05.05.20
Matteo Piantoni, Albino, Italy; and Valerio Soli, Bologna, Italy.
Assigned to GDM S.P.A., Bologna, Italy.
Filed: 4/8/14
Issued: 4/7/20
A machine for making absorbent sanitary articles which comprise an absorbent pad in turn comprising one or more absorbent materials, the absorbent pad comprising a discrete layer of superabsorbent polymer material, the machine comprising: a feed line for feeding a continuous web of impermeable material and a forming unit for forming and applying a succession of absorbent pads along the continuous web of impermeable material; the forming unit comprising: a metering system for metering the superabsorbent polymer material defining the at least one discrete layer of the absorbent pad, the metering system comprising a metering device and a feeding duct connected to the metering device at an outfeed of the metering device, the feeding duct comprising, along at least one stretch of the feeding duct, an intermittent valve driven by an actuator unit; a forming drum forming the absorbent pads; a detecting device for detecting the absorbent pad mounted along the feed line downstream of the forming unit; the detecting device comprising a microwave resonator configured to detect at least one chosen from a density profile and a weight profile of the superabsorbent polymer material defining the discrete layer; at least one chosen from the density profile and the weight profile defining a position of the discrete layer inside the absorbent pad; a control and drive unit connected to the detecting device; the detecting device configured to detect and send a position of the discrete layer to the control and drive unit; the control and drive unit being configured to compare the position of the discrete layer with a reference position and calculate a deviation of the detected position from the reference position; the control and drive unit being configured to drive the actuator unit to bring the intermittent valve into phase with a rotation of the forming drum as a function of the deviation.
Assigned to GDM S.P.A., Bologna, Italy.
Filed: 4/8/14
Issued: 4/7/20
A machine for making absorbent sanitary articles which comprise an absorbent pad in turn comprising one or more absorbent materials, the absorbent pad comprising a discrete layer of superabsorbent polymer material, the machine comprising: a feed line for feeding a continuous web of impermeable material and a forming unit for forming and applying a succession of absorbent pads along the continuous web of impermeable material; the forming unit comprising: a metering system for metering the superabsorbent polymer material defining the at least one discrete layer of the absorbent pad, the metering system comprising a metering device and a feeding duct connected to the metering device at an outfeed of the metering device, the feeding duct comprising, along at least one stretch of the feeding duct, an intermittent valve driven by an actuator unit; a forming drum forming the absorbent pads; a detecting device for detecting the absorbent pad mounted along the feed line downstream of the forming unit; the detecting device comprising a microwave resonator configured to detect at least one chosen from a density profile and a weight profile of the superabsorbent polymer material defining the discrete layer; at least one chosen from the density profile and the weight profile defining a position of the discrete layer inside the absorbent pad; a control and drive unit connected to the detecting device; the detecting device configured to detect and send a position of the discrete layer to the control and drive unit; the control and drive unit being configured to compare the position of the discrete layer with a reference position and calculate a deviation of the detected position from the reference position; the control and drive unit being configured to drive the actuator unit to bring the intermittent valve into phase with a rotation of the forming drum as a function of the deviation.