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EP-4483852-B1 - METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING ABSORBENT BODY

EP4483852B1EP 4483852 B1EP4483852 B1EP 4483852B1EP-4483852-B1

Inventors

  • UMEBAYASHI TOYOSHI

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230322

Claims (6)

  1. An absorbent body manufacturing method comprising: a first step of forming a first absorbent sheet (30; 50) having a first absorbent material (33) disposed in first regions (33a-33d, 33p-33r, 33u-33w; 33m, 33n) of a first sheet (32a-32c; 52a-52c); a second step of forming a second absorbent sheet (20, 20a) having a second absorbent material (23) disposed in second regions (23a, 23b; 23u-23w) of a second sheet (22); a third step of forming a continuous body (14, 14a, 14b, 14c) including the first absorbent sheet (30, 50) and the second absorbent sheet (20, 20a) and in which the first regions (33a-33d, 33p-33r, 33u-33w; 33m, 33n) and the second regions (23a, 23b; 23u-23w) are adjacent to each other in plan view; and a fourth step of forming an absorbent body (10, 10a, 10b, 10c) including the first absorbent material (33) and the second absorbent material (23), by cutting the continuous body (14, 14a, 14b, 14c) so that the first regions (33a-33d, 33p-33r, 33u-33w; 33m, 33n) and the second regions (23a, 23b; 23u-23w) adjacent to each other are included, characterized in that at the first step, the first absorbent material (33) is disposed in the first regions (33a-33d, 33p-33r, 33u-33w; 33m, 33n) aligned in a direction in which the first sheet (32a-32c) continues, in a plurality of rows with a spacing therebetween, and at the second step, the second absorbent material (23) is disposed in the second regions (23a, 23b; 23u-23w) aligned in a direction in which the second sheet (22) continues, with a spacing therebetween.
  2. The absorbent body manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein at the third step, the continuous body (14, 14a, 14b, 14c) is formed in which the first absorbent sheet (30, 50) and the second absorbent sheet (20, 20a) overlap each other such that the first regions (33a-33d, 33p-33r, 33u-33w; 33m, 33n) and the second regions (23a, 23b; 23u-23w) are adjacent to each other in plan view.
  3. The absorbent body manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising: a fifth step of forming first pieces (31) including the first regions (33a-33d, 33p-33r, 33u-33w; 33m, 33n), by cutting the first absorbent sheet (30) after the first step and before the third step; and a sixth step of forming second pieces (21) including the second region (23a, 23b; 23u-23w), by cutting the second absorbent sheet (20) after the second step and before the third step, wherein at the third step, the continuous body (14b) is formed in which the first pieces (31) and the second pieces (21) are aligned such that the first regions (33a-33c) and the second regions (23a, 23b) are adjacent to each other in plan view.
  4. The absorbent body manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at the first step, the first absorbent material (33) is disposed on more than one of the first sheets (32a-32c; 52a-52c), and at the third step, the continuous body(14, 14a, 14b, 14c) is formed in which more than one of the first sheets (32a-32c; 52a-52c) is arranged with a spacing therebetween.
  5. The absorbent body manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at the first step, a first coating sheet (34, 54) is joined with the first sheet (32a-32c, 52a-52c) to form the first absorbent sheet (30, 50) having the first absorbent material (33) disposed between the first sheet (32a-32c, 52a-52c) and the first coating sheet (34, 54).
  6. The absorbent body manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at the second step, a second coating sheet (24) is joined with the second sheet (22) to form the second absorbent sheet (20) having the second absorbent material (23) disposed between the second sheet (22) and the second coating sheet (24).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an absorbent body including an absorbent material. BACKGROUND ART An absorbent body containing an absorbent material is used for diapers and sanitary napkins. For example, FIG. 10 is a schematic layout diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent body, and FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a relevant part. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, this apparatus is provided with: two units U1 and U2 including conveyers C1 and C2 and sprayers 111 and 112, respectively; and a laminating roller R. The conveyers C1 and C2 each have a negative pressure case 119, and convey sheets S1 and S2 while sucking them. The sheets S1 and S2 each have a diffusion layer 121 and a short fiber layer 122, and the short fiber layer 122 is napped by a napping roller 130. The sprayers 111 and 112 spray a powder and granular material 120 as the absorbent material to the napped upper surfaces of the sheet S1 and S2 being conveyed along inclined surfaces F1 and F2. This forms absorbent layers L1 and L2 on the short fiber layers 122 of the sheets S1 and S2. The laminating roller R places the sheets S1 and S2 one on another so that the absorbent layers L1 and L2 face each other (for example, see WO 2021/015001 A1). WO 2015/123087 A1 discloses to manufacture an absorbent body by placing one on another two sheets having an absorbent material transferred thereto. WO 2021/002095 A1 discloses a method of producing absorbent body for absorbent article, wherein a base sheet having one main surface coated with an adhesive is supplied to a conveyance device and the base sheet is conveyed while the other main surface of the base sheet is suctioned. A first laminate (50p) is formed by overlapping the one main surface of the base sheet with the other main sheet of a fiber sheet having one main surface nap-raised; then, a granular absorbent material is scattered on the one main surface of the fiber sheet; the scattered absorbent material is infiltrated into the fiber sheet when the other main surface of the base sheet is suctioned; then, a second laminate is formed by overlapping the one main surface of the fiber sheet with the one main surface of a cover sheet coated with an adhesive; and then the resultant sheet is compressed in the thickness direction by means of a compression means and the coated adhesive spreads inside the fiber sheet. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION Merely placing two sheets one on another and disposing an absorbent material between the two sheets as described above limits variations of the absorbent body. For this reason, it is desired to further increase variations of the absorbent body. In view of such circumstances, a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an absorbent body manufacturing method capable of increasing variations of the absorbent body. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM To solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention provides an absorbent body manufacturing method structured as follows: An absorbent body manufacturing method is provided with: (i) a first step of forming a first absorbent sheet having a first absorbent material disposed in first regions of a first sheet; (ii) a second step of forming a second absorbent sheet having a second absorbent material disposed in second regions of a second sheet; (iii) a third step of forming a continuous body including the first absorbent sheet and the second absorbent sheet and in which the first regions and the second regions are adjacent to each other in plan view; and (iv) a fourth step of forming an absorbent body including the first absorbent material and the second absorbent material, by cutting the continuous body so that the first regions and the second regions adjacent to each other are included. At the first step, the first absorbent material is disposed in the first regions aligned in a direction in which the first sheet continues, in a plurality of rows with a spacing therebetween. At the second step, the second absorbent material is disposed in the second regions aligned in a direction in which the second sheet continues, with a spacing therebetween. According to the above-described method, it is possible to change the characteristics of the absorbent body according to the pattern of the first and second regions and the kind and amount of the first and second absorbent materials disposed in the first and second regions, and a channel can be formed between a plurality of rows of the first regions aligned in the direction in which the first sheet continues. Consequently, variations of the absorbent body can be increased. In an absorbent body manufacturing method of a preferred mode, at the third step, the continuous body is formed in which the first absorbent sheet and the second absorbent sheet overlap each other such that the first regions and the second regions are adjacent to each other in plan v