Patent ID: 8235957

Claim:
An absorbent article for receiving and storing bodily exudates, the absorbent article comprising: a. a backsheet and a topsheet; and b. a sublayer positioned between the topsheet and backsheet comprising a wearer faceable surface, an opposing garment faceable surface, a first acquisition layer and a second acquisition layer, said second acquisition layer being positioned between the backsheet and the first acquisition layer, said sublayer comprising one or more areas with a plurality of combined holes, being formed by at least one of (i) holes extending through said first acquisition layer and holes in or extending through said second acquisition layer, or (ii) by holes in or extending through said second acquisition layer and indentations in said first acquisition layer, wherein said article, sublayer, holes, and combined holes each have a length in the y-direction, width in the x-direction and caliper in the z-direction, said second acquisition layer comprising non-bonded fibers, said combined holes having an average smallest dimension in an x-y cross section of the combined holes in the wearer faceable surface of said sublayer of at least 2 mm, surface areas of the x-y cross section of the holes through or indentations in the first acquisition layer as measured on the wearer faceable surface are less than corresponding surface areas of the x-y cross section of the holes in or through the second acquisition layer as measured on a surface of the second layer that faces the first layer, and wherein, in the z-direction, the x and y dimensions of the first acquisition layer holes or indentations align with the x and y dimensions of the second acquisition layer holes.