WO2021117435A1

WO2021117435A1 - Manufacturing method for absorbent article

Info

Publication number: WO2021117435A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/042949
Authority: WO
Inventors: 智康山南; 誠司村上; 正裕下津
Original assignee: ユニ・チャーム株式会社
Priority date: 2019-12-13
Filing date: 2020-11-18
Publication date: 2021-06-17
Also published as: JP2021094077A; JP7153631B2

Abstract

Provided is a manufacturing method for an absorbent article, the method including a wiping step for, during a stop period in which transport of a material is stopped, wiping off an adhered substance adhered to an application device, wherein the method is capable of increasing the production efficiency of the absorbent article while suppressing an increase in the operating costs. The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an absorbent article (1), the method including: a step for placing, while transporting a material (5) for the absorbent article (1), an adhesive (HM) on the material (5) by using an application device (40) having a discharge port (45) from which the adhesive (HM) is discharged; and a step (S40) for wiping off, during a stop period in which transport of the material (5) is stopped, an adhered substance adhered to the application device (40). In the wiping step (S40), the adhered substance is automatically wiped off during the stop period by using a wiping device (50) that has a wiping part (55) for wiping off the adhered substance.

Description

Manufacturing method of absorbent articles

The present invention relates to a method for producing an absorbent article, which comprises a wiping step of wiping off the deposits adhering to the coating device during the stop period when the transportation of the material is stopped.

Conventionally, in order to produce an absorbent article, it is widely known that a hot melt adhesive is placed on the material by using a coating device during transportation of the material for the absorbent article (for example, Patent Document). 1). An absorbent article was manufactured by joining a material on which a hot melt adhesive was placed to another material via a hot melt adhesive.

The hot melt adhesive solidified due to the cooling of the hot melt adhesive may adhere to the coating device, or the fibers contained in the material may adhere to the coating device via the hot melt adhesive. If the deposits continue to adhere to the coating device, there is a risk that the hot melt adhesive cannot be evenly placed on the material. Therefore, the operator wipes off the deposits adhering to the coating device to remove the deposits from the coating device and suppresses the occurrence of defective products.

The operation of the worker wiping off the deposits is performed during the stop period when the transportation of materials is stopped for the safety of the worker. The time required for the operator to actually wipe off the deposits adhering to the coating device varies depending on the physical condition of the operator and individual differences of the operator. If the outage period is too short, material transport may start (restart) before the operator wipes off the deposits. In this case, the safety of the operator may not be sufficiently ensured, or the coating device may start (restart) the arrangement of the hot melt adhesive before the wiping of the deposits is completed. A stop period was set, including a preliminary time, so that the wipe could be completed with a margin.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-94852

However, if the suspension period is set long in consideration of the preliminary time, the productivity of the absorbent article will decrease. Although the downtime can be shortened by wiping in a short time by many workers in order to increase the productivity of absorbent goods, the operating cost for manufacturing absorbent goods increases due to labor costs. There was a problem of doing.

Therefore, this is a method for manufacturing an absorbent article having a wiping step of wiping off the deposits adhering to the coating device during the stop period when the transportation of the material is stopped, and is absorbent while suppressing an increase in operating cost. A method for producing an absorbent article that can increase the productivity of the article is desired.

In the method for producing an absorbent article according to one aspect, the hot melt adhesive is applied to the material by using a coating device having a discharge port for discharging the hot melt adhesive during transportation of the material for the absorbent article. It is a method for producing an absorbent article having a step of arranging the material and a step of wiping off the deposits adhering to the coating device during the stop period during which the transportation of the material is stopped. In the wiping step, the front adhering matter is automatically wiped off in the area including the discharge port by using a wiping device having a wiping portion for wiping off the adhering matter during the stopping period.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of the production line apparatus 10. FIG. 2A is a top view showing an example of a place where the production line device 10 is arranged. FIG. 2B is a system configuration diagram for explaining a part of the absorbent article manufacturing apparatus 1. FIG. 3A is an exploded perspective view for explaining an example of the absorbent article 2. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F3B-F3B in FIG. 3A. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the first wiping device. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the wiping operation of the first wiping device. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the wiping operation of the first wiping device. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the second wiping device. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the wiping operation of the second wiping device. FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram for explaining a method for producing an absorbent article. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram for explaining a method for producing an absorbent article.

(1) Outline of Embodiment At least the following matters will be clarified by the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.
In the method for producing an absorbent article according to one aspect, the hot melt adhesive is applied to the material by using a coating device having a discharge port for discharging the hot melt adhesive during transportation of the material for the absorbent article. It is a method for producing an absorbent article having a step of arranging the material and a step of wiping off the deposits adhering to the coating device during the stop period during which the transportation of the material is stopped. In the wiping step, the deposits are automatically wiped off in the region including the discharge port by using a wiping device having a wiping portion for wiping the deposits during the stop period. According to this aspect, by automatically wiping off the deposits using the wiping device, fluctuations in the wiping time of the deposits can be suppressed as compared with the case where the operator wipes off the deposits. As a result, the preliminary time included in the suspension period can be shortened, and the suspension period can be shortened. Since the wiping device wipes off the deposits instead of the workers, it is not necessary to hire many workers for wiping, and the increase in operating cost can be suppressed. From the above, according to the method for producing an absorbent article according to this aspect, the productivity of the absorbent article can be increased by shortening the suspension period of the transportation of the material while suppressing the increase in the operating cost.

