Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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My-docket no: G 85/26 rti
A filoek of a Folded Web of Material for Producing Hygiene Products, e.g.,
Absorbent Pads
The present invention relates to a block of a folded web of material for
producing hygiene
products as set forth in the preamble of claim 1, having adjacent strip-shaped
web sections, the
trailing web section ends of which. arc connected to a leading web section end
of the respective
adjacent web section with a rotation by 360' that compensates for the inherent
twist, with the
respective leading web section end of a first web section and trailing vveb
section end of the last
Web section kept free for an external connection.
A block of material of this type is known from DE 198 81 126 Tl. In this
block, the individual,
strip-shaped web sections are completely separated iato separate strips,
except for the connection
of the leading section ends to the nailing section ends of the adjacent
sections_ As a result, the
block has only a tow side stability and is very difficult to manipulate during
the process of
wrapping it in a wrapping cover.
it is furthermore known that, in the hygiene industry, to manufacture hygiene
products, webs of
material are wound onto large rolls and strips are cut from these rolls in
predefined widths based
on the desixed specification, and then subsequently wound onto rolls again sad
delivered in this
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form to the manufacturer of hygiene products, who then produces the end
product from them. A
cost effective delivery and proc~essi~g of the fluffy materials in question is
desired, however, rolls
have a large shipping volume and frequently incur damage to the material,
which results in
relatively high costs. .
Furthermore, from US 1 985., 676, a folded web of paper is known, the
adjacent, strip-shaped
web sections of which are separated from one another by Ions cuts with only
minute webs
remaining, so that individual strip packages can be pulled off for processing.
It is the aim of the present invention to improve the above'mentioned block in
its stability by
means of the mutual support by the adjacent web sections, while providing for
an easy unfolding
of the strips.
This aim is met with the adjacent strip-shaped web sections being divided by a
micro-perforation
line, but coherently firxttty connected to one another in those areas, and
separable along the inicro-
perforation line for further processing in such a way that the individual
strip-shaped web sections
can be unfolded from the block, one after another and without interruption,
from an unattached
leading end of the web section.
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Further designs are described in the subclaims.
Based on the invention, a block of material has been created that is formed of
folded ~trins layers- t~~h
by st~ructurer3 micros-perforation lines i.n adjacent an9~ coherent str~a~-
The leading end_~ and the
trailing ends of adjacent strip layers are connected with their same sides in
a known manner by
sewing so that the block in itself becomes an equal-sided, continuous strip of
matezial for
production, thus permitting the entire block to be worked offcontinuously.
This block of material, which is stable in itself is formed into a free-
standing block with less work
than required fox the previously known strip stacks, by means of a known
precompression and
finishing compression, and packaged in an inexpensive plastic wrap.
Multiple blocks of materials may advantageously be sewn together at their
respective leading and
trailing ends, so that a practically endless production process can be
performed with many strung
together material blocks that are connected to one another by sewing.
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Using a folding cylinder thtet is sQeci~eally designed for the perforating and
folding process, zhe
material, which is wound ort rjtaster robs, is already micro-perforated,
creased, and laytled into
strips with variably adjustable end widths relative to the entire processing
width and stacked into
1.5 rn high rectangular blocks at the suppliers production fadlities. Those
blocks of material are
then precompressed to approximately 85% of their original height prior to
further processing.
The perforated strips of material era sewn together (spliced) at their
abutting edges, so that a
continuous web ofmaterial results. A medical grade thread, verhich does not
interfere with the
processing of the material at the end manufacturer, is used in this scam, By
using these functional
warts, the waste ineuired during production hoe been reduced to a minimum.
The now continuous block afmaterial strips is compressed again, to
approximately a 1 m height,
i.e,, to 67% of its original height.
These blocks are now packaged into heat-scaled plastic bags that maintain the
compression of the
mdterial.
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- An embodiment of the invention, which will be expl~ed in detail below, is
shown in the
drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a perspective of a eo~pl~tfrly cptt~press~d, packaged material
block,
blxk
Fig. 2 shows a perspective of the gr~~Qrppressed of material that has been
folded from a
web of mare~ial and divided by ~~r~oratiQns ~ntQ coherent layers of strips,
and sewn
together at the leading and trailEpg strip ~n~3s, pomprising strips that are
twisted at their
leading ends dice to the equal-sided splicing,
Fig. 3 shows a front view ofthe pack>lged matotial block
Fig. 4 shows a front view of the precompressed material block with twisted
material strips,
Fig. 5 shows a side view ofthe folded material block,
Fig. 6 shows a rear view of the material block,
Fig. 7 shows a top view of the material block, -
Fig. 8 shows a perspective of two material blocks that arc sewn together at
their trailing and
leading scrip ends,
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rig: 9 . shows a schematic top view of two material strips lying upon one
another with
their same strip sides during the sev~ing process,
FaB~ 1 o shoal s a schematic top view of two strips that are sewn together
with their same
sides across butting joints,
fiig. 1 I shows a sectional side view of the strips that are sewn onto one
another with their
same sides, lying upon otEe another,
fig. 12 shows a sectional side view of the strips that are folded apart into a
continuous
strip with the same sides np,
Fig. 13 shows a top view onto the material block with strip connecting seams.
