Patents Assigned to Zuiko Corporation
  • Patent number: 9750647
    Abstract: A method for producing a wearing article includes conveying a front-abdominal-portion forming strip and a rear-dorsal-portion forming strip; dividing the front-abdominal-portion forming strip being conveyed, along a dividing line parallel to a width direction thereof; holding a relative positional relationship between two segments of the front-abdominal-portion forming strip on both sides of the dividing line; within a period of implementation of the step of holding, detachably attaching a first attaching-detaching member to the front-abdominal-portion forming strip in such a manner as to cover the dividing line, thereby restricting a relative displacement between the segments of the front-abdominal-portion forming strip on both sides of the dividing line; joining the front-abdominal-portion forming strip and a front region of a crotch portion together; and joining the rear-dorsal-portion forming strip and a rear region of the crotch portion together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toyoshi Umebayashi
  • Patent number: 9724246
    Abstract: It is aimed to provide a conveying device for absorbent articles capable of precisely sorting an absorbent article between a main conveyance path and a branch path and a conveyance method using the same. A path switching means includes a belt conveying unit with a conveying belt arranged along an annular path and configured to circulate along the annular path to be able to convey an absorbent article and a path switching mechanism configured to switch a conveyance path specified by the conveying belt between a path along which the absorbent article is transferrable from an upstream conveying mechanism to a downstream conveying mechanism and a path along which the absorbent article is guided along a sampling path from the upstream conveying mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Zuiko Corporation
    Inventor: Takao Wada
  • Patent number: 9718211
    Abstract: A device for producing an absorbent body includes crushers that are each configured to crush a supplied pulp sheet into fluff pulp and that each include a plurality of rotating blades, a duct in which the fluff pulp is carried by air, and a rotating fiber stacking drum that includes an adsorbent molding section that molds the fluff pulp carried by air from the duct into an absorbent body with a desired shape. Further, the crushers are staggered in an axis direction of the rotating blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Zuiko Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9713552
    Abstract: The method comprises the steps of: preparing a first suction-holding section and a second suction-holding section; positioning the first suction-holding section and the second suction-holding section in such a manner that respective surfaces of the first suction-holding section and the second suction-holding section are aligned side-by-side while facing the same side; suction-holding a forward surface of a main body of an developed module by the first suction-holding section, and suction-holding a rearward surface of the main body of the developed module by the second suction-holding section; closing the first suction-holding section and the second suction-holding section to fold the main body in half; and releasably joining superimposed portions of the developed module half-folded by the half-folding step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro Shimada
  • Patent number: 9551097
    Abstract: A device for producing an absorbent body includes a rotating fiber stacking drum that includes an adsorbent molding section configured to mold fluff pulp into an absorbent body having a desired shape. The rotating fiber stacking drum further includes a cylinder having an outer circumference on which the adsorbent molding section is formed, and paired side walls that close ends of the cylinder, respectively. The device for producing an absorbent body further includes a sucking means, which is configured to generate an air flow from the outer circumference side of the adsorbent molding section toward the inside of the cylinder by sucking air in the rotating fiber stacking drum. The sucking means is connected to each of two side walls of the rotating fiber stacking drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Zuiko Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9532909
    Abstract: An article including: an absorbent body including two liquid-permeable non-woven fabric sheets bonded together at bonded portions in a predetermined pattern, and a plurality of granular particles placed therebetween separately in each of a plurality of placement areas partitioned from one another in the predetermined pattern; and a non-liquid-permeable back sheet placed on a non-skin-contact surface of the absorbent body, wherein: a liquid-permeable sheet is placed so as to cover an entire surface of the non-woven fabric sheet on a skin-contact surface side; and an easily-breakable portion capable of being broken when the granular particles absorb a bodily fluid to swell is formed in placement areas on at least one non-woven fabric sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toyoshi Umebayashi
  • Patent number: 9517169
    Abstract: An absorbent article having a plurality of granular particles placed between two liquid-permeable non-woven fabric sheets, the article including: a high-strength bonded portion formed in a loop-shaped pattern on the article such that the two non-woven fabric sheets are not separated even if the granular particles swell to thereby apply a separating force to a bonded position between the two non-woven fabric sheets; and a low-strength bonded portion formed in an inner area surrounded by the high-strength bonded portion such that the two non-woven fabric sheets are separated from each other at a bonded position when the granular particles swell to thereby apply a separating force to the bonded position between the two non-woven fabric sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaki Nakakado
  • Patent number: 9452565
    Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic horn, the output amplitude of which can be significantly increased. An ultrasonic horn includes an input-side end section that has an input surface that receives ultrasonic vibration, and an output-side end section having an output surface that outputs ultrasonic vibration to a sheet. The output-side end section has a dimension, in the length direction, over which a side edge portion of a front abdominal section and a side edge portion of a rear dorsal section can be welded in the longitudinal direction, and is branched in a width direction that is perpendicular to the length direction by a slit that extends in the length direction. A pair of surfaces of the output-side end section, positioned on both sides of the slit, functions as the output surface through which the ultrasonic vibration is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukihiko Fujita, Hideyuki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20160250079
    Abstract: It is aimed to provide a composite sheet manufacturing device and a composite sheet manufacturing method capable of maintaining high cutting performance of a cutter by suppressing the adhesion of an adhesive of an adhesive surface to the cutter. A first sheet (42) introduced to between a cutter roller (2) and an anvil roller (3) is cut into strips (42a) while these rollers (2, 3) are rotated relative to each other, adhesive surfaces (a) of the strips (42a) are adhered onto a second sheet (43) for compounding, and at least one of a cutter (12) of the cutter roller (2) and the anvil roller (3) is cooled by a refrigerant by a cooling unit (20, 21).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Applicant: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takao Wada
  • Publication number: 20160235593
    Abstract: A joining/cutting unit (60) includes a drum (61) having a peripheral surface (61a) on which a sheet (W) is to be placed, joining mechanisms (601 to 603), a cutting mechanism (604) arranged downstream of the joining mechanism (603) in a rotating direction of the drum (61), claw members (607) vertically movably mounted on the peripheral surface (61a) of the drum (61) and a vertically moving cam mechanism (630) configured to vertically move the claw members (607). The vertically moving cam mechanism (630) includes a cam disc (635) having an eccentric cam groove (634) and cam followers (633) configured to be engaged with the eccentric cam groove (634) so that the claw members (607) vertically move according to the rotation of the drum (61). Further, the joining/cutting unit (60) further includes a phase adjusting mechanism (631) provided on the cam disc (635) and capable of adjusting a phase of the eccentric cam groove (634).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Applicant: Zuiko Corporation
    Inventor: Takao WADA
  • Publication number: 20160228303
    Abstract: Provided are a device for producing a disposable wearable article and a method for producing a disposable wearable article capable of suppressing the occurrence of a sealing failure by making it difficult for a doubled sheet to open against an elastic force of an absorber. A device for producing a disposable wearable article includes a jointing/cutting unit (60) provided in a line (L1) for continuously conveying a sheet (W) and configured to join parts of the doubled sheet (W) at opposite sides of an absorber (C) and then cut the joined parts and a pressing unit (70) arranged upstream of the jointing/cutting unit (60) in a conveying direction (a). The pressing unit (70) includes a pressing mechanism (71, 72) configured to press the sheet (W) together with the absorber (C) in a thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Applicant: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takao Wada
  • Patent number: 9358159
    Abstract: The displacement mechanism includes: an urging mechanism that urges an anvil roller toward an ultrasonic horn in such a manner that output surfaces and a welding surface move closer in the normal direction thereof; and a pressed member that has guide surfaces against which the outer surface of the anvil roller, positioned within non-welding areas, are pressed by an urging force of the urging mechanism, the pressed member being fixed to a sheet holding roller in a state where a pressed surface is disposed within the width-direction range of a slit. In response to the movement of the anvil roller from a welding area to the non-welding areas, the guide surfaces of the pressed member guide the anvil roller in a direction in which the output surfaces and the welding surface move away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Zuiko Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiko Fujita, Hideyuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9333705
    Abstract: Provided is a lightweight anvil roller and an ultrasonic welding device provided therewith. The anvil roller has: a supported section that is rotatably supported by a holding mechanism via a rotary shaft in such a manner that the anvil roller can come into rolling contact with a sheet; an outer peripheral section having a welding surface over which the sheet is welded between the outer peripheral section and an ultrasonic horn during rolling contact with the sheet; a thin section that is formed between the supported section and the outer peripheral section in such a manner that the thickness of the thin section is smaller than the thickness of the outer peripheral section in the axial direction of the rotary shaft; and a vibration proof member provided on the thin section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukihiko Fujita, Hideyuki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20160121542
    Abstract: Provided is a lightweight anvil roller and an ultrasonic welding device provided therewith. The anvil roller has: a supported section that is rotatably supported by a holding mechanism via a rotary shaft in such a manner that the anvil roller can come into rolling contact with a sheet; an outer peripheral section having a welding surface over which the sheet is welded between the outer peripheral section and an ultrasonic horn during rolling contact with the sheet; a thin section that is formed between the supported section and the outer peripheral section in such a manner that the thickness of the thin section is smaller than the thickness of the outer peripheral section in the axial direction of the rotary shaft; and a vibrationproof member provided on the thin section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Applicant: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukihiko Fujita, Hideyuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9320654
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a disposable worn article, including: severing a continuous web W along a cut-off line L1 having a predetermined wave shape, dividing the continuous web W into a first and second divided webs W1, W2; allowing the first and second divided webs W1, W2 to cross each other in a width direction X so as to reverse positions of the first and second divided webs W1, W2 in the width direction X; reversing the second divided web W2 by twisting the second divided web W2 by 180°; rotating a second side panel which is cut off from the second divided web W2 by 180°, thereby producing a second side panel PR in line symmetry with a first side panel PL which is cut off from the first divided web W1; and placing and fastening the side panels PL, PR to the side portions of the body 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toyoshi Umebayashi
  • Patent number: 9308132
    Abstract: A method including: a step of forming depressions and protrusions on a first continuous sheet between a first roll and a second roll; a placement step of placing a plurality of granular particles in depressed portions of the depressions and protrusions of the first continuous sheet; a step of laying a second continuous sheet on the first continuous sheet, thereby forming a sandwich structure; and a step of bonding the two sheets with each other along protruding portions of the depressions and protrusions of the first continuous sheet, wherein a circumferential velocity of the second roll is greater than a circumferential velocity of the first roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaki Nakakado
  • Patent number: 9265670
    Abstract: A method includes: a severing step of successively producing a plurality of panels from a continuous web; an interval-increasing step of increasing an interval in width direction between a pair of panels, adjacent to each other in flow direction; a receiving step of receiving the panels by first and second rollers at first and second receiving positions, which are separated from each other in flow direction, wherein the first and second rollers for receiving the panels are placed so that axial lines of the first and second rollers are placed offset from each other in flow direction of the panels; and a placement step for placing the panels, from the rollers at first and second hand-over positions which are separated from each other in flow direction, onto opposite side portions of a body portion at the same position in the longitudinal direction of the body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro Shimada
  • Patent number: 9259359
    Abstract: A device including: a main folding mechanism for folding a diaper body in two at the crotch portion by rotating first and second main pads having first and second holding surfaces, respectively; and a sub-folding mechanism for folding the flap by rotating a side pad having a sub-holding surface for holding the flap with respect to the first main pad, wherein; a cut-out is formed at a position corresponding to the attachment portion of the second main pad, wherein the cut-out does not allow the attachment portion to be held by the second main pad but instead expose the attachment portion; with the first and second holding surfaces being closed while opposing each other and with the main body folded in two, the cut-out allows the flap to be attached to the attachment portion; and the side pad rotates from a position where it is open while lying next to the first main pad in the girth direction to a position where the sub-holding surface is closed while opposing the first holding surface, fitting into the cut-ou
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukihiko Fujita
  • Publication number: 20160022506
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a disposable worn article, including: an absorbent body 2 including an absorbent core 24 which absorbs body fluid laminated between a liquid-permeable top sheet 26 and a liquid-impermeable back sheet 27; a pair of front flaps Ff extending in a girth direction X to be continuous with a front portion 20 of the absorbent body 2 that covers a front surface of a torso of a wearer; and a pair of back flaps Fb extending in the girth direction to be continuous with a back portion 21 of the absorbent body 2 that covers a back surface of the torso of the wearer, wherein: the front and back flaps Ff and Fb include a stretchable non-woven fabric 31 that stretches in the girth direction X; and an entire area of the absorbent core 24 is not essentially covered by the stretchable non-woven fabric 31.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toyoshi UMEBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 9186845
    Abstract: First and second anvil rolls (10A, 10B) are arranged so that in the welding of webs, the webs are transported to pass through a first gap (?1) between the first anvil roll (10A) and a first horn (21), a third gap (?3) between the second anvil roll (10B) and a third horn (23), a fourth gap (?4between the second anvil roll (10B) and the fourth horn (24) and a second gap (?2) between the first anvil roll (10A) and the second horn (22) in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro Shimada