JP2021171299A - Manufacturing method of disposable wearable article - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a disposable wearable article capable of preventing degradation in external appearance and fittability by preventing an elastic member from being snapped back at a side seal and manufacturing method thereof.SOLUTION: A manufacturing method of a disposable wearable article includes the steps of: sandwiching an elongate elastic member F extended in a longitudinal direction X between a first face 11 of a first web 1 and a second web 2 such that the second web 2 is overlapped on the first face 11 of the first web 1 on which a thermoplastic strip S is disposed; and intermittently heat-sealing the elastic member F and the first and second webs 1 and 2 in the longitudinal direction X between respective ends E to form first joined parts 41 and heat-sealing the strip S disposed at a portion to be the end E, the elastic member F and the first and second webs 1 and 2 to form second joined parts 42 so as to form a stretchable sheet 3 to be a first waistline part 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a so-called pants-type disposable wear article.

The following Patent Document 1 discloses a method for manufacturing a worn article. In this conventional manufacturing method, an stretched rubber thread is sandwiched between two webs (nonwoven fabric), and the web and the rubber thread (elastic member) are intermittently joined by heat welding in the contraction direction to form an elastic sheet. And this elastic sheet is used as at least one of the front body or back body (girth part) of the worn article, and both ends of these front body and back body are side-sealed (welded) to form the waist circumference opening and leg circumference opening. do.

WO2018 / 092559 (front page)

In such a pants-type worn article, if the heat fusion of the rubber thread to the web is not sufficient, the ends of the rubber thread move (snap back) at the both ends of the side seal, and the appearance deteriorates. There is a problem that the fit is reduced. Such a problem becomes remarkable when a low basis weight web is used for the purpose of cost reduction.

An object of the present invention is to provide a disposable wear article and a manufacturing method capable of preventing an elastic member from snapping back in a side seal to prevent deterioration of appearance and deterioration of fit.

The present invention is a method for manufacturing a pants-type disposable wear article.
The process of transporting the first web 1 in the longitudinal direction X and
Strips S formed of a thermoplastic material and long in the width direction D intersecting the longitudinal direction X are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction X at a portion of the first web 1 serving as each end E of each worn article. And the process to do
The process of transporting the second web 2 and
The second web 2 overlaps the first surface 11 of the first web 1 on which the strip S is arranged, and between the first surface 11 of the first web 1 and the second web 2. The step of sandwiching the elongated elastic member F in a state of being extended in the longitudinal direction X, and
The elastic member F and the first and second webs 1 and 2 are heat-sealed between the end portions E intermittently in the longitudinal direction X to form the first joint portion 41, and the end portions are formed. The first waist circumference portion 31 is formed by heat-sealing the strip S, the elastic member F, and the first and second webs 1 and 2 arranged at the portion to be E to form the second joint portion 42. It is provided with a step of producing the elastic sheet 3 to be obtained.

According to the present invention, a strip is sandwiched between the first web and the second web at the heat-sealed end of the worn article. Therefore, the heat capacity is increased by the amount of the strip, the web can be prevented from melting too much at the end portion, and the occurrence of snapback of the elastic member due to the side seal can be suppressed. Further, by arranging the strips, a sufficient heat welding component can be obtained, so that the end portion of the elastic member can be reliably held.

Therefore, even if the elastic sheet uses a web having a low basis weight, there is no possibility that the appearance of the worn article is deteriorated or the fit is deteriorated.

In the present invention, the web means a thermoplastic non-woven fabric in which thermoplastic fibers are laminated.

The elongated elastic member may be linear or cord-shaped. For example, the elastic member may be a multi-strand in which a plurality of rubber threads (fibrous elastic bodies) are assembled in a bundle. Examples of the material of the rubber thread include polyurethane.

In the present invention, the first waist circumference portion may be at least one of the front body (front waist circumference portion) and the rear body (rear waist circumference portion), and the second waist circumference portion may be the other.

FIG. 1A is a front view showing an example of a worn article manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a sectional view taken along line IB-IB. FIG. 2A is a front view showing an unfolded state in which the ends of the worn article are not joined by side seals, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIB-IIB. It is a layout figure which shows an example of the equipment which manufactures the telescopic sheet of the said wear article. FIG. 4A is a schematic process diagram showing a part of an embodiment of the manufacturing method of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged plan view showing a process of producing a stretchable sheet. FIG. 5A is a schematic process diagram showing another part of the embodiment, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged plan view showing a process of carving.

