Sanitary absorbing pad and its production

(54) NAME Absorbent cushion and method for its preparation (56) PUBLICATIONS Cited: --- (57) SUMMARY: _.

The invention relates to an absorbent cushion (1) of c-shaped cross-section and with inlaid, superabsorbent layers. (11), which cushion at its front and rear ends (15,16) is gradually thinned such as truncated pyramid. In addition, a method of preparing the absorbent pad (1) is described. In this case, the starting material (1 ') of the absorbent pad (1) is formed on a flock wheel (27) and, in connection with the completion, the material (1) is compressed and folded.¹) for absorbent pads (1). Prior to the folding procedure, superabsorbent material (11) is also applied.

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ALLF 138 8 122 AA

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The numbers in brackets indicate International identification code, INID code. Letters in clamps indicate international document code.

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The invention relates to an absorbent cushion for hygienic purposes such as sanitary napkins, diapers and the like with a body-shaped, two-piece high-absorbent fiber body and a method for its preparation.

Absorbent pads for hygienic purposes are used, for example, in sanitary napkins, panties, disposable diapers and the like. In most cases, they are made of hydrophilic cellular fiber. In order to enhance the absorbent capacity and the ability to retain liquid, a spreading layer or strip of superabsorbent, swellable material such as shims in the absorbent pad is inserted.

One difficulty in the production of absorbent pads for hygienic purposes is that the absorbent pads with sufficient capacity for fluid absorption must not become too bulky and bulky. Another difficulty consists in giving the absorbent pillow a proper fit to thereby enhance the comfort of the wearer. In order to overcome the first difficulty, proposals are already made to increase the ability to absorb and retain liquid by introducing superabsorbent, swellable material. This has been realized by a method of making absorbent pads which are made of tape-shaped material. In this way, superabsorbent, swellable material is applied continuously or at regular intervals to one half of the fiber web and the non-applied half of the fiber web is folded over the applied half. This results in a kind of endless fiber sandwich, which in the connecting working procedure is cut into separate absorbent pads. The absorbent pads made according to this standard procedure have a poor comfort for the wearer, as they have no proper fit and in addition have bulky edge thicknesses due to the mechanical section.

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Furthermore, a method is known in which a multi-part fiber cushion is made by forming sections, which method comprises a relatively thin but wide fiber web. In this absorbent pad, side parts are provided without a joint on a long narrow middle part, which side parts have the same geometric shape and size as the middle part. These fiber cushions undergo folding procedures in connection with the forming section, whereby the side parts are wrapped. With this method, a thin fiber web of constant thickness is produced. Furthermore, this absorbent cushion is better adapted to the body anatomy of the perineal (pelvic floor) area than the previously described absorbent cushion. Obviously, through the molding section with its long section line, unpleasant, bulky edge thickening is achieved. Due to the folding, these edge thicknesses will, in part, also lie above each other. As a result, both the front as well as the rear end of the absorbent pillow become so bulky that the comfort of the wearer of this hygiene article is greatly reduced. In addition, the uniform thickness over the entire length of the folded absorbent pad is not at all necessary when using sanitary napkins and disposable diapers, but fasteners can be considered disruptive. On this absorbent pillow itself is stiffer and at its ends material congestion has no use, it adapts poorly to the wearer's body shape. In addition, the mold cut on the fiber web requires a constant disposal of the cut waste, which is usually returned to the fiber mill through expensive extraction systems.

So, too, at the shape cut on the fiber web, considerable amounts of cellular dust accumulate, which soils the machine and is experienced by the service staff as unpleasant.

The object of the invention is to provide an absorbent cushion for hygienic purposes which, at a sufficiently high liquid absorption capacity, does not become too bulky and bulky and readily adapts to the anatomy of the perineal (pelvic floor) area and to develop a method for making this absorbent cushion.

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The task is solved according to the invention according to the characteristics indicated for the absorbent cushion in the characterizing part of claim 1, and according to the characteristics which are stated for the manufacture of this absorbent cushion in the characterizing part of claim 8. Further characteristics of the invention appear from the description and the claims in connection with the drawings.

