The present invention relates to a method of applying absorbent gelling material (AGM) granules by indirect printing onto an carrier layer for use in an absorbent article, particularly diaper for babies or adults, training pants, pull-up diapers (diaper pants), sanitary napkins, panty liners or the like. These articles typically comprise the carrier layer with the AGM particles together with further layers, making up the complete article.

A method for mechanically deforming, such as by bonding, a substrate assembly. The substrate assembly may be advanced at first velocity toward a bonder apparatus. The bonder apparatus may rotate at a second velocity, which is less than or equal to the first velocity. The bonder apparatus may include a support surface and a process assembly. The substrate assembly may be contracted prior to advancing onto the bonder apparatus. A first process assembly may receive a leading portion of the substrate assembly and a subsequent process assembly may receive a trailing portion. The leading portion and the trailing portion define a product arc length, which is less than or equal to a process product pitch. One or more processes may be performed on the substrate assembly. The substrate assembly may then be removed from the apparatus and advanced through a metering assembly such that the substrate assembly exits at the first velocity and may be expanded such that the leading portion and the trailing portion are separated by the process product pitch.

A method for mechanically deforming a substrate assembly. The substrate assembly may advance at a first velocity toward a bonder apparatus. The bonder apparatus may rotate about an axis of rotation and include a support surface between a first member and a second member. The first and second members may rotate at the first velocity and may be separated by an initial angle. The first member may receive a leading portion and the second member may receive a trailing portion of the substrate assembly. The first member may decelerate to a second velocity, and, subsequently, the second member may decelerate to the second velocity. The first member and the second member may be separated by a process angle, which may be different than the initial angle. A central portion of the substrate assembly may be relaxed while the leading and trailing portion may be held at a process tension. The substrate assembly may then undergo one or more processes.

The present invention is an equipment and a method for handling web materials, in particular for recombining portions as are cut out from an essentially continuous web material machine-directionally offset with this web.

The invention relates to a method for producing a multiplicity of disposable incontinence diapers (2) having a diaper main part (4) and, joined thereto, front and rear diaper side parts (22, 20), said method having the following method steps: feeding and conveying of an endless diaper main-part web (50); feeding of an endless diaper side-part web (21) to the separation and application station (24); singulating the disposable incontinence diapers (2) by separating the diaper main-part web (50) transversely relative to the first longitudinal direction (18), the curved edges of the longitudinal portions (46a, 46b), after separation from the diaper side-part web (21), being contoured in such a way that, after the first and second longitudinal portions (46a, 46b) have been secured to the first and second regions (56a, 56b) of the diaper main-part web, each rear diaper side part (20) has a lower edge (65) which has a convex portion, and each front diaper side part (22) has an upper edge (66) which has a concave portion.

The present disclosure relates to assembling, advancing, reorienting, and/or transferring stretched elastic parts during the assembly of absorbent articles. As described herein, a transfer assembly reorients a stretched elastic part from a first orientation, wherein the direction of stretch is generally parallel to the machine direction, to a second orientation, wherein the direction of stretch is generally perpendicular to the machine direction. The reoriented elastic part is then transferred to a carrier while maintaining the stretched condition of the elastic part. The orientation and/or configuration of vacuum apertures in a carrier surface relative to the direction of stretch of the elastic part and relative to the machine direction helps to prevent the elastic part from contracting, while at the same time helps to allow the elastic part to slide off the carrier surface without snagging and/or sticking to aperture perimeter edges.

Apparatus (1) and method for producing absorbent structures with absorbent layers with channel(s) without absorbent material, using a first moving endless surface (20) with specific raised strip(s) (25) and a second moving endless surface (30) with specific mating strip(s) (31).

A converting apparatus operates to transfer a folded absorbent article from a first carrier apparatus to a second carrier apparatus. The converting apparatus includes a transfer apparatus and a guide member located adjacent to the transfer apparatus, forming a gap there between. The transfer apparatus includes a frame that is rotatable about a first axis of rotation and a transfer member that is rotatable about a second axis of rotation. The transfer member defines a receiving surface and the guide member defines a guide surface. The guide surface converges toward the receiving surface. The frame advances the absorbent article in a machine direction through the gap. While advancing absorbent article advances through the gap, the transfer member rotates the absorbent article about the second axis of rotation. The guide member includes side seam tuckers that are adapted to tuck the side seams of the absorbent article.

It is aimed to provide a conveying device for absorbent articles capable of precisely sorting an absorbent article between a main conveyance path and a branch path and a conveyance method using the same. A path switching means includes a belt conveying unit with a conveying belt arranged along an annular path and configured to circulate along the annular path to be able to convey an absorbent article and a path switching mechanism configured to switch a conveyance path specified by the conveying belt between a path along which the absorbent article is transferrable from an upstream conveying mechanism to a downstream conveying mechanism and a path along which the absorbent article is guided along a sampling path from the upstream conveying mechanism.

A manufacturing apparatus for an absorbent body including: a first conveyor that conveys an air-permeable first sheet while sucking the first sheet along a flat first slope surface; a second conveyor that conveys an air-permeable second sheet while sucking the second sheet along a flat second slope surface having a slope opposite to the first slope surface; a first distribution device that forms a first absorbent layer in the first sheet by distributing absorbent powder on an upper surface of the first sheet being conveyed along the first slope surface; a second distribution device that forms a second absorbent layer in the second sheet by distributing absorbent powder on an upper surface of the second sheet being conveyed along the second slope surface; and a stacking part that stacks the first sheet conveyed by the first conveyor and the second sheet conveyed by the second conveyor in such a manner as to cause the first absorbent layer of the first sheet and the second absorbent layer of the second sheet to face each other.