Patent ID: 6890622

Claim:
An in-line formed, non-laminated, air laid web, the web having major surfaces in the X-Y plane and a depth in the Z direction, the web suitable for use as a composite fluid distribution and fluid retention layer in a disposable personal care product, comprising: a) a plurality of intermingled lower basis weight areas and higher basis weight areas coexisting and distributed in at least a central region of web, the lower basis weight areas and higher basis weight areas crossing the X axis or Y axis, or both, of the web; b) the higher basis weight areas being a greater thickness in the Z-direction than the lower basis weight areas; c) the web having no discrete or disturbed material boundaries between the lower basis weight areas and the higher basis weight areas, whereby whole fibers exist at the boundaries between the lower basis weight areas and the higher basis weight areas; d) the web further containing superabsorbent materials; and e) further having upper and lower areas as distinguished in the Z direction of the web, with greater hydrophilicity in the lower areas of the web; and f) the web being integrally formed.