material 31 to the duct 4 and the step of supplying the fiber material 31 to the duct 4 are alternately repeated.

The vertical axis in the graph of FIG. 3A is the speed at which the raw material sheet 31A of the fiber material 31 is introduced into the crusher 51 by the supply rollers 52, 52, and per unit time of the fiber material 31 supplied to the duct 4. The supply amount (mass a) also changes. The graph of FIG. 3 (b) is a graph showing the relationship between the concave portion for accumulation corresponding to the supply speed of FIG. 3 (a) and the shape of the absorbent body. When the supply speed is high, the fibers accumulated in the concave portion for accumulation. When the amount is large and the supply speed is slow, this indicates that the amount of accumulated fibers is small. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 (c), one cycle of the stacking recess is a direction in which the specific position P 1 of the stacking recess 22 a, for example, the front end in the rotation direction R is along the circumferential direction of the rotating drum 2 of the duct 4. After passing through the specific position P2, the common specific position P1 of the next accumulation recess 22b corresponds to the time until it passes through the specific position P2.
At the time of operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1, the supply amount control unit 8, as shown in FIG. 3A, has a cycle for changing the speed at which the raw material sheet 31 </ b> A of the fiber material is supplied to the pulverizer 51, and the accumulation recess 22. The period passing through the portion covered with the duct 4 is matched.

  6 (a) and 6 (b) show that the fiber material 31 is deposited in the accumulation recess when the supply speed of the raw material sheet 31A to the pulverizer 51 is changed in the pattern shown in FIG. 3 (a). 6A is a diagram showing a state at the maximum supply speed Sa of the raw material sheet 31A, and FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a state at the minimum supply speed Sb of the raw material sheet 31A. . As shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the fiber material is thickly accumulated in the non-accumulated portions of the accumulation recesses that pass during Sa, and thinly stacked in the non-accumulated locations during Sb. The

  Then, the supply amount control unit 8 periodically changes the supply amount per unit time of the fiber material 31 supplied into the duct 4, thereby depositing the fiber material 31 on the deposit to be accumulated in the accumulation recess 22. A portion with a small amount of accumulation and a portion with a large amount of accumulation of the fiber material 31 can be formed, and the basis weight of the fiber material is relatively in each absorber obtained by releasing from the concave portion 22 for accumulation. A large portion and a portion having a relatively small basis weight of the fiber material are formed. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the absorber 3 manufactured by the apparatus 1 of the present embodiment.

In the absorbent body 3 shown in FIG. 4, a high basis weight portion 33 having a relatively large basis weight of the fiber material is formed on one end 3 a side corresponding to the rotation direction front end f of the accumulation recess 22, and the accumulation recess 22. A low basis weight portion 34 having a relatively small basis weight of the fiber material is formed on the other end 3b side corresponding to the rear end r in the rotation direction. The absorber 3 has a longitudinal direction 3X corresponding to the circumferential direction of the rotary drum 2 and a width direction 3Y orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. When the absorbent body 3 is transported by a vacuum conveyor 7 or a belt conveyor 7A as a transport means, as shown in FIG. 1, the longitudinal direction 3X is along the transport direction X, and one end 3a having a high basis weight portion 33. The side is directed downstream in the transport direction.
As shown in FIG. 1, the absorbent body 3 thus obtained is coated with the covering sheets 35 and 36 to form an absorbent body continuous body 30 </ b> A, and then cut into a predetermined length by the cutting device 9. The absorbent body 30 covered with the covering sheet is incorporated into an absorbent article such as a disposable diaper.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment and the manufacturing method of the absorbent body of the present invention, only by changing the supply amount of the fiber material per unit time, Thus, it is possible to manufacture an absorbent body in which a large amount of the absorbent material is unevenly distributed at the desired site.