According to a preferred embodiment, in the method of manufacturing the absorbent article, the wiping portion is automatically operated after the wiping step to a safe position where an operator can maintain the wiping portion during transportation of the material after the wiping step. It has a step of moving in a target manner. After the wiping process, the wiping part automatically moves to a safe position, so that the wiping part can be maintained without stopping the transportation of materials. As a result, it is possible to reduce the suspension of material transportation due to inadequate maintenance of the wiping portion and suppress the occurrence of defective products.

According to a preferred embodiment, a safety cover is provided between the transport path for transporting the material and the passage area through which the worker passes to prevent contact with the material during transport of the material. In the moving step, after wiping the deposits, the wiping portion automatically moves toward the safety cover. As a result, since the safety cover is provided between the transport path and the aisle area, the wiped portion moves toward the safety cover, so that the wiped portion separates from the transport path and approaches the aisle area. Therefore, it becomes easier for the operator to access a safe position from the aisle area, and the time for performing maintenance of the wiping portion can be reduced. As a result, the labor cost for the maintenance of the wiping part can be reduced, and the increase in the operating cost can be suppressed.

According to a preferred embodiment, in the wiping step, the wiping portion automatically wipes off the deposits while moving toward the safety cover. The distance that the wiping section automatically moves toward the safety cover after wiping can be shortened. As a result, the time for the wiping portion to move to a safe position can be shortened, and the stop period can be shortened.

According to a preferred embodiment, the suspension period includes a scheduled suspension period scheduled in advance and an emergency suspension period determined to be suspended during the transportation of the material. Since the deposits can be wiped off during the scheduled stop period and the emergency stop period, it is possible to suppress the generation of defective products due to the deposits adhering to the coating device and increase the productivity of the absorbent article.

According to a preferred embodiment, the coating device is composed of a plurality of coating devices in which at least one of the hot melt adhesive arranging method and the hot melt adhesive arranging pattern is different, and the wiping device is the wiping device. It is composed of a plurality of wiping devices for wiping the deposits from each of the plurality of coating devices, and in the wiping step, the operating times of the plurality of wiping devices for wiping the deposits overlap. As a result, the time from the start to the end of wiping of a plurality of coating devices can be shortened as compared with the case where another wiping device starts wiping after the wiping of one wiping device is completed, and the operation is stopped. The period can be shortened.

According to a preferred embodiment, there is a step of selecting a wiping device that wipes off the deposits during the stop period from the plurality of wiping devices. Since the selected wiping device wipes, the operating cost can be reduced as compared with the case where all the wiping devices are operated for each stop period.

According to a preferred embodiment, in the selection step, the wiping device is selected according to the degree of contamination of the coating device due to at least one of the arrangement method and the arrangement pattern of the hot melt adhesive. The degree of contamination of the coating device varies depending on the arrangement method and arrangement pattern of the hot melt adhesive. By selecting according to the degree of dirt on the coating device, it is possible to appropriately select the coating device that needs to be wiped off.

According to a preferred embodiment, in the selection step, the wiping device is selected according to the elapsed time from the last wiping for each coating device. As time passes after wiping, deposits adhere to the coating device. By selecting according to the elapsed time from the last wiping, it is possible to appropriately select the coating device that requires wiping.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stop period is adjusted according to the wiping time from the start to the end of the wiping by the selected wiping device. As a result, the suspension period can be shortened according to the wiping time, so that the productivity of the absorbent article can be increased.

According to a preferred embodiment, in the wiping step, the adhered matter is automatically wiped off with the solidified hot melt adhesive adhering to the wiping portion. The adhesion of the solidified hot melt adhesive makes it easier for the deposits adhering to the coating device to adhere to the wiping portion. As a result, the deposits can be firmly wiped off from the coating device. By reducing the deposits left on the wipe, the occurrence of defective products can be further suppressed.

According to a preferred embodiment, the wiping step includes, in addition to the discharge port, a portion upstream of the discharge port and a portion downstream of the discharge port in the transport direction in which the material is transported. Wipe off the deposits in the area. Not only does the hot melt adhesive adhere to the discharge port where the hot melt adhesive is discharged, but also the hot melt adhesive bounces off the material when the hot melt adhesive is placed, and the hot melt adhesive drips. Therefore, it may adhere to the periphery of the discharge port. By wiping off the deposits adhering to the upstream portion and the downstream portion around the discharge port, the occurrence of defective products can be further suppressed.

According to a preferred embodiment, when the coating device is a contact-type coating device, the wiping device automatically wipes off the deposits using the plate-shaped wiping portion. As a result, the plate-shaped wiping portion can be wiped off so as to scrape off the deposits adhering to the coating device, as compared with the case where the wiping portion is a cloth such as a waste cloth. The amount of deposits left after wiping can be reduced, and the occurrence of defective products can be further suppressed.

According to a preferred embodiment, during the stop period, at least one of the coating device and the material transport path is moved so that the coating device is separated from the material transport path before the wiping step. Has. As a result, even if there is no space for the wiping portion to wipe off due to the material transport path during material transport, at least one of the coating device and the material transport path moves, so that the material transport path and the coating device move. There is a space between and. As a result, the wiping device can be wiped off, so that the occurrence of defective products can be further suppressed.

According to a preferred embodiment, a step of assembling a predetermined absorbent article using a predetermined material on which the hot melt adhesive is arranged between the end of the suspension period and the elapse of the predetermined period. , A step of disposing of the predetermined absorbent article. The coating device may not be able to stably place the hot melt adhesive until a predetermined period of time has passed after wiping. By disposing of the predetermined absorbent article produced by arranging the hot melt adhesive during the predetermined period, the occurrence of defective products can be suppressed.

