Method of forming an absorbent article

Claim 1

The method of making a disposable absorbent pad comprising the steps of: collecting a quantity of raw materials including both hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials, said hydrophobic materials being at least in part thermoplastic sheet material; simultaneously comminuting said raw materials together to provide a mixture of non-fibrous hydrophobic particles and hydrophilic fibers; forming said mixture of particles and fibers into a fibrous web comprising a mass of said hydrophilic fibers and a matrix of said non-fibrous hydrophobic particles dispersed throughout said web in interfiber spaces defined by said fibers; simultaneously heating and compressing said web to fuse said hydrophobic particles to said hydrophilic fibers without completely destroying said particles; winding said web into a feed roll; providing a second feed roll containing compressed hydrophilic materials; unwinding webs from said first and said second feed rolls; simultaneously comminuting portions of said webs into a fibrous mass; and, forming said fibrous mass into sections as pads, said unwinding and simultaneous comminuting being controlled such that said pads include 1 to 15 percent by weight said non-fibrous hydrophobic particles and 85 to 99 percent by weight said hydrophilic fibers.

Claim 2

The method of making a disposable absorbent pad comprising the steps of: collecting a quantity of raw materials including both hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials, said hydrophobic materials being at least in part thermoplastic sheet material; simultaneously comminuting said raw materials together to provide a mixture of non-fibrous hydrophobic particles and hydrophilic fibers; forming said mixture of particles and fibers into a fibrous web comprising a mass of said hydrophilic fibers and a matrix of said non-fibrous hydrophobic particles dispersed throughout said web in interfiber spaces defined by said fibers; simultaneously heating and compressing said web to fuse said hydrophobic particles to said hydrophilic fibers without completely destroying said particles; winding said web into a feed roll; providing a second feed roll containing compressed hydrophilic materials; unwinding webs from said first and said second feed rolls; simultaneously comminuting portions of said webs into a fibrous mass; and, forming said fibrous mass into sections as pads, said unwinding and simultaneous comminuting being controlled such that said pads include 1 to 15 percent by weight said non-fibrous hydrophobic particles and 85 to 99 percent by weight said hydrophilic fibers.