Further, in the first embodiment of the manufacturing method of the absorbent body of the present invention, the supply amount control unit 8 is transported after mold release using the measuring means 82 during the steady operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the absorbent body 3. The basis weight of the absorbent 3 is measured.
The basis weight of the absorber 3 is preferably measured using the above-described capacitance sensor, surface displacement measuring device, or image processing device, and one basis weight is calculated for each absorber 3. The basis weight measurement may be calculated based on a single image obtained by imaging the entire absorber 3 by the imaging means of the image processing apparatus, or may be calculated from an image obtained using a line scanner camera. good. Moreover, you may integrate the data about each part of the absorber obtained using the electrostatic capacitance sensor and the surface displacement measuring device, and may calculate the whole basic weight.
Further, when the measured basis weight value of the absorbent body 3 is less than the arbitrarily set appropriate range, the supply amount control unit 8 increases the supply speed of the raw material sheet 31 </ b> A to the pulverizer 51, As shown in FIG. 5 (a), when the reference supply speed Su of the fiber material (pulp fiber) to the duct 4 is increased from the original reference supply speed S and exceeds the arbitrarily set appropriate range, the raw material sheet By reducing the supply speed of the 31A to the pulverizer 51, the reference supply speed Sd of the fiber material (pulp fiber) to the duct 4 is decreased from the original reference supply speed S as shown in FIG. In the embodiment of the manufacturing method of the absorbent body of the present invention, such control is performed by the computer of the supply amount control unit 8 according to a predetermined program (software) recorded in the storage unit. The reference supply speed S is a speed between the maximum supply speed Sa and the minimum supply speed Sb when the fiber material for the duct 4 is periodically changed as shown in FIG. It is preferably an intermediate speed between the supply speed Sa and the minimum supply speed Sb. The appropriate range set arbitrarily may be a specific numerical value having no range.

The basis weight of the absorbent body 3 after the mold release is measured, and based on the measured basis weight of the absorbent body 3, the reference supply speed S when the supply speed is periodically changed is increased or decreased to operate the manufacturing apparatus. In the case of adding a raw material sheet with different basis weight or moisture content to the raw material sheet such as wood pulp sheet, or when restarting operation using a raw material sheet with different basis weight or moisture content after the production equipment is stopped Even if there is a part with a relatively large basis weight of the fiber material and a part with a relatively small basis weight of the fiber material, the basis weight and mass of the absorbent body as a whole are within a certain range. The absorber 3 can be manufactured stably.
In addition, as the state of the absorbent body, the basis weight, mass, etc. of the fiber material contained in the absorbent body are measured by the measuring means, and based on the measured physical properties, the reference supply speed is set so that the physical properties are within a predetermined range. By controlling, it has a part with a relatively large basis weight of the fiber material and a part with a relatively small basis weight of the fiber material, and stably stabilizes the absorbent of a constant quality whose physical properties fall within a predetermined range. It can also be manufactured.
In addition, the uneven distribution state of the manufactured absorber 3 is monitored using the measuring means 82 or the like, and based on the uneven distribution state, the period of increasing / decreasing the supply amount of the fiber material to the duct by the fiber material supply unit and the concave portion of the accumulation By adjusting the timing of the cycle, it is possible to stably and continuously produce an absorbent body in which the fiber material is unevenly distributed in a desired state.

  The absorbent body 30 having a length used for the absorbent article in which the absorbent body 3 or the core portion is composed of the absorbent body 3 is preferably used as an absorbent body of the absorbent article. The absorbent article is mainly used to absorb and retain body fluids excreted from the body such as urine and menstrual blood. Absorbent articles include, for example, disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, incontinence pads, panty liners, etc., but are not limited to these, and widely include articles used to absorb liquid discharged from the human body. To do.

Moreover, the absorber 3 of the length used for the absorbent article with which the absorber 3 or the core part obtained from the apparatus and method of 1st Embodiment was comprised from the absorber 3, the absorber 3 is relatively A high basis weight portion 33 having a high basis weight and a low basis weight portion 34 having a relatively low basis weight are included, and the amount of deposited absorbent material is partially different. In the absorbent bodies 3 and 30 having the high basis weight portion 33 and the low basis weight portion 34, the location where the utilization factor of the absorber is high (the portion where the liquid such as urine in the absorber is absorbed) is high. It is preferable from the viewpoint of maximizing the performance of the absorbent body to be used in the absorbent article so that the portion 33 and the portion having a low utilization rate become the low basis weight portion 34.
Moreover, having the high basic weight part and low basic weight part from which the basic weight of a fiber material differs in the absorber 3 is easy to ensure a high absorption capacity | capacitance in a required part, for example, However, Absorption of the part inferior to necessity It is also preferable from the viewpoint of reducing the capacity and reducing the amount of the raw material used as a whole. In addition, the absorber 3 can also be used as an absorber of an absorbent article, without coat | covering with the coating sheets 35 and 36. FIG.