(2) Schematic Configuration of Absorbent Article Manufacturing Equipment Hereinafter, an example of the manufacturing equipment used in the method for producing an absorbent article according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings below, the same or similar parts are designated by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic and the ratio of each dimension is different from the actual one. Therefore, the specific dimensions, etc. should be determined in consideration of the following explanation. In addition, there may be parts in which the relations and ratios of the dimensions of the drawings are different from each other.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of the production line apparatus 10. In FIG. 1, the transport path and the coating device 40 are mainly shown, and other devices, for example, the wiping device (first wiping device and the second wiping device) described later, the device for cutting the material, and the material are squeezed. The equipment to be used is omitted. FIG. 2A is a top view showing an example of a place where the production line device 10 is arranged. FIG. 2B is a system configuration diagram for explaining a part of the absorbent article manufacturing apparatus 1. FIG. 3A is an exploded perspective view for explaining an example of the absorbent article 2. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F3B-F3B in FIG. 3A. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the first wiping device. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the wiping operation of the first wiping device. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the wiping operation of the first wiping device. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the second wiping device. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the wiping operation of the second wiping device.

The manufacturing apparatus 1 may have a manufacturing line apparatus 10 and a control unit 20. The production line device 10 is a device for processing while transporting the material 5 for the absorbent article 2. The production line device 10 has a length direction X indicating the length direction of the production line device 10, a width direction Y indicating the width direction of the production line device 10, and a height direction Z indicating the height direction of the production line device 10. You can do it. The production line apparatus 10 may have, for example, a length of the production line apparatus 10 in the length direction X of 20 m or more, a width of the production line apparatus 10 in the width direction Y of 2 m or more, and a height. The height of the production line device 10 in the direction Z may be 2 m or more.

As shown in FIG. 2A, a safety cover 100 may be provided to prevent contact with the material 5 during transportation of the material 5. The safety cover 100 may be provided between the transport path 35, which will be described later, and the passage area PA through which the operator passes. At least a part of the production line device 10 may be arranged in the device area 10A surrounded by the safety cover 100 and the wall portion 8. In the width direction Y, a safety area SA may be provided between the device area 10A and the safety cover 100.

The safety area SA is an area where the operator can safely maintain the wiping portion 55, which will be described later, during the transportation of the material 5. The safety area SA is, for example, an area separated from the material 5 (transport path 35) and the production line device 10 (excluding the wiping device) being transported by a predetermined distance D (for example, 50 cm) or more. The operator may be able to enter the safety area SA through a door (not shown) provided on the safety cover 100. Further, the operator may be able to access the safety area SA through a window (not shown) provided on the safety cover 100. As a result, the operator can maintain the wiping portion 55 during the transportation of the material 5.

The production line device 10 (manufacturing device 1) includes an input port 30 into which the material 5 is input, a transport path 35 in which the material 5 is transported, and a hot melt adhesive (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as an adhesive HM) during the transfer of the material 5. ) May be provided on the material 5, and a wiping device 50 for automatically wiping off deposits may be provided. The input port 30 is an entrance into which the material 5 for the absorbent article 2 is input. The insertion port 30 may be provided, for example, in the wall portion 8 extending in the length direction X and the height direction Z. The wall portion 8 may be referred to as a mirror plate. As shown in FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 1 may have a plurality of input ports 30. The material 5 may be input from each of the plurality of input ports 30. The material 5 is a material for the absorbent article 2. The material 5 for the absorbent article 2 is, for example, a continuous body in which the absorber 2A described later, a continuous body in which the top sheet 2B described later is continuous, a continuous body in which the back sheet 2C described later is continuous, and a continuous body in which the exterior sheet 2D described later is continuous. And so on. The material 5 may be an elastic member. The material 5 may form an absorbent article 2 by being cut.

The absorbent article 2 is, for example, one of a pants-type disposable diaper, a tape-type disposable diaper, a shorts-type sanitary napkin, a liner-type sanitary napkin, and the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the absorbent article 2 is arranged, for example, on the absorber 2A, the top sheet 2B arranged on the skin surface side T1 of the absorber 2A, and on the non-skin surface side T2 of the absorber 2A. It may have a back sheet 2C and an exterior sheet 2D arranged on the non-skin surface side T2 of the back sheet 2C. The absorber 2A has an absorbent material that absorbs the liquid, such as ground pulp or a highly absorbent polymer (SAP), or a mixture thereof. Absorber 2A may have a core wrap covering the absorbing core. The core wrap may be composed of, for example, tissue and / or non-woven fabric. The top sheet 2B and the exterior sheet 2D may be made of a non-woven fabric, and the back sheet 2C may be made of a film. As shown in FIG. 3B, the constituent members constituting the absorbent article 2 are adhered by a hot melt adhesive.

The transport path 35 is a path for the material 5 for the absorbent article 2. In the transport path 35, the material 5 for the absorbent article 2 is transported. The transport path 35 may be defined by, for example, a transport belt on which the material 5 is placed, a transport belt, a transport roller that moves the material 5, or the like.

