Apparatus and method for producing absorbent structures with absorbent layers with channel(s) without absorbent material, using a first moving endless surface with specific raised strip(s) and a second moving endless surface with specific mating strip(s).

The present disclosure relates to elastic laminates and methods for assembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent article components. Elastic laminates may include one or more reinforcement layers positioned between unstretched portions of elastic materials and substrates to which the elastic materials are bonded.

A pulpless core is provided with flexibility for superabsorbent expansion by using elastic strands stretched and coupled to a nonwoven layer, and then relaxed partially to create receiving valleys (puckers) and the puckers are provided with superabsorbent polymer, and then a layer of nonwoven or acquisition film can be coupled on top of nonwoven/elastic/sap carrier layers to create an absorbent core laminate. A tubular core can be created and placed into a product with or without additional absorbent material between adjacent tubular members. A printed back sheet corresponding to either the tubular core shape, or void spaces between tubular members can be provide. A forming drum pocket can be profiled to match tube or tube shaped zones and elastic placements between adjacent tubes, if desired.

A film for use in an absorbent article includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and a plurality of apertured protuberances arranged in a pattern having 60 to 120 protuberances per linear inch in at least one direction. Each of the protuberances includes a continuous sidewall extending from the first side. The second side has a plurality of apertures aligned with the plurality of apertured protuberances and land areas in between the apertures. The film has a melt index of at least about 8 g/10 min, and an air permeability of at least about 80 m.sup.3/m.sup.2/min.

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.

A nonwoven fabric has: a base section that is spread in a flat manner and that comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite each other; and a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the first surface of the base section in the thickness direction. Each of the protrusions is provided with a peripheral surface section that rises from the first surface of the base section in the thickness direction and a peak surface section comprising a peak surface formed on the vertex of the protrusion. The fiber density of the peripheral surface section is higher than the fiber density of the peak surface section. At least part of a peak surface peripheral edge part of the peak surface section is configured as a thickest section having the thickest thickness of the nonwoven fabric.

A method of fluid etching an absorbent stratum is disclosed. The method includes providing an absorbent stratum; providing a fluid etching process comprising one or more fluid jets, a carrier belt, and a stencil; c) expelling fluid from the fluid jets through the open apertures of the stencil; and d) fissuring the absorbent stratum.

An absorbent article for minimizing detachment between a top sheet and absorbent body, for stably maintaining an absorption performance, while maintaining a satisfactory feel on a skin of the top sheet. The top sheet has a plurality of raised sections extended in a lengthwise direction at predetermined intervals in a widthwise direction, and a plurality of furrow sections extended in the lengthwise direction between the raised sections. The furrow section has a first recess section including a first bottom section, and a plurality of second recess sections inside the first recess section. The second recess section includes a second bottom section having a highest fiber density of the top sheet. A portion at a second surface of a top section of the raised section is not joined to an absorbent body. The second bottom section of the second recess section of the furrow section is joined to the absorbent body.

A method and apparatus for applying discrete stretched film portions to a carrier web includes conveying a continuous elastic film in a machine direction, operating a cutting unit to cut the continuous elastic film into a series of discrete first film portions and discrete second film portions, selectively adjusting a feed rate of the continuous elastic film upstream of the cutting unit, transferring a first film portion and a second film portion from a vacuum drum to a first pair of arms and a second pair of arms of, respectively, of a stretch unit, stretching the first and second film portions in a cross-machine direction by separating the first and second pairs of arms in the cross-machine direction as the stretch unit rotates from a pickup position to a transfer position, and transferring the stretched first and second film portions from the stretch unit to the carrier web.

The present invention relates to a folded side-leakage-proof arc-shaped elastic sanitary product wainscot and a production line therefor. After two sides of an elastic membrane under a tensile state are compounded with nonwoven fabric strips by hot pressing respectively, the elastic membrane rebounds and resets to impel the nonwoven fabric strips located on two sides of the elastic membrane to form a folded side-leakage-proof side wall. The elastic membrane is in the shape of a concave arc. The present invention has the following advantages: 1, the nonwoven fabric strips may be compounded with two sides of the elastic air-permeable membrane without a hot melt adhesive so as to ensure that the air permeability of the elastic air-permeable membrane and the nonwoven fabric strips is not affected by the hot melt adhesive; and 2, after two sides of the elastic air-permeable membrane under a tensile state are compounded with the nonwoven fabric strips, the elastic air-permeable membrane rebounds to impel the nonwoven fabric strips to form a required elastic folded side-leakage-proof side wall with the rebound and reset of the elastic air-permeable membrane. This side wall not only has a function of preventing liquid from flowing, but also greatly reduces a contact area between a sanitary napkin or a panty-shape diaper and a human body, such that the comfort level of the human body is greatly improved.