The absorbent body to be manufactured is formed in an arrangement different from the arrangement of the absorbent body 3 shown in FIG. 4, in which the high basis weight portion 33 having a large basis weight of the fiber material and the low basis weight portion 34 having a small basis weight of the fiber material are formed. It may be what is being done.
In order to manufacture the absorbent body in which the fiber material is unevenly distributed by changing the supply amount of the fiber material 31 into the duct 4, the fiber material has a high concentration on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2 as shown in FIG. 3. It is preferable that the portion and the portion having a low concentration reach in a wavy manner.

In the present invention, in addition to supplying the fiber material 31 to the duct 4, it is also preferable to continuously supply the water-absorbing polymer 32 at a constant supply amount. The water-absorbing polymer 32 is supplied from, for example, the spray tube 55 described above, and supplied into the air stream that conveys the fiber material 31.
Even if the water-absorbing polymer 32 is continuously supplied, the water-absorbing polymer 32 is more in the portion of the air flow conveying the fiber material 31 in the portion where the concentration of the fiber material is high than in the portion where the concentration is low. Since 32 is entangled, a relatively large amount is included. Therefore, as the absorbent body 3, an absorbent body having more water-absorbing polymer in a portion where the basis weight of the fiber material is relatively large than in a portion where the basis weight of the fiber material is relatively small is obtained.
Thus, according to the method of the present embodiment, an absorbent body in which water-absorbing polymers are unevenly distributed can be obtained without providing means for changing the supply amount in the water-absorbing polymer 32 supply device.

  The absorbent article typically includes a top sheet, a back sheet, and a liquid-retaining absorbent body disposed between both sheets. The upper and lower surfaces of the absorber may be covered with one or a plurality of covering sheets. The back sheet may or may not have water vapor permeability. The absorbent article may further include various members according to specific uses of the absorbent article. Such members are known to those skilled in the art. For example, when the absorbent article is applied to a disposable diaper or a sanitary napkin, a pair or two or more pairs of three-dimensional guards can be arranged on the outer side of both sides of the absorbent body.

  As the fiber material and the water-absorbing polymer used in the present invention, various materials conventionally used for absorbent bodies of absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, and disposable diapers can be used without particular limitation. For example, short fibers of cellulosic fibers such as pulp fibers, rayon fibers, and cotton fibers, and short fibers of synthetic fibers such as polyethylene are used. These fibers can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Moreover, it is preferable that the fiber material is entirely or partly pulp fiber, and the ratio of the pulp fiber in the fiber material is preferably 50 to 100% by mass, more preferably 80 to 100% by mass, More preferably, it is 100 mass%. In addition to the fiber material, a deodorant or an antibacterial agent may be supplied into the duct as necessary. The water-absorbing polymer may or may not be supplied.

  Examples of water-absorbing polymers include sodium polyacrylate, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymer, cross-linked sodium polyacrylate, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymer, and (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymer. Examples thereof include a polymer and a saponified product thereof, and polyaspartic acid. A fiber and a water absorbing polymer can be used individually by 1 type or in combination of 2 or more types.

