HK1191628A - Automatic wireless device message management responsive to end user preferences - Google Patents

Description

Treatment device for treating a web of packaging material

Technical Field

The invention relates to a treatment device for treating a web of packaging material.

More precisely, the treatment device belongs to the following technical field: a continuous web of elastic material for use in the manufacture of elastic waistbands for nappies or diapers for adults is treated.

More precisely, the invention relates to a cutting device for cutting a continuous web of material into lengths of material constituting elastic waistbands, which lengths of material, on leaving the cutting device, are suitably oriented before being applied to the continuous rows of diapers being made.

Background

Such prior art devices comprise a cylinder rotating about an axis and fitted with a base for receiving and pressing the continuous web of material, and a cutter for cutting the web into individual material sections.

In order to properly orient each segment of material before release to the conveyor, the base can be rotated about an axis at right angles to the axis of rotation of the drum.

The device is also equipped with a plurality of anvils placed between the bases, which anvils act in conjunction with the cutter during cutting.

In order to be able to cut properly, two successive seats must define a surface as smooth as possible for the web to be positioned and pressed against during cutting, and an anvil must be positioned at the surface on which the web lies.

To this end, the anvil is brought into close proximity to each adjacent base during the cutting process.

This creates the following risks: when the base starts to rotate to orient the material section of the material web before releasing the material web, an impact is generated between the base and the anvil.

Although machines capable of solving this problem are known in the prior art, these have an extremely complex structure and are also extremely complex in terms of kinematics, since precise coordination is required between the movement affected by the base and the further movement affected by the anvil.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a treatment device for treating a web of packaging material, which treatment device solves the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

More precisely, the main object of the present invention is to provide a treatment device for treating a web of packaging material which is structurally simplified and simplifies the kinematic coordination between the base and the anvil.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a treatment device for treating a web of packaging material comprising the technical features of independent claim 1.

The dependent claims define further advantageous aspects of the invention.

Drawings

This and other novel features of the invention, and the advantages achieved thereby, will become apparent from the following description of a preferred, non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are side views of a processing device according to the invention, and in which some parts are cut away to better illustrate them.

Reference numeral 1 in the drawings generally designates a treatment device for treating a web of packaging material in accordance with the invention.

Detailed Description

The processing device 1 receives a continuous web of elastic material 2 from a feed station, which is located at the feed of the processing device 1 and is designated I, and the continuous web of elastic material is operated and subsequently fed out to a conveyor, which is designated 13 in the drawing, at a release station U.

More precisely, the processing device 1 cuts the material web 2 into material sections 3 and then releases the material sections 3 to the conveyor 13 in a predetermined and desired orientation.

Preferably, the conveyor 13 is a conveyor belt, which is only partly shown in the figures, for feeding the continuous row 14 of diapers being manufactured at a speed v 2. After application to the diaper, the material section 3 of the material web 2 constitutes the elastic waistband of the diaper.

The material sections 3 of the elastic material web 2 have to be applied to each diaper in the diaper row 14 at the same location, for which purpose the material sections 3 have to be released onto the diaper row 14 at predetermined set intervals p.

More precisely, the interval p varies according to the size and type of diaper to be made and with the feeding speed v2 of the diaper row 14.

As will become clearer as the further description proceeds, the processing device 1 according to the invention releases the length 3 of material to the conveyor 13 and in this way adjusts the speed v2 and the required interval p at the outfeed portion of the same conveyor 13.

In more detail, the handling device 1 comprises a rotation shaft 4, the rotation shaft 4 defining a rotation axis a of the handling device 1.

The material web 2 and the material section 3 travel in the direction marked D from the feed station I to the release station U. More precisely, since the processing device 1 is rotatable about the first axis a, the direction D, which is the direction imparted to the web of material 2 and to each section of material 3 as the web of material 2 and each section of material 3 travel, is tangential at any point to the circular path followed by the same web of material 3 and section of material 3 from the feed station I to the release station U. Thus, as will be described in more detail below, the description "predetermined, defined orientation" for each material section 3 when it is released to the conveyor 13 denotes the orientation assumed by each material section with respect to the feeding direction D defined immediately above.