4A and 4B are views viewed from the non-skin surface side of the worn article, while FIGS. 5A and 5B are views viewed from the skin surface side of the worn article.
In FIGS. 1, 2, 4B and 5B, the fused sites are colored gray.

FIG. 6 is a schematic process diagram showing a part of other manufacturing methods. FIG. 7A is a front view showing another example of the worn article manufactured by this manufacturing method, and FIG. 7B is a sectional view taken along line IIV-IIV of FIG. 7A. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a cutting process.

The present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, embodiments and drawings are for illustration and description purposes only and should not be used to define the scope of the invention. The scope of the present invention is determined only by the claims. In the accompanying drawings, the same part number in a plurality of drawings indicates the same or corresponding part.

Hereinafter, the structure of the worn article according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 5 show the first embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the worn article of the first embodiment has a symmetrical shape and structure, and includes an absorbent main body 20 and front and rear waist circumferences 31 and 32. The absorbent body 20 covers the front torso of the wearer and extends in the waist circumference direction X, the torso that covers the rear torso of the wearer and extends in the waist circumference direction X, and the crotch that covers the crotch between the two torso parts. It has a part 22.
A crotch member may be provided in place of the absorbent body 20 so that the absorbent body can be detachably replaced with the crotch member.

The crotch portion 22 extends in the vertical direction Y orthogonal to the waist circumference direction X. The absorbent body 20 constitutes part or all of the crotch 22.

As will be described later, the waist circumference portions 31 and 32 of FIG. 2B are formed by sandwiching a plurality of elongated elastic members F between the first web 1 and the second web 2. The second web 2 constitutes an outer and a crotch portion 22 is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 1A, in the state of the finished product, the crotch portion 22 is folded in two at a line parallel to the waist circumference direction X. As a result, the ends E of the front and rear girth portions 31 and 32 in FIG. 2A in the girth direction X overlap each other as shown in FIG. The worn article is a pants type, and the ends of the first waist circumference portion 31 and the second waist circumference portion 32 in the waist circumference direction X are welded to each other.

The absorbent body 20 of FIG. 2B is provided with an absorbing core (not shown). This absorption core absorbs body fluids. The absorption core is sandwiched between the top sheet and the back sheet. Each sheet and absorption core are laminated to each other.

The top sheet is made of a thin liquid-permeable non-woven fabric and covers the skin surface of the absorbent core. A cuff (not shown) may be provided on the top sheet.

The back sheet covers the non-skin surface of the absorbent core and is made of a liquid-impermeable resin sheet. Each waist circumference portion 31, 32 of FIG. 2A is attached to each end portion of the absorbent body 20 in the vertical direction Y.

In FIG. 2A, the waist circumference portions 31 and 32 project from the absorbent main body 20 in the waist circumference direction X. That is, the waist circumference portions 31 and 32 project from the crotch portion 22 in the waist circumference direction X and extend in the waist circumference direction X from both edges (ends in the waist circumference direction) of the absorbent main body 20.

Elastic members F for fitting the worn article to the wearer are provided on the waist circumferences 31 and 32. As the elastic member F, for example, a material containing a plurality of thread rubbers, flat rubbers, or thermoplastic resins can be adopted. Further, the elastic member F may be invalidated (there is no contraction force) at the portion overlapping with the absorbent main body 20. Each elastic member F may extend in the waist circumference direction X in parallel with each other.

The absorbent body 20 may be formed with leg circumferences that are constricted along the wearer's legs. Another elastic member made of, for example, rubber thread may be provided along the leg circumference and the portion connected to the leg circumference of the waist circumferences 31, 32 along the wearer's leg circumference.

The absorbent main body 20 is attached to the skin surface of each of the waist circumferences 31 and 32.
In the present specification, the "skin surface" refers to the surface facing the wearer's skin when the worn article is worn, and the "non-skin surface" refers to the surface opposite to the skin surface.

Next, further details of the worn article will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2B, in each of the waist circumference portions 31 and 32, the second web 2 constituting the outer may include a folded-back portion 21 in which the end portion in the vertical direction Y is folded back. The folded-back portion 21 covers the skin surface of the end portion of the absorbent body 20 in the vertical direction Y.

