JP2000234255A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing molded article - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To produce a molded body capable of efficiently producing molded bodies having partially different heights and densities by depositing raw materials such as fibers and granules in a concave portion for accumulation having a predetermined shape. A method and a manufacturing apparatus are provided. SOLUTION: In a method for manufacturing a molded body, a raw material 6 supplied in a scattered state is suction-deposited in an accumulation concave portion 3 provided with a large number of suction holes on a bottom surface, and a deposit of the raw material is deposited on the accumulation concave portion 3. 3
A plurality of suction areas 3a and 3b are provided on the bottom surface of each of the accumulation recesses 3;
The opening ratio of the total suction hole to the bottom surface is made different for each of the suction areas 3a and 3b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a compact which can efficiently produce compacts having partially different heights and densities.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an apparatus for continuously producing absorbent fiber products, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-142 discloses a rotary drum having a plurality of accumulation recesses on an outer peripheral surface, and a rotary drum on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum. A raw material supply means for supplying the raw material fibers by scattering the raw material fibers, suctioning and depositing the supplied raw material fibers in the respective collecting recesses, and sequentially releasing the deposits of the raw materials from the respective collecting recesses to form a molded body. Is described.

[0003]

However, in the above-described conventional manufacturing apparatus, since the entire bottom surface of the collecting recess is uniformly sucked, fiber products having partially different heights and densities are used. It could not be manufactured efficiently.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact which can efficiently produce compacts having partially different heights and densities by depositing raw materials such as fibers and granules in a collecting recess having a predetermined shape. To provide a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a raw material supplied in a scattered state is suction-deposited in an accumulation recess provided with a large number of suction holes on a bottom surface, and a deposit of the raw material is deposited on the accumulation recess. A method of manufacturing a molded product by releasing from a mold, characterized in that a plurality of suction areas are provided on the bottom surface of the accumulation concave portion, and the opening ratio of the total suction hole to the bottom portion is different for each suction region. The above object has been achieved by providing a method for producing a molded article.

Further, the present invention provides a raw material supply means for supplying a raw material by scattering, a stacking concave portion having a plurality of suction holes on a bottom surface for sucking and depositing the raw material, and Is a device for continuously manufacturing a molded body by sequentially releasing the mold from each of the accumulation concave portions, wherein the bottom portion of each of the accumulation concave portions has a plurality of suction areas, and each suction area has a plurality of suction areas. The object has been achieved by providing an apparatus for manufacturing molded articles having different total opening ratios of suction holes.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the method and apparatus for manufacturing an absorber according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, an apparatus for manufacturing a molded body according to the present embodiment will be described. The molded article manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is an apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent body for sanitary articles such as a disposable diaper and a sanitary napkin. As shown in FIG. A rotating drum 2 provided with a plurality of accumulating recesses 3 having the following, and a raw material supply means 4 for supplying a raw material by scattering the raw material on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 2; This is an apparatus for continuously producing a molded body (absorbent body) 5 by suction-depositing and sequentially releasing the deposit of the raw material from each of the accumulation recesses 3.

The bottom surface of each of the collecting recesses 3 has a plurality of suction areas 3a and 3b.
The opening ratio of the total suction hole to the bottom is different for each,
The same vacuum pressure acts on the plurality of suction areas 3a and 3b.

The rotating drum 2 has a cylindrical shape with both ends opened, and has a plurality of accumulation recesses 3 at predetermined intervals on its outer peripheral surface. The rotary drum 2 rotates in a direction indicated by an arrow A in FIG. The openings at both ends of the rotating drum 2 are substantially airtightly closed by a circular non-rotating fixed wall (not shown), and the inside of the rotating drum 2 is connected to the fixed wall via an exhaust pipe. The pressure is maintained at a negative pressure by the dust collecting fan. In addition, the inside of the rotating drum 2 is partially pressurized by a partition wall.
The deposit of the raw material in the accumulation recess 3 is discharged from the accumulation recess 3.

The raw material supply means 4 is configured to supply pulp fibers as a raw material for producing the molded body 5 to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2. Specifically, the raw sheet pulp is pulverized by a pulverizer, and the raw material 6 is scattered and supplied onto the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2.

The raw material supplied in a scattered state from the raw material supply means 4 is generated by the negative pressure in the rotating drum 2.
The part 21 is suction-deposited in each of the accumulation concave portions 3 and is partly released from each accumulation concave portion 3 as a molded body at a part 21 which is partially under positive pressure. Then, the molded body 5 that has been released is transferred to the conveyor belt 7 that moves in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1 and is conveyed to the next step.

Thus, the bottom surface of each of the collecting recesses 3 in this embodiment has a plurality of suction areas 3a and 3b. Specifically, each of the accumulation concave portions 3 has a gourd-like shape in a plan view of a bottom surface portion, and has a suction region 3a near one end in a longitudinal direction with a substantially central portion as a boundary. It has a suction area 3b near the end. Both suction areas 3
The same vacuum pressure acts on a and 3b due to the reduced pressure in the rotary drum 2 by the dust collection fan.

The suction areas 3a and 3b have different opening ratios of the total suction holes with respect to the bottom surface. Specifically, the suction area 3a
Although the distance between the center points of the suction holes is the same in the suction area 3b and the suction area 3b, the size (diameter) of each suction hole is different. The aperture ratio of the suction region 3a in the present embodiment is 30%
And the aperture ratio of the suction region 3b is 60%. Here, the opening ratio of the total suction holes with respect to the bottom surface refers to the total opening area of the total suction holes with respect to the area (including the area of the suction holes) of the bottom surface in each of the suction regions 3a and 3b. The ratio (highest / lowest) of the opening ratio between the suction region having the highest opening ratio and the suction region having the lowest opening ratio is preferably from 1.1 to 10, and particularly preferably from 2 to 6.