The processing device 1 comprises a plurality of bases 5 which are rotatable about a first axis a for receiving and pressing the material web 2 and thus the material sections 3 as the material web 2 and the material sections 3 travel from the feed station I to the release station U.

The treatment device 1 also comprises a plurality of anvils 6, which are also rotatable about the first axis a and, as shown, are each interposed between two successive bases 5.

The processing device 1 further comprises a cutting unit 10, which cutting unit 10 preferably comprises a rotating roller equipped with one or more cutters and acting in conjunction with the anvil 6 to cut the web 2 into sections 3 at a cutting station denoted T.

After being cut, each material segment 3 is pressed by the respective base 5 until being released at the release station U.

More precisely, in a preferred embodiment, the anvil 6 is mounted integral with a wheel mounted integral with the rotating shaft 4. Thus, the anvil 6 is rotatable about the first axis a integrally with the rotating shaft 4.

The base 5 is also connected to the rotation shaft 4 to rotate with the rotation shaft about the first axis a. However, in order to release the lengths 3 of material to the conveyor 13 in a predetermined orientation and to be able to adjust the speed v2 and the required spacing p of the conveyor 3, the base 5 is movable relative to the rotary shaft 4 when rotating about the first axis a.

In other words, during operation of the processing device 1, the anvils 6 are kept in a fixed position with respect to the rotation shaft 4 and the first rotation axis a and at a fixed distance from the rotation shaft 4 and the first rotation axis a, whereas the bases 5 are able to vary their position in terms of distance from the first axis a and orientation with respect to a direction at right angles to the first axis a, and their feeding speed, which is labelled v1 in the figures.

The base 5 is first translatable along a radial direction D1 at right angles to the first axis of rotation a.

The translation of the seats 5 is produced by the action of first motor means, schematically represented in the figures by the block 7, connected to each seat 5 and mounted inside the treatment device 1. In the preferred embodiment, the translation is achieved by means of a first cam system, which is not shown, since this is of a type well known to those skilled in the art, and which comprises a first cam integrated with a fixed frame (not shown) for positioning the handling device 1 and a plurality of roller tappets rolling on the cam and each connected to a respective base 5.

As mentioned above, the lengths 3 of material are released to the conveyor 13 in a predetermined desired orientation.

To obtain the desired orientation, the base 5 can be rotated about a second axis B, which coincides with the radial direction D1.

The rotation of the material sections 3 is achieved by means of a second motor means, schematically indicated by block 8 in the drawings, also connected to the base 5 and mounted inside the handling device 1, and comprising a second cam system, similar to the first cam system, which is also not shown since it is of a type well known to the skilled person.

Furthermore, when releasing the length 3 of material to the conveyor 13, the processing device 1 is adapted to the outfeed speed v2 required by the conveyor 13 itself.

In other words, the treatment device 1 is able to suitably increase or decrease the feeding peripheral speed v1 of each base 5 during its rotation about the first axis a, to adapt to the outfeed speed v2 required and set by the conveyor 13.

Such adjustment and adaptation of the speed v1 is obtained by connecting the base 5 to a third motor means, schematically indicated by block 9 in the drawings and also mounted inside the processing device 1. Similar to the first motor means 7 and the second motor means 8, the third motor means 9 comprise a third cam system, similar to the cam system described above and not shown since it is also of a type well known to those skilled in the art.

It should be noted that the third motor means 9 enable each base 5 to move with an interval that separates two successive anvils 6 according to the following law of motion: each base 5 moves by means of this law of motion from one end position close to one anvil 6 to another end position close to the other anvil, passing through a plurality of positions intermediate between the two end positions.

In other words, each seat 5 can oscillate between said two end positions, in which it alternately approaches the previous anvil 6 and the subsequent anvil according to the direction of rotation about axis a, and can reach an infinite intermediate position comprised in the interval between the two end positions.

