MACHINE FOR MAKING ABSORBENT SANITARY ARTICLES

Abstract

A machine for making absorbent sanitary articles, includes at least one cutting unit configured to divide a continuous web into segments intended for manufacturing an absorbent sanitary article; the anvil member see includes a drum, rotating about a respective axis of rotation, for retaining the continuous web and the segments obtained therefrom; the cutting member includes a first cutting roller and a second cutting roller, both acting in conjunction with the drum of the anvil member and each rotating about a respective axis of rotation.

Claims

1. A machine for making absorbent sanitary articles, comprising at least one cutting unit configured to divide a continuous web into segments intended for manufacturing an absorbent sanitary article; the cutting unit comprises an anvil member and a cutting member acting in conjunction with the anvil member; the anvil member, rotating about a respective axis of rotation, for retaining the continuous web and the segments obtained therefrom; the cutting unit comprises a control and drive unit configured to control the movement of the cutting member at least as a function of the rotation speed of the drum of the anvil member; characterized in that the cutting member comprises a first cutting roller and a second cutting roller, distinct from each other, both acting in conjunction with the drum of the anvil member and each rotating about a respective axis of rotation; actuating means are configured to set the first cutting roller in rotation about its axis of rotation via respective motion transmission means and to set the second cutting roller in rotation about its axis of rotation via respective motion transmission means; the control and drive unit is configured to selectively command the actuation of the first cutting roller and the second cutting roller via the actuating means as a function of a first size range and a second size range of absorbent sanitary articles respectively, and to impart to the first cutting roller a law of motion corresponding to a respective size belonging to the first size range and to apply to the second cutting roller a law of motion corresponding to a respective size belonging to the second size range; each law of motion has respective accelerations and decelerations.

2. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the control and drive unit is configured to be programmed from the outside and to receive instructions relating to the laws of motion of the actuating means.

3. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the actuating means are configured to move the first cutting roller or, alternatively, the second cutting roller.

4. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the actuating means comprise first actuating means for actuating the first cutting roller and second actuating means for actuating the second cutting roller.

5. A method for making absorbent sanitary articles, comprising a step of cutting to divide a continuous web into segments intended for manufacturing an absorbent sanitary article; the step of cutting comprises selectively commanding the rotation of one between a first cutting roller and a second cutting roller, both acting in conjunction with the same anvil member, as a function of a respective first size range and of a second size range of absorbent sanitary articles, and applying the rotation speed to one between the first cutting roller or the second cutting roller; in the step of cutting, while one between the first cutting roller and the second cutting roller rotates about a respective axis of rotation, the other remains in a paused condition; the step of cutting comprises applying a law of motion to the rotation of the first cutting roller or of the second cutting roller corresponding to a respective size belonging to the first size range or to the second size range, each law of motion having respective accelerations and decelerations.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] The description is set out below with reference to the accompanying drawings which are provided solely for purposes of illustration without restricting the scope of the invention and in which:

[0044] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view illustrating a machine for making absorbent sanitary articles according to this invention;

[0045] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a cutting unit of the machine of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0046] The reference numeral 1 denotes a machine for making absorbent sanitary articles according to this invention.

[0047] The machine 1 comprises at least one cutting unit 2 configured to divide a continuous web 3 into segments 4 intended for manufacturing an absorbent sanitary article.

[0048] The cutting unit 2 comprises an anvil member 5 and a cutting member 6 acting in conjunction with the anvil member 5.

[0049] The anvil member 5 comprises a drum 7, rotating about a respective axis of rotation 7a, for retaining the continuous web 3 and the segments 4 obtained therefrom.

[0050] The cutting unit 2 comprises a control and drive unit 8 configured to control the movement of the cutting member 6 at least as a function of the rotation speed of the drum 7 of the anvil member 5.

[0051] The cutting member 2 comprises a first cutting roller 9 and a second cutting roller 10, both acting in conjunction with the drum 7 of the anvil member 5 and each rotating about a respective axis of rotation 9a, 10a.

[0052] The first cutting roller 9 and the second cutting roller 10 each comprise respective cutting members 11 driven in rotation about respective axes of rotation 9a, 10a.

