The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for sensing distortions in patterns of reflected light to create profiles representing surface topographies of absorbent structures during the manufacture of absorbent articles. Inspection systems may include sensors arranged adjacent an advancing absorbent structure on a converting line. In turn, a controller may monitor and affect various operations on the converting line. The inspection systems herein may also include a radiation source that illuminates a surface of an absorbent structure with a predetermined pattern of light extending in the cross direction CD. The sensor senses distortions in patterns of light reflected from the illuminated surface of the absorbent structure and triangulates changes in elevation of the illuminated surface of the absorbent structure relative to the sensor. Based on the triangulated changes in elevation, the sensor creates a profile representing a surface topography of the illuminated surface of the absorbent structure.

A substantially planar absorbent core (28) comprising a core wrap (16, 17) enclosing an absorbent material (60), the absorbent core having a longitudinal axis (80) and comprising a front region (81), a back region (83) and a middle region (82), each region having an equal length (L/3) along the longitudinal axis, wherein the absorbent material is substantially free of cellulose fibers and forms a pattern of absorbent material areas. The pattern comprises on each side of the longitudinal axis at least one longitudinally-extending curved area (601a, 601b) in the middle region of the core, and at least one longitudinally-extending straight area (602a, 602b) in the front region and/or back region of the core.

A substantially planar absorbent core includes a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material that is substantially free of cellulose fibers and forms a pattern of discrete absorbent material areas. The core further comprises at least a pair of curved longitudinally-extending channel-forming areas substantially free of absorbent material, through which the top side of the core wrap is attached to the bottom side of the core wrap along a core wrap bond. Each of the longitudinally-extending channel-forming areas are longitudinally flanked internally by a first flanking absorbent material area and externally by a second flanking absorbent material area, the first and second flanking absorbent material areas following the curvature of the channel-forming area.

A machine for making absorbent sanitary articles includes a device for feeding a continuous strip to a conveyor roller and to a device for cutting the strip into first and second pieces. A unit forms and applies at least a pair of first and second pieces, aligned and spaced by a distance (d), for each absorbent article A first and a second roller each comprising a plurality of units pick up and successively release of first and the second pieces. A plurality of concentric units rotating, independently of each other, about a shared axis of rotation, each carries at least one unit. A motor defines a respective law of motion for each of the units and a mechanism translates the units, between a position for picking up the pieces, at the conveyor roller, and a position for releasing the pieces, at the forming and applying unit.

An absorbent article and method of making the absorbent article are disclosed. The absorbent article having a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core structure having one or more layers wherein at least one layer is a heterogeneous mass layer, wherein the topsheet and the heterogeneous mass are integrated such that they reside in the same X-Y plane.

The present invention refers to the production of an absorbent underpad with drawings or patterns on its absorbent surface, using a vacuum technique that distributes the absorbent raw material through the intended and predefined drawings or pattern on cut out molds (1), existing in the pockets (9) (10) of the forming wheel (2) of underpads,

This innovative technique differs from the current technical status, which transposes drawings to the absorbent underpads through embossing techniques, which consist of passing absorbent underpads through embossing rolls previously embossed with the drawings or patterns that are intended to be transposed onto the underpads.

A method for making a disposable absorbent core comprises depositing absorbent particulate polymer material from a plurality of reservoirs in a printing roll onto a substrate disposed on a grid of a support which includes a plurality of cross bars extending substantially parallel to and spaced from one another so as to form channels extending between the plurality of cross bars. The plurality of reservoirs in the first peripheral surface are arranged in an array comprising rows extending substantially parallel to and spaced from one another. A disposable absorbent article and apparatus for making an absorbent article are also disclosed.

The present invention is method for forming a sandwich structure having a pattern of particulate material enveloped between a carrier material and a cover material. The method allows accurate forming of pre-determined pattern at high production speed. Such a method is particularly useful in the manufacture of disposable absorbent articles, such as baby diapers.

Pulpless absorbent cores and methods of manufacture are disclosed. A method of forming an absorbent core comprises moving a forming surface in a machine direction, creating a pressure differential across the forming surface, advancing a base carrier sheet on the forming surface in the machine direction, depositing a matrix of a first adhesive and a first quantity of superabsorbent material onto the base carrier sheet wherein the first adhesive and the first quantity of superabsorbent material mix prior to deposition onto the base carrier sheet, and applying a first quantity of cellulose fibers onto the deposited matrix of the first adhesive and the first quantity of superabsorbent material.

A method for making an absorbent article comprising an absorbent core comprising one or more channels, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a first endless moving surface comprising a plurality of molds, each mold comprising a non-porous insert therein, typically said insert having the inverse shape of said channel(s), wherein the molds are in fluid communication with an under-pressure source except for said insert; ii. feeding a first nonwoven web to said first endless moving surface and over one or more said molds; iii. depositing an absorbent material, comprising cellulose fibers and/or superabsorbent polymer particles, over at least a portion of said nonwoven web; iv. removing said absorbent material from areas of the nonwoven web corresponding to said insert; v. applying a second nonwoven web directly or indirectly over the absorbent material, or folding said first nonwoven web, such to sandwich said absorbent material between upper and lower layers of said nonwoven web(s); vi. joining said upper and lower layers together at least in the areas of the nonwoven web(s) corresponding to the insert to form an absorbent core having one or more channels substantially free of absorbent material; vii. optionally joining an acquisition distribution layer to said absorbent core, typically a skin facing surface of said upper layer; viii. optionally laminating said absorbent core and acquisition distribution layer between a liquid pervious topsheet and a liquid impervious backsheet; wherein step vi. comprises the step of selectively applying a first pressure onto the absorbent core, preferably only, in a central portion thereof and a second pressure, preferably only, along peripheral longitudinal side edges thereof running opposite and parallel to each other and being outboard of said central portion, said central portion corresponding at least to a region of the core comprising said channel(s), and wherein said first and second pressures are successively applied along a machine direction (MD).