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US 10,065,831 B2Granted
Methods and apparatuses for folding absorbent articles
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsPeter Wiedmann, Todd Douglas Lenser, Ricky Reynaldo Yanez, Jr., Yoichiro Yamamoto, Andreas Josef Dreher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for manufacturing absorbent articles. More particularly, the systems and methods for folding absorbent articles advancing in a converting line may be configured with tucker blades that prevent opposing end regions of absorbent articles from colliding directly with each other as the absorbent articles are being folded.
Claims18
A method for folding absorbent articles, the method comprising the steps of:
- conveying an absorbent article in a first direction on a first carrier to define an article transport plane, wherein the absorbent article includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the absorbent article includes a first end and a second end, and wherein the absorbent article includes a first end region and a second end region, and a central region located between the first and second end regions;
- advancing the first end and the first end region past a nip defined between the first carrier and a second carrier;
- rotating a tucker blade, wherein the tucker blade includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and wherein the tucker blade includes a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the leading edge and the trailing edge move through the article transport plane at the nip as the tucker blade rotates;
- folding the absorbent article by redirecting the central region of the absorbent article in a second direction into the nip with the leading edge of the tucker blade thereby creating a fold line across the central region of the absorbent article, positioning the first surface of the absorbent article extending from the fold line to the first end into contact with the first surface of the tucker blade and positioning the first surface of the absorbent article extending from the fold line to the second end into contact with the second surface of the tucker blade, wherein the first end and the second end of the absorbent article are separated by the tucker blade;
- and
- conveying the folded absorbent article in the second direction between the first carrier and the second carrier away from the article transport plane.
3 more elements
A method for folding absorbent articles, the method comprising the steps of:
- advancing a continuous length of absorbent articles at a first speed, S1, in a machine direction;
- cutting the continuous length of absorbent articles into discrete absorbent articles, wherein each discrete absorbent article includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein each discrete absorbent article includes a first end region and a second end region, and a central region located between the first and second end regions, and wherein each discrete absorbent article includes a first end and a second end, and a having a pitch length, PL, defined by a distance in the machine direction between the first end and the second end;
- conveying each discrete absorbent articles at a second speed S2, in a first direction on a first carrier to define an article transport plane;
- advancing the first end and the first end region of each discrete absorbent article past a nip defined between the first carrier and a second carrier;
- rotating a tucker blade, wherein the tucker blade includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and wherein the tucker blade includes a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the leading edge and the trailing edge move through the article transport plane at the nip as the tucker blade rotates;
- folding n discrete absorbent articles with one full revolution of the tucker blade by redirecting the central region of each discrete absorbent article in a second direction into the nip with the leading edge thereby creating a fold line across the central region of each discrete absorbent article, positioning the first surface of each discrete absorbent article extending from the fold line to the first end the first end into contact with the first surface of the tucker blade and positioning the first surface of each discrete absorbent article extending from the fold line to the second end the contact with the second surface of the tucker blade, and wherein a sweep angle, between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the tucker blade is calculated as (0.18*PL*S1)/(S2*n);
- and
- wherein the sweep angle, is expressed in units of (degrees);
- PL is expressed in units of (mm), S1 is expressed in units of (articles/minute), S2 is expressed in units of (meters/minute);
- and n is expressed in units of (articles).
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.