Disclosed is an absorbent article including a projecting-and-depressed sheet (10) as a constituent member, the absorbent article having a longitudinal direction and a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. The projecting-and-depressed sheet (10) has a plurality of depressions (3) and projections (4) on a skin-facing surface to be brought into contact with the wearer's skin. In a given direction, a movable range of an apex (40a) of the projection (4) of the projecting-and-depressed sheet (10) is 30% or greater to the length (L2) of a bottom portion of the projection (4). On the skin-facing surface of the projecting-and-depressed sheet (10), the mean friction coefficient MIU in the longitudinal direction (X) is 0.3 or less, and a difference in friction coefficient between a forward path and a return path when moved back and forth along the longitudinal direction (X) is less than 0.1. The projecting-and-depressed sheet (10) has a work of compression of 2.0 mN.Math.cm/cm.sup.2 or greater and a compression recovery rate of 40% or greater.

An absorbent article having a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent layer enveloped therebetween is disclosed. The topsheet comprises a fibrous nonwoven material and has an upper topsheet surface and a lower topsheet surface. The lower topsheet surface exhibits a lower topsheet surface Sdc less than 0.350 mm, and the upper topsheet surface exhibits an upper topsheet surface Sdc that is greater than the lower topsheet surface Sdc. Additionally, or alternatively, the lower topsheet surface exhibits a lower topsheet surface Sdr % less than 0.80; and the upper topsheet surface exhibits an upper topsheet surface Sdr % that is greater than the lower topsheet surface Sdr %. The absorbent layer comprises a layer of open-cell foam having an upper foam surface that is in direct facing contact with the lower topsheet surface.

A method for producing an absorbent article includes: while conveying non-woven fabric to be a top sheet by drawing from the downstream side, forming extruded projections by embossing; placing a material for a second sheet on the back surface of the non-woven fabric with the extruded projections; and joining the non-woven fabric and material for the second sheet in a joint pattern in which top-second joint portions are formed between the MD direction adjacent extruded projections at CD direction central positions corresponding to CD direction central portions of the adjacent extruded projections and at lateral positions on the CD direction both sides of the central positions. A MD direction joint range of the top-second joint portions is wider continuously or stepwise with increasing proximity from the central position to the lateral sides. This allows joining a top sheet having extruded projections and a second sheet while preventing occurrence of MD direction wrinkles in the top sheet.

An air through bonded nonwoven material is provided. The air-through bonded nonwoven material comprises a plurality of fibers, a first plurality of areas formed in the fibers and having a first fiber to fiber bond density, and a second plurality of areas formed in the fibers and having a second, different fiber-to-fiber bond density. The first plurality of areas do not overlap with the second plurality of areas. The first fiber to fiber bond density is greater than the second fiber to fiber bond density. The first plurality of areas are substantially free of a film. The second plurality of areas are substantially free of a film.