The advantage of the invention primarily consists in the development of a method which makes it possible to continuously design the starting material for a two-part absorbent pad by means of a rotating flock wheel and in connection therewith fold the individual absorbent pads, so that in cross section c. shaped absorbent pads are formed. In addition, an absorbent cushion designed according to claim 1 has the advantage of having a natural interspace into which superabsorbent material and / or liquid spreader can be laid to improve the absorbency and retention of liquid. In addition, the starting material for the absorbent cushion formed on the flock wheel has soft edge areas throughout, since no bulky edge thicknesses exist as those arising from a molding section. In addition, through the different length of the main and lateral part and after the c-fold, a stepwise thinned absorbent cushion is formed at the ends, which readily adapts to the anatomy of the perineal region and thus provides a high level of comfort.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained in the following with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 further processing of the two-part starting material formed on the flock wheel into the finished absorbent pad in schematic order;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the finished absorbent pad along section ΓΙ-II of Figure 1;

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Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the finished absorbent pad along the section III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the starting material for the absorbent pad along the section IV-IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the flock wheel with fiber mill.

As can be seen in Figs. 1 and 4, the starting material 1 'of the absorbent pad 1 consists of the parts 2 and 5, which have the thicknesses d' and d respectively. The side part 5 is shorter and thinner than the main part 2 and it is also rounded at its ends 6 and 7. In one preferred embodiment, the thickness d of the side portion 5 is only half as large as the thickness d 'of the body portion 2. A transitional region 8 is provided along the side 13 between side portion 2 and side portion 5, the thickness of which is d * '&lt;d.

Fig. 2 shows the finished absorbent pad 1 such as layered body with c-shaped cross section and having the thickness d. Here, the side part 5 is folded up on the main part 2. Through the c-folding of the absorbent pad 1, between the main part 2 and the side part 5, a natural gap is obtained, into which a layer 11, consisting of superabsorbent material, is inserted. and 5 a finished absorbent pad 1, which at its ends 15 and 18 is divided into ledges, similar to a truncated pyramid.

The starting material 1 * of the absorbent pad 1 is rounded at the underlying edges. After the c-fold, this rounding 16 will be directed upwards for the part 5, as seen in Fig. 3, while they will also lie downwards in the future for part 2.

Hereinafter, the method of the invention for preparing the absorbent pad 1 will be described.

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As shown in Fig. 5, in a fiber mill 33 from an endless cellular strip 31, cellular fibers are recovered by means of a supply of air supplied by a fan 20 through a large volume 28, the cylinder jacket 21 is applied to a rotating flock wheel.

27th On the inside 22 of the rotating flock wheel 27, which is formed as a hollow cylinder, a suction box 26 is provided. On the cylinder sheath 21, two-part molded recesses 23 are provided, the bottoms of which 24 are formed in the sole1-like and which are in air-conductive communication with the inside of the cylinder 22.

The cellular fibers are sucked from the fiber stream into the two-part mold recesses 23 of the rotating flock wheel 27. In this case, the finer fibers first settle against the sole1-like bottoms 24. The vacuum prevailing over the suction box 26 and the sole1-like bottoms 24 a thickening and prefiltering of the absorbent cellular fibers, so that two-part starting material 1 'for the absorbent pads 1 is formed.

In connection with the filling of the mold recesses 23 with fiber material, a decoupling device 34 is arranged which by means of rotating, tagged brushes 25 and 25 'ΐ 20 displaces the fiber material from the mold recesses 23 and extends the fiber material 20. this over a pipeline! ning 32 for reuse.

ΐ The finished, two-part starting material 1 'is subsequently retrieved thereto by a suction roll 30 from the mold recesses 23 on the rotating flock wheel 27 and left on a feed belt 29.

At the end of the feed belt, the starting material 1 'is compressed into the absorbent pads 1 in a first press station 35, with the possibility of compressing the main part 2 and the side part 5 very sharply. After the compression process, a conveying device 39 takes over the starting material 1 'and enters it for a

458 419 applying device 36, wherein the layers 11, consisting of superabsorbent, swelling material, are applied to the main part 2 of the folding device 37.

In the folding device 37, the side parts 5 are folded up on the upper surface of the main part 2. Thereby, the absorbent pads 1 are formed with c-shaped cross-section and with such a truncated pyramid step-thinned ends 15 and 18. In addition to the folding procedure, the absorbent pads 1 are compressed into a second pressing device 38. walk.

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