JPH06245955A - Production of absorber and its apparatus for production - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable molding without generating warpage, etc., by precompressing a continuous fiber body consisting of laminate water absorptive fibers, then cutting and separating the fiber laminate to independent absorbers and compression molding respective compressed bodies until the specific density is attained in the state of holding these bodies by means of conveyors. CONSTITUTION:A continuous web 1A is supplied to a fiber laminating device 6 and the fine water absorptive fibers 1B are mixed and dispersed with air flow from this laminating device 6 and are sucked to a suction device 12 opposite thereto so as to be laminated on the web 1A on the net conveyor 11. A water absorptive polymer 1C is then supplied from a water absorptive polymer supplying device 7 to the water absorptive fibers 1B laminated on the web 1A and thereafter, the fibers are subjected to a low-pressure compression treatment at a high speed by press rolls 13 of a low-density compression molding device 8, by which the continuously transferred fiber laminate 2 is formed. This fiber laminate 2 is cut and separated by a cutting device 9. The resulted independent absorbers 3 are compressed at >=0.15g/m<2> density by a high-density compression molding device 10 consisting of a pair of conveyor belts 16.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing an absorbent body and an apparatus for producing the same, which produces a high density (0.15 g / cm ³ or more) thin absorbent body used for sanitary napkins, diapers and the like at high speed and stably. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, absorbent bodies such as sanitary napkins and disposable diapers are prepared by appropriately cutting liquid-absorbent fibers that have been piled up. Further, recently, it has been desired that such an absorber has a thin specification. Therefore, a product obtained by compression-molding a continuous laminated fiber to a high density (0.15 g / cm ³ or more) is used as a thin absorber. May be

[0003]

However, when such a laminated fiber body is compressed at a high density, so-called warpage occurs, which hinders subsequent processing. As a method for preventing such warpage, a press roll having a large radius of curvature,
A means for adjusting the pressing force of the press roll and a cutter,
A cutting device provided with a guide between press rolls has been proposed to prevent warp deformation of a cotton swab or the like (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-46155). However, when such a device is used as an absorbent body for a sanitary napkin, a warp preventing press roll suitable for the length (15 cm to 30 cm) of the sanitary napkin becomes a huge one having an excessive radius of curvature. However, it is a large-scale device. In addition, the accuracy of catching the conveyer between the press rolls is deteriorated, and a pitch shift is likely to occur, which causes a trouble in a post process.

Therefore, the present inventors have proposed to pre-compress the laminated fiber body, and then cut and separate it into an independent absorbent body, and compress the absorbent body with a press roll to 0.15 g / cm ³ or more. (Japanese Patent Application No. 5-2825). Although this manufacturing method does not cause warping of the absorber, there is room for improvement in the space of the device, and the tip of the pre-compressed yet thick absorber is pressed directly from a temporarily free state. Since it collides with the roll surface and is compression-molded, there is a possibility that the absorber may undergo a large pitch deviation and there is room for improvement. Furthermore, during high-speed production, the pressure applied from the press roll to the absorber may decrease with the production speed, resulting in lack of stability. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an absorbent body and a manufacturing apparatus therefor, which does not cause warpage or the like, stably performs compression molding of the absorbent body, and does not cause a trouble in a post-process. .

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, after pre-compressing a continuous laminated fiber body made of laminated water absorbent fibers, the laminated fiber body is cut and separated into an independent absorbent body, A method for producing an absorbent body, which comprises compression-molding a body to a density of 0.15 g / cm ³ or more, wherein the compression-molding of the absorbent body is held by a conveyor belt. The above object has been achieved by providing a method. The present invention also provides a carrier sheet supply device for continuously supplying a carrier sheet, a fiber stacking device for continuously stacking water-absorbent fibers on the sheet, and a fiber stack produced by the fiber stacking device at 0.15 g / cm 3. ^A first compression device that pre-compresses at ³ or less, a cutting and separating device that cuts and separates the laminated fiber body compressed by the first compression device into each absorber, and a state in which the absorber is held by a conveyor belt. 0.15g / cm ³
The above object is achieved by providing an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus including a second compression apparatus that compresses to the above density.

