03.16.04
A patent has been issued for a body fluid absorbent panel, comprised of a first sheet which is liquid-pervious and a second liquid-pervious sheet. There is a core between the first and second sheets, comprised of component fibers defining a three-dimensional network structure and absorbent polymer particles distributed in said network structure.
The structure contains polymer particles contained within the network structure which are the held between adjacent component fibers or bonded to the component fibers.
The component fibers are comprised of fibers of lower and higher melting points. The network structure has first spots at which the first fibers are fused together and second spots at which the first fibers are fused to the second fibers and bonds between the first fibers at where the first spots are stronger than bonds between the first and second fibers at the second spots.