As shown in the gray color of FIG. 2A, the first web 1 and the second web 2 are heat-sealed at the first and second joints 41 and 42 of each of the waist circumferences 31, 32. The joints 41, 42 may be parallel to each other.
The distance between the first joint portions 41 in the waist circumference direction X and the number of the first joint portions 41 can be appropriately set. Also, the intervals may not all be the same size (or different sizes).

At the end E in the waist direction of the worn article, a strip S is sandwiched between the first web 1 and the second web 2 as clearly shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. As shown in FIG. 1B, the elastic member F is sandwiched between the first surface 11 of the first web 1 on which the strip S is arranged and the second web 2. The strip S shown by the broken line in FIG. 1A is made of a thermoplastic material and is long in the vertical direction Y orthogonal to the waist circumference direction X.

That is, between the end portion E and the end portion E in the waist circumference direction X shown in FIGS. 1A and 2A, the waist circumference portions 31 and 32 are vertically traversed in the vertical direction Y as shown by being colored in gray. A large number of striped first joints 41 are formed. In each of the first joint portions 41, the first web and the second webs 1 and 2 of FIG. 2B are joined to each other by heat fusion, and the elastic member F heats the first web and the second webs 1 and 2. It is joined by fusion.

On the other hand, at both end portions E and E of the waist circumference direction X shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, for example, one end portion E, E is vertically traversed in the vertical direction Y as shown by being colored in gray. A band-shaped second joint 42 is formed. In the second joint portion 42, the strip S, the first web 1 and the second web 2 of FIG. 1B are joined by heat fusion, and the strip S, the first web 1 and the second web 2 are joined together. It is joined to the elastic member F by heat fusion.

A large number of the joint portions 41 and 42 overlap the elastic member F, and the two webs of the waist circumference portions joined to each other at the joint portion form gathers due to the contraction force of the elastic member F. In the case of this example, the joint portions 41 and 42 are separated from each other in the waist circumference direction X and are parallel to each other. In this way, in a state where the elastic member F is contracted, a plurality of gathers appear between the plurality of joints 41 and 42. These gathers enhance the aesthetic appearance of the waist circumferences 31 and 32 by appearing in the desired regular shape.

As shown in FIG. 1A, in a large number of side seals 5 shown in gray, the front and rear waist circumferences 31 and 32 are welded and joined to each other. The large number of side seals 5 are intermittently arranged in the vertical direction Y at the end E of the waist circumference direction X of the front and rear waist circumference portions 3.
In the case of this example, the side seals 5 arranged in the vertical direction Y are arranged parallel to each other in the waist circumference direction X and separated from each other in the vertical direction Y.

When each worn article is cut into units of individual worn articles, the elastic member F is also cut, and at a portion where the side seal 5 and the elastic member F do not overlap, so-called snapback occurs and the elastic member F contracts. do.
Further, the side seals 5 are densely and intermittently arranged in the vertical direction Y (intersecting width direction D), and partially overlap with the elastic member F. Therefore, the elastic member F may be blown at the side seal 5, and in such a case, the end portion of the elastic member F contracts due to snapback.

As in the case of this example shown in FIG. 1A, a distance may be set between the first joint portion 41 and the side seal 5. That is, the first joint portion 41 and the side seal 5 do not have to overlap each other.

At the end E of each worn item, a strip S is sandwiched between the webs 1 and 2. Therefore, the heat capacity of the end portion E is large, and the elastic member F is surely sandwiched and held between the webs 1 and 2 at the second joint portion 42. Therefore, the snapback elastic member F can be reliably stopped at the second joint portion 42.

Next, one embodiment of the manufacturing method will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 4A, one wide web W0 is slit to obtain a pair of first webs 1, 1. These first webs 1, 1 are conveyed in the longitudinal direction X. The slit of the wide web W0 is performed by the slitter 60 of FIG.

Strips S are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction X at the portion of each first web 1 of FIG. 4A that becomes the end portion E of the worn article. The strip S is made of a thermoplastic non-woven fabric or film material and has a long strip shape in the width direction D orthogonal to the longitudinal direction X. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the strip S may be temporarily fixed to the first web 1 at a plurality of temporary fixing portions S2.

The strip S of FIG. 3 may be formed by cutting the tip SE of the continuum S1 of the thermoplastic resin film or the non-woven fabric S1 one after another by the cutter 61. In this case, the strip S is intermittently arranged on the first surface 11 of the first web 1 of FIG. 4A by a so-called cut-and-slip method.
The strip S may be a non-woven fabric impregnated with a hot melt adhesive.