[0006]

[Function] When a continuous laminated fiber is directly compressed with high density, warp deformation due to shrinkage of the web in the laminated fiber becomes severe after cutting, but when the continuous laminated fiber is pre-compressed and cut,
Partial shrinkage of the web or the like is in a converged state. For this reason,
The piled body (or the absorbent body) can be finally subjected to high-density compression in a warped state, and the warp deformation can be reduced to perform compression molding. Further, since the compression molding is performed while the absorber is held by the conveyor belt at the time of high-density compression, there is no pitch deviation and no hindrance to the subsequent processing steps. Further, even if the absorber is processed at a high speed, that is, in a state where the productivity is improved, since the pressing force of the press roll and the like is performed through the conveyor belt, there is no fluctuation such as a decrease in pressure due to the production speed. The stable pressure applied to the absorber is maintained, and high-speed and stable production of high-density (0.15 g / cm ³ ) thin absorber and the like is realized.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of a method for manufacturing an absorber and a manufacturing apparatus therefor according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of an absorber manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views of various conveyor belts used in the absorber manufacturing apparatus of FIG. Is. In the method for manufacturing an absorbent body according to the present embodiment, a continuous transfer fiber stack 1 composed of water absorbent fibers 1B stacked as shown in FIG. Cut and separated into 0.15 g / cm ^{3 of} each absorber ³
The absorbent body 3 is compressed and molded to have the above density, and the absorbent body 3 is compressed and molded by the conveyor belts 16 and 16.

To further explain the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the web 1A is continuously supplied, the water-absorbent fibers 1B are laminated on the transfer web 1A, and the water-absorbent polymer 1C is added. A continuous transfer laminated fiber body 2 is manufactured.
Then, in the preliminary compression of the continuous transfer fiber stack 2, the continuous transfer fiber stack 2 is moved to 0.
15 g / cm ³ (thickness: measured under conditions of φ30 and 2.9 g / cm ² ) or less, especially in a state where no warpage occurs in the subsequent cutting, and compression is performed to a desired thickness before cutting . Further, the thickness of the continuous transfer laminated body 2 at this time is 1.5 to 3.0 times the final thickness of the absorbent body 4, particularly 2.0 to
It is desirable that the range is 2.5 times.

[0009] The continuous transfer laminated fiber 2 is continuously cut, separated at regular intervals, and cut into a length used for sanitary napkins or the like to obtain an absorbent body 3. Then, in order to make the absorber 3 thin as desired, the absorber 3 is highly compressed by the high-density compression molding device 10 or the like so that the absorber 3 is 0.15 g / cm ³ or more, preferably 0.20 g / cm ³ or more. To do. In the high-density compression molding in this case, the absorber 3 is sandwiched between the conveyor belts 16 and 16, and the absorber 3 is held between the conveyor belts 16 and 16.
It is pressurized together with the conveyor belts 16, 16 and the absorber 3
Is performed while holding.

The thin absorbent body 4 manufactured by the method for manufacturing an absorbent body constructed as described above is transferred to a subsequent process in a state where there is almost no warpage and pitch deviation and meandering are suppressed, and the subsequent process is performed. It does not hurt even in. Furthermore,
Even the thin absorber 4 does not have the above-mentioned problem of pitch deviation, and even in the production at high speed, since the pressing force of the high-density compression molding device 10 is constant, a stable density is obtained. Provide an absorber. In the manufacturing method of this example, the web 1A was used as the carrier sheet. However, it is not necessary to limit the sheet to a web, and those exhibiting the above-mentioned actions and effects even without such a carrier sheet are included in the method for producing an absorbent body of the present invention.

