ONTEX GROUP NV

An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core sandwiched between a liquid permeable topsheet and a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an acquisition distribution layer positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, wherein the absorbent core comprises absorbent material selected from the group consisting of cellulose fibers, superabsorbent polymers and combinations thereof, wherein said absorbent core comprises at least one core wrap substrate enclosing said absorbent material, and wherein a top layer of said core wrap is adhered to a bottom layer of said core wrap to form one or more channels substantially free of said absorbent material, wherein said channels have a length extending along a longitudinal axis and the absorbent core has a length extending along said longitudinal axis and wherein the length of said channels is from 10% to 95% of the length of said absorbent core and wherein said channels each follow a substantially continuous path such as from a first end of a channel to a second end of the same channel wherein the acquisition distribution layer comprises a spunbond and/or carded nonwoven layer comprising synthetic fibers, wherein said synthetic fibers are comprised at a level of greater than 80% wt by weight of said acquisition distribution layer, and wherein said acquisition distribution layer has a basis weight of from 10 to 50 g/m 2 .

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for making air-laid fibrous articles, as well as absorbent hygiene products comprising such air-laid fibrous articles as absorbent core. It comprises a plurality of discrete pockets ( 1 ) defining the shape of the articles disposed in a circumferential relationship about the periphery of a rotatable deposition drum ( 50 ) comprising a disk-shaped backing plate ( 2 ), characterized in that the discrete pockets ( 1 ) are removably attached to interfacing segments ( 6 ) which are themselves removably attached to the backing plate ( 2 ). The present invention aims to provide an easier and quicker way of interchanging the pockets and to provide an improved handling of different pocket sizes.

The invention pertains to an assembly ( 1 ) comprising a sanitary napkin ( 10 ) and a wrapper ( 30 ), the sanitary napkin ( 10 ) being maintained in a folded configuration by the wrapper ( 3 ), the wrapper ( 3 ) extends in longitudinal, transversal and vertical directions (L,T,V) and comprises a corresponding length (L), width (W) and thickness (H) respectively, the folded sanitary napkin ( 10 ) also extending in said longitudinal, transversal and vertical directions, comprises a corresponding length (L 10 ), width (W 10 ) and thickness (H 10 ), a top surface ( 4 ) and a bottom surface ( 6 ), the wrapper ( 30 ) comprises an upper strip ( 36 ) being in contact with the top surface ( 4 ) of the folded sanitary napkin ( 10 ) and a lower strip ( 38 ) being in contact with the bottom surface ( 6 ) of the folded sanitary napkin ( 10 ), the upper strip ( 36 ) and bottom strip ( 38 ) each comprising a respective width (W 36 , W 38 ) and length (L 36 , L 38 ), the upper and lower strips ( 36,38 ) being bonded together at both their longitudinal ends, characterized in that the length (L 36 , L 38 ) of at least one of the upper or lower strips ( 36,38 ) is greater than the length (L 10 ) of the sanitary napkin ( 10 ) in a folded state and the width (W 36 , W 38 ) of both the upper strip and the lower strips ( 8, 10 ) is lesser than the width (W 10 ) of the sanitary napkin ( 10 ) in a folded state.

A substantially cuboid reclosable flexible package ( 8 ) for transporting multiple personal hygiene absorbent articles “on-the-go” is disclosed. It has a front wall ( 81 ), a rear wall ( 82 ), two opposed side walls ( 83,83 ′) and two opposed end walls ( 84,84 ′). It includes a stack of at least two personal hygiene absorbent articles ( 1,100 ) comprising a garment attachment adhesive covered by a removable release paper ( 2 ), and which are folded inwardly with the removable release paper ( 2 ) exposed. The folded absorbent articles are free of an individual wrapping pouch and comprise closure means ( 7 ) for securing said folding. The package ( 8 ) is made of a plastic or paper wrap sealed at one position on either the front ( 81 ), the rear ( 82 ), or one of the two side walls ( 83,83 ′), and on the two end walls ( 84,84 ′). It comprises, on at least one wall, a tear-open flap ( 86 ) limited by at least one tearing line ( 87 ).

The current invention concerns a laminate ( 2 ) for an absorbent article, preferably to be used as the backsheet of said absorbent article, said laminate ( 2 ) comprising: —a first layer ( 4 ) comprising a fibrous material such as a nonwoven material; —a second layer ( 6 ) comprising a film; —a third layer ( 8 ) comprising an adhesive; —the third layer ( 8 ) being arranged between the first ( 4 ) and second ( 6 ) layer; wherein the adhesive in the third layer ( 8 ) is applied in a pattern, said pattern comprising: —a first sub-pattern ( 10 ) comprising a frame ( 12 ) following the perimeter of the laminate ( 2 ) and defining an inner surface, said first sub-pattern ( 10 ) comprising a first amount of adhesive; —a second sub-pattern ( 14 ) arranged within the inner surface of the frame ( 12 ), said second sub-pattern ( 14 ) comprising a second amount of adhesive, the second amount of adhesive being less than the first amount of adhesive. The invention also concerns an absorbent article comprising such laminate and a process for manufacturing such laminate.

