Patent ID: 8211815

Claim:
An absorbent structure having a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis and a z-direction axis normal to the longitudinal and lateral axes, said absorbent structure comprising longitudinally opposite ends, laterally opposite side edges, an upper surface having a three-dimensional topography relative to the longitudinal and lateral axes and defining a plurality of peaks and valleys of said upper surface relative to said z-direction, and a lower surface having a three-dimensional topography relative to said longitudinal and lateral axes and defining a plurality of the peaks and valleys of said lower surface relative to said z-direction, said absorbent structure having a projected area as determined by a Topography Analysis Method, the upper surface of said absorbent structure having a vertical area as determined by the Topography Analysis Method in the range of about 0.1 cm 2 to about 0.5 cm 2 per 1.0 cm 2 projected area of the absorbent structure.