Patent ID: 7882797

Claim:
An apparatus for applying particles within a pre-determined limited area of an absorbent structure, which apparatus comprises: a nozzle arranged to dispense the particles on the pre-determined limited area of the absorbent structure; conduit for supplying particles by a gas flow from a particle container to the nozzle; a valve arranged between the nozzle and the particle container; a valve vane arranged to direct the gas flow comprising particles through the valve from a particle inlet to an application outlet when the valve is in a first position and to direct the gas flow comprising particles through the valve from the particle inlet to a residue outlet when the valve is in a second position; wherein the apparatus further comprises a device for maintaining a gas flow in the application outlet when the valve is in the second position; said device for maintaining a gas flow comprises a particle-free inlet in the valve, which particle-free inlet is arranged to supply a particle-free gas flow; wherein the particle-free inlet is arranged between the application outlet and the residue outlet downstream of the valve vane, whereby the valve vane is arranged to change the direction of the particle-free gas flow through the valve with a change in the valve vane from the first position to the second position, to direct the particle-free gas flow through the valve from the particle-free inlet to the application outlet when the valve is in the second position and to direct the particle-free gas flow from the particle-free inlet to the residue outlet when the valve is in the first position.