The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 09, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 18, 1995
Michael Scott Bogdanski, Schmitten, DE;
The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for making absorbent structures having a layer of discrete particulate absorbent material which is divided into two or more bands separated by a substantially particulate-free zone. The method of making such absorbent structures comprises the steps of first generating an initial particle suspension comprising a two-phase fluid of particles of absorbent gelling material suspended in a gas (such as air) flowing in an inlet duct. The initial particle suspension is then divided into multiple final particle suspensions in corresponding multiple branch ducts, each of the final particle suspensions having a given percentage of particles as a function of cross-sectional area of the inlet duct. The particles in the final particle suspensions are substantially uniformly distributed as a function of cross-sectional position in the branch ducts. Finally, the suspended particles are filtered from the final particle suspensions by capturing them on a substrate such as a layer of tissue. An apparatus in accordance with the present invention for practicing the above method comprises an inlet duct, a particle suspension generator in fluid communication with the inlet duct for generating the initial particle suspension, at least two branch ducts in fluid communication with the inlet duct, and a particle suspension divider disposed within the inlet duct for dividing the initial particle suspension into multiple final particle suspensions in the branch ducts. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises an adhesive delivery device for adhesively coating the particles in the final particle suspensions to form adhesively coated particles.