Three-dimensional laminates and methods for making the same are provided. The three-dimensional laminates may be apertured and may have welds between various substrates. The three-dimensional laminates may be used in absorbent articles, such as diapers and pants, for example, as topsheets, as topsheets and acquisition layers, or as outer cover materials, for example. The three-dimensional laminates may be produced on an absorbent article manufacturing line.

An absorbent member manufacturing method of the invention is a method for manufacturing an absorbent member (100) for an absorbent article and including synthetic fibers (10b). The method involves: a cutting step of cutting a continuous synthetic fiber sheet (10bs) at predetermined lengths in a first direction and a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and forming sheet fragments (10bh) including the synthetic fibers (10b); a transporting step of transporting the formed sheet fragments (10bh) to an accumulating portion (41); and an accumulating step of accumulating, in the accumulating portion (41), the sheet fragments (10bh) transported in the transporting step, and obtaining an accumulation (100a) which is a constituent member of the absorbent member (100).

An apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent core includes: a dispenser for dispensing a fiber; a fiber-stacking drum for stacking the dispensed fiber on the outer circumferential surface while sucking the fiber toward an inside; and a fixed frame for rotatably supporting the fiber-stacking drum. The fiber-stacking drum includes: a rotation shaft; a wheel attached to the distal end of the rotation shaft; and a fiber-stacking ring provided on an outer circumference portion of the wheel for stacking the fiber A suction chamber is fixed to the fixed frame The suction chamber is arranged on an inner side of the fiber-stacking ring and produces a suction force toward an inner circumference of the fiber-stacking ring. The fiber-stacking drum is supported by the fixed frame so as to be slidable in an axial direction of the rotation shaft; and the wheel is removably attached to the distal end of the rotation shaft via a fastener.

Methods and tooling for making three-dimensional substrates and/or apertured substrates are provided. The three-dimensional substrates and/or apertured substrates may be used in absorbent articles, such as diapers and pants, for example. The methods and tooling may be used on an absorbent article manufacturing line.

Three-dimensional laminates and methods for making the same are provided. The three-dimensional laminates may be apertured and may have welds between various substrates. The three-dimensional laminates may be used in absorbent articles, such as diapers and pants, for example, as topsheets, as topsheets and acquisition layers, or as outer cover materials, for example. The three-dimensional laminates may be produced on an absorbent article manufacturing line.

A method of forming a disposable hygiene product includes providing a manufacturing line (10) having a back sheet station (12), a core layer station (14) and a top sheet station (16) connected by a conveying system (18), providing a back sheet (20) at the back sheet station, providing a core layer (22) at the core layer station, applying the core layer on the back sheet, providing a top sheet (24) at the top sheet station, and applying the top sheet on the back sheet and core layer. The back sheet station includes a fluid application device (28) configured to discharge a curtain of material to form a polymer film (201), and the back sheet includes the polymer film. A method of forming a back sheet of disposable hygiene product includes positioning a back sheet station in a disposable hygiene product manufacturing line, the back sheet station having a fluid application device and discharging, from the fluid application device, a curtain of material to form a polymer film. A disposable hygiene product manufacturing line includes a back sheet station having a fluid application device configured to discharge a curtain of material to form a polymer film.

The present invention relates to a unitary absorbent structure and method thereof wherein said unitary absorbent structure comprises an absorbent core (5) and/or an acquisition and dispersion layers (2) (3) and comprising at least one non-woven fibrous substrate layer (23) having a void volume suitable to be penetrated by super absorbent particles. The super absorbent particles are dispersed in the substrate layer (23) according to a size distribution gradient by vacuum (8) and vibration along the depth direction or z-direction of said absorbent core (5) and/or acquisition (2) and dispersion (3) layers, the smaller particles are placed on the bodyside of the absorbent articles and the larger particles are located on the opposite side of the absorbent articles.

An apparatus for manufacturing absorbent cores for absorbent sanitary articles, comprising: a rotating forming wheel including a plurality of forming elements defining a peripheral surface of the forming wheel, a forming chamber containing absorbent material facing a portion of the peripheral surface of the forming wheel, a first roller for feeding a first nonwoven web onto the peripheral surface of the forming wheel upstream of the forming chamber, a second roller for feeding a second nonwoven web onto the peripheral surface of the forming wheel downstream of the forming chamber, wherein each of said forming elements comprises a suction surface connected to a suction source and at least one protruding rib having a blowing surface selectively connected to a stationary blowing device, wherein said at least one blowing surface and said suction surface are spaced apart from each other in a radial direction.

A method of manufacturing an absorbent web includes moving a foraminous member in a machine direction. The foraminous member has at least one masking plate with a partitioned area including at least one partition defining a plurality of segments. The method further includes drawing air through the foraminous member and depositing fibrous material onto the foraminous member to form an absorbent web. The absorbent web has a bridged area with a reduced basis weight corresponding to the partitioned area of the masking plate. The bridged area has vertical interfaces separating web segments and fibrous material at least partly bridging the vertical interfaces.

In a method and device for manufacturing an absorbent material, the degree of freedom in design can be increased by expanding a modifiable distribution pattern of an SAP and broadening the range in which the performance of the absorbent material can be modified. Pulverized pulp is suctioned in a predetermined pattern to form a pulp layer in which the pulp is fiber-laminated. A first distribution opening through which a first distribution device discharges a first SAP and a second distribution opening through which a second distribution opening discharges a second SAP are provided facing the pulp layer, and the first and second SAPs are distributed onto the pulp layer through the first and second distribution openings while moving the pulp layer relative to the first and second distribution openings. The first and second distribution devices can control the discharge amounts of the first SAP and the second SAP, respectively.