US 12,458,542 B2
Apparatus and method for manufacturing absorbent body
Toyoshi Umebayashi, Osaka (JP)
Assigned to ZUIKO CORPORATION, Osaka (JP)
Appl. No. 17/638,120
Filed by ZUIKO CORPORATION, Osaka (JP)
PCT Filed Aug. 21, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/031617
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 24, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/049275, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 18, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-165226 (JP), filed on Sep. 11, 2019; and application No. 2019-228225 (JP), filed on Dec. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0287886 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. A61F 13/15 (2006.01); B32B 38/18 (2006.01); B65H 20/12 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 13/15658 (2013.01) [A61F 13/15634 (2013.01); A61F 13/1565 (2013.01); B32B 38/1858 (2013.01); B65H 20/12 (2013.01); B65H 2301/44336 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A manufacturing apparatus of an absorbent body, comprising:
a duct configured to convey fibrillated fibers via an air flow;
a first drum in which a first suction room configured to have a negative pressure is formed, the first drum being configured to accumulate the fibrillated fibers on an outer peripheral face of the first drum by a first suction force from the first suction room arranged in an interior of the first drum, and to convey a fiber body of the accumulated fibers, the first drum being a first pattern drum to define the shape of the fiber body;
a spraying device configured to spray absorbent particles; and
a second drum in which a second suction room configured to have a negative pressure is formed, the second drum being configured to convey an aggregate formed by collecting the absorbent particles from the spraying device on an outer peripheral face of the second drum by a second suction force from the second suction room arranged in an interior of the second drum, the second drum being a second pattern drum to control the distribution of the aggregate, wherein:
the first drum and the second drum are arranged close to each other,
the fiber body and the aggregate being layered on each other at a location where the outer peripheral face of the first drum faces the outer peripheral face of the second drum;
an opening of the spraying device for spraying the absorbent particles is arranged to face the second suction room of the second drum via the outer peripheral face of the second drum,
the second drum is arranged downstream of the duct in a rotational direction of the first drum,
the opening of the spraying device is disposed:
above the location where the outer peripheral face of the first drum faces the outer peripheral face of the second drum opposite each other and where the fiber body and the aggregate are layered on each other, and
in an area interposed between the first drum and the second drum when viewed along an axis of rotation of the first drum; and
the first suction force is higher than the second suction force.