[0053] The control and drive unit 8 is configured to control the rotation speed of the first cutting roller 9 or, alternatively, the rotation speed of the second cutting roller 10 in relation to a respective size of an absorbent article to be made.

[0054] The control and drive unit 8 is configured to control the rotation speed of the first roller 9 as a function of a first size range or, alternatively, to control the rotation speed of the second roller 10 as a function of a second size range.

[0055] Advantageously, the control and drive unit 8 is configured to control the rotation speed of the first cutting roller 9 or, alternatively, the rotation speed of the second cutting roller 10 according to the size to be processed.

[0056] Thus, the first cutting roller 9 and the second roller 10 can rotate at the maximum speeds permitted by the respective actuators since they are controlled by respective laws of motion corresponding to the sizes associated with the first roller 9 and the second roller 10.

[0057] The control and drive unit 8 is configured to control the rotation speed of the first roller 9 or of the second roller 10 according to a law of motion corresponding to a respective size belonging to the first size range or to the second size range; each law of motion has respective accelerations and decelerations.

[0058] The control and drive unit 8 is configured to receive instructions relating to the laws of motion to be applied to the first roller 9 and to receive instructions relating to the laws of motion to be applied to the second roller 10.

[0059] The control and drive unit 8 is configured to be programmed from the outside and to receive instructions relating to the laws of motion of the actuating means 13, 14.

[0060] For example, the instructions may be entered using a control panel installed in the machine 1.

[0061] In a first variant embodiment, the machine 1 comprises first actuating means 14 for actuating the first cutting roller 9 and second actuating means 13 for actuating the second cutting roller 10.

[0062] Preferably, the actuators, 13, 14 are electric actuators.

[0063] In a second variant embodiment, the machine 1 comprises actuating means 14, 13 configured to move the first cutting roller 9 or, alternatively, the second cutting roller 10.

[0064] In this embodiment, if the roller being moved is the first cutting roller 9 to make the sizes corresponding to the first size range, the actuating means 14 are associated with the first cutting roller 9.

[0065] If the roller being moved is the second cutting roller 10 to make the sizes corresponding to the second size range, the actuating means 14 are associated with the second cutting roller 10.

[0066] The actuating means 13, 14 are configured to set the first cutting roller 9 in rotation about its axis of rotation 9a via respective motion transmission means T1 and to set the second cutting roller 10 in rotation about its axis of rotation 10a via respective motion transmission means T2.

[0067] The control and drive unit 8 is configured to selectively command the actuation of the first cutting roller 9 and the second cutting roller 10 via the actuating means 13, 14 as a function of a first size range and a second size range of absorbent sanitary articles respectively, and to apply to the first cutting roller 9 a law of motion corresponding to a respective size belonging to the first size range and to impart to the second cutting roller 10 a law of motion corresponding to a respective size belonging to the second size range; each law of motion has respective accelerations and decelerations.

[0068] The machine 1 comprises actuating means 15 for actuating the drum 7 for retaining the continuous web 3 and the segments 4 obtained therefrom.

[0069] Preferably, the actuating means mentioned in this disclosure are electric actuators.

[0070] This invention also relates to a method for making absorbent sanitary articles, comprising a step of cutting configured to divide a continuous web 3 into segments 4 intended for manufacturing an absorbent sanitary article.

[0071] The step of cutting comprises controlling the rotation speed of a first cutting roller 9 or of a second cutting roller 10, both acting in conjunction with the same anvil member 5, as a function of a respective first size range and of a second size range of absorbent sanitary articles.

[0072] The step of cutting comprises selectively commanding the rotation of one between a first cutting roller 9 and a second cutting roller 10, both acting in conjunction with the same anvil member 5, as a function of a respective first size range and of a second size range of absorbent sanitary articles, and applying the rotation speed to one between the first cutting roller 9 or the second cutting roller 10.

[0073] In the step of cutting, while one between the first cutting roller 9 and the second cutting roller 10 rotates about a respective axis of rotation 9a, 10a, the other remains in a paused condition.

[0074] The step of cutting comprises applying a law of motion to the rotation of the first cutting roller 9 or of the second cutting roller 10 corresponding to a respective size belonging to the first size range or to the second size range, each law of motion having respective accelerations and decelerations.