The coating device 40 has a discharge port 45 for discharging the adhesive HM. The coating device 40 may have one discharge port 45 or may have a plurality of discharge ports 45. The coating device 40 may include, for example, a contact type first coating device 41 and a non-contact type second coating device 42. At least the method of arranging the adhesive HM is different between the first coating device 41 and the second coating device 42. The first coating device 41 arranges the adhesive HM on the material 5 while contacting the material 5. The discharge port 45 may come into contact with the material 5, or the region near the discharge port 45 may come into contact with the material 5. The first coating device 41 is a device for arranging the adhesive HM on the material 5 by, for example, coating with a coater or coating with a roll coater. The second coating device 42 arranges the adhesive HM on the material 5 without contacting the material 5. The second coating device 42 is a device for arranging the adhesive HM on the material 5 by, for example, omega coating or spiral coating. The discharge port 45 may be separated from the material 5 by, for example, 5 mm or more. The discharge port 45 does not have to be separated from the material 5 by 50 mm or more so as not to reduce the accuracy of the position where the adhesive HM is applied.

The coating device 40 may be composed of a plurality of coating devices 40 in which at least one of the method of arranging the adhesive HM and the pattern of arranging the adhesive HM is different. Therefore, the production line device 10 may have a plurality of coating devices 40. The production line device 10 may have a plurality of first coating devices 41, or may have a plurality of second coating devices 42. The production line device 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes five first coating devices 41 and four second coating devices 42.

When the arrangement pattern of the adhesive HM is different, the shape of the arrangement area where the adhesive HM is arranged is different. For example, the arrangement pattern of the adhesive HM may be different due to the difference in length in the transport direction MD and / or the cross direction CD intersecting the transport direction MD in which the material 5 is transported. Therefore, even if the same arrangement method is used, for example, the width of the arrangement area, that is, the arrangement pattern may be different due to the difference in the width of the coating device 40. Further, for example, the length of the arrangement region, that is, the arrangement pattern may be different depending on the time for the coating device 40 to continuously arrange the adhesive HM.

The coating device 40 may be arranged at an upstream point in the transport direction MD before the confluence point of the material 5. At the confluence of the materials 5, the materials 5 are joined together by the adhesive HM. The coating device 40 may be fixed to the wall portion 8. The plurality of coating devices 40 may be arranged scattered on the production line device 10. In the length direction X, the distance from the coating device 40 located on the onemost end side in the length direction X of the production line device 10 to the coating device 40 located on the one end side is 15 m or more. It's okay. Further, the distance from the coating device 40 located on the uppermost side of the production line device 10 to the floor may be 2 m or more. The distance from the coating device 40 located on the uppermost side of the production line device 10 to the coating device 40 located on the lowermost side may be 1 m or more.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the coating device 40 may be movable away from the transport path 35 of the material 5. The coating device 40 may be rotated 90 degrees around a support shaft 41C extending in the width direction Y so as to be separated from the transport path 35. As a result, a space is generated between the coating device 40 and the wiping device 50. The transport path 35 may be moved so that the coating device 40 is separated from the transport path 35. For example, the transport roller may move away from the coating device 40. Further, both the coating device 40 and the transport path 35 may move. Even if there is no space for the wiping device 50 to enter between the transport path 35 and the coating device 40 during the transfer of the material 5, at least one of the coating device 40 and the transport path 35 moves to wipe the material 5. It is possible to generate a space for 50 to enter.

The wiping device 50 has a wiping portion 55 that wipes off the deposits adhering to the coating device 40, and a support portion 56 that supports the wiping portion 55. The deposits are adhesive HM, fibers generated from the material, and the like. Since the fibers are adhered by the adhesive HM, deposits are likely to adhere to the coating device 40, particularly around the discharge port 45. The wiping unit 55 automatically wipes off the deposits by moving while contacting the coating device 40. The wiping portion 55 automatically wipes off the adhered matter by moving on a predetermined area (hereinafter, wiping area WA) in the coating device 40. The wiping area WA is, for example, an area including at least the discharge port 45. The wiping area WA may include a portion on the upstream side of the transport direction MD from the discharge port 45 and a portion on the downstream side of the discharge port 45. The portion on the upstream side of the transport direction MD from the discharge port 45 and the portion on the downstream side from the discharge port 45 may be a part of the coating device 40. That is, the wiping portion 55 wipes off the deposits adhering to the coating device 40, and the wiping target area is a certain range on the coating device 40 including not only the discharge port 45 but also the periphery of the discharge port 45.

The wiping portion 55 may be any as long as it can wipe off the adhered matter, and may be, for example, a plate shape (that is, a scraper), a columnar shape, a cloth shape (waste), a brush shape, or the like. For example, when the wiping portion of the coating device 40 has a flat surface, the plate-shaped wiping portion moves along the flat surface to wipe off the deposits. In the contact-type first coating device 41, since the region near the discharge port 45 is flat, the deposits can be wiped off by using the plate-shaped wiping portion 55. On the other hand, when the non-contact type second coating device 42 has a nozzle-shaped discharge port 45, the wiping portion 55 may be cloth-shaped or brush-shaped so as not to damage the nozzle. A wiping portion 55 is fixed to the support portion 56. The wiping portion 55 is fixed to the supporting portion by, for example, a fastening member such as a bolt and a nut. The wiping portion 55 automatically moves with the movement of the support portion 56. The movement of the support unit 56 is controlled by the control unit 20.

