Patent ID: 11969325
Assignee: THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 13:
14. An absorbent article comprising a liquid permeable continuous topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent structure disposed between the continuous topsheet and the backsheet, the continuous topsheet having lateral axis, a longitudinal axis and an in-use wearer-facing portion having an elongate outer perimeter,
the article having a central longitudinally elongate absorbent portion comprising the absorbent structure, flanked by two wing portions opposingly laterally extending from the absorbent portion and being substantially without any portion of the absorbent structure, the continuous topsheet at least partially forming the wing portions;
wherein the continuous topsheet is formed of a section of formed nonwoven web material comprising an accumulation of filaments and having an absorbent-facing surface and a wearer-facing surface,
wherein the nonwoven web material has been formed via continuous deposition of spun filaments onto a continuous forming belt having an outer receiving side and an inner side and moving along a machine direction through a working location, to form a batt of filaments deposited on the receiving side of the forming belt, the forming belt comprising an airflow permeable substrate belt and an ordered arrangement of airflow blocking structures disposed on the substrate belt, thereby imparting to the forming belt an ordered arrangement of airflow-permeable regions and airflow-blocked regions coextensive with the airflow blocking structures, the airflow blocking structures extending in a z-direction outward from the substrate belt so has to have a z-direction depth on the receiving side of the forming belt;
wherein before and as they contact the forming belt the filaments are entrained in air flow directed at and through the belt generally along the z-direction, such that the filaments accumulate on the forming belt to a greater second average basis weight over the airflow-permeable regions and to a lesser first average basis weight over the airflow-blocked regions, to create built-up regions of the batt over the airflow-permeable portions and attenuated regions of the batt over the airflow-blocked regions;
wherein the batt is consolidated into a nonwoven web material following its formation on the forming belt;
whereby the attenuated regions form one or more z-direction depressions predominately in the wearer-facing surface of the section of formed nonwoven web material, the one or more depressions defining a configuration of channel portions following one or a plurality of paths, the one or plurality of paths being substantially symmetric about the longitudinal axis and predominately circumscribing a discharge locus on the longitudinal axis; and
wherein the one or plurality of paths predominately circumscribing the discharge locus are discontinuous.