The present disclosure relates to absorbent hygiene articles having a substantially continuous channel ( 4 ) and a wetness indicator ( 5 ) which can indicate the presence of a liquid bodily exudate in the article. The continuously extending wetness indicator ( 5 ), as seen from the garment-facing side of the article, is coincident with the longitudinal center line (LCL) of the article and comprises an overlapping portion ( 51 ) superposed with at least part of the longitudinally extending channel central section ( 41 ), and an exposed portion ( 52 ) superposed with absorbent material at least partially surrounded by channel sections ( 42,43 ) closer to the front transverse edge ( 3 ) of the article. Such a combination of channel and wetness indicator may offer an easy-to-manufacture absorbent article able to indicate a sequence of wetting events and to give an accurate indication of how full the article is.

A method for inspecting disposable absorbent articles, the method comprising: providing a controller comprising an inspection algorithm with a convolutional neural network; providing a sensor, preferably selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, thermal sensor, and combinations thereof; the sensor being in data communication with the controller; providing a reference database, wherein the reference database comprises a plurality of pre-processed images of disposable absorbent articles and/or components thereof that have been labeled with one or more of: a feature or element of the article and/or component thereof; a non-acceptable defect within a feature or element of the article and/or component thereof; an acceptable defect within a feature or element of the article and/or component thereof; an acceptable faultless feature or element of the article and/or component thereof; and combinations thereof; and the method comprising the steps of: training the convolutional neural network preferably through a plurality of iterations or epochs: optionally validating the training, wherein the training step is repeated until a mean average precision score (MAP) of at least 0.9 is attained according to the formula (I) where Q is the number of queries: advancing one or more substrates through a converting process along a machine direction to form an array of absorbent articles; creating a plurality of images of said array of absorbent articles with the sensor; transmitting the images from the sensor to the controller; determining at least one of the properties for the labeled component with the inspection algorithm; cutting the substrate into discrete articles; and based on the determination of the least one of the properties for the labeled component, executing a control action, wherein the control action is selected from the group of automatic rejection of one or more articles, automatic machine-setting adjustment, a warning signal for machine maintenance scheduling. and a machine stop command. MAP = ∑ q = 1 Q AP ⁡ ( q ) Q ( I )

An absorbent core comprising: a front portion; a back portion; a middle portion positioned between the front portion and the back portion; and a longitudinal axis extending along a length of said core and crossing said front, middle and back portions, the absorbent core having a width extending perpendicular to said length and a perimeter comprising at least two opposing ends and at least two opposing sides positioned between said ends, said core being a multi-layer core comprising at least two distinct core layers, wherein a first core layer comprises a channel having a first shape and a second core layer comprises a further channel having a second shape and wherein the first and second core layers are disposed one on top of the other such that a third channel shape is formed along said core length and width, and wherein said first and second shapes are substantially the same and are different to said third shape.

An absorbent article comprising: a chassis comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and backsheet, and comprising a longitudinal axis extending along a length of said chassis and a transverse axis being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and extending along a width of said chassis, wherein said length extends along the longest dimension of said chassis; and at least one elastically elongatable panel joined to the chassis, wherein the elastically elongatable panel comprises: at least one cover layer; and an elastomeric film attached to the cover layer, wherein said/least one cover layer and elastomeric film are joined by mechanical bonding, at a plurality of discrete bonding elements and wherein each said panel comprises a plurality of wrinkles having peaks and troughs formed on at least one of said cover layer, wherein said panel comprises an average of no more than two, preferably no more than one, wrinkles between two consecutive discrete bonding elements along a panel length extending substantially parallel to the transverse axis, and preferably wherein said panel comprises a wrinkle distribution of at least 1.1 wrinkles/mm, according to the method herein.

The current invention concerns a forming pocket ( 10 ), suitable for forming moulded absorbent material deposit structures to be used as absorbent core for absorbent articles, the forming pocket ( 10 ), extending in a longitudinal, transversal and vertical direction (L,T,V), comprises: a grid structure ( 12 ) comprising a first set of grid members ( 18 ) and a second set of grid members ( 20 ), each set of grid members ( 18,20 ) comprising a plurality of plates ( 19,21 ), each plate ( 19,21 ) comprising a plurality of slits ( 22,26 ), a supporting frame ( 30 ) encasing said grid structure ( 12 ), said supporting frame ( 30 ) comprising a first set of frame elements ( 32 ) forming two opposite longitudinal walls ( 32 ) of the supporting frame ( 30 ) and a second set of frame elements ( 34 ) forming two opposite transversal walls of the supporting frame; a mesh substrate ( 40 ) arranged on said upper surface of the grid structure ( 12 ), and an insert ( 48 ) arranged on the upper surface of the mesh substrate ( 40 ), wherein the insert ( 48 ) is coupled to the grid structure ( 12 ) via movable fixation means ( 50 ).