Device and method for producing stretchable laminate for wearable article
11191676 · 2021-12-07
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
B29C66/1122
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/83415
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/81433
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B32B37/10
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A61F13/15764
HUMAN NECESSITIES
B29C66/433
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A61F13/15731
HUMAN NECESSITIES
B29C66/83511
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A61F13/15593
HUMAN NECESSITIES
B29C66/73921
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
A61F13/15
HUMAN NECESSITIES
B32B5/02
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
There are disposed, in a width direction of an anvil roll, a plurality of first projections for producing joint portions where a pair of sheets are jointed to each other; each of the first projections extends in a circumferential direction of the anvil roll and includes a carrying groove carrying an elastic member while the elastic member has entered in the groove; and between one first projection and another first projection adjacent to each other in the width direction, at least one receiving part for receiving the pair of sheets is arranged.
Claims
1. A device for producing a stretchable laminate for a wearable article, comprising: an anvil roll that carries a pair of first and second sheets and elastic members so that the elastic members are sandwiched between the pair of first and second sheets and a fusion device that, in cooperation with the anvil roll, fuses the pair of first and second sheets mutually and makes the pair of first and second sheets hold the elastic members, wherein an outer peripheral surface of the anvil roll includes a plurality of first projections for producing first joint portions with the pair of first and second sheets jointed to each other, the first projections being provided along a width direction of the anvil roll and spaced from each other in the width direction, each of the first projections defines and includes a carrying groove extending in a circumferential direction of the anvil roll and carrying each of the elastic members while each of the elastic members has entered in the groove, and at least one receiving part for receiving the pair of first and second sheets is arranged between one first projection and another first projection adjacent to each other in the width direction, among the plurality of first projections each including the carrying groove.
2. The device for producing the stretchable laminate according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receiving part comprises at least two receiving parts provided between the one first projection and the another first projection, and a second projection for producing a second joint portion with the pair of first and second sheets jointed to each other is provided between the at least two receiving parts.
3. The device for producing the stretchable laminate according to claim 1, wherein a height of the at least one receiving part is smaller than a height of the first projections by 51 to 300 μm.
4. The device for producing the stretchable laminate according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the anvil roll includes a plurality of ridges extending along the width direction of the anvil roll and spaced from each other in the circumferential direction of the anvil roll, those of the ridges adjacent to each other among the plurality of ridges define a recessed groove extending in the width direction, each of the ridges includes the plurality of first projections each having the carrying groove, the first projections being provided intermittently in the width direction, and the ridges and the recessed grooves are formed so that the first projections are provided in a matrix form in the circumferential direction and the width direction of the anvil roll, and the carrying grooves are provided in a matrix form in the circumferential direction and the width direction of the anvil roll.
5. A method for producing the stretchable laminate for the wearable article using the device according to claim 1, the stretchable laminate including a plurality of elastic members spaced from each other and sandwiched by a first sheet and a second sheet, the first and second sheets being jointed to each other at each of first joint portions, the first joint portions arranged in columns in a stretching direction of the elastic members and arranged in rows in a direction crossing the stretching direction, the method comprising: a step of introducing the first sheet onto an anvil roll; a step of introducing the elastic members onto the first sheet on the anvil roll and introducing the elastic members so that each of the elastic members enters in each of carrying grooves of the anvil roll; a step of carrying the first sheet and the elastic members while receiving the first sheet at a receiving part between one first projection and another first projection, each including the respective carrying grooves, so as to suppress shrinkage of the first sheet in a radial direction of the anvil roll; a step of introducing, on the anvil roll, the second sheet onto the first sheet so as to sandwich the elastic members between the first sheet and the second sheet; and a step of forming the first joint portions by fusing the first sheet and the second sheet on the one and the another first projections of the anvil roll without fusing the first sheet and the second sheet at the receiving part.
6. A method for producing the stretchable laminate for the wearable article using the device according to claim 3, the stretchable laminate including the elastic members spaced from each other and sandwiched by the pair of first and second sheets, the pair of first and second sheets being jointed to each other at each of the first joint portions, the first joint portions arranged in columns in a stretching direction of the elastic members and arranged in rows in a direction crossing the stretching direction, the method comprising: a step of introducing the first sheet of the pair of first and second sheets onto the anvil roll; a step of introducing the elastic members onto the first sheet on the anvil roll and introducing the elastic members so that each of the elastic members enters in each of the carrying grooves of the anvil roll; a step of carrying the first sheet and the elastic members while receiving the first sheet at the at least one receiving part between the one first projection and the another first projection, each including the respective carrying grooves, so as to suppress shrinkage of the first sheet in a radial direction of the anvil roll; a step of introducing, on the anvil roll, the second sheet of the pair of first and second sheets, onto the first sheet so as to sandwich the elastic members between the first sheet and the second sheet; and a step of forming the first joint portions by fusing the first sheet and the second sheet on the one and the another first projections of the anvil roll without fusing the first sheet and the second sheet at the receiving part.
