US 11,931,228 B2
Apparatus and method for forming an absorbent pad
Federico Toscani, Castelleone (IT); Matteo Piantoni, Albino (IT); Andrea Duchini, Castelleone (IT); and Marco Rosani, Vailarate (IT)
Assigned to GDM S.P.A., Bologna (IT)
Appl. No. 16/965,848
Filed by GDM S.p.A., Bologna (IT)
PCT Filed Jan. 17, 2019, PCT No. PCT/IB2019/050379
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 29, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/150211, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 8, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 102018000002181 (IT), filed on Jan. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0038441 A1, Feb. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. A61F 13/15 (2006.01); B65H 37/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 13/15634 (2013.01) [B65H 37/04 (2013.01); A61F 2013/1591 (2013.01); B65H 2301/5113 (2013.01); B65H 2406/33 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for forming an absorbent pad for an absorbent sanitary article, the pad comprising a first layer, a second layer and an absorbent material interposed between the first and the second layer and arranged according to an absorbent material spreading pattern having at least one zone free of absorbent material and configured to define a respective channel, the apparatus comprising: a forming drum having one or more forming pockets for forming the absorbent material,
a first feed system for feeding a first web, configured to form the first layer of the pad, to the forming drum,
a second feed system for feeding a second web, configured to form the second layer of the pad, to the forming drum,
at least one spreader for spreading the absorbent material on the forming drum;
a suction system to create on the first web disposed on the forming drum a spread of absorbent material according to the absorbent material spreading pattern;
the forming drum comprising at least one insert in the suction system to inhibit suction at the at least one insert so that absorbent material is not retained and defines a respective channel; the arrangement of the at least one insert in a respective one of the one or more forming pockets of the drum defining the absorbent material spreading pattern wherein each of the at least one zone free of absorbent material corresponds to a presence of a respective one of the at least one insert;
at least the first web, the second web and the absorbent material defining a composite web;
a joining system for joining the composite web, located downstream of the second feed system at least at the at least one zone free of absorbent material to define the respective channel of the absorbent pad,
a first dispenser of a first adhesive substance on the first web located, with reference to the feed direction, upstream of the at least one spreader for spreading the absorbent material; the first dispenser being configured to create on the first web a layer of the first adhesive substance according to a second spreading pattern having zones free of the first adhesive substance corresponding to the at least one zone free of the absorbent material;
a second dispenser of a second adhesive substance on the second web located, with reference to the feed direction, upstream of the at least one spreader for spreading the absorbent material; the second dispenser being configured to deliver the second adhesive substance on the second web according to a third spreading pattern having one or more layers of the second adhesive substance at least at the respective zones free of the first adhesive substance of the second spreading pattern;
an adhesive force of the second adhesive substance being greater than an adhesive force of the first adhesive substance.