Unit for feeding a component of a hygiene absorbent article provided with a linear electric motor

A feeding unit (1) for feeding components (2) of a hygiene absorbent articles;

• the feeding unit (1) comprises:
• a plurality of sucking-holding heads (4), each of which is designed to receive and hold a corresponding component (2);
• a conveyor (5) to cyclically move each holding head (4) along an annular application path (P);
• an input station (S1), which is arranged along the application path (P) and in which each holding head (4) receives a corresponding component (2), which is connected—without gaps—to a continuous web (3);
• a cutting station (S3), which is arranged along the application path (P) downstream of the input station (S1) and is provided with a cutting device (23), which cuts the continuous web (3) crosswise, so as to separate the component (2) held by each holding head (4) from the remaining part of the continuous web (3);
• and
• an output station (S2), which is arranged along the application path (P) downstream of the rotation station (S4) and in which each holding head (4) releases the component (2);
• wherein the conveyor (5) comprises:
• an annular guide (8), which is arranged in a fixed position along the application path (P);
• a plurality of slides (9), each of which supports a corresponding holding head (4) and is coupled to the guide (8) so as to freely slide along the guide (8), and
• a linear electric motor (10), which comprises a single stator (11), which is arranged in a fixed position along the guide (8), and a plurality of mobile sliders (12), each of which is electro-magnetically coupled to the same stator (11) so as to receive, from the same stator (11), a driving force and is rigidly connected to a corresponding slide (9).