Patents Assigned to Uni-Charm Corporation
  • Patent number: 8361047
    Abstract: The absorbent article includes a chassis, a crotch region, an absorbent body, and an elastic member arranged along a side edge in width direction of the crotch region. The oblong absorbent body arranged in the crotch region includes a first narrow width section, a second narrow width section, a center low rigidity section formed along a center line that halves the absorbent article in the width direction and a pair of lateral low rigidity sections provided at both sides of the center low rigidity section in the width direction with a substantially equal interval. Skin contacting face-side sheets and non-skin contacting face-side sheets 6 and 10 are arranged in the crotch region. The initial tensile strength of the skin contacting face-side sheets is lower than that of the non-skin contacting face-side sheets or that of the chassis 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotomo Mukai, Akiyoshi Kinoshita, Tomoko Tsuji, Norihiko Ishikawa, Tatsuya Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130019798
    Abstract: A fluid discharging device that discharges fluid from a plurality of discharge openings towards a continuous sheet member which is continuously transported in a transporting direction. The fluid discharging device includes: a plurality of valves that correspond to the discharge openings and intermittently discharge the fluid from the discharge openings by opening and closing operations; and a controller that controls the opening and closing operations of each of the valves individually depending on a transportation amount of the continuous sheet member. The controller has a shared adjustment value that is represented by a value indicating the transportation amount. the controller shifts open-close timing of at least several valves of the a plurality of valves from a previously-determined open-close timing that the several valves are subject to, based on the shared adjustment value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takumi Nakano
  • Publication number: 20130020028
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent article includes: first and second reference-signal outputting sections for outputting first and second reference signals indicating a conveyance amount of a workpiece, a processing device for processing the workpiece based on a drive signal, an adhesive discharging device for discharging adhesive toward the workpiece based on a discharge signal, and a controller. While manufacturing the absorbent article, the controller generates both the drive signal and the discharge signal based on the first reference signal. While inspecting a discharge amount of the adhesive, the controller generates the discharge signal based on the second reference signal, without outputting the drive signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takumi Nakano
  • Publication number: 20130014899
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent body includes: a sheet supplying mechanism for supplying a sheet from a sheet roll; a crusher for crushing the sheet into a fibrous matter by scraping a reeling-out tip end of the reeled out sheet; and a fiber stacking device for forming the absorbent body in a predetermined shape by laminating the fibrous matter to be sent out from the crusher. When switching a supply of the sheet to the crusher from one to another sheet supplying mechanism, at least two sheet supplying mechanisms supply the sheet to the crusher over a predetermined period including a period in which the one sheet supplying mechanism decreases a sheet reeling-out speed, in correspondence with the period in which the one sheet supplying mechanism decreases the sheet reeling-out speed, the other sheet supplying mechanism increases a sheet reeling-out speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takumi Nakano
  • Publication number: 20130012906
    Abstract: A wearing article including cover sheets used to cover front and rear ends of a liquid-absorbent structure and improved to alleviate undesirable irritation due to such cover sheets potentially experienced by the wearer. A diaper includes front and rear waist members and a liquid-absorbent structure by which the front and rear waist members are connected. The liquid-absorbent structure has front and rear ends overlapping the front and rear waist members, and front and rear cover sheets are laminated on these front and rear ends to cover them. The front and rear cover sheets are formed with bonded regions adapted to be bonded to the liquid-absorbent structure or the front and rear waist members, outside non-bonded regions lying outboard of the bonded regions and inside non-bonded regions lying inboard of the bonded regions. The inside non-bonded regions are respectively folded back along fold lines toward the wearer's body to form turnbacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shunsuke Takino
  • Patent number: 8348916
    Abstract: An individual package is provided to allow a tampon with an applicator to be handled easily. An individual package includes: a tampon including an applicator having an external cylinder and an internal cylinder, and an absorbent body housed so as to be pushed out from the applicator; and a flat bag formed by a predetermined sheet member in a elongated shape. The flat bag includes an unsealable portion formed on one side of the flat bag so as to enable the tampon to be removed therefrom; and a lid portion which is openable and closable in a longitudinal direction of the flat bag. The lid portion is disposed so as to cover the unsealable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Kaori Fujikawa, Hideki Kondo, Hitoshi Watanabe, Masashi Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 8349117
    Abstract: An absorbent wearing article including an air permeable and liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-retentive absorbent structure placed on the backsheet. An outer sheet has having elastic members is placed on and bonded to a surface of the backsheet opposed to its surface bonded to the absorbent structure. The outer sheet has the elastic members intermittently bonded under tension thereto, and is formed in a region thereof facing the absorbent structure with an opening. The elastic members extend laterally under tension from a peripheral edge of the opening beyond the absorbent structure and the first backsheet is exposed through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Otsubo
  • Publication number: 20130000008
    Abstract: A protector that lightens a shock when a wearer falls, and reduces an unpleasant feeling given to a wearer when worn for a long period of time. The protector is substantially circular in a plan view and is disposed at a position to cover near a femoral-neck portion from a side portion of a wearer. The protector is curved in a thickness direction so that an outer surface, comprising a single-layer structure composed of a polymer-foam body, is convex, and an inner surface is concave. An amount of displacement in the thickness direction when a load of 20 N is applied at a central portion of the outer surface when placed on a flat surface is 3 mm-20 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsumi Mizutani, Hiromi Yamamoto, Kazushi Hide, Masafumi Ichinose
  • Publication number: 20130000457
    Abstract: A rotary working apparatus provided with a working unit and an actuator, wherein the working unit is provided with a unit frame and a cutter roll and anvil roll supported by the unit frame so as to be rotatable about mutually parallel axes of rotation, the anvil roll being further supported by the unit frame in a movable manner. The actuator is provided at the outside of the working unit and is provided with advanceable/retractable rods for making the anvil roll move to press the anvil roll against the cutter roll. A workpiece fed between the cutter roll and the anvil roll is worked by the rotating cutter roll and/or anvil roll.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Oba, Hideaki Miyauchi
  • Patent number: 8343123
    Abstract: An absorbent article comprising an absorbent body, wherein the absorbent body has multiple linear or curved fold regions with a flexural rigidity lower than average flexural rigidity and with a flexural rigidity lower than that in adjacent regions. Accordingly, there is provided an absorbent article that can change its morphology along the configuration of wear object. Absorbent article has multiple linear or curved first fold regions with a flexural rigidity lower than the average flexural rigidity of the absorbent article and with a flexural rigidity lower than that in adjacent regions, which multiple first fold regions are provided in approximately symmetric relationship with respect to the center line in the direction of width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki Noda, Kenichiro Kuroda, Kumiko Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20120318204
    Abstract: An animal system toilet that allows for easy cleaning while almost completely eliminating wet feet due to urine during excretion and contamination of a room due to the wet feet, and a disposable liquid permeable panel for an animal system toilet is provided that allows for easy cleaning of the animal system toilet and that can remarkably prevent wet feet during excretion using the animal system toilet and contamination of a room caused by the wet feet. An animal system toilet is used that includes: an excrement storage unit; a liquid permeable panel that is disposed above the excrement storage unit and passes liquid through; and a supporting unit that supports the liquid permeable panel while forming a space between the excrement storage unit and the liquid permeable panel, in which the liquid permeable panel has water absorbency and is configured to be detachable with respect to the supporting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Matsuo, Tomoko Hirao
  • Publication number: 20120323203
    Abstract: A method for packaging an absorbent article assembly that includes following the steps. First and second breast milk absorbent pads are fed onto wrapping sheet web. Next, the first breast milk absorbent pad is displaced from a transverse center line toward an upper end by ¼ of a dimension thereof as measured in a longitudinal direction, and the second breast milk absorbent pad is displaced from a transverse center line toward an lower end by ¼ of a dimension thereof as measured in a longitudinal direction. Next, the first and second breast milk absorbent pads are folded back from the upper and lower ends toward the transverse center line. Next, the upper and lower ends of the wrapping sheet web are folded back toward the transverse center line. Next, a joint zone is formed between the first and second breast milk absorbent pads and the pads are cut apart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji OBA, Keijiro YOKOE, Michiyo FUJIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20120317695
    Abstract: A pants-type wearing article including a connecting member by the intermediary of which respective lateral regions of front and rear waist regions are connected together. In a pants-type wearing article, a lateral region of a front waist region and a lateral region of a rear waist region are connected to each other by the intermediary of a sheet-like connecting member. The connecting member is folded to form mountain folds and valley folds arranged alternately and collapsed in a circumferential direction. These mountain folds and valley folds are expanded from the folded state in the circumferential direction as these folds are pulled in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Mishima, Akiyoshi Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 8333747
