Patent ID: 7560002

Claim:
Process for making a water-absorbent structure comprising a panel-shaped assembly of thermoplastic synthetic fibers having upper and lower surfaces extending in parallel to each other, cellulose-based fibers and super-absorbent polymer adapted to be swollen after absorption of water both contained in said assembly of said thermoplastic synthetic fibers served as water-absorbing materials wherein at least one of said upper and lower surfaces is wrapped with water-pervious sheets, said assembly comprising a honeycomb construction which is monolithically formed from the thermoplastic synthetic fibers, the cellulose-based fibers and the super-absorbent polymer and having a plurality of through-holes extending parallel to one another in a direction parallel to said upper and lower surfaces, each of said through-holes having a cross-sectional dimension larger than any one of interstices of said thermoplastic synthetic fibers in said honeycomb assembly, said honeycomb assembly being elastically compressible in a thickness direction which is aligned with diagonals of said through-holes and extends between said upper and lower surfaces of said panel-shaped assembly, said process comprises the steps of: compressing said assembly in said thickness direction while said water absorbing materials are in a wetted condition so that said through-holes are flattened; drying said water absorbing materials so as to maintain said assembly in a compressed state; and wrapping at least one of said upper and lower surfaces with said water-pervious sheets before or after said step of compressing.