An absorbent article having a front edge intended to be positioned at a front side of a person and a rear edge intended to be positioned at a rear side of a person, said absorbent article comprising a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious backsheet, and an absorbent material between said topsheet and said backsheet, wherein at least a first spacer element is included between said topsheet and said backsheet, wherein the first spacer element has a top side facing the topsheet, a bottom side facing the backsheet, and a number of lateral sides between the top and the bottom side, and wherein the absorbent material extends along at least two opposite lateral sides of the first spacer element; said first spacer element being configured to guide liquid to the absorbent material upon wetting of the absorbent article.

A fluid distribution material for an absorbent article includes a formed film that includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The first side includes a plurality of elongated ridges extending from a first land area, a plurality of valleys defined by adjacent elongated ridges and the first land area, and a plurality of primary apertures located at bottoms of the valleys. The second side includes a plurality of apertured protuberances extending from a second land area. Each of the protuberances includes a continuous sidewall extending from the second land area to a distal end that includes a secondary aperture substantially aligned with a primary aperture. The formed film has a thickness greater than about 0.9 mm under a pressure of 0.071 psi, and a thickness greater than about 0.3 mm under a pressure of 0.6 psi.

An absorbent article can have a topsheet layer, a liquid impermeable layer, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet layer and the liquid impermeable layer. The absorbent article can further include an exudate management layer in fluid communication with the topsheet layer. In various embodiments, the exudate management layer can be positioned on a body facing surface of the topsheet layer. In various embodiments, the exudate management layer can be positioned between the topsheet layer and the absorbent core. The exudate management layer has a first component which defines an opening for direct passage of body exudates into the absorbent core. The exudate management layer has a second component which at least partially overlaps the first component of the exudate management layer and further extends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article in a direction towards the posterior region of the absorbent article.

The present invention relates to a thin, flexible absorbent articles comprising an acquisition-distribution system comprises a first component comprising first thermoplastic fibers and cellulose fibers, the cellulose fibers being less than about 90% by weight of the first component, wherein the absorbent article has an absorption time lower than about 7 sec/g up to a loading range of 100 g, as measured according to Modified Fluid Modified Fluid Acquisition Test; and wherein the absorbent article has a caliper of lower than about 2.5 mm under about 400 g pressure at 2 cm.sup.2, as measured according to Caliper Test, or a 3-point bending force lower than about 95 g, as measured according to the 3-Point Bending Force Test.

An absorbent article comprising a liquid pervious topsheet (300), a liquid impervious backsheet (200), absorbent material positioned between the liquid pervious topsheet and the liquid impervious backsheet, and a capillary acceleration sheet (400) between the absorbent material and the liquid pervious topsheet, wherein the absorbent material, typically comprising superabsorbent particles, is arranged on a bottom core wrap sheet such that one or more channels are formed, wherein less absorbent material per surface area is present in the one or more channels compared to an area around the one or more channels, wherein preferably substantially no absorbent material is present in the one or more channels, wherein the capillary acceleration sheet (400) comprises at least one meltblown layer, and wherein the at least one meltblown layer represents between 2 and 8 weight % of the weight of the capillary acceleration sheet.

Asymmetrical absorbent articles having printed regions to facilitate individual placement of the absorbent article are described.

The present invention generally relates to sanitary absorbent articles and in particular to disposable feminine sanitary absorbent articles that are extremely thin, highly absorbent and have superior structural integrity properties.

Applicants' invention includes a disposable absorbent article including a top sheet, an absorbent core, and a self-supporting fiberized web situated between the top sheet and the absorbent core, wherein the self-supporting fiberized web includes a hot melt composition and is free of absorbent materials.

An absorbent article comprising a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious backsheet, and an absorbent structure positioned in between said topsheet and said backsheet, wherein the absorbent structure comprises an absorbent core positioned in between the topsheet and the backsheet, a release structure being positioned in fluid communication with the absorbent core, said absorbent core comprising little to no cellulose fibers and/or fluff pulp and said absorbent core comprising an absorbent polymer material for absorbing and permanently holding fluids received from the topsheet and the release structure, wherein said release structure comprises at least one fibrous substrate structure having the capacity to receive and temporarily hold the fluids in proximity to the absorbent core so that the fluids can subsequently be transferred and released to and absorbed by the absorbent core.

A disposable absorbent article is described herein. The disposable absorbent article includes a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent system disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet. At least a portion of the has a plurality of conforming features such that the absorbent article has a blot residual value of less than 30 mg and a bending stiffness of less than 12.