The third motor means 9 cause oscillation of the base 5 about the first axis of rotation a between a first position upstream of the station U, in which the base 5 is positioned with its axis of rotation B close to the rear anvil 6, which is behind the feeding direction of the base 5 itself, and a second position downstream of the station U, in which the base 5 is positioned with its axis of rotation B close to the adjacent anvil 6, which is in front of the feeding direction of the base 5 itself.

In other words, while the seats 5 rotate about the first axis of rotation a, the third motor means 9 cause each seat to also rotate or oscillate from a position close to the rear anvil 6 to a position close to the front anvil 6.

As mentioned above, this further movement of each base 5 starts before reaching the release station U and ends after passing through this station.

Thus, from the first position to the second position, the speed v1 of each base 5 is suitably increased by the action of the third motor means 9 so that, when the length 3 of material is released at the release station U, it reaches a speed equal to the desired speed v2 of the conveyor belt 13.

The use of respective cam systems to define the aforesaid first motor means 7, second motor means 8 and third motor means 9 is particularly advantageous, since they constitute a structurally simple solution to achieve all the above-mentioned movements of each base 5. Furthermore, the cam system may simplify the law of motion for the proper adjustment of all the movements of the base 5. The above-described cam system enables the movements of the base 5 to be performed sequentially one after the other, or two or all three of these movements to be performed simultaneously.

Furthermore, the adjustment and adaptation of the feeding speed v1 of the base 5 according to the feeding speed v2 of the conveyor 13 is also achieved by the aforementioned translation of the base 5 along the radial direction D. More precisely, reference is made to the translation of the base 5 which occurs during the movement away from the rotation axis 4 and the rotation axis a, between the cutting station T and the station U for releasing the length 3 of material, as will become clearer below.

In fact, the longer offset of the base 5 enables the peripheral speed v1 to be increased, since the distance from the axis of rotation a will be increased, which enables the handling device 1 to achieve the required speed v2 more efficiently and with a more gradual acceleration at the release station U.

The aforementioned translation of the base 5 also enables the material length 3 to be released more precisely onto the conveyor 13 according to the required spacing p.

In practice, a greater distance from the first axis of rotation a means that the spacing p (in this case circumferential) between two successive seats 5 is also increased.

The processing device 1 is therefore able to release the lengths of material 3 onto the conveyor 13 with greater precision, thanks to the first motor means 7 and the third motor means 9, according to the value of the speed v2 and the spacing p required at the outfeed portion, for example depending on the type of diaper to be manufactured.

Furthermore, each base 5 has a top surface which is in contact with the continuous material web 2 at the feed station I.

More precisely, it defines a contact and pressing surface 11 for the web 2 and the material sections 3 when the web 2 and the material sections 3 are transferred from the feed station I to the conveyor belt 13.

The contact and pressing surface 11 is provided with a plurality of suction apertures (not shown) which are connected to a vacuum source (not shown) and by means of which the material web 2 and the material sections 3 are pressed.

The anvil 16 also defines corresponding counter-edge surfaces (referenced 12 in the figures) which serve as counter-edges for the cutters of the cutting unit 10 during the cutting of the web 2 into lengths 3 of material.

In order to enable the web 2 to be cut precisely at the station T, the pressing surface 11 of each base 5, or more precisely of each base, is aligned and substantially coplanar with the contact surface 12 of the anvil 6 adjacent to the base 5 before reaching the cutting station T.

More precisely, the coplanarity of the surfaces 11 and 12 allows the web 2 to be located on as smooth and uniform a surface as possible, which is free from irregularities or irregularities that could produce poor or inaccurate cuts when reaching the cutting station T.

To further increase the smoothness and uniformity of the surface, the base 5 is oriented such that the reference direction (denoted DR in the figures) of the base 5 is aligned with the feed direction D of the web 2.

Preferably, the surface of each seat 5 defining the contact surface 11 has a substantially elongated shape, so that the reference direction DR is a direction coinciding with the main extension direction of the surface.