Next, an embodiment of an absorber manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail. The present invention is not limited to the following examples. The absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment includes a carrier sheet supplying apparatus 5 for continuously supplying the web 1A and a fiber laminating apparatus 6 for continuously laminating the water absorbing fibers 1B on the web 1A as shown in FIG. A low density compression molding device 8 for pre-compressing the continuous transfer fiber product 2 by the fiber fiber stacking device 6 at 0.15 g / cm ³ or less, and a continuous transfer fiber product compressed by the low density compression molding device 8. A cutter device 9 that cuts and separates the body 2 into the absorbers 3 and a state in which the absorber 3 is held by the conveyor belts 16 and 0.
It comprises a high-density compression molding device 10 for compressing to a density of 15 g / cm ³ or more.

The absorbent body manufacturing apparatus 20 of this embodiment will be further described. The apparatus 20 is mainly used as an absorbent body manufacturing apparatus for thin sanitary napkins. The web 1A is supplied from the carrier sheet supply device 5 of the manufacturing apparatus 20, and the web 1A is transferred between the fiber stacking device 6 and the net conveyor 11. The fiber stacking device 6 is opposed to the suction device 12 with the net conveyor 11 interposed therebetween, and the suction of the suction device 12 stacks the water absorbing fibers 1B from the fiber stacking device 6 on the web 1A. Further, a water absorbent polymer supply device 7 is provided immediately after the fiber stacking device 6, and the water absorbent polymer 1C is added to the water absorbent fiber 1B.

A low-density compression molding device 8 having a pair of press rolls 13, 13 is provided at the subsequent stage of the water-absorbing polymer supply device 7, and the continuous transfer fiber material 2 is a low-density compression molding device. 8 is precompressed. Press roll 1
The material of 3 is composed of metal and elastic bodies (rubber or the like) or a combination thereof. Further, in this case, the continuous transfer laminated fiber body 2 is compressed to a low density of 0.15 g / cm ³ or less to form an absorber sheet having a desired thickness thicker than the final thickness of the absorber 4. The continuous transfer pile 2 is a cutter device 9
The cutter device 9 comprises a cutter roll 14 having a cutting blade and a receiving roll 15. The continuous transfer fiber stack 2 is independently cut and separated into individual absorbent bodies 3 by a cutter device 9, and the absorbent body 3 is maintained at a constant distance and at the same speed as or slightly accelerated with the latter. It is transferred to the high-density compression molding device 10.

The high-density compression molding apparatus 10 comprises a pair of conveyor belts 16 and 16 and a pair of press rolls 17 and 1.
7, the absorber 3 is conveyed between the conveyor belts 16 while being held at a constant distance. Further, the press rolls 17 and 17 are the conveyor nets 16 and 16.
, And the absorber 3 is compression-molded together with the conveyor belts 16 and 16 to a high density of 0.15 g / cm ³ or more. Further, a belt conveying means 21 including a mesh belt 18 and a vacuum box 19 is provided at the subsequent stage of the conveyor belts 16 and 16, and the belt conveying means 21 accurately measures the conveying speed of the high-density absorbent 4 from the conveyor belt 16. While maintaining the above, it is transported to the subsequent processing process at high speed and safely.

Absorber manufacturing apparatus 2 configured as described above
According to 0, first, the continuous web 1A is supplied from the carrier sheet device 5 to the fiber stacking device 6. Further, the fine water-absorbent fibers 1B are mixed and dispersed by an air flow by the fiber laminating device 6, sucked by the facing suction device 12, and stacked on the web 1A on the net conveyor 11. The water-absorbent fiber 1B stacked on the web 1A is fed from the water-absorbent polymer supply device 7
Is supplied to the press roll 1 of the low-density compression molding device 8.
High-speed and low-compression processing by 3 and 13 and continuous transfer fiber stack 2
Is formed. The continuously transferred fiber material 2 is transferred to the cutter device 9 and cut and separated into individual absorbent bodies 3. In this case, since the absorber 3 is compressed to a low density, the warp contraction of the absorber 3 is suppressed as much as possible and converged here.

