A folding apparatus for folding absorbent sanitary articles having an absorbent central body and two wings projecting from opposite side edges of said absorbent central body, comprising: a vacuum conveyor comprising a conveyor belt which holds the absorbent central bodies of said absorbent sanitary articles and moves said absorbent sanitary articles in a longitudinal direction, and a pair of stationary folding elements that engage respective wings of said absorbent sanitary articles while these are moved in said longitudinal direction by said vacuum conveyor, wherein said conveyor belt comprises a plurality of recessed seats which receive the absorbent central bodies of said absorbent sanitary articles, with said wings extending laterally outwards from said recessed seats on an outer surface of said conveyor belt.

A dispenser is provided for dispensing a hygiene product. The dispenser includes, comprising a time-of-flight sensor for measuring a position of an object relative to the dispenser; and a controller configured to selectively operate at least one function of the dispenser based on the measured position of the object relative to the dispenser. A method of operating at least one function of a dispenser for dispensing a hygiene product is also provided. The method includes measuring with a time-of-flight sensor a position of an object relative to the dispenser; and using a controller to selectively operate the at least one function of the dispenser based on the measured position of the object relative to the dispenser.

The present disclosure relates to a folded sanitary article (100,200), such as a sanitary napkin or a pantiliner T the sanitary article comprises a topsheet (102,202), a backsheet (103,203) and an absorbent core (104,204) arranged between the topsheet (102,202) and the backsheet (103,203). The sanitary article (100,200) extends in a longitudinal direction (L) and in a transverse direction (T). The sanitary article (100,200) has a first longitudinal side edge (105,205), a second longitudinal side edge (106,206), a front edge (107,207) and a rear edge (108,208). The sanitary article (100,200) has a first fastening wing (109,209) extending at the first longitudinal side edge (105,205) and a second fastening wing (110,210) extending at the second longitudinal side edge (106,206). The first and second fastening wings (109,110,209,210) are asymmetrical with respect to each other, as seen along any longitudinal axis extending in the longitudinal direction (L). The absorbent core (104,204) comprises an absorbent core front edge (111,211), an absorbent core rear edge (112,212), an absorbent core first longitudinal side edge (113,213) and an absorbent core second longitudinal side edge (114,214), the absorbent core (104) having an absorbent core width (Wabs) and a maximum absorbent core width (wabsMAx). The first and the second fastening wings (109,110) of the sanitary article (100,200) are folded onto the topsheet (102,202) of the sanitary article (100,200). The folded sanitary article (100,200) has a folded article width (Wf) and the folded article width (wrs) is not more than 10 mm greater than the maximum absorbent core width (WabsMAx). The present disclosure also relates to a package including a plurality of folded sanitary articles and an array of folded sanitary articles.

An absorbent article includes a topsheet, an absorbent core, and a backsheet. The absorbent article has a visually perceptible functional enhancement indicator and a functionally-distinguishable portion of the article with one or more channels. The visually perceptible functional enhancement indicator corresponds to the one or more channels, and the functional enhancement indicator is visually perceptible from a body-facing side of the absorbent article but the one or more channels are not visually perceptible.

In a packaging sheet for packaging an absorbent article, a first region including one end of the packaging sheet in the first direction is caused to overlap on an outer surface of a second region including another end in the first direction to enable packaging of the absorbent article, and a sealing tape is adhered over a first portion of an outer surface of the first region and a second portion of the outer surface of the second region; and, a non-contact portion that does not contact the sealing tape is formed on the outer surface of the second portion.

A gripper, an apparatus, and a method for assembling kits of sanitary products in an automated fashion are disclosed. The sanitary products are pre-loaded into containers including a plurality of independent housings for the sanitary products, each of the housings being configured to allow loading of a sanitary product therein and withdrawal of the sanitary product therefrom independently of the other housings, and the kit is assembled in batches on the gripper, and released by the latter into a package.

A packaged absorbent article having a body surface and a garment surface; and a wrapper sheet for wrapping the absorbent article so that at least a portion of the garment surface of the absorbent article can be seen through the wrapper sheet.

A process for making individually wrapped personal hygiene absorbent articles is provided. It comprises: (i) providing a single image with indicia wherein at least one of the indicia is repeated more than once within said single image; (ii) printing a plurality of said single images over a continuous film to form a continuous repetition of the same single image in a side-by-side arrangement; (iii) cutting the printed film and/or web material along a transverse axis such to form a plurality of individual segments of film forming individual wrapping sheets comprising a portion of said single image and sized such to each accommodate one of said personal hygiene absorbent articles therein; (iv) wrapping individual personal hygiene absorbent articles each with one of said wrapping sheets such that a printed portion of the wrapping sheet is viewable; (v) stacking a plurality of the individually wrapped personal hygiene absorbent articles into a container.

A wrapping sheet for wrapping an absorbent article is provided. The wrapping sheet includes a first region and a second region. The first region includes one end in a first direction of the wrapping sheet and the second region includes an opposite end in the first direction. The wrapping sheet is configured to wrap the absorbent article by causing the first region to overlap with the outer surface of the second region, and a sealing tape is attached so as to extend from a first portion on the outer surface of the first region to a second portion on the outer surface of the second region. The outer surface of the second portion is subjected to treatment so as to reduce a bonding force between the second portion and the sealing tape as compared to a bonding force between the first portion and the sealing tape.

An individually wrapped absorbent article that includes an absorbent article, and a wrapping sheet configured to wrap the absorbent article is provided. The wrapping sheet is folded toward an inner surface of the wrapping sheet so as to cause a first region including one end in a first direction of the wrapping sheet and a second region including an opposite end in the first direction to overlap with each other, and a seal portion is formed at each edge portion in a second direction of the wrapping sheet. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The seal portion includes a plurality of compressed recesses and compressed projections along the first direction. The compressed projections are formed between the compressed recesses.