As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus of the absorber of this invention was described, this invention is not restrict | limited to embodiment mentioned above, Each can be changed suitably.
For example, in the above-described embodiment or embodiment, in order to manufacture the absorbent body 3 having a portion where the basis weight of the fiber material is relatively high and a portion where the basis weight of the fiber material is relatively low, Absorbent body having a uniform basis weight over the entire area without periodically changing the supply amount of the fiber material to the duct 4, although the supply amount of the fiber material (supply amount per unit time) is periodically changed. Etc. may be manufactured. Even in that case, the supply amount control unit 8 provided with the measuring means 82 is made to measure the basis weight of the absorbent body 3 after the release, and based on the measured basis weight of the absorbent body 3, the supply amount of the fiber material to the duct Is controlled to a desired appropriate range, when a raw material sheet such as a wood pulp sheet with a different basis weight or moisture content is added to the raw material sheet such as a wood pulp sheet, or after the production device is stopped, Even when the operation is restarted using raw material sheets having different moisture contents, it is possible to stably manufacture the absorbent body 3 having a constant quality in which the basis weight and mass of the entire absorbent body are within a certain range. In addition, as the state of the absorbent body, the basis weight, mass, etc. of the fiber material contained in the absorbent body are measured by the measuring means, and based on the measured physical properties, the supply rate of the fiber material to the duct is controlled. It is also possible to stably produce an absorber having a constant quality in which the physical properties are within a predetermined range.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 2 Rotating drum 2f Outer peripheral surface 20 Drum body 21 Outer peripheral member 22 Concave portion for accumulation 3 Absorber 31 Fiber material 31A Raw material sheet 32 Water absorbent polymer 33 High basis weight part 34 Low basis weight part 30 Absorber 4 Duct 4e Duct opening 5 Textile material supply unit 51 Crusher (defibrating machine)
52 Raw Material Supply Roller 53 Drive Motor 6 Release Air Blow Device 7 Vacuum Conveyor 7A Belt Conveyor 8 Supply Amount Control Unit 82 Measuring Means 9 Cutting Device 91 Cutter Roll 92 Cutting Blade 93 Anvil Roll 55 Sprinkling Tube of Water Absorbing Polymer

Claims (7)

A rotating drum having a plurality of accumulation recesses formed at predetermined intervals on the outer peripheral surface; a duct for supplying fiber material as an absorbent material in a scattered state toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum; An absorbent body comprising: a fiber material supply section for supplying a fiber material to the stack; and a mold release means for releasing the deposit generated by the deposition of the fiber material in the stacking recess as an absorber from the stacking recess. Manufacturing equipment,
A supply amount control unit that measures the state of the absorber after being released by the release means and changes the amount of fiber material supplied to the duct by the fiber material supply unit based on the measured state of the absorber. , Absorber manufacturing equipment.   A pressing device for the absorber is disposed downstream from a releasing portion by the releasing means, and a measuring means for measuring the state of the absorber is disposed between the releasing portion and the pressing device. The manufacturing apparatus of the absorber of Claim 1.   The supply amount control unit per unit time of the fiber material so that a portion having a relatively large basis weight of the fiber material and a portion having a relatively small basis weight of the fiber material are generated in each absorbent body. While periodically changing the supply amount, the reference supply rate of the fiber material to the duct is changed so that the mass per absorber to be manufactured is within a certain range based on the measured state of the absorber. The manufacturing apparatus of the absorber of Claim 1 or 2.   The said supply amount control part changes the supply amount of the said fiber material so that the state of the absorber to measure may match the state of the absorber previously registered into the memory | storage part. An absorber manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1.   The apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a surface displacement measuring instrument, image processing, or a capacitance sensor is used for measuring the state of the absorbent body. A rotating drum having a plurality of accumulation recesses formed at predetermined intervals on the outer peripheral surface; a duct for supplying fiber material as an absorbent material in a scattered state toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum; An absorbent body comprising: a fiber material supply section for supplying a fiber material to the stack; and a mold release means for releasing the deposit generated by the deposition of the fiber material in the stacking recess as an absorber from the stacking recess. An absorber manufacturing method for manufacturing an absorber using the manufacturing apparatus of
The manufacturing method of an absorber which measures the state of the said absorber during operation of the said manufacturing apparatus, and changes the supply amount of the fiber material with respect to the duct by a fiber material supply part based on the measured state of the absorber.   Periodically changing the supply amount of the fiber material per unit time so that a portion having a relatively high basis weight of the fiber material and a portion having a relatively low basis weight of the fiber material are generated in each absorbent body. The reference supply rate of the fiber material to the duct is changed so that the mass of the fiber material per one absorber to be manufactured is constant based on the measured state of the absorber. Method for manufacturing the absorber.