Method and apparatus for intermittently depositing particulate material in a substrate and article made therewith
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. An absorbent article, comprising:
- a substantially integral fibrous layer of hydrophilic fibers; and
a quantity of superabsorbent particles integrally mixed among said fibers in a non-layered configuration, and arranged with weight percentages of said superabsorbent particles (with respect to a total weight of superabsorbent) nonuniformly distributed along a length dimension of said article with selected length-wise, superabsorbent-containing regions of said fibrous layer having higher percentages of superabsorbent than other length-wise selected superabsorbent-containing regions.
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Abstract
An apparatus for forming a zoned distribution of particulate material within a fibrous web includes a conveying mechanism for providing a gas entrained supply of the particulate material and a segregating mechanism for centrifugally directing at least a portion of the particulate material into an accumulation region of the apparatus. A transferring mechanism selectively directs particulate material from the accumulation region into a delivery gas stream to provide an intermittent flow volume of a selected quantity of particulate material from the accumulation region through a delivery conduit and into a web forming chamber. A fiberizing mechanism provides a flow of a selected fibrous material into the web forming chamber, and a directing mechanism controls the intermittent flow of particulate material from the delivery conduit into the forming chamber. A foraminous forming layer is disposed within the forming chamber for receiving the fibrous material and the particulate material to produce a fibrous web which includes zoned regions having selected, different amounts of the particulate material therein.
158 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An absorbent article, comprising:
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a substantially integral fibrous layer of hydrophilic fibers; and a quantity of superabsorbent particles integrally mixed among said fibers in a non-layered configuration, and arranged with weight percentages of said superabsorbent particles (with respect to a total weight of superabsorbent) nonuniformly distributed along a length dimension of said article with selected length-wise, superabsorbent-containing regions of said fibrous layer having higher percentages of superabsorbent than other length-wise selected superabsorbent-containing regions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An absorbent article, comprising:
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a substantially integral fibrous layer of hydrophilic fibers; and a quantity of superabsorbent particles dispersed within said fibers and arranged to provide a nonuniform distribution of superabsorbent along a length dimension of said fibrous layer, said nonuniform superabsorbent distribution increasing or decreasing in two or more discrete stages, as observed when moving along said length dimension. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An absorbent article, comprising:
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a substantially integral fibrous layer of hydrophilic fibers; a quantity of a first type of superabsorbent particles dispersed within said fibers and arranged in a first, nonuniform distribution along a length dimension of said fibrous layer; a quantity of at least a second type of superabsorbent particles dispersed within said fibers and arranged in a second selected distribution along said length dimension of the fibrous layer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification