Apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent core, a particle redirector and a method of redirecting particles

An apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent core for an absorbent product, said absorbent core comprises a fibrous material and particles dispersed throughout at least a portion of said fibrous material, said apparatus comprising:

• a movable mat-forming device comprising at least one mould, said movable mat-forming device is movable in a machine direction,
• a passage for directing at least a mixture of said fibrous material and said particles towards said at least one mould for depositing at least one layer of said mixture of said fibrous material and said particles in said mould,
• a particle supply duct having an opening inside said passage,
• wherein said apparatus further comprises
• a particle redirector arranged adjacent to said opening of said particle supply duct and said particle redirector is pivotable in said machine direction or against said machine direction around a pivot axis extending in the cross direction to said machine direction and thereby redirecting said particles to at least one area on said at least one mould,
• wherein said particle redirector comprises a base which has convex surface and an opposite concave surface and a peripheral edge,
• a first imaginary plane is aligned along said pivot axis and bisects said base into two halves such that the cross section of said base taken along said first imaginary plane is U- or V-shaped;
• a second imaginary plane is perpendicular to said first imaginary plane, and said first imaginary plane and said second imaginary plane intersect along said pivot axis PA;
• a third imaginary plane bisects said base into two halves, said third imaginary plane is perpendicular to said first imaginary plane and said second imaginary plane, and said third imaginary plane intersects with said first imaginary plane along a first axis and intersects with said second said imaginary plane along a second axis;
• said particle redirector comprises at least a first flange and a second flange extending from said convex surface on respective sides of said first imaginary plane, and essentially parallel with the first imaginary plane, wherein said concave surface or said convex surface together with said flanges direct said particles towards said mould, and
• said pivot axis is arranged at the centre of gravity of said particle redirector or at distance from said centre of gravity along said first imaginary plane.

A particle redirector comprising a base which has convex surface and an opposite concave surface and a peripheral edge,

• a first imaginary plane is aligned along a pivot axis and bisects said base into two halves such that a cross section of said base at said first imaginary plane is U or V shaped;
• a second imaginary plane is perpendicular to said first imaginary plane, and said first imaginary plane and said second imaginary plane intersect along said pivot axis;
• a third imaginary plane bisects said base into two halves, said third imaginary plane is perpendicular to said first imaginary plane and said second imaginary plane, and said third imaginary plane intersects with said first imaginary plane along a first axis and intersects with said second said imaginary plane along a second axis;
• said particle redirector comprises at least a first flange and a second flange extending from said convex surface on respective sides of said first imaginary plane and essentially parallel with the first imaginary plane, and
• said pivot axis is arranged at the centre of gravity of said particle redirector or at distance from said centre of gravity along said first imaginary plane.