The wiping device 50 may be composed of a plurality of wiping devices 50 in order to wipe off deposits from each of the plurality of coating devices 40. As shown in FIG. 2B, the number of wiping devices 50 may correspond to the number of coating devices 40. The wiping device 50 may have a first wiping device 51 and a second wiping device 52. The first wiping device 51 is a device that wipes off the deposits adhering to the contact type first coating device 41. The second wiping device 52 is a device that wipes off the deposits adhering to the non-contact type second coating device 42. The number of the first coating device 41 and the number of the first wiping device 51 may correspond to each other, and the number of the second coating device 42 and the number of the second wiping device 52 may correspond to each other. As a result, one wiping device 50 may wipe off the deposits of one coating device 40, and the wiping device 50 does not need to wipe a plurality of coating devices 40.

An example of automatically wiping off the deposits adhering to the first coating device 41 by the first wiping device 51 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. As shown in FIG. 4, the first wiping device 51 has a plate-shaped wiping portion 55. The wiping portion 55 may have a shape that matches the wiping area WA. For example, as shown in FIG. 5C, since the wiping region WA is convex when viewed from the width direction Y, the wiping portion 55 may have a concave portion in contact with the coating device 40.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the wiping portion 55 may be located in the safety area SA during the transportation of the material 5. The predetermined distance D from the first coating device 41 to the safety area SA may be, for example, 50 cm or more. In the width direction Y, the direction from the center of the production line device 10 toward the wall portion 8 is referred to as the first width direction Y1, and the direction from the center of the production line device 10 toward the safety cover 100 is referred to as the second width direction Y2. As shown in FIG. 6B, the wiping portion 55 moves in the first width direction Y1 during the stop period during which the transportation of the material 5 is stopped. The wiping portion 55 moves to one end of the wiping region WA in the width direction Y (specifically, the end on the wall 8 side).

As shown in FIG. 6C (and FIG. 5C), the wiping portion 55 moves downward in the height direction Z and comes into contact with the first coating device 41. The wiping portion 55 moves in the second width direction Y2 while being in contact with the first coating device 41. The wiping portion 55 moves to the other end of the wiping region WA in the width direction Y (specifically, the end on the safety cover 100 side). As a result, the wiping unit 55 can automatically wipe off the deposits adhering to the first coating device 41. As shown in FIG. 6D, the wiping portion 55 moves upward in the height direction Z and separates from the first coating device 41. After wiping off the deposits, the wiping portion 55 moves toward the second width direction Y2, that is, the safety cover 100. The wiping section 55 moves to the safety area SA.

Next, an example of automatically wiping off the deposits adhering to the second coating device 42 by the second wiping device 52 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 8. As shown in FIG. 7, the second wiping device 52 has a columnar wiping portion 55. The wiping portion 55 may rotate about an axis C orthogonal to the moving direction (width direction Y in FIG. 8) while being in contact with the second coating device 42. The axis C may be parallel to the length direction X.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the wiping portion 55 may be located in the safety area SA during the transportation of the material 5. The predetermined distance D from the second coating device 42 to the safety area SA may be, for example, 50 cm or more. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the wiping portion 55 moves in the first width direction Y1 during the stop period during which the transportation of the material 5 is stopped. The wiping portion 55 moves upward in the height direction Z. The wiping portion 55 moves to one end of the wiping region WA in the width direction Y (specifically, the end on the safety cover 100 side).

As shown in FIG. 8C, the wiping portion 55 moves in the first width direction Y1 while contacting the second coating device 42. As a result, the wiping unit 55 can automatically wipe off the deposits adhering to the second coating device 42. The wiping portion 55 may further wipe off the deposits by moving while rotating around the shaft C.

As shown in FIG. 6D, the wiping portion 55 moves downward in the height direction Z and separates from the second coating device 42. After wiping off the deposits, the wiping portion 55 moves toward the second width direction Y2, that is, the safety cover 100. The wiping section 55 moves to the safety area SA.

The wiping portion 55 may be wiped a plurality of times without moving to the safety area SA after wiping once. That is, the wiping portion 55 may move to the position shown in FIG. 6B and repeat the wiping operation a plurality of times (for example, three times).

The control unit 20 is a control device that controls the wiping device 50. The control unit 20 includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores a program executed by the processor and information used for processing by the processor. The processor includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The CPU performs various processes described later by executing a program stored in the memory. The control unit 20 may include a user interface. The user interface is an interface with the operator and includes, for example, a display, a microphone, a speaker, and various buttons. The user interface can accept an operation from the user and output a signal indicating the content of the operation to the processor.

Note that the control unit 20 may control devices other than the wiping device 51 constituting the manufacturing device 1. The control unit 20 may be able to control the manufacturing method of the absorbent article 2 described later by, for example, an operator's input and / or a program. Alternatively, the manufacturing method of the absorbent article 2 may be controlled by a control unit different from the control unit 20 that controls the wiping device 51. In the following manufacturing method of the absorbent article 2, the control unit 20 will be described as controlling various operations.

(3) Method for Producing Absorbent Articles Next, a method for producing an absorbent article will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. 9 and 10 are sequence diagrams for explaining a method for producing an absorbent article. As shown in FIG. 9, the method for producing an absorbent article according to the embodiment may include steps S10 to S80.

Step S10 is a step of producing the absorbent article 2. Step S10 includes, for example, a step of transporting the material 5, a step of arranging the adhesive HM on the material 5, a step of joining the materials 5, a step of cutting the material 5, a step of assembling an absorbent article, and the like. It's okay. Step S10 may include other steps necessary for producing the absorbent article 2. In the step of arranging the adhesive HM on the material 5, the adhesive HM is arranged by using the coating device 40 during the transportation of the material 5.