In this state, the absorber 3 is transferred between the conveyor belts 16 and 16 of the high-density compression molding apparatus 10, and is held on the conveyor belt 16 while maintaining a certain distance and high density. High density (0.15 g / cm) by the pair of press rolls 17 of the compression molding device 10.
³ or more) is compression molded. As a result, the desired high-density absorber 4 is formed, and even when processed at a high speed,
A constant pressure is applied to the conveyor belt 16 and the press roll 1.
Since it is given by the action of 7, the constant high density absorber 4
Can be stably supplied.

Further, the high-density absorber 4 has a very small warp deformation even if it is processed thin and at high speed, and the belt transfer means 21 including the vacuum box 18 and the mesh belt 19 realizes more stable transfer at high speed. can do. Therefore, in the absorber manufacturing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment that goes through such steps, the thin absorber 4 is stably processed at high speed and thin without being deformed, and is accurately transferred to the subsequent processing device. You can

In the apparatus of the above-mentioned embodiment, a plurality of the low-density compression molding apparatus 8 or the high-density compression molding apparatus 10 may be used as needed to perform a more fine compression process. A plurality of press rolls 17 may be provided in the high-density compression molding device 10. In the low-density compression molding device 8 which is a preliminary compression molding device, compression molding may be performed by interposing a conveyor belt as in the high-density compression molding device 10.

The conveyor belt 17 of the high-density compression molding apparatus 10 may be the conveyor belt 17A or 17B shown in FIG. 2 (a) or 2 (b). Figure 2
The conveyor belt 17A of (a) has a groove 23 formed on the substantially central surface thereof.
When A is used, the central portion of the absorbent body 4 is molded to have a lower density than the side edge portions thereof, and the side portion in the flow direction of the absorbent body 4 is compressed to a higher density (0.15 g / cm ³ or more) to improve the absorption performance. It is intended for improvement, and can be manufactured as a preferable pattern as an absorbent body such as a sanitary napkin. Further, the conveyor belt 17B of FIG. (B) has a plurality of recesses 24, 24 on its substantially central surface, and the absorber 4 is formed as a pattern for reducing the skin contact area at the center of the absorber 3. It can be manufactured. And such a conveyor belt 1
By appropriately using 7A and 17B in the above-described absorber manufacturing apparatus 20, or by using various types in combination, the absorber can have a desired pattern. In addition, although the web 1A is used as the carrier sheet in the above-mentioned examples, it is not particularly limited as long as it is a sheet capable of stacking water-absorbent fibers.

[0020]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION In the method for manufacturing an absorbent body and the manufacturing apparatus therefor of the present invention, the compression molding of the absorbent body can be stably carried out without causing warping, and no trouble will occur in the post-process.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an absorber manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment.

2 (a) and 2 (b) are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a conveyor belt used in the absorber manufacturing apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1A Web 1B Water-absorbent fiber 1C Water-absorbent polymer 2 Continuous transfer fiber stack 3 Absorber 5 Carrier sheet feeder 6 Fiber fiber feeder 7 Water-absorbent polymer feeder 8 Low-density compression molding device (first compression device) 9 Cutter device (cutting and separating device) 10 High-density compression molding device (second compression device) 16 Conveyor belt 17 Press roll 20 Absorber manufacturing device 21 Belt conveying means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A pre-compressed continuous fiber product comprising water-absorbed fibers that have been fiber-loaded, and then the fiber product is cut and separated into independent absorbers, each of which is 0.15 g / cm ^3. A method for producing an absorbent body, which is obtained by performing compression molding to have the above density, wherein the compression molding of the above-mentioned absorbent body is held by a conveyor belt. 2. A carrier sheet supply device for continuously supplying a carrier sheet, a fiber stacking device for continuously stacking water-absorbent fibers on the sheet, and a fiber stack by the fiber stacking device.
A first compression device that pre-compresses at 5 g / cm ³ or less, a cutting and separating device that cuts and separates the laminated fiber body compressed by the first compression device into each absorber, and the absorber is held by a conveyor belt. In this state, an absorber manufacturing apparatus comprising a second compressing device that compresses to a density of 0.15 g / cm ³ or more.