Prior to the step of generating and arranging the strip S, the temporary fixing agent may be intermittently applied from the coater 62 in the continuous direction of the continuum S1 of FIG. It is also possible to apply a temporary fixing agent to the first web 1 for each strip S. The temporary fixing agent may be a hot melt that can be bonded by heat fusion.

In FIG. 3, after the strip S is arranged, the second web 2 is conveyed so as to overlap the first surface 11 of the first web 1 on which the strip S is arranged so as to overlap with the first surface 11 of the first web 1 during transportation. An elongated elastic member F in a state of being extended in the longitudinal direction X (FIG. 4A) is sandwiched between the anvil roll 63 and the nip roll 64 with the second web 2. After that, these members are heat-sealed on the anvil roll 63 by the ultrasonic vibration of the ultrasonic horn 65. In addition, heat fusion by heat sealing may be performed.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the elastic member F and the first and second webs 1 and 2 are heat-sealed intermittently in the longitudinal direction X between the portions to be the end portions E. 1 The joint portion 41 is formed, and the strip S arranged at the portion to be the end portion E, the elastic member F, and the first and second webs 1 and 2 are heat-sealed to form the second joint portion 42. As a result, the elastic sheet 3 to be the first waist circumference portion 31 or the second waist circumference portion 32 (FIG. 2A) is generated.

In FIG. 5A, the elastic member F may be partially cut and invalidated at a portion of the elastic sheet 3 that overlaps with the absorbent body 20. The front and rear body portions of the absorbent body 20 are attached to this invalidated area.

An oval-shaped hole H serving as a leg hole is formed in the second web 2 of FIG. 5A. Further, the edge portion 2E of the second web 2 in the width direction D is folded back toward the skin surface side to cover the end portion of the absorbent body 20 in the vertical direction Y.

After that, the second waist circumference portion 32 is superposed on the first waist circumference portion 31 of FIG. 5A, and then both waist circumference portions 31, 32 are heat-melted to each other at each portion of both waist circumference portions 31, 32 which becomes the end portion E of FIG. 5B. A continuous laminate W (FIG. 5A) is obtained in which a side seal 5 is formed for each unit of the worn article. The side seal 5 is performed on the end E of each worn item, as shown in FIG. 5B.

After that, the continuous laminate W of FIG. 5A is cut into a size (unit) for each worn item along a virtual cutting line C shown by a long-dotted chain line. That is, in order to generate individual worn articles one after another, the continuous laminate W is cut one after another in the vertical direction Y between the absorbent main bodies 20 adjacent to each other in the transport direction X. In this way, the continuous laminate W is cut one after another at the position at the end E in the waist circumference direction X (FIG. 1) of the worn article of FIG. 5B and between the side seals 5 and 5 in the two rows. As a result, the individual pants-type worn articles shown in FIG. 1 are obtained.

7A-8 show other embodiments.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the first and second webs 1 and 2 may have the same shape as each other.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the second joint portion 42 may overlap with the side seal 5. Further, a plurality of second joint portions 42 may be provided at the end portion E.

As shown in FIG. 8, the side seals 5 and 5 of the adjacent worn articles may be connected to each other in the transport direction X across the cutting line C. In this case, the side seal 5 is cut at the cutting line C.

The specific embodiments described above include inventions having the following configurations.

As a preferred embodiment, in the step of arranging the strip S, a temporary fixing step of temporarily fixing the strip S to the first web 1 is further provided.

In this case, by temporarily fixing the strip S in this way, the strip S can be reliably attached to the first web 1.

As a preferred embodiment, a coating step of applying a temporary fixing agent for temporary fixing to the continuum S1 or the strip S to be the strip S is further provided prior to the temporary fixing step.

Since the temporary fixing agent for temporary fixing may be applied to a part of the strip S, the amount of the temporary fixing agent applied is small, the temporary fixing agent is less likely to adhere to the ultrasonic horn, the cutter, or the like, and equipment malfunction is less likely to occur.

A preferred embodiment further includes a step of cutting the tip SE of the continuum S1 of the thermoplastic resin film one after another to generate the strip S one after another.
Another preferred embodiment further comprises a step of cutting the tip SE of the thermoplastic non-woven fabric continuum S1 one after another to generate strips S one after another.

In these cases, the productivity of the strip is improved.

