ABSORBENT PRODUCT MADE FROM TWO LAYERS OF MATERIAL, ONE ELIPSOIDAL ATOP A HYPERBOLIC PORTION

摘要

Improved method and apparatus for forming absorbent products and the improved absorbent products formed thereby are disclosed. In a first embodiment of the present invention, a rotary die (100) is used to cut ellipsoidal and hyperbolic-shaped portions (52, 54) from a single sheet of material (50) and these shapes are overlaid to form an absorbent structure. The shapes are chosen such that there is no waste of the material and yet the resulting absorbent structure is of a useful shape. Methods are also disclosed whereby two sets of rotary dies are used to simultaneously cut two sheets of material into an arcuate segment and the arcuate segments are overlaid atop each other to form useful absorbent structures. In either embodiment, powders such as superabsorbents may be added to one or more of the surfaces of the components used to construct the absorbent structures. IMAGE