# US 2014/0197079 A1 · Method of ejecting faulty absorbent article

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- Number: US 2014/0197079 A1
- Document ID: US20140197079A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/130,155
- Filed: 2012-06-29
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-01
- Assignees: Unicharm Corporation
- Inventors: Kazuhiko Takahashi; Tomohiro Watanabe; Masanobu Miyaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197079A1

## CPC

- A61F 13/15764: {Transferring, feeding or handling devices; Drives}
- A61F 13/15772: {Control}
- B07C 5/342: according to optical properties, e.g. colour {(according to radiation transmittivity B07C5/3416)}
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- B07C: POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D33/06, B23Q7/12)

## Abstract

A method of ejecting a faulty absorbent article which includes a step of detecting a failure region of an absorbent article in which a failure location of the absorbent article exists, and a type of a failure in the failure region, by identifying a shape of the absorbent article in the course of the manufacturing line, a step of deciding the absorbent article to be ejected based on the detection result of the failure region and the type of failure in the step of detecting, and a step of disengaging, from the manufacturing line, the absorbent article decided in the step of deciding, and then ejecting the absorbent article in the course of the manufacturing line. In the step of deciding, the number of absorbent articles to be ejected in the step of ejecting is decided according to the failure region and the type of the failure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of ejecting a faulty absorbent article used in a manufacturing line of an absorbent article having a plurality of steps for a conveyed continuous web, comprising:
a step of detecting a failure region of an absorbent article in which a failure location of the absorbent article exists, and a type of a failure in the failure region, by identifying a shape of the absorbent article in the course of the manufacturing line;
a step of deciding to eject a faulty absorbent article based on the detection result of the failure region and the type of failure in the step of detecting; and
a step of disengaging, from the manufacturing line, the absorbent article decided in the step of deciding, and then ejecting the absorbent article in the course of the manufacturing line, wherein
in the step of deciding, the number of absorbent articles to be ejected in the step of ejecting is decided according to the failure region and the type of the failure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of ejecting a faulty absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein in the step of deciding, when the failure region is positioned in the central portion of the absorbent article in a conveyance direction of the continuous web, it is decided that only the absorbent article in which the failure location exists is to be ejected, and when the failure region is positioned in other than the central portion of the absorbent article in a conveyance direction of the continuous web, it is decided that the absorbent article in which the failure location exists, and the absorbent articles adjoining in the failure region side are to be ejected.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of ejecting a faulty absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein in the step of deciding, when the type of the failure is related to members spanning the plurality of absorbent articles, it is decided in the step of ejecting that the plurality of absorbent articles including the absorbent article having the failure region are to be ejected.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of ejecting a faulty absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein in the step of deciding, when the type of the failure is the addition of foreign substances, it is decided in the step of ejecting that a plurality of absorbent articles including the absorbent article having the failure region are to be ejected.