Absorbent articles comprising material webs are disclosed herein. The material webs described herein can provide a bevy of benefits when utilized in the context of absorbent articles, and such material webs can facilitate the manufacturing of absorbent article.

An absorbent member manufacturing method of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an absorbent member (100) for an absorbent article and including synthetic fibers (10b) and hydrophilic fibers (10a). The method involves: a transporting step of transporting the hydrophilic fibers (10a) and a plurality of sheet fragments (10bh) to an accumulating depression (41) by using a duct (3); an accumulating step of accumulating, in the accumulating depression (41), the plurality of sheet fragments (10bh) and the hydrophilic fibers (10a), and obtaining an accumulation (100a) which is a constituent member of the absorbent member (100); and a depression forming step of forming a depression (100e) in the accumulation (100a) by applying pressure to a portion thereof. In the transporting step, the sheet fragments (10bh) and the hydrophilic fibers (10a) are brought into contact with one another in an airflow created inside the duct (3), and the sheet fragments (10bh) and the hydrophilic fibers (10a) are transported by the airflow in a dispersed and airborne state in which the sheet fragments and the hydrophilic fibers are mixed.

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.

A method for making an absorbent article comprising an absorbent core comprising one or more channels, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a first endless moving surface comprising a plurality of molds, each mold comprising a non-porous insert therein, typically said insert having the inverse shape of said channel(s), wherein the molds are in fluid communication with an under-pressure source except for said insert; ii. feeding a first nonwoven web to said first endless moving surface and over one or more said molds; iii. depositing an absorbent material, comprising cellulose fibers and/or superabsorbent polymer particles, over at least a portion of said nonwoven web; iv. removing said absorbent material from areas of the nonwoven web corresponding to said insert; v. applying a second nonwoven web directly or indirectly over the absorbent material, or folding said first nonwoven web, such to sandwich said absorbent material between upper and lower layers of said nonwoven web(s); vi. joining said upper and lower layers together at least in the areas of the nonwoven web(s) corresponding to the insert to form an absorbent core having one or more channels substantially free of absorbent material; vii. optionally joining an acquisition distribution layer to said absorbent core, typically a skin facing surface of said upper layer; viii. optionally laminating said absorbent core and acquisition distribution layer between a liquid pervious topsheet and a liquid impervious backsheet; wherein step vi. comprises the step of selectively applying a first pressure onto the absorbent core, preferably only, in a central portion thereof and a second pressure, preferably only, along peripheral longitudinal side edges thereof miming opposite and parallel to each other and being outboard of said central portion, said central portion corresponding at least to a region of the core comprising said channel(s), and wherein said first and second pressures are successively applied along a machine direction (MD).

An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core sandwiched between a liquid permeable topsheet and a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an acquisition distribution layer positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, wherein the absorbent core comprises absorbent material selected from the group consisting of cellulose fibers, superabsorbent polymers and combinations thereof, wherein said absorbent core comprises at least one core wrap substrate enclosing said absorbent material, and wherein a top layer of said core wrap is adhered to a bottom layer of said core wrap to form one or more channels substantially free of said absorbent material, wherein said channels have a length extending along a longitudinal axis and the absorbent core has a length extending along said longitudinal axis and wherein the length of said channels is from 10% to 95% of the length of said absorbent core and wherein said channels each follow a substantially continuous path such as from a first end of a channel to a second end of the same channel wherein the acquisition distribution layer comprises a spunbond and/or carded nonwoven layer comprising synthetic fibers, wherein said synthetic fibers are comprised at a level of greater than 80% wt by weight of said acquisition distribution layer, and wherein said acquisition distribution layer has a basis weight of from 10 to 50 g/m.sup.2.

An absorbent article comprising: a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and backsheet, wherein the absorbent core comprises an absorbent material, said absorbent material comprising cellulose fibers and/or superabsorbent polymers, and wherein said absorbent material is contained within at least one core wrap substrate enclosing said absorbent material therein, wherein the absorbent core further comprises an intermediate layer positioned between a top layer of said core wrap and a bottom layer of said core wrap such that said absorbent material is disposed between said top layer and said intermediate layer and between said bottom layer and said intermediate layer.

Pulpless absorbent cores and methods of manufacture are disclosed. A method of forming a pulpless absorbent core may comprise moving a foraminous forming surface having un-masked portions and masked portions in a machine direction, the un-masked portions defining an absorbent core region. The method may further comprise depositing particulate material at a velocity of less than 1200 meters per minute in the absorbent core region while applying a vacuum. The absorbent core region may comprise: a front core region spanning a first half of the absorbent core region and a rear core region spanning a second half, wherein the front core region trails the rear core region in the machine direction, and the masked portions of the foraminous forming surface block airflow through the forming surface to cause greater than 60% of the particulate material deposited in the absorbent core region to locate in the front core region.

An absorbent article comprising: a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and backsheet, wherein the absorbent core comprises an absorbent material, said absorbent material comprising cellulose fibers and/or superabsorbent polymers, and wherein said absorbent material is contained within at least one core wrap substrate enclosing said absorbent material therein, wherein the absorbent core further comprises an intermediate layer positioned between a top layer of said core wrap and a bottom layer of said core wrap such that said absorbent material is disposed between said top layer and said intermediate layer and/or between said bottom layer and said intermediate layer, and wherein said top layer, said bottom layer, and said intermediate layer are joined together to form one or more channel forming areas substantially free of said absorbent material.

An absorbent core comprising a front portion; a back portion; a middle portion positioned between the front portion and the back portion; and a longitudinal axis extending along a length of said core and crossing said front, middle and back portions, the absorbent core having a width extending perpendicular to said length and a perimeter comprising at least two opposing ends and at least two opposing sides positioned between said ends wherein the absorbent core comprises one or more channels having a first shape when the absorbent core is in dry state and a second shape when the absorbent core is in wet state and wherein said first and second shapes are different.

An absorbent article has a front side, a back side, a longitudinal axis, a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet and an absorbent core between the topsheet and the backsheet. The absorbent core includes a first type of channels, wherein the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap are bonded to another, and a second type of channels, wherein the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap are not bonded or are less bonded to one another in this second type of channels than in the first type of channels. The absorbent material may also include cellulose and superabsorbent particles.