An absorbent article which has in a longitudinal direction from the front side to the rear side a front waist region, a rear waist region and a crotch region located between the front and rear waist regions. An absorbent sheet is provided between a topsheet and a second sheet which includes at least one liquid-pervious sheet having sandwiched therein an absorbent polymer that is present between a topsheet and a second sheet. The second sheet has a higher liquid diffusibility than the topsheet, the topsheet, a backsheet, an absorption body and the second sheet are disposed across the front waist region, the crotch region and the rear waist region, and the absorbent sheet is disposed in at least a part of the rear waist region.

An absorbent article (20) having an absorbent core comprising at least about 80% of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) by weight of its absorbent material. An acquisition-distribution system (ADS) (50) is at least partially disposed between the absorbent core and the topsheet. The ADS extends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article at least from a point A1 disposed at a distance D from the front edge to a point A2 disposed at a distance D from the back edge of the article, D being equal to 32% of the length L of the article. The ADS has a basis weight which may be at least 20% lower at the point A2 than at the point A1.

An absorbent article can include a body facing liner, a back-sheet coupled to the body facing liner, and an absorbent body. The absorbent article can also include a fluid acquisition layer. The fluid acquisition layer can include a plurality of apertures and at least one channel. The channel can include a length and a depth. The length can be defined in a horizontal plane by a distance between a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end can be connected to a first aperture and the depth can extend from a body facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer to a garment facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer.

Methods and apparatuses for producing a zoned and/or layered substrate are described. A method can include providing a first supply of fibers, providing a second supply of fibers, and providing a headbox. The headbox can include a machine direction, a cross-direction, and a first cross-directional divider that separates a first zone of the headbox from a second zone of the headbox in a cross-directional manner. The method can further include transferring the first supply of fibers and the second supply of fibers to the headbox. The method can also include transferring the first supply of fibers and the second supply of fibers through the headbox to provide the substrate.

An absorbent article such as a diaper extending in a longitudinal direction parallel to a longitudinal axis (80) and a transversal direction (90) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and comprising a distribution layer (54) between a topsheet (24) and an absorbent core (28). The distribution layer comprises a fibrous material and a first and second longitudinally-extending channels (86a,b) substantially free of fibrous material. The fibrous material is profiled in the transversal direction so that average basis weight between the channels differs from the average basis weight in the lateral areas outward of the channels by at least 50 g/m.sup.2 and/or wherein the distribution layer comprises a first region having a first basis weight (bw1) and a second region having a second basis weight (bw2), wherein the first basis weight and the second basis weight differ by at least 20 g/m.sup.2, preferably by at least 50 g/m.sup.2, and these regions are present in different areas of the distribution layer but in the same longitudinally extending transversal section. The absorbent core may comprise channel-forming areas (26a,b). The article further comprises a backsheet (25).

Methods and apparatuses for producing a zoned and/or layered substrate are described. A substrate can include a first layer including a first zone, a second zone, and an interface between zones. The first zone can include a plurality of fibers. The second zone can include a plurality of fibers and can be offset from the first zone in a cross-direction. The interface can include at least some of the plurality of fibers of the first zone and at least some of the plurality of fibers of the second zone to provide a purity gradient with a transition width less than 3.8 cm as defined by the Purity Gradient Test Method as described herein.

An absorbent article includes: a liquid-permeable topsheet; a liquid-impermeable backsheet; an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet; and one or more low liquid permeation portions each of which: has a lower permeability speed of body fluid permeating from a skin side to a non-skin side of the absorbent article than a permeability speed of the body fluid in a surrounding area of the one or more low liquid permeation portions, is disposed on the non-skin side relative to a non-skin surface of the topsheet and on the skin side relative to a non-skin surface of the absorbent core, and is disposed in a central region among three equally divided regions of the absorbent core in a width direction of the absorbent article.

An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core comprising: first and second longitudinally-extending channels substantially free of absorbent material; wherein the first longitudinally-extending channel is on one side of the longitudinal axis and the second longitudinally-extending channel is on the other side of the longitudinal axis, wherein the first and second longitudinally-extending channels have a length along a longitudinal axis; a central absorbent zone comprising absorbent material disposed between the first and second longitudinally-extending channels, wherein the central absorbent zone has an average basis weight; first and second lateral absorbent zones comprising absorbent material disposed transversally outwardly of the first longitudinally-extending channel and the second longitudinally-extending channel respectively, wherein the first and second lateral absorbent zones have an average basis weight; and a profiled basis weight configuration spanning the first lateral absorbent zone, the central absorbent zone, and the second lateral absorbent zone profiled in a transversal direction.

Methods and apparatuses for producing a zoned and/or layered substrate are described. A substrate can include a first layer including a first zone, a second zone, and an interface between zones. The first zone can include a plurality of fibers. The second zone can include a plurality of fibers and can be offset from the first zone in a cross-direction. The interface can include at least some of the plurality of fibers of the first zone and at least some of the plurality of fibers of the second zone to provide a purity gradient with a transition width less than 3.8 cm as defined by the Purity Gradient Test Method as described herein.

Absorbent article (20) for personal hygiene such as diaper comprising an absorbent core (28) having two lateral absorbent zones (61, 63) disposed between respectively between a first and second longitudinally-extending channels (26a, 26b) and a first and second longitudinal edges (604, 606) of an absorbent layer (60). The lateral absorbent zones are profiled in the transversal direction, so that the basis weight of the absorbent material is higher towards the respective channel than towards the respective longitudinal side edge.