A preferred embodiment further comprises a step of cutting the tip SE of the thermoplastic non-woven fabric continuum S1 one after another to generate strips S one after another.

In this case, the temporary fixing agent can be applied to the continuous body from one coating device, and the temporary fixing agent can be easily applied.

In the present invention, the step of superimposing the second waist circumference portion 32 on the first waist circumference portion 31 and the heat fusion of both waist circumference portions 31, 32 to each other at each portion of both waist circumference portions 31, 32 to be the end portion E. In the process of obtaining the continuous laminate W in which the side seal 5 is formed for each unit of the worn article, and in the side seal 5, the continuous laminate W is sequentially added to the unit of the worn article along the virtual cutting line C extending in the width direction D. It may further include a step of carving.

The features described and / or illustrated in connection with one embodiment or each preferred embodiment are in the same or similar form in one or more other embodiments and / or in combination with other embodiments. , Or can be used instead.

As described above, the preferred embodiment has been described with reference to the drawings, but those skilled in the art will easily assume various changes and modifications within a self-evident range by looking at the present specification.
For example, the first web does not have to be generated by being slit in two. Further, the first web and the first web may be configured by double folding one wide web.
Further, the diaper may be a recloseable pants-type diaper, and in this case, the absorbent body may be a crotch member having no absorbent body.
Therefore, such changes and amendments are to be construed as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

The present invention is mainly applicable to pants-type disposable wear articles.

1: 1st web 11: 1st surface 2: 2nd web (outer) 20: Absorbent body 21: Folded part 22: Crotch part 2E: Edge part 3: Telescopic sheet 31: 1st waist circumference 32: 2nd waist circumference Part 41: 1st joint 42: 2nd joint 5: Side seal
60: Slitter 61: Cutter 62: Applicator 63: Anvil roll
64: Nip roll 65: Ultrasonic horn C: Cutting line D: Width direction X: Longitudinal direction (Girth direction) Y: Vertical direction E: End part F: Elastic member H: Hole S: Strip S1: Continuum SE: Tip part S2: Temporary fixing part W: Continuous laminate W0: Wide web

Claims (7)

It is a method of manufacturing pants-type disposable items.
The process of transporting the first web 1 in the longitudinal direction X and
Strips S formed of a thermoplastic material and long in the width direction D intersecting the longitudinal direction X are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction X at a portion of the first web 1 serving as each end E of each worn article. And the process to do
The process of transporting the second web 2 and
The second web 2 overlaps the first surface 11 of the first web 1 on which the strip S is arranged, and between the first surface 11 of the first web 1 and the second web 2. The step of sandwiching the elongated elastic member F in a state of being extended in the longitudinal direction X, and
The elastic member F and the first and second webs 1 and 2 are heat-sealed between the end portions E intermittently in the longitudinal direction X to form the first joint portion 41, and the end portions are formed. The first waist circumference portion 31 is formed by heat-sealing the strip S, the elastic member F, and the first and second webs 1 and 2 arranged at the portion to be E to form the second joint portion 42. A manufacturing method including a step of producing an elastic sheet 3 to be obtained. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising a temporary fixing step of temporarily fixing the strip S to the first web 1 in the step of arranging the strip S. The manufacturing method according to claim 2, further comprising a coating step of applying a temporary fixing agent for temporary fixing to the continuous body S1 to be the strip S or the strip S prior to the temporary fixing step. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of cutting the tip SE of the continuum S1 of the thermoplastic resin film one after another to generate the strip S one after another. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of cutting the tip SE of the continuum S1 of the thermoplastic non-woven fabric one after another to generate the strip S one after another. In claim 1, the step of cutting the tip SE of the continuum S1 to be the strip S one after another to generate the strip S one after another.
A manufacturing method further comprising a step of intermittently applying a temporary fixing agent in the continuous direction of the continuous body S1 prior to the step of forming the strip S. In any one of claims 1 to 6,
The step of superimposing the second waist circumference portion 32 on the first waist circumference portion 31 and
Both waist circumferences 31 and 32 are heat-sealed to each other at each end portion E of both waist circumferences 31 and 32 to obtain a continuous laminate W in which a side seal 5 is formed for each unit of the worn article. Process and
A manufacturing method further comprising a step of cutting the continuous laminate W into units of worn articles one after another along a virtual cutting line C extending in the width direction D in the side seal 5.

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