Step S20 is a step of stopping the production of the absorbent article 2. Each step in the above-mentioned step S10 may be stopped. The suspension period in which the transportation of the material 5 is suspended begins. The suspension period may be a scheduled suspension period scheduled in advance, or may be an emergency suspension period in which suspension is determined during transportation of the material 5. The suspension period may include a scheduled suspension period and an emergency suspension period. The scheduled suspension period may be a period during which production is suspended even though no trouble has occurred in each process in the production process S10. The emergency stop period may be a period during which production is stopped due to a trouble in at least one of the steps in the production step S10. The emergency stop period may be a period during which the production of the absorbent article 2 is stopped because the wiping step S40 has not been performed for a certain period (for example, 4 hours or more).

Step S30 is a step in which at least one of the coating device 40 and the transport path 35 moves. Step S40 is a step of automatically wiping off the deposits (wiping step S40) using the wiping device 50 during the stop period. The wiping portion 55 may automatically wipe off the deposits while moving toward the safety cover 100. In addition to the discharge port 45, the deposit may be wiped off in the wiping area WA including the portion on the upstream side of the discharge port and the portion on the downstream side of the discharge port 45 in the transport direction MD. Further, the adhered matter may be automatically wiped off in a state where the solidified adhesive HM is attached to the wiping portion 55. For example, after the wiping portion 55 wipes off the adhesive HM as an adhering matter, the adhesive HM fixed to the wiping portion 55 may be adhered by not removing the adhering matter adhering to the wiping portion 55. Alternatively, the adhesive HM may be attached to the wiping portion 55 by maintenance of the wiping portion 55.

When the coating device 40 is the contact type first coating device 41, the wiping device 51 may automatically wipe off the deposits using the plate-shaped wiping portion 55. When the coating device 40 is a non-contact type second coating device 42, the wiping device 51 may automatically wipe off the deposits using a cloth-like or brush-like wiping portion 55 having low rigidity.

When wiping the deposits with a plurality of wiping devices 50, the operating times for wiping the deposits may overlap. For example, a plurality of wiping devices 50 may start wiping at the same time. The wiping start times of the plurality of wiping devices 50 may be staggered so that the wiping ends of the plurality of wiping devices 50 are at the same time. For example, the wiping device 50 having a long wiping time may have an early wiping start time, and the wiping device 50 having a short wiping time may have a late wiping start time. From the plurality of wiping devices 50, the wiping device 50 that wipes off the deposits during the stop period may be selected. The method of selecting the wiping device 50 will be described later.

The step S50 is a step in which the wiping portion 55 is automatically moved after the wiping step S40 to a position where the operator can maintain the wiping portion 55 during the transportation of the material 5 after the wiping step S40 (moving step S50). The wiping section 55 may automatically move the deposits toward the safety cover 100. The safe location may be the safety area SA. Alternatively, the safe position may be, for example, a position separated from the production line device 10 by a predetermined distance D or more. The operator can maintain the wiping portion 55 from above the production line device 10.

Step S60 is a step of restarting the production of the absorbent article 2. Step S60 may have the following steps in addition to each step of step S10. Step S60 may include a step of maintaining the wiping device 50. As maintenance of the wiping device 50, for example, the deposits may be removed from the wiping portion 55, or the wiping portion 55 may be replaced.

Step S60 may include a step of assembling a predetermined absorbent article 2 and a step of discarding the predetermined absorbent article 2. The predetermined absorbent article 2 is assembled using a predetermined material in which the adhesive HM is arranged between the end of the suspension period and the elapse of the predetermined period. Therefore, the absorbent article 2 assembled after the predetermined period has elapsed using the predetermined material on which the adhesive HM is arranged by the coating device 40 during the predetermined period is also the predetermined absorbent article 2. The predetermined period is a period until the application of the adhesive HM stabilizes after wiping, for example, about 30 seconds. All the absorbent articles 2 assembled during a certain period of time from a predetermined period may be discarded, or a material in which the adhesive HM is arranged during the predetermined period from the assembled absorbent articles 2 may be used. The predetermined absorbent article 2 assembled in the process may be selected and discarded. The predetermined absorbent article 2 may be selected from the position of the coating device 40 and the transport speed.

Step S70 is a step of stopping the production of the absorbent article 2. Step S70 is the same step as step S20. When the production of the absorbent article 2 is terminated in the step S80, the production of the absorbent article 2 is terminated. On the other hand, if the production of the absorbent article 2 is not terminated, the step S30 is executed.

According to the above method, by automatically wiping off the deposits using the wiping device 50, fluctuations in the wiping time of the deposits can be suppressed as compared with the case where the operator wipes off the deposits. As a result, the preliminary time included in the suspension period can be shortened, and the suspension period can be shortened. Since the wiping device 50 wipes off the deposits instead of the workers, it is not necessary to hire many workers for wiping, and the increase in operating cost can be suppressed. Therefore, according to the method for manufacturing the absorbent article 2 according to the embodiment, it is possible to increase the productivity of the absorbent article 2 by shortening the suspension period of the transportation of the material 5 while suppressing the increase in the operating cost. it can. In particular, in the large production line device 10, since a plurality of coating devices 40 are widely scattered in the production line device 10, when the operator wipes them off, they move from the predetermined coating device 40 to another coating device 40. It takes time. Further, since it is difficult for the worker to wipe the coating device 40 at a high position (for example, a position of 2 m or more from the floor) and / or a low position (for example, a position of less than 1 m from the floor), it takes time to wipe. It hangs. By wiping the deposits with a plurality of wiping devices 50 on behalf of the operator, the wiping time can be shortened.