It should be noted that other directions or axes of the base 5 may be used as references to indicate base orientation, particularly at the feed station I and the release station U.

It is therefore preferred to orient the bases 5 at least from the feeding station I to the cutting station T so that their respective pressing surfaces 11 are aligned with the contact surfaces 12 of the anvils 6, so as to provide as large a surface as possible to press the web 2, thus providing a better grip on the web 2 and preventing the web from being misaligned before reaching the station T.

Between the feeding station I and the cutting station T, the pressing surface 11 of the respective base 5 is at a reduced distance from the contact surface of the anvil 6 adjacent to the base 5 itself. In fact, it is clear from the figures that, between the feeding station I and the cutting station T, the pressing surface 11 of the base 5 is very close to the contact surface 12 of the anvil 6. As mentioned above, this improves the smoothness and uniformity of the surface on which the web 2 is positioned, thus ensuring a correct and better cut, this surface being defined by the surface 11 of the base 5 and the surface 12 of the anvil 6.

As will be described below, two main operating configurations that the base 5 can assume can be identified.

In a first operating configuration, to receive and hold web 2 at feed station I, base 5 is oriented with its reference direction DR aligned with feed direction D of web 2 and with respective contact and pressing surfaces 11 aligned and coplanar with contact surfaces 12 of anvils 6 adjacent to the same base 5.

In the second operating configuration, on the other hand, to release the material section 3 of the web 2 to the conveyor 13 at the station U, the base 5 is oriented with its reference direction DR at a predetermined orientation angle of the material section 3 to the feed direction D and with the respective contact and pressing surface 11 away from the first rotation axis a and from the contact surface 12 of the anvil 6 adjacent to the base 5.

Thus, during operation, there is relative movement between the base 5 and the anvil 6, albeit only the base 5 is moved.

Between the feed station I and the release station U, the web 2 is pressed by a vacuum source placed in communication with the holes in the contact surface 11 of the base 5.

More precisely, in the preferred embodiment, the treatment device 1 comprises an intake cam (not shown) fixed to the above-mentioned frame of the treatment device 1 and connected to the vacuum source, and a valve member, preferably made in the form of a disc (not shown) provided with holes or openings and mounted on the rotation shaft 4 so as to rotate integrally therewith about the first axis a. Each hole in the disc is connected via one or more conduits (not shown) to a hole on the contact and pressing surface 11 of the corresponding seat 5.

More precisely, each seat 5 is connected to a further valve member (also not shown) which is hollow and provided with one or more inlet openings, each connectable to one of the conduits, and one or more outlet openings, each in fluid communication with a hole in the contact surface 11.

Each duct is fixed and has, during operation of the treatment device 1, a respective inlet permanently connected to a respective hole in the disc and therefore to the vacuum source, and an outlet aligned with a respective inlet of the hollow valve member, only between the feeding station I and the release station U.

The hollow valve member preferably translates integrally with the base 5, but does not rotate integrally with the base. In other words, when the base 5 is moved towards the second operating configuration, the hollow valve member will also move away from the first axis of rotation a, and the inlet of the hollow valve member is not aligned with the outlet of the conduit. That is, when the base 5 reaches the second operating configuration at the release station U, the connection to the vacuum source is interrupted and the length 3 of material can be released to the conveyor 13. On the other hand, as long as the base 5 is in the first operating configuration, the outlet of the conduit is aligned with the respective inlet of the respective hollow valve member, so that the web 2 can remain adhered to the contact surface 11 of the base 5 and ensure that the cutting can be performed properly. When the base 5 reaches the second operating configuration, the duct can be placed in fluid connection under pressure with an air source in order to detach the lengths of material 3 and release these lengths of material 3 to the conveyor 13.

In use, the continuous web of material 2 is fed in by the feed station I and is immediately pressed by the base 5 by means of the suction holes. As mentioned above, the base 5 receives the continuous web of material 2 when the base is in the first operating configuration.

