Absorbent articles comprising pleats and methods for forming pleated absorbent articles are disclosed. In one embodiment, an absorbent article extending in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction may comprise a bodyside liner, an outer cover, an absorbent core disposed between the bodyside liner and the outer cover, and a pleat extending in the longitudinal direction and having a lower pleat portion and an upper pleat portion, the pleat having a pleat height, wherein the lower pleat portion has a greater stiffness than the upper pleat portion.

A taped absorbent article 20 comprising a crotch channel 26 having a crotch channel bond strength, and a front channel 56 having no bond or a front channel bond strength which is weaker than the crotch channel bond strength. The front channel is at least partially superposed with the landing zone 44 on which the back ear tapes 42 can be releasably fastened. During use, the front channel can delaminate to relieve stress on the landing zone and avoid accidental detachment of the tapes 42.

An absorbent article comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core comprising an absorbent material and a core wrap is provided. The article comprises an intermediate layer between the bottom side of the core wrap and the backsheet. The intermediate layer and the absorbent core are only partially bonded to each other at their interface and the interface comprises a bonded portion and a unbonded portion. The intermediate layer can at least partially decouple from the absorbent core in the unbonded portion, which increases flexibility of the article in the transversal direction.

A series of elastic break brakes are provided throughout a travel path of elastics in a machine operation. Elastic strands thread through each individual brake mechanism, and if an elastic strand breaks downstream, a natural snap back of the elastic, which ordinarily travels through the system under tension, drives an immediately upstream cam mechanism back, and holds the elastic thread in place at the elastic break brake immediately upstream of the break as to minimize rethreading required downstream of the elastic break brake.

The present disclosure relates to methods for making elastomeric laminates that may be used as components of absorbent articles. The elastomeric laminates may include a first substrate, a second substrate, and an elastic material located between the first and second substrates. During assembly of an elastomeric laminate, a beam is rotated to unwind the elastic strands from the beam, wherein the strands may include a spin finish. First bonds are applied to bond discrete lengths of the stretched elastic strands with and between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the discrete first bonds are arranged intermittently along the machine direction. In addition, second bonds are applied between consecutive first bonds to bond the first and second substrates directly to each other, wherein the second bonds extend in the machine direction and may be separated from each other in a cross direction by at least one elastic strand.

Three dimensional nonwoven materials and methods of manufacturing such materials are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method can include providing a precursor web that includes a plurality of fibers and transferring the precursor web to a forming surface having a plurality of forming holes. The method can also include directing a plurality of pressurized fluid streams of entangling fluid in a direction towards the precursor web on the forming surface to move at least some of the fibers into the plurality of forming holes to create a fluid entangled web. The method can further include removing the fluid entangled web from the forming surface such that the at least some of the fibers moved into the plurality of forming holes provide a plurality of nodes. The plurality of nodes can have an anisotropy value greater than 1.0 as determined by the Node Analysis Test Method.

A method for forming an absorbent pad including a first layer, a second layer and an absorbent material interposed between the first and the second layer and arranged according to a spreading pattern M1 having at least one channel which is free of absorbent material, includes a step of feeding a first web, intended to form the first layer of the pad; a step of feeding a second web, intended to form the second layer of the pad; a step of spreading the absorbent material on the first web according to the spreading pattern M1; a step of joining the first and second webs, a step of removing any absorbent material that may be present in the channel.

Absorbent garments and methods of manufacture are disclosed. An absorbent garment may comprise front, back, and crotch regions, an absorbent assembly, a front panel and a back panel, the front panel and back panel each including an inner layer and an outer layer, with a stranded elastic area disposed between the inner layers and the outer layers, a front panel stretch band material disposed between the outer layer and a portion of the inner layer, with the stranded elastic area adjacent and discrete from and disposed closer to the crotch region than the stretch band material. The article further comprising a stretch band material adhesive coupling the stretch band material to the inner layer, and a longitudinal overlap between the stretch band material adhesive and the inner layer may be greater than about 40% of an overall longitudinal length of the stretch band material.

Ultrasonic welding is performed by passing a first sheet layer, a second sheet layer, and an elastic film interposed therebetween in a stretched state in a machine direction between an anvil roll having a large number of protrusions and an ultrasonic horn. The anvil roll includes a region having the protrusions and in the region. A site, in which welding is performed by one ultrasonic horn, has a portion in which an area rate of the protrusions changes in a roll circumferential direction and a roll length direction. A difference between a maximum value and a minimum value in a change of the area rate of the protrusions in the roll circumferential direction is 4.5% or less, and a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value in a change of the area rate of the protrusions in the roll length direction is 1.5% or less.

An absorbent article can include a bodyside liner that provides a barrier region. The barrier region can be a central portion of the bodyside liner not coupled to the absorbent body. The barrier region can include a first longitudinal side edge and a second longitudinal side edge. The first longitudinal side edge can be coupled to the projection portion of the first containment flap. The second longitudinal side edge can be coupled to the projection portion of the second containment flap. When the absorbent article is in the relaxed configuration and the projection portion of the first containment flap and the projection portion of the second containment flap extend away from the absorbent body, the central portion of the bodyside liner extends away from absorbent body.