In the present embodiment, each suction area 3a,
The depth D from the outer surface of the rotating drum 2 (see FIG. 2 (a)) differs from the surface from which the accumulation concave portion 3 opens, in detail, for each 3b. That is, the suction area 3a and the suction area 3
b, a step 3c is provided, and the depth Db of the suction area 3b is deeper than the depth Da of the suction area 3a. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the collecting recesses 3 has a mold hole 31 of a predetermined shape formed on the peripheral wall surface 21 of the rotary drum 2.
Further, a metal mesh 32 having a plurality of suction portions 32a and 32b having different aperture ratios is fixed from the inner peripheral surface side of the rotary drum 2. Also, the mesh 32
A step 32c is provided at the boundary of the center, and the mesh 32 is sandwiched and fixed between the holding plate 33 and the rotating drum 2. The spacer 34 is interposed between the mesh 32 and the inner peripheral surface of the rotating drum 2 in order to form the concave portion 3 for accumulation having a partially different depth together with the mold hole 31.

Next, a preferred embodiment of a method for producing a molded article using the above-described apparatus for producing a molded article, that is, a method for producing a molded article of the present invention will be described. First, the rotating drum 2
Is rotated at a constant speed in the direction of arrow A, and at the same time, the inside of the rotary drum 2 is made to have a negative pressure by operating the dust collecting fan to generate an air flow in the raw material supply means 4 capable of transporting the raw material of the compact. . Then, the raw material supplied in a scattered state is sucked and deposited in each of the accumulation concave portions 3, 3. At this time, the negative pressure in the rotary drum 2 is applied uniformly to each of the suction areas 3a and 3b, and the suction areas 3a and 3b are sucked at the same vacuum pressure.

A raw material is successively suction-deposited in each of the accumulation concave portions 3, and a predetermined shape is given to the deposited material. Then, when the deposit of the raw material in the accumulation concave portion 3 is released at the transfer portion C, the molded body 5 having the thickness H partially different
(See FIG. 3) is obtained.

Since the opening ratio of each of the collecting recesses 3 is different between the suction region 3a and the suction region 3b, the raw material is more strongly sucked into the suction region 3b having a higher opening ratio than the suction region 3a having a lower opening ratio. Deposit. Accordingly, a sufficient amount of the raw material is sucked and accumulated in the suction region 3b whose depth D is deeper from the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2, and the high portion 5b of the obtained molded body 5 having the high height H is formed. It has excellent stability. Then, if the rotation of the rotary drum 2 is continued so that the suction and deposition of the raw material and the release of the molded body are repeated, the molded body 5 having excellent form stability and partially different heights is obtained.
Can be efficiently and continuously produced.

Although the above description has been given of the case where each of the collecting recesses 3 has two suction areas having different aperture ratios, the manufacturing method and the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention have three or more such suction areas. It may be. In this case, two or more suction areas may have the same aperture ratio. Further, in order to make the aperture ratio of the suction area different, the hole diameter of the suction holes may be the same, and the interval between the suction holes may be made different. Also,
Without providing a step between the suction areas, it is also possible to produce shaped bodies having the same height but partially different densities throughout. The manufacturing method and the manufacturing apparatus of the molded article of the present invention are suitable for manufacturing an absorbent body, and it is preferable to use pulp fibers and / or a high-molecular absorption polymer as a raw material. The present invention can be applied to the production of various molded products other than the absorber using raw materials such as fibrous, granular, and powdery materials in addition to the absorber.

[0019]

According to the method and the apparatus for manufacturing a molded article of the present invention, raw materials such as fibers and powders are deposited in an accumulation recess having a predetermined shape, and the molded articles having partially different heights and densities are obtained. Can be manufactured efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing one embodiment of a molded article manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of an accumulation concave portion in an embodiment of the molded body manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 (a) is a cross-sectional view along a circumferential direction of a rotary drum, and FIG. 2
(B) is an exploded perspective view showing each constituent member of the accumulation concave portion.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a molded body (absorbent body) that can be manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Molding device manufacturing device 2 Rotary drum 3 Accumulating recess 3a, 3b Suction area 4 Raw material supply means 5 Molding (absorber)

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kenji Ando 2606 Akabane, Kaigamachi, Haga-gun, Tochigi Prefecture F-term in the Kao Corporation Research Laboratories (reference) 3B029 BA04 BA12 BA18 BF03 4C003 GA02 GA05 4L047 CB07 CC04 CC05 EA01 EA22

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A raw material supplied in a scattered state is sucked and deposited in an accumulation recess provided with a large number of suction holes on a bottom surface, and a deposit of the raw material is released from the accumulation recess to form a molded body. In the manufacturing method, a plurality of suction regions are provided on the bottom surface of the accumulation concave portion, and the opening ratio of the total suction hole to the bottom surface is different for each suction region. 2. A raw material supply means for supplying a raw material by scattering it, and a stacking concave portion having a plurality of suction holes on a bottom surface for sucking and depositing the raw material. An apparatus for continuously manufacturing a molded body by successively releasing a mold from a concave portion, wherein a bottom portion of each of the accumulating concave portions has a plurality of suction regions, and each of the suction regions has a total suction hole for the bottom portion. Manufacturing equipment for molded bodies with different aperture ratios. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the same vacuum pressure acts on the plurality of suction areas. 4. The apparatus for manufacturing a molded article according to claim 2, wherein a depth from a surface where the accumulation concave portion is opened differs for each of the suction areas. 5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the accumulation recesses are formed at predetermined intervals on an outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum.