An absorbent article and method of making the absorbent article are disclosed. The absorbent article having a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core structure having one or more layers wherein at least one layer is a heterogeneous mass layer, wherein the topsheet and the heterogeneous mass are integrated such that they reside in the same X-Y plane.

A laminate structure includes a substrate; a first layer provided on a first surface of the substrate; and a second layer provided on a second surface of the substrate. The first layer includes a first end portion and a second end portion along a width direction of the substrate, the second layer includes a third end portion and a fourth end portion along the width direction of the substrate, the first end portion is opposite to the third end portion, the second end portion is opposite to the fourth end portion. An end surface of the third end portion includes an inclined surface or a stair shape or a combined shape of the inclined surface and the stair shape.

A laminate structure includes a substrate; a first layer provided on a first surface of the substrate; and a second layer provided on a second surface of the substrate. The first layer includes a first end portion and a second end portion along a width direction of the substrate, the second layer includes a third end portion and a fourth end portion along the width direction of the substrate, the first end portion is opposite to the third end portion, the second end portion is opposite to the fourth end portion. An end surface of the third end portion includes an inclined surface or a stair shape or a combined shape of the inclined surface and the stair shape.

An apparatus is disclosed for producing flakes, the apparatus comprising: a) a support structure for supporting each of two supply cylinders, made of a first material from which flakes are to be produced, and a fatiguing rod assembly including at least one fatiguing rod made of a second material, each fatiguing rod having a diameter smaller than an initial diameter of the two supply cylinders; b) a compression mechanism for urging the surfaces of the two supply cylinders into contact with each fatiguing rod, and c) a drive mechanism for causing the supply cylinders to rotate while making rolling line contact with each fatiguing rod.

The contact pressure between the supply cylinders and each fatiguing rod is set sufficiently high to modify the surface of the supply cylinders by fatigue and result in separation of flakes of the first material from the surfaces of the supply cylinders.

An electrode rolling apparatus includes a rolling roll that rolls an electrode substrate, and a rolling roll cooling unit that supplies a cooling medium to the inside of a rolling roll to cool the rolling roll, wherein the cooling medium transferred through the rolling roll cooling unit flows through the outer portion of the rolling roll.

An electrode rolling apparatus includes a rolling roll that rolls an electrode substrate, and a rolling roll cooling unit that supplies a cooling medium to the inside of a rolling roll to cool the rolling roll, wherein the cooling medium transferred through the rolling roll cooling unit flows through the outer portion of the rolling roll.

A device having at least one pair of free-running cooling rollers for the continuous production of a fibre strip impregnated with polymer, wherein the fibres are continuous fibres and the fibres in the impregnated fibre strip are aligned unidirectionally in the direction of travel of the impregnated fibre strip. Preferably, at least one of the two rollers is equipped with a pair of sealing rings preferably of the same type. Also disclosed is a polymer-impregnated fiber strip, a process for producing a polymer-impregnated fiber strip, and a multilayer composite.

A device having at least one pair of free-running cooling rollers for the continuous production of a fibre strip impregnated with polymer, wherein the fibres are continuous fibres and the fibres in the impregnated fibre strip are aligned unidirectionally in the direction of travel of the impregnated fibre strip. Preferably, at least one of the two rollers is equipped with a pair of sealing rings preferably of the same type. Also disclosed is a polymer-impregnated fiber strip, a process for producing a polymer-impregnated fiber strip, and a multilayer composite.

A roll press apparatus forms a compressed strip-shaped electrode plate by roll-pressing a strip-shaped electrode plate including an active material portion and an active material absent portion and including a tensile-force-ratio adjustment mechanism adjusting a tensile force ratio of an upstream active material absent portion tensile force applied to an upstream side and a downstream active material absent portion tensile force applied to a downstream side of an inter-roll active material absent portion held in a non-compressed state between a pair of press rolls in an active material absent portion of the strip-shaped electrode plate.

A roll press apparatus forms a compressed strip-shaped electrode plate by roll-pressing a strip-shaped electrode plate including an active material portion and an active material absent portion and including a tensile-force-ratio adjustment mechanism adjusting a tensile force ratio of an upstream active material absent portion tensile force applied to an upstream side and a downstream active material absent portion tensile force applied to a downstream side of an inter-roll active material absent portion held in a non-compressed state between a pair of press rolls in an active material absent portion of the strip-shaped electrode plate.