Method of manufacturing an absorbent core for a disposable absorbent hygiene article

1 . A method of manufacturing an absorbent core for a disposable absorbent hygiene article, the method comprising;

providing a first core cover web having a first surface and a second surface and advancing the first core cover web in a machine direction, the first core cover web having side edges extending in the machine direction, with a first lower core cover width being defined between the side edges of the first core cover web, in a cross-machine direction, the cross machine direction being perpendicular to the machine direction;

introducing at least one pleat in the first core cover web, the at least one pleat extending in the machine direction between the side edges of the first core cover web and forming a pleated first core cover web having a second core cover width between the side edges of the pleated first core cover web, the second core cover width being smaller than the first core cover width;

applying an adhesive to the first surface of the pleated first core cover web;

advancing the pleated first core cover web onto a mat-forming surface of a mat-former, the mat-former having a recess arranged in the mat-forming surface, the recess having an air permeable bottom surface and comprising at least one channel-forming element, the at least one channel-forming element being arranged on the bottom surface of the recess and protruding from the bottom surface of the recess;

bringing the pleated first core cover web into conformance with the recess and the at least one channel-forming element on the bottom surface of the recess with the second surface of the first core cover web facing the bottom surface of the recess and causing the pleat in the first core cover web to at least partially unfold at the at least one channel-forming element;

applying absorbent material on the first surface of the first core cover web in the recess;

providing a second core cover web having a first surface and a second surface;

applying an adhesive on the first surface of the second core cover web;

applying the second core cover web to the first core cover web and to the absorbent material arranged on the first core cover web;

forming an absorbent laminate comprising the absorbent material, the second core cover web and the first core cover web, by pressing together the second core cover web and the first core cover web; and

forming individual absorbent cores by severing the absorbent laminate in the cross-machine direction.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein two or more pleats are introduced in the first core cover web.

3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the second core cover width is 65% to 97% of the first core cover width.

4 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the mat-former comprises a rotating mat-forming drum and the mat-forming surface is a peripheral surface of the mat-forming drum, the recess being arranged in the peripheral surface of the mat-forming drum.

5 . A method according to claim 4 , wherein the recess in the peripheral surface the mat-forming drum is a continuous recess extending around a circumference of the mat-forming drum.

6 . A method according to claim 5 , wherein each at least one channel-forming element consists of 2 to 15 element parts, the element parts being equidistantly distributed around the circumference of the mat-forming drum, and wherein the absorbent laminate is severed in the cross-machine direction between the element parts in the step of forming individual absorbent cores.

7 . A method according to claim 4 , wherein the recess in the peripheral surface of the mat-forming drum is one of a plurality of recesses in the peripheral surface of the mat-forming drum.

8 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein two or more channel-forming elements are arranged side-by-side on the bottom surface of the recess in the mat-forming surface, each of the two or more channel-forming elements extending in the machine direction.

9 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the absorbent material comprises cellulose pulp fibers and superabsorbent material.

10 . A method according to claim 9 , wherein the cellulose pulp fibers and the superabsorbent material are applied as a mixture on the first surface of the first core cover web in the recess in the mat-forming surface.

11 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the mixture of cellulose pulp fibers and superabsorbent material is a uniform mixture, the superabsorbent material constituting from 5% by weight to 80% by weight of the mixture.

12 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is uniformly distributed over the first surface of the pleated first core cover web.

13 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is selectively distributed over the first surface of the first core cover web, with no adhesive being applied in an area of the first core cover web corresponding to the location of the at least one channel-forming element.

14 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is uniformly distributed over the first surface of the second core cover web.

15 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is selectively distributed over the first surface of the second core cover web and/or wherein a higher concentration of adhesive is applied to the first surface of the second core cover web in an area corresponding to the location of the at least one channel-forming element.