An absorbent article which can have longitudinal direction folded side regions. The longitudinal direction folded side regions of the absorbent article can provide the absorbent article with a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, the lateral direction width of each of the front waist edge and the back waist edge can be the same. In the second configuration, the lateral direction width of the front waist edge can be smaller than the lateral direction width of the back waist edge.

Absorbent core and an absorbent article respectively with improved properties, especially rewet performance, are disclosed. The absorbent core contains at least two layers, wherein each layer has from 0 to 10% by weight fibrous material and from 90 to 100% by weight water-absorbent polymer particles, based on the sum of water-absorbent polymer particles and fibrous material. The surface crosslinked water absorbent polymer particles within the upper layer have a sphericity of at least 0.89 and the absorbent core shows a CRC.sub.AP/TAC.sub.AP ratio of at least 0.65.

An absorbent core and an absorbent article respectively with improved properties, especially rewet performance, are disclosed. The absorbent core has at least two layers, wherein each layer comprising from 0 to 10% by weight fibrous material and from 90 to 100% by weight water-absorbent polymer particles, based on the sum of water-absorbent polymer particles and fibrous material. The surface-postcrosslinked water absorbent polymer particles within the upper layer have a sphericity of at least 0.89 and a CRC of at least 34 g/g. Preferably the water-absorbent polymer particles have a sphericity of at least 0.89 and the sum of the CRC and AUL (0.3 psi, 21 g cm.sup.−2) (EDANA 442.2-02) of the water absorbent polymer particles is at least 65 g/g.

In a particular implementation, an absorbent article includes a chassis having opposing front and rear waist portions and a crotch portion extending longitudinally between the front and rear waist portions. The crotch portion is configured to conform about at least one of a wearer's groin area, perineum, and rear when the chassis is configured in a wearable configuration. The absorbent article also includes an absorbent core extending longitudinally along the crotch portion and including a laminate The laminate is longitudinally folded such that the absorbent core includes a lower layer spanning a portion of a lateral width of the absorbent core. The lower layer includes a first portion and a second portion. The absorbent core also includes a plurality of folded layers of the laminate disposed over the lower layer and configured to define one or more non-overlapping channels.

An absorbent article, a portion of which is configured to absorb fluids, has a chassis with a length greater than its width. The chassis length extends in a longitudinal direction from the back to the front of a user between first and second longitudinal edges and the width extends in a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the length and between first and second lateral edges. Absorbent strips with a length greater than their width are arranged at outer edges of the chassis for added absorbency of the article.

One aspect of the present invention relates to an absorber containing water-absorbing resin particles, in which the water-absorbing resin particles include water-absorbing resin particles (A) which have a water absorption rate of 55 to 150 seconds according to a Vortex method and have a non-pressure DW 5-minute value of 36 mL/g or less, and the content of the water-absorbing resin particles (A) based on a total amount of the water-absorbing resin particles is 9 to 90 mass %.

An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core sandwiched between a liquid permeable topsheet and a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an acquisition distribution layer positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, wherein the absorbent core comprises absorbent material selected from the group consisting of cellulose fibers, superabsorbent polymers and combinations thereof, wherein said absorbent core comprises at least one core wrap substrate enclosing said absorbent material, and wherein a top layer of said core wrap is adhered to a bottom layer of said core wrap to form one or more channels substantially free of said absorbent material, wherein said channels have a length extending along a longitudinal axis and the absorbent core has a length extending along said longitudinal axis and wherein the length of said channels is from 10% to 95% of the length of said absorbent core and wherein said channels each follow a substantially continuous path such as from a first end of a channel to a second end of the same channel wherein the acquisition distribution layer comprises a spunbond and/or carded nonwoven layer comprising synthetic fibers, wherein said synthetic fibers are comprised at a level of greater than 80% wt by weight of said acquisition distribution layer, and wherein said acquisition distribution layer has a basis weight of from 10 to 50 g/m.sup.2.

An absorbent structure is disclosed, which may be or form part of an absorbent core of an absorbent article. The structure has a caliper, a fluid-receiving side and a non-receiving side. The non-receiving side occupies a first x-y plane; the receiving side occupies a second x-y plane. The structure has a first zone constituting a first portion of the caliper proximate the non-receiving side, and a second zone constituting a second portion of the caliper proximate the receiving side. Each of the zones includes a co-formed blend of constituents. The blend may include AGM particles, spun filaments and/or cellulose fibers. In examples including AGM particles, particles in the first zone may have an average particle size smaller than that of particles in the second zone. In examples including filaments, filaments in the first zone may have an average filament size smaller than that of the filaments in the second zone.

An absorbent core for use in an absorbent article, the absorbent core extending in a transversal direction and a longitudinal direction. The absorbent core includes a fluid-permeable top layer, a bottom layer, and a central layer between the top layer and the bottom layer. The central layer may be a high loft fibrous nonwoven layer, in particular having a density of less than about 0.200 g/cc, measured at a pressure of 4.14 kPa. Superabsorbent polymer particles may be blended with the fibers of the central layer, except for one or more longitudinally-extending channels substantially free of superabsorbent polymer particles.

A nonwoven fabric and a method of production of said nonwoven fabric are disclosed, wherein the nonwovens fabric comprises at least one layer, said layer comprising endless filaments, —which comprise at least a first polymeric material (A) and a second polymeric material (B) having its melting point lower than the first polymeric material A, —wherein the second polymeric material (B) extends in the longitudinal direction of the filament and forms at least a part of the surface of the filament and—the at least one layer of endless filaments comprises filament-to-filament bonds formed of the second polymeric material (B), wherein all components of the filaments are arranged across the cross-section of the filament in a non-crimpable configuration and the nonwoven fabric has a structural softness of at least 80 (m.sup.4 mm.sup.2 g.sup.−2).