Conveyor and method of manufacturing absorbent article

Abstract

A conveyor conveys a continuous stretchable web. The conveyor includes a press mechanism configured to press the web in at least a center region C in a cross direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the web, or at least side edge regions S located in positions shifted from the center region toward both side edges of the web in the cross direction. The press mechanism is provided in a position shifted from a conveyance plane R of the web when viewed along a surface of the web in the cross direction.

1 . A conveyor for conveying a continuous stretchable web in a conveyance direction, the web having, in a cross direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, a center region and side edge regions on opposite sides of the center region, said conveyor comprising:
 a conveying mechanism for conveying the web in a conveyance plane; and   a press mechanism for pressing the web in at least one of the center or side edge region of the web, to deflect the web off the conveyance plane and cause the web to be stretched in the cross direction.   
     
     
         2 . The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the press mechanism includes a press face to be in contact with the web, and   the press face is in a straight-line form when viewed along the surface of the web in the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         3 . The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the press mechanism includes a press face to be in contact with the web, and   the press face is in a curved form when viewed along the surface of the web in the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         4 . The conveyor according to  claim 3 , further comprising at least two support points for supporting the web while the press face is pressing the center region and the side edge regions of the web. 
     
     
         5 . The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein the press mechanism includes, in the cross direction:
 a center press face adapted to be in contact with the center region of the web; and   side edge press faces on opposite sides of the center press face and being adapted to be in contact with the side edge regions, respectively, and   when viewed in the conveyance direction, each of the side edge press faces extends from an end of the center press face obliquely away from the web.   
     
     
         6 . The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the press mechanism is provided upstream of the conveyor mechanism in the conveyance direction of the web.   
     
     
         7 . The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the press mechanism includes a press face to be in contact with the web, and   the press face has a width in the cross direction which is larger on a downstream side in the conveyance direction of the web than on an upstream side.   
     
     
         8 . A method of manufacturing absorbent articles, the method comprising:
 conveying, in a conveyance plane, a continuous web to be processed by a plurality of processes into the absorbent articles, the web having, in a cross direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction, a center region and side edge regions on opposite sides of the center region; and   
       pressing the web in at least one of the center or side edge region of the web, to deflect the web off the conveyance plane. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the conveying and the pressing are performed before any one of said processes.   
     
     
         10 . The method of manufacturing an absorbent article according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the web is not stretchable, and   in the process step, a sheet stretchable in the cross direction of the web is stacked on the web.