Web conveyor and method of manufacturing absorbent article

Abstract

The web conveyer for manufacturing an absorber including an absorber core and a covering member covering the absorber core, conveys an absorber web including the absorber core sandwiched by a pair of webs to form the covering member. A thickness of the absorber core is larger than a thickness of the covering member. The web conveyer includes a direction changing mechanism which changes a conveyance direction of the absorber web by 90° or more. A rotation distance of the absorber web, that is, the length of a semi-circumference of the changing roller, is larger than is longer than a length of each of the absorber cores in the conveyance direction MD of the absorber web.

1 . A web conveyor
 used in manufacturing an absorber including an absorber core and a covering member covering the absorber core, and   
       which conveys an absorber web
 including the absorber core sandwiched by a pair of webs to form the covering member, 
 
       the web conveyor comprising a direction changing mechanism configured to change a conveyance direction of the absorber web by 90° or more,
 a thickness (t 1 ) of the absorber core is larger than a thickness (t 2 ) of the covering member, 
 
       wherein
 the direction changing mechanism changes the conveyance direction of the absorber web passing the changing mechanism, in such a way that the absorber web is rotated in the conveyance direction by a rotation distance (L 1 ) which is larger than a length (L 2 ) of the absorber core when the absorber web is seen along a surface of the absorber web in a cross direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the absorber web. 
 
     
     
         2 . The web conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the direction changing mechanism includes a roller, and   the rotation distance (L 1 ) of the absorber web is a length of a semi-circumference of the roller.   
     
     
         3 . The web conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein the direction changing mechanism includes a plurality of rollers. 
     
     
         4 . The web conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein the direction changing mechanism includes:
 a plurality of rollers; and   an endless belt configured to convey the absorber web and rotate around the plurality of rollers.   
     
     
         5 . The web conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotation distance (L 1 ) of the absorber web is at least twice as large as the length (L 2 ) of the absorber core in the conveyance direction of the absorber web. 
     
     
         6 . The web conveyor according to  claim 5 , wherein the direction changing mechanism supports two of the absorber cores at once. 
     
     
         7 . The web conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein the absorber cores are disposed on a continuum of the covering members at predetermined intervals. 
     
     
         8 . A working method used during manufacturing an absorber having an absorber core and a covering member covering the absorber core,
 the method comprising the steps of:   
       conveying an absorber web including the absorber core sandwiched by a pair of webs to form the covering member; and
 changing a conveyance direction of the absorber web by 90° or more by a direction changing mechanism of a web conveyor, and 
 
       wherein a thickness (t 1 ) of the absorber core is larger than a thickness (t 2 ) of the covering member, 
       wherein
 the direction changing mechanism changes the conveyance direction of the absorber web passing the changing mechanism, in such a way that the absorber web is rotated in the conveyance direction by a rotation distance (L 1 ) which is larger than a length (L 2 ) of the absorber core when the absorber web is seen along a surface of the absorber web in a cross direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the absorber web.