Next, when the material web 2 reaches the cutting station T, the cutting unit 10 cuts the material web 2 into material sections 3, and the material sections 3 are pressed by the base 5 until the material sections need to be released. Before reaching the release station U, the base 5 is rotated about the second axis B, so as to rotate the length 3 of material to the orientation required for release. Preferably, as shown, the length 3 of material is turned through a 90 ° corner.

Furthermore, as described above in connection with the proximity of the base 5 to the anvil 6, if the base 5 is turned right downstream of the cutting station T, the base 5 may strike the anvil 6 adjacent to it.

Thus, before they rotate, the bases 5 translate away from the first axis of rotation a and away from the anvil 6, and only when these bases 5 are away from a predetermined distance, they will rotate about the second axis B to reach the second operating configuration.

The base 5 may be translated and rotated simultaneously, or the translation and/or rotation may be performed in two or more consecutive steps.

Therefore, in order to prevent the seats 5 from hitting the adjacent anvil 6 during rotation, it is extremely important to adjust the rotation and translation movements of each seat 5 to precisely coordinate the different laws of motion. The use of the aforesaid cam system allows to properly coordinate the laws of motion in a structurally simple and rather efficient manner.

To further facilitate the rotation of these seats 5 and avoid their striking against the anvil 6, in a preferred embodiment the seats 5 are substantially in the shape of a truncated pyramid, in which the larger base defines a contact and pressing surface 11, the smaller base, parallel and opposite to the larger base, being connected to the first motor means 7, the second motor means 8 and the third motor means 9, with each inclined side surface facing a respective anvil 6 adjacent to the seat 5. Furthermore, the contact and pressing surface 11 is substantially rectangular and the reference direction DR coincides with the main extension direction of the rectangle.

In a variant embodiment not shown, on the other hand, each seat 5 is in the shape of a plate, while in this case the contact and pressing surface 11 is also substantially rectangular.

These embodiments all maximize the surface area available for pressing the web 2 of material without the risk of hitting the adjacent anvil 6, since these shapes prevent contact between the body of material constituting the base 5 and the anvil 6 during rotation of the base 5.

It is clear that it is also possible to present the base 5 and the contact and hold-down surface 11 in shapes and forms other than those described above, without departing from the scope of the invention.

After or simultaneously with reaching the second operating configuration, the processing device 1 adjusts the feeding speed v1 of the base 5 according to the outfeed speed v2 and the interval p required by the conveyor 13.

As described above, the third motor means 9 decelerate and then accelerate the feed speed v1 of each susceptor 5 by causing each susceptor 5 to oscillate between a first position upstream of station U and a second position downstream of station U.

This oscillation causes the speed v1 of the susceptor 5 to increase until, when the length 3 of material is released, this speed v1 reaches a value equal to the value of the feeding speed v2 of the conveyor 13.

Decelerating the velocity v1 of the base 5 before acceleration ensures that the velocity v2 is reached without subjecting the length of material 3 to stresses due to sudden acceleration which would cause the length of material 3 to detach from the base 2.

After releasing the material section 3, the inertia of the base 5 obtained during acceleration is attenuated by the deceleration and returns the base 5 with its own axis of rotation B to the position and speed v1, enabling reception of the web of elastic material 2 at the feeding station I.

The positions just described are characterized in the figures by the positions assumed by the references 5a, 5b and 5 c.

As mentioned above, before reaching the release station U, the base 5 is decelerated, which is represented in the figures by the base 5a of the length 3 of transfer material. In practice, the base 5a is shown with its axis of rotation B immediately behind the anvil 6, relative to the feed direction D of the material web 2.

In the drawing, the acceleration imparted to the base 5a is indicated by a white arrow pointing in the same direction as the feeding direction D.

The release position of the length 3 of material is characterized by the base 5b, where the feed speed v1 of the base is equal to the feed speed v2 of the conveyor 13, while the base 5b is actually facing the conveyor 13 for releasing the length 3 of material.