The block (MB) of a folded web of material (1) is divided into multiple
adjacent coherent layers
(3) of strips (4) by means of perforation lines (2) - micro-perforations ~
imparted in the
longitudinal direction (L) of the web of material,
The perforated block (MB) is precompressed in its height (~ to render it free-
standing (Fig. 2, 4
throubh 7), and spliced, with the same stop sides (S), to the trailing strip
end (4a) az~d the leading
strip end (4b) of its adjacent strap layers (3) to form a strip (4) that is
continuous through the
entire block (MB), and then packaged, completely compressed in its height
(Fil), into a plastic
wrap (5) that maintains the block compression, so that it forms a free-
standing block (MB) (Fig_
1, 3).
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The trailing strip ends (4a) and the leading ends (4b) ate spliced with a
medical grade thread with
a so-called overedge seam (7) across butting joints (SS).
On one side of the block, the equal-sided strip seams (7) produce strips (4)
that are rotated
around themselves by 360° in the height direction (~ pf the block, as
shown in Fig. 2 and 4 by
the reference character (W), producing the equal-sidad endless strip (4).
The block (MB) has a rectangular three-dimensional shape with a larger
expansion along the
block height than in the cross directions.
Underneath and on top of the block (M$), a stabilizing layer'(8) is provided
inside the plastic
sleeve (5), preferably honeycombed cardboard, which covers the entire basic
shape (upper and
lov~rer surface of the block).
To produce the above block of material (l~), the black with its web of
material (1) is provided
with perforation lines (2) - a micro-perforation - in a machine by means of
perfoz~ation wheels or
discs that divide the web of material (1) into a plurality of material strips
(4) of egual width that
are coherent but can later be separated. Afterwards, the web of material (1)
is folded by cuttiing
means, such as rollers, cylinders or the like, and then has a rectangular
block shape. '
The perforated and folded block (MB) is then precompressed in its height (H)
to a certain
dimension while providing standing stability, so that it receives a certain
inherent stability.
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Afterwards, the trailing end of the strip (4a) and the leading end of the
strip (4b) of the adjacent
layers of strips (3) are spliced equal-sided to form a strip (4) that is
continuous through the entire
block (MB) with the same (not alternating) strip sides (S).
A,fteiwards the block (MB) is completely compressed tA a packaging and
transportation height
(Hl) and packaged in a heat-sealed plastic wrap (5) that maintains the block
compression and
also encompasses the honeycombed cardboard (3).
For the splicing ofthe two adjacent strips (4) at their trailing strip end
(4a) and leading end (4b),
the strips (4) are separated at a certain length ac their perforation
connection (perfocation lines 2)
between adjacent layers (3) and then placed over one another with their same
strip sides (S) xnd
sewn together with the overedge seam (7) .- cross seam.
In the overedge seam (7), the thread (6) is stitched through the iwo strips
(4a, 4b) in one stitch
(6a), ai2er which an empty stitch (6b) is performed outside the strips (4a,
4b), etc., as shown in
Fig. 9, which also shows the edges (4c) ofthe strip ends (4a, 4b) cut off.
When the strip ends (4a.,
46) that are lying upon one another for sewing, are folded out by 180', the
butting joint (SS) of
the spliced strips (4) is obtained, and the cross seam (7), according to Fig.
10 and 12.
T'he equal-sided strip splicing is a joining top side/top side ofthe strips
(4) so that the structure of
the individual strips (4) i5 maintained. One ofthe strip sides may be smooth,
.for example, and the
other one textured, the two strip sides may have different~colors or one strip
side may be provided -
with a film (F) - Fig. 11, 12. In their spliced condition, the strip sides (S)
ste always identical and
on the same side of the strip.
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The perforated folded block (MB) has, e.g., a height (~ of approximately 1500
mm and the
completely compressed block (MB) has a height (H1) of 1000 mm, with the width
and depth of
the block (MB) always remaining the same; and the width is approximately 840
mrn, and the
depth approximately 730 mm. At this block size, the block (lv>B) has 12 strip
layers, each with a
width of 70 mm. The number of layers (n) may be selected differently, however,
and so may the
width, depth and height of the block.
The leading end (4b) of the first layer of strips (3) is guided directly into
the production apparatus,
' particularly for the production of hygiene products, and the trailing strip
end (4a) of the last layer
of strips (3) is spliced to the leading end (4b) ofthe fast layer of strips
(3) of a given further block
(MB) for a continuous production, as shown in Fig. 8, practically permitting
an endless
production. A large number of materials may be used for the web of material
(1), especially
formed fabric materials; the packaging wrap (5) may be made of inexpensive
plastic films, e.g., Pli
bags. .. ..
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