Further, since the wiping portion 55 automatically moves to a safe position after the wiping step S40, the wiping portion can be maintained without stopping the transportation of the material 5. As a result, the maintenance of the wiping portion 55 is inadequate (for example, the wiping portion 55 cannot be wiped well due to wear, or the wiping portion 55 has too much deposit, and the wiped deposit adheres to the coating device 40 again). It is possible to reduce the resulting stoppage of transportation of the material 5 and suppress the occurrence of defective products.

Further, in the moving step S50, after wiping off the adhered matter, the wiping portion 55 automatically moves toward the safety cover 100. This makes it easier for the operator to access a safe position from the passage area PA, and can reduce the time required for maintenance of the wiping portion 55. For example, the operator does not have to perform maintenance on the wiping unit 55 during the stop period. As a result, the labor cost for the maintenance of the wiping unit 55 can be reduced, and the increase in the operating cost can be suppressed.

Further, in the wiping step S40, the wiping portion 55 moves toward the safety cover 100 and automatically wipes off the adhered matter. As a result, the distance that the wiping portion 55 automatically moves toward the safety cover 100 after wiping can be shortened. As a result, the time for the wiping portion 55 to move to a safe position can be shortened, and the stop period can be shortened.

In addition, the suspension period includes a scheduled suspension period scheduled in advance and an emergency suspension period in which suspension is determined during transportation of the material. Since the deposits can be wiped off during the planned stop period and the emergency stop period, it is possible to suppress the generation of defective products due to the deposits adhering to the coating device 40 and increase the productivity of the absorbent article 2. it can.

Further, in the wiping step S40, the operating times of the plurality of wiping devices 50 overlap. As a result, the time from the start to the end of wiping of the plurality of coating devices 40 can be shortened as compared with the case where another wiping device 50 starts wiping after the wiping of one wiping device 50 is completed. It can be done and the suspension period can be shortened.

Further, in the wiping step S40, the adhered matter is automatically wiped off with the solidified adhesive HM adhering to the wiping portion 55. As a result, the adhesion of the solidified hot melt adhesive makes it easier for the deposits adhering to the coating device to adhere to the wiping portion 55. As a result, the deposits can be firmly wiped off from the coating device 40. By reducing the deposits left on the wipe, the occurrence of defective products can be further suppressed.

Further, in the wiping step S40, the deposits are wiped off in the region including the discharge port 45, the portion on the upstream side of the discharge port 45 in the transport direction MD, and the portion on the downstream side of the discharge port. Not only does the adhesive HM adhere to the discharge port 45 from which the adhesive HM is discharged, but also the adhesive HM bounces off the material 5 when the adhesive HM is placed, or the adhesive HM drips, causing the adhesive HM to be discharged. It may adhere around the outlet 45. By wiping off the deposits adhering to the upstream portion and the downstream portion around the discharge port 45, the occurrence of defective products can be further suppressed.

Further, when the coating device 40 is the contact type first coating device 41, the wiping device 50 automatically wipes off the adhered matter by using the plate-shaped wiping portion 55. As a result, the plate-shaped wiping portion 55 can be wiped off so as to scrape off the deposits adhering to the coating device 40, as compared with the case where the wiping portion is a cloth such as a waste cloth. The amount of deposits left after wiping can be reduced, and the occurrence of defective products can be further suppressed.

Further, during the stop period, at least one of the coating device 40 and the transport path 35 is moved so that the coating device 40 is separated from the transport path 35 of the material 5 before the wiping step S40. As a result, even when the wiping portion 55 enters between the coating device 40 and the transport path 35 by the transport path 35 of the material 5 during the transport of the material 5 and there is no space for wiping, the coating device 40 and the material 5 By moving at least one of the transport paths 35, a space is generated between the transport path 35 and the coating device 40. As a result, the wiping device 50 can be used for wiping, so that the occurrence of defective products can be further suppressed.

In addition, the coating device 40 may not be able to stably arrange the adhesive HM until a predetermined period has elapsed after wiping. By disposing of the predetermined absorbent article 2 produced by arranging the adhesive HM during the predetermined period, the occurrence of defective products can be suppressed.

Next, the process of selecting the wiping device 50 will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, the method for producing the absorbent article 2 may include steps S110 to S140. In step S110, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the production of the absorbent article 2 has been stopped. If the production is not stopped, that is, if the process of step S10 or step S60 is being performed, the step S110 is repeated. On the other hand, when the production of the absorbent article 2 is stopped, the step S120 is performed.

In step S120, the wiping device 50 that wipes off the deposits during the stop period is selected. The control unit 20 can select the wiping device 50 according to the following criteria. Since the selected wiping device 50 wipes, the operating cost can be reduced as compared with the case where all the wiping devices 50 are operated for each stop period.

The wiping device 50 may be selected according to the elapsed time from the last wiping for each coating device 40. For example, the wiping device 50 in which the elapsed time from the last wiping is equal to or longer than a predetermined value may be selected. It is not necessary to select the wiping device 50 in which the elapsed time from the last wiping is less than a predetermined value. As time elapses from wiping, deposits adhere to the coating device 40. By selecting according to the elapsed time from the last wiping, the coating device 40 that requires wiping can be appropriately selected.

