The invention relates to a method for manufacturing nonwoven sheets that includes a step of combined activation and bonding. The invention further relates to an application of this method to the making of elastically stretchable nonwoven laminate sheets, sheets produced by such method, and to uses for such sheets.

An absorbent article including a side panel having an ultrasonically bonded, gathered laminate is provided. The laminate has an elastomeric layer and a substrate and is joined to the absorbent article chassis at a chassis attachment bond and positioned in one of a first or second waist region. The ultrasonically bonded, gathered laminate also includes an ear structural feature comprising a surface modification to the substrate and comprising at least one of the following: embossing, apertures, perforations, slits, melted material or coatings, compressed material, secondary bonds that are disposed apart from a chassis attachment bond, plastic deformation, and folds.

A manufacturing device is provided, within a range in the rotation direction of the upper half of an anvil roll, in the order from the upstream side in the rotation direction of the anvil roll, with a first sheet feeding unit, a recess forming unit, a particulate material feeding device, and a second sheet feeding unit and further a welding unit provided on the downstream side of the second sheet feeding unit in the rotation direction. The anvil roll has a large number of concaves, projections provided in a portion among the concaves, so as to surround each of the concaves, and a unit to suck air in the concaves. For each concave, the projections are minute dot-shaped projections arranged only in one row at intervals in the direction surrounding the concave.

The present invention is an absorbent structure comprising a fibrous matrix (110), meltfusionable material and superabsorbent polymer particles (140). The absorbent structure is bonded by a meltfusion bond point (200) pattern, which is preferably created by ultrasonic welding.

An absorbent article is disclosed. The article includes a topsheet formed of a section of formed nonwoven web material having an ordered arrangement of zones, each zone comprising one or more attenuated regions adjacent to one or more built-up regions, wherein the attenuated regions have a first average basis weight and the built-up regions have a second average basis weight, wherein the first average basis weight is less than the second average basis weight, the difference in basis weights corresponding to disposition of the filaments according to the ordered arrangement. The attenuated region(s) may be included within a configuration of one or more channel portions on the topsheet. Alternatively or in combination, the attenuated region(s) may be included within a hinge portion extending along a wing portion of the topsheet.

An anvil roll is configured to operatively engage with a tooling agent. The anvil includes an outer surface, an opposing surface opposite the outer surface and an inner surface. One or more spring elements are disposed between the opposing surface and the inner surface. The springs provide a compliance to the anvil.

An absorbent article in the form of a feminine hygiene pad is disclosed. The article includes a topsheet formed of a section of formed nonwoven web material having an ordered arrangement of zones, each zone comprising one or more attenuated regions adjacent to one or more built-up regions, wherein the attenuated regions have a first average basis weight and the built-up regions have a second average basis weight. Through configuration of the regions and the ordered arrangement, inclusion of melt additive to the resin(s) from which the filaments are spun and/or application of a surfactant to a surface of the topsheet, the topsheet may be imparted with a Rewet of no greater than 0.50 g and an Acquisition Time of no greater than 25 seconds, balancing competing topsheet performance characteristics in a manner acceptable or preferable for consumers/users.

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).

An absorbent article comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and a layer of absorbent material interposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the layer of absorbent material (28) comprises superabsorbent polymer. The absorbent article further comprises a lower acquisition and distribution system with at least one nonwoven or woven layer, the lower acquisition and distribution system being interposed between the layer of absorbent material and the backsheet. The absorbent article has a first zone corresponding to 800 ?m starting from and including the topsheet and extending towards the backsheet, and a second zone corresponding to 800 ?m starting from and including the backsheet and extending towards the topsheet. The amount of liquid in the first and second zone is very small as measured by the NMR test method set out herein.

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for stretching, transferring, and bonding elastic parts under tension to an advancing carrier substrate during the assembly of absorbent articles. A continuous carrier substrate may be advanced in a machine direction at a first speed, and a discrete elastic part may be cut from a continuous elastic substrate having a direction of stretch in a cross direction. The speed of the discrete elastic part is changed from a second speed to the first speed, and the central region of the discrete elastic part is stretched in the cross direction. The discrete elastic part is bonded with the continuous carrier substrate such that the stretched central region extends in the cross direction between the first and second longitudinal edges of the continuous carrier substrate. The discrete elastic part may also be bonded with the carrier substrate with adhesive and/or mechanical bonds.