Finally, the seat 5c characterizes the position reached after the release of the length 3 of material, after which the speed increases. In practice, the base 5c is shown with its axis of rotation B immediately in front of the anvil 6, again with respect to the feed direction D of the web 2, and taking into account the inertia obtained by the acceleration.

The deceleration to which the base 5c is subjected in order to damp the inertia obtained is indicated by a white arrow pointing in the opposite direction to the feeding direction D of the web 2.

Finally, before reaching the feeding station I, the base 5 is brought from the second operating configuration to the first operating configuration, so as to be able to receive the continuous web 2 again.

The invention described above is easy to use for industrial applications and can be modified and applied in several ways without departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all the details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.

For example, the processing device 1 can pick up and transport a continuous web of diaper material in the manner described above with reference to the length of elastic material 3, in addition to processing the continuous web of elastic material to obtain a material length that is properly oriented and then applied to the diaper to make the elastic waistband of the diaper.

More precisely, starting from the reception of a continuous, complete web of diaper material, the processing device can cut the web into sections of material, each constituting a diaper, and convey and rotate these sections of material according to the operating steps described above for section 3 of material, each section of diaper material then being applied to two continuous bands of elastic material travelling on the conveyor belt 13.

These strips of material are then cut to size to obtain a series of finished diapers.

Claims (5)

1. A treatment device for treating a web of wrapping material, comprising:

-a rotation shaft (4) defining a first rotation axis (a);

-a plurality of seats (5) for receiving and pressing the web of material (2), manoeuvring the web of material from a feed station (I) at a feed portion of the treatment device (1) to a conveyor (13) at a release station (U) at a discharge portion of the treatment device (1), the seats (5) being rotatable about and movable relative to the first axis (a) during operation;

-a plurality of anvils (6) all connected integrally to the shaft (4) and rotatable with the shaft (4) about the first axis (a) during operation, each anvil (6) being interposed between two successive seats (5);

-a cutting unit (10) acting in conjunction with the anvil (6) to cut the web of material (2) into sections of material (3);

-first motor means (7) mounted inside said treatment device (1) and connected to said base (5) to translate said base (5) along a radial direction (D1) at right angles to said first axis (a);

-second motor means (8) mounted inside said treatment device (1) and connected to said base (5) to rotate said base (5) about a second axis (B) coinciding with said radial direction (D1).

2. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein each base (5) has a respective contact surface (11) for pressing the web of material (2) and the length of material (3), and each anvil (6) has a respective contact surface (12), the contact surfaces (12) acting in conjunction with the cutting unit (10) while cutting the web of material (2), the base (5) being movable between a first operating configuration for receiving and pressing the web of material (2) at the feeding station (I), and a second operating configuration, wherein the respective contact and pressing surfaces (11) have a reference Direction (DR) aligned with the feeding direction (D) of the web of material (2), and the contact and pressing surfaces (11) are aligned and coplanar with the contact surfaces (12) of the respective anvil (6) adjacent to the base (5), and said second operating configuration is for releasing the length of material (3) at the release station (U), wherein the reference Direction (DR) of the respective base (5) forms a predetermined angle with the feed direction (D) and the pressing surface (11) is distanced from the contact surface (12) of the anvil (6).

3. The processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a third motor device (9) mounted inside the processing device (1) and connected to each base (5) to vary the feeding peripheral speed (v 1) of the base (5) so as to convey the length of material (3) to the conveyor (13) at an interval (p) and at a feeding speed equal to the speed value (v 2) set by the conveyor (13).

4. Treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each base (5) is oscillatable between two end positions, wherein it approaches alternately a preceding anvil (6) and a following anvil (6) according to a direction of rotation about said axis (A).

5. Treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each base (5) is oscillatable between two end positions, wherein it approaches alternately a preceding anvil (6) and a following anvil (6) according to a direction of rotation about said axis (A) and is able to reach an infinite intermediate position comprised in the interval between said two end positions.