7. The device for producing the stretchable laminate according to claim 2, wherein a height of the at least one receiving part is smaller than a height of the first projections by 51 to 300 μm.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
(1)
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(10)
(11)
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
(12) In the preferred device, the receiving part comprises at least two receiving parts 52L provided between the one first projection 52H and the another first projection 52H, and
(13) a second projection 52S for producing a second joint portion 32 where the pair of first and second sheets 1, 2 is jointed to each other is provided between the at least two receiving parts 52L.
(14) The height of the receiving part 52L is preferably smaller by 51 to 300 μm than the height of the first projection 52H.
(15) If the height of the receiving part 52L is excessively smaller than that of the first; projection 52H, the first sheet tends to shrink in the radial direction of the anvil roll 50 together with the elastic member F before the first sheet is received by the receiving part 52L, thus causing the elastic member F to easily displace in the axis direction of the anvil roll 50.
(16) On the other hand, if the height of the receiving part 52L is close to the same degree of the first projection 52H, the pair of sheets easily fuse mutually to be disadvantageously jointed to each other at the receiving part 52L, depending on the thickness and the kind of the sheets.
(17) From such a viewpoint, the height of the receiving part 52L is preferably smaller by 60 to 300 μm than that of the first projection 52H, more preferably smaller by 70 to 300 μm, still more preferably smaller by 70 to 250 μm, and most preferably smaller by 70 to 200 μm.
(18) However, depending on the kind and thickness of the sheets, a difference of the height may be around 20 to 300 μm.
(19) Any feature illustrated and/or depicted in conjunction with one of the aforementioned aspects or the following embodiments may be used in the same or similar form in one or more of the other aspects or other embodiments, and/or may be used in combination with, or in place of, any feature of the other aspects or embodiments.
(20) The present invention will be understood more clearly from the following description of preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Note however that the embodiments and the drawings are merely illustrative and should not be taken to define the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention shall be defined only by the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals denote like components throughout the plurality of figures.
EXAMPLE
(21) Prior to the description of an example of the stretchable laminate, there is described an example of a structure of a disposable wearable article in which the stretchable laminate is used.
(22) In
(23) The wearable article 90 is worn in the state where the crotch part 92a is folded in half along a virtual line parallel to the around-torso direction X. In this manner, ends in the around-torso direction X of the around-torso members 91, 91 overlap each other.
(24) Each of the front and rear around-torso members 91 includes the stretchable laminate 10 illustrated clearly in
(25) The first sheet 1 and the second sheet 2 are formed of a breathable nonwoven fabric. The elastic member F is sandwiched between the first sheet 1 and the second sheet 2, and is stretchable in the around-torso direction X.
(26) The stretchable laminate 10 of the wearable article 90 (
(27) The following will describe an example of the stretchable laminate 10.
(28) First, the elastic member F in the stretched state will be described.
(29) As illustrated in
(30) As illustrated in
(31) Each of the joint portions 3 is formed by the pair of sheets 1, 2 fused mutually on the first; surfaces 1f, 2f of the pair of sheets 1, 2 in
(32) In
(33) The elastic member F may be linear or of rope form. For example, as illustrated in
(34) In the state where the elastic members F are shrunk, the stretchable laminate 10 forms a number of pleats P by a shrinkage force of the elastic members F, as illustrated in
(35) The sheets 1, 2 may be thermoplastic nonwoven fabrics in which a number of thermoplastic fibers are laminated. The pleats P of
(36)
(37) The second joint portion 32 is disposed between adjacent elastic members F of the elastic members F and between a pair of first joint portions 31 and another pair of first joint portions 31 adjacent to the pair in the crossing direction Dp. In the present example, one second joint portion 32 is provided between a pair of joint portions 31 and another pair of first joint portions 31.
(38) The jointing force of the pair of sheets 1, 2 at the second joint portion 32 may be smaller or larger than the jointing force of the pair of sheets 1, 2 at the first joint portion 31.
(39) In
(40) At the fixing parts 3f of
(41) In the case where the elastic members F are fixed between the pair of sheets 1, 2 of
(42) In
(43) The following will describe an example of the production device of the stretchable laminate 10.
(44) The production device of
(45) The introducing device 60 guides and introduces the elastic member F to the anvil roll 50. Moreover, the first sheet 1 is introduced to the anvil roll 50 at a point further upstream than the elastic member F, and the second sheet 2 is introduced to the anvil roll 50 at a point further downstream than the elastic member F. The anvil roll 50 carries the pair of sheets 1, 2 and the elastic member F so that the elastic member F is disposed between the pair of sheets 1, 2.