The wiping device 50 may be selected according to the degree of dirt on the coating device 40 due to at least one of the arrangement method and the arrangement pattern of the adhesive HM. The degree of contamination of the coating device 40 varies depending on the arrangement method and arrangement pattern of the adhesive HM. By selecting according to the degree of dirt on the coating device 40, it is possible to appropriately select the coating device 40 that needs to be wiped off. For example, since the first coating device 41 is more likely to get dirty than the second coating device 42, the frequency of selecting the first wiping device 51 may be higher than the frequency of selecting the second wiping device 52. Further, the longer the time for the coating device 40 to discharge the adhesive HM, the easier it is to get dirty. Therefore, the wiping device 50 that wipes off the coating device 40 that takes a long time to discharge the adhesive HM may be preferentially selected.

Note that not all wiping devices 50 need to be selected during a certain stop period. In this case, the steps from step S30 to step S50 may be omitted. Also, during a certain stop period, all wiping devices 50 may be selected. For example, during the scheduled outage period, all wiping devices 50 may be selected.

In step S130, the stop period is adjusted according to the wiping time from the start to the end of wiping by the selected wiping device 50. As a result, the suspension period can be shortened according to the wiping time, so that the productivity of the absorbent article can be increased. For example, the total time of the longest wiping time and the preliminary time may be set as the stop period. As a result, the optimum stop period can be set for each stop period. In step S140, automatic wiping is performed using the selected wiping device 50. In step S140, the selected wiping device 50 executes the operation of step S30.

(4) Other Embodiments Although the present invention has been described in detail using the above-described embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in the present specification for those skilled in the art. Is clear. The present invention can be implemented as modifications and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present specification is for the purpose of exemplification and does not have any limiting meaning to the present invention. The above-described embodiment and other configurations according to the method for producing an absorbent article according to the other embodiment can be appropriately combined.

The entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-225522 filed on December 13, 2019 are incorporated herein by reference.

This is a method for manufacturing an absorbent article having a wiping step of wiping off the deposits adhering to the coating device during the suspension period when the transportation of the material is stopped. It is possible to provide a method for producing an absorbent article that can increase productivity.

1: Manufacturing equipment 2: Absorbent article, 2A: Absorber, 2B: Top sheet, 2C: Back sheet, 2D: Exterior sheet, 5: Material, 8: Wall part, 10: Manufacturing line equipment, 10A: Equipment area , 20: Control unit, 30: Input port, 35: Transport path, 40: Coating device, 45: Discharge port, 50: Wiping device, 55: Wiping part, 100: Safety cover, HM: Adhesive (hot melt adhesive) ), MD: Transport direction, PA: Aisle area, SA: Safety area

Claims

A step of arranging the hot melt adhesive on the material by using a coating device having a discharge port for discharging the hot melt adhesive during transportation of the material for the absorbent article.
A method for producing an absorbent article, which comprises a step of wiping off deposits adhering to the coating device during a stop period during which the transportation of the material is stopped.
In the wiping step, a method for producing an absorbent article that automatically wipes off the deposits in a region including the discharge port by using a wiping device having a wiping portion for wiping the deposits during the stop period.
The method for manufacturing an absorbent article includes a step of automatically moving the wiping portion to a safe position where an operator can maintain the wiping portion during transportation of the material after the wiping step. The method for producing an absorbent article according to claim 1.
A safety cover is provided between the transport path for transporting the material and the passage area through which the worker passes to prevent contact with the material during transport of the material.
The method for producing an absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein in the moving step, after the deposits are wiped off, the wiping portion automatically moves toward the safety cover.
The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 3, wherein in the wiping step, the wiping portion moves toward the safety cover and automatically wipes off the deposits.
The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the suspension period includes a scheduled suspension period scheduled in advance and an emergency suspension period determined to be suspended during transportation of the material. Manufacturing method.
The coating device is composed of a plurality of coating devices in which at least one of the hot melt adhesive arrangement method and the hot melt adhesive arrangement pattern is different.
The wiping device is composed of a plurality of wiping devices for wiping the deposits from each of the plurality of coating devices.
The method for producing an absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in the wiping step, the operating times of the plurality of wiping devices for wiping the deposits overlap.
The method for producing an absorbent article according to claim 6, further comprising a step of selecting a wiping device for wiping the deposits from the plurality of wiping devices during the stop period.
The absorbent article according to claim 7, wherein in the selecting step, the wiping device is selected according to the degree of contamination of the coating device due to at least one of the arrangement method and the arrangement pattern of the hot melt adhesive. Manufacturing method.
The method for producing an absorbent article according to claim 7 or 8, wherein in the selection step, the wiping device is selected according to the elapsed time from the last wiping for each coating device.
The method for producing an absorbent article according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the stop period is adjusted according to the wiping time from the start to the end of wiping by the selected wiping device.
The method for producing an absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein in the wiping step, the adhered matter is automatically wiped off in a state where the solidified hot melt adhesive is attached to the wiping portion.
In the wiping step, in addition to the discharge port, the deposit is removed in the region including a portion upstream of the discharge port and a portion downstream of the discharge port in the transport direction in which the material is transported. The method for producing an absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
The absorption according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein when the coating device is a contact-type coating device, the wiping device automatically wipes off the deposits by using the plate-shaped wiping portion. Manufacturing method of sex goods.
Claims 1 to 13 include a step of moving at least one of the coating device and the material transport path so that the coating device is separated from the material transport path before the wiping step during the stop period. The method for producing an absorbent article according to any one of the above items.
A step of assembling a predetermined absorbent article using a predetermined material on which the hot melt adhesive is arranged between the end of the suspension period and the elapse of the predetermined period.
The method for producing an absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a step of discarding the predetermined absorbent article.