    Abstract: Provided is an absorptive article having absorption elements capable of following the wearer's body of a user. This absorptive article comprises at least a generally rectangular base absorption element, a top absorption element disposed on one surface of the base absorption element at substantially lateral center of the base absorbent and along the longitudinal direction of the base absorbent, and a fixing part for fixing the base absorption element to the top absorption element so that at least one end of the top absorption element in the longitudinal direction thereof is made to be a free end. A locking part is provided on the base absorption element side contact surface of the top absorption element near the free end. The locking part is locked to the base absorption element at a position where the top absorption element is so moved as to extend along the gluteal cleft of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Kudo, Akira Hashino
  • Publication number: 20120316048
    Abstract: A rotary processing device that comprises a plurality of processing, an anvil roll arranged facing the processing rolls, and an upstream nip roll and a downstream nip roll arranged on the upstream and downstream of the processing rolls while facing the anvil roll. A belt like body is so carried as to pass through between the upstream nip roll and the anvil roll and, next, through between the processing roll and the anvil roll and, thereafter, through between downstream nip roll and the anvil roll, so as to be processed by the processing rolls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenji Oba
  • Publication number: 20120312463
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of an absorbent body used for an absorbent article, includes molding the absorbent body by sucking in a gas, mixed with a liquid absorbent fiber and a superabsorbent polymer, using a suction hole at a bottom portion of a mold, and laminating the liquid absorbent fiber and the superabsorbent polymer on the bottom portion, and making a lamination thickness of the absorbent body thin by sucking out gas in the absorbent body placed on a placement surface on which the absorbent body is placed by, after the molding, in a state in which the gas is not supplied, sucking air through the suction hole on the placement surface, and creating an air pressure, in a space in between fibers in the absorbent body while sucking out the air, lower than that in a space in between fibers in the absorbent body while laminating in molding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Ogasawara, Takanori Yano, Masahiko Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8327802
    Abstract: An animal litter box includes: an upper container, which having an upper opening for animals to come in and out, and a bottom portion, which allows fluid to pass through and over which particulate matter is spread; and a lower container having a lower opening provided below the bottom portion, and a holding portion for disposing a fluid absorbing sheet container in which the fluid absorbing sheet which absorbs fluid passing through the bottom portion is laid, wherein a fitting portion for fitting to an edge of a lower opening of the lower container is provided at a side or bottom of the upper container. The fitting portion is preferably a stepped portion or a concave portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Matsuo, Takeshi Ikegami, Kenji Hiroshima, Nobuaki Namikawa
  • Patent number: 8327904
    Abstract: A work conveying mechanism according to the present invention includes a rotation drum in which an adsorbing pad for adsorbing an absorber is provided. The work conveying mechanism rotates the rotation drum and arranges the absorber on a third web being conveyed. In an outer shape of the work adsorbed by the adsorbing pad, an outer edge portion thereof is closer to a shaft center side of the rotation drum than a central portion thereof is. A work conveying mechanism includes a roller mechanism provided on a side of the third web opposite to the rotation drum side and configured to locate the third web on the adsorbing pad side. At a passing point, the roller mechanism arranges an outer edge portion of the third web in a width direction on a shaft center side of the rotation drum closer than a central portion thereof is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8328781
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an interlabial pad which is attached between female labia, especially to the pad which can be used together with the sanitary napkin, which has a good sealing efficiency with the labia deepest portion when the user moves and can prevent the chance that the leak of the menstrual blood or the dropping off of the pad is occurred. Further the interlabial pad comprises the absorbing sheet portion facing to the body side upon wearing the pad and the support sheet portion backing the absorbing sheet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Mizutani, Koichi Yamaki, Yuki Noda
  • Publication number: 20120297605
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an underpants-type absorbent article which method comprises each of the steps of transporting a continuous body of a sheet that forms a front piece or a back piece in the form of a sheet web in a machine direction, supplying a continuous elastic body to the sheet web while oscillating in a cross-machine direction, alternately positioning the continuous elastic body on the sheet web and outside the sheet web, attaching those portions of the continuous elastic body positioned on the sheet web to the sheet web, holding those portions of the continuous elastic body positioned outside the sheet web with a holder, and cutting and removing those portions of the continuous elastic body positioned outside the sheet web.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidefumi Gouda, Hirotomo Mukai