(46) In cooperation with the anvil roll 50, the fusion device 70 fuses the pair of sheets 1, 2 mutually and fuses the sheets 1, 2 to the elastic member F so that the sheets 1, 2 hold the elastic member F. In the case of the present example, the fusion device 70 is an ultrasonic fusion device performing the fusion bonding by ultrasonic energy.
(47) The fusion device 70 provides vibrational energy at a plurality of joint portions 3 (
(48) To be more specific, the anvil roll 50 of
(49) In
(50) In this manner, with the ridges 52 and the recessed grooves 59, the first projections 52H are provided in a matrix form in the circumferential direction R and the width direction S of the roll 50, and the carrying grooves G are provided in a matrix form in the circumferential direction R and the width direction S of the roll 50.
(51) The fusion device 70 of
(52) In
(53) As illustrated in
(54) As illustrated in
(55) Note that although
(56) The introducing device 60 of
(57) The first and second rolls 61, 62 may be free rollers, and may be driven to rotate in synchronization with the anvil roll 50. Moreover, the first and second rolls may not be provided.
(58) As illustrated clearly in
(59) In
(60) The height H1 of the receiving part 52L of
(61) In
(62) The carrying groove G is defined by (a pair of) regions on both sides in the width direction S of the first projection 52H and the region of the first projection 52H on the lower side of the carrying groove G. That is, the regions on the both sides of the first projection 52H and the region on the lower side of the same first projection 52H define the bottom surface of the carrying groove G. For example, as illustrated in
(63) As illustrated in
(64) In the case of this example, two receiving parts 52L are provided between the pair of first projections 52H and the another pair of first projections 52H. Between the two receiving parts 52L, there is provided the second projection 52S for generating the second joint portion 32 (
(65) The following will describe an example of the method for producing the stretchable laminate 10 using the production device.
(66) As illustrated in
(67) To suppress shrinkage of the first sheet 1 in the radial direction of the anvil roll 50, the first sheet 1 and the elastic member F are carried while the first sheet 1 is received at the receiving parts 52L between a pair of first projections 52H and another pair of first projections 52H as illustrated by two-dot chain lines in
(68) Meanwhile, the second sheet 2 of
(69) When the first sheet 1, the elastic members F, and the second sheet 2 pass between the horn 71 and the ridges 52, the horn 71 is ultrasonically vibrated in the direction toward the anvil roll 50. In this manner, the sheets 1, 2 are fused mutually at the first joint portions 31 and the second joint portions 32 of
(70) Here, the first sheet 1 and the second sheet 2 are not fused at the receiving parts 52L of
(71) As enlarged and illustrated in
(72) At each of the projections 52H, 52S of
(73) Meanwhile, in
(74) Moreover, as exemplified by two-dot chain lines of
(75)
(76) As illustrated in
(77) As illustrated in
(78) As in the examples of
(79) Incidentally, the receiving part 52L may have the same height as the outer peripheral surface of the anvil roll 50. Moreover, although the effect; of preventing displacement of the elastic member is not expected in such a case, the receiving parts 52L may be formed at intermittent portions in the circumferential direction of the projections for jointing.
(80) As described above, the preferred examples have been described with reference to the drawings. Upon reading the present specification, a person skilled in the art will readily arrive at various changes and modifications within an obvious range.
(81) For example, the roll for introduction is not; necessarily provided. Moreover, the fusion bonding may not be ultrasonic but of heat sealing.
(82) Therefore, such changes and modifications are deemed to fall within the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
(83) The present invention may be applied to the production of the stretchable laminate that is preferably used for diaper-type and underpants-type disposable wearable articles.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
(84) 1, 2: Pair of sheets, 10: Stretchable laminate, 1f, 2f: First surface
(85) 3: Joint portion, 3f: Fixing part, 31: First joint portion, 32: Second joint; portion, 33: Non-joint portion.
(86) 50: Anvil roll, 51: Outer peripheral surface, 52: Ridge (projection strip), 52H: First projection, 52S: Second projection, 52L: Receiving part, 59: Recessed groove
(87) 60: Introducing device, 61: First roll (regulation roll), 62: Second roll (guide roll)
(88) 70: Fusion device, 71: Horn
(89) Df: Stretching direction, Dp: Crossing direction, F: Elastic member
(90) G: Carrying groove, G1: First guide groove, G2: Second guide groove
(91) H1, H2: Height, S: Width direction (axis direction)
(92) P: Pleat, W1 to W2: Width