Absorbent core and absorbent articles comprising said core

An absorbent article (10, 20, 300, 500, 600) comprising an absorbent core (101, 501, 601) sandwiched between a topsheet (520, 620) and a backsheet (521, 621),

• wherein said core comprises:
• a front portion (122);
• a back portion (124);
• a middle portion (126) positioned between the front portion (122) and the back portion (124);
• and
• a longitudinal axis extending along a length of said core (101, 501, 601, 701) and crossing said front, middle and back portions (122, 126, 124),
• the absorbent core (101, 501, 601, 701) having a width extending perpendicular to said length and a perimeter comprising at least two opposing ends (102, 103) and at least two opposing sides (104, 105) positioned between said ends (102, 103), said core (101, 501, 601, 701) being a multi-layer core comprising at least two distinct core layers (502, 503, 602, 603, 702, 703),
• characterized in that said core layers (502, 503, 602, 603, 702, 703) each comprise an absorbent material, and wherein a first core layer (502, 602, 702) comprises a channel (106) being substantially free of said absorbent material and having a first shape, and a second core layer (503, 603, 703) comprises a further channel (106′) being substantially free of said absorbent material and having a second shape and wherein the first and second core layers (502, 503, 602, 603, 702, 703) 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 or different and said first and second shapes are different to said third shape, wherein said shape is the perimeter or contour of said channel and further channel (106, 106′) when viewed over a plane formed by the core length and width,
• and wherein the backsheet comprises a print or graphic viewable from a garment-facing side of said article that substantially matches the shape and/or contour of at least the channel or the further channel (106, 106′), wherein the print or graphic comprises a first print or graphic and a second print or graphic, each substantially matching the shape and/or contour of either the channel (106) or the further channel (106′), and the first print or graphic having a first shade, and the second print or graphic having a second shade, wherein the first shade is different than said second shade.

An absorbent core (001, 501, 601, 701) comprising:

• a front portion (122);
• a back portion (124);
• a middle portion (126) positioned between the front portion (122) and the back portion (124);
• and
• a longitudinal axis extending along a length of said core (101, 501, 601, 701) and crossing said front, middle and back portions (122, 126, 124), the absorbent core (101, 501, 601, 701) having a width extending perpendicular to said length and a perimeter comprising at least two opposing ends (102, 103) and at least two opposing sides (104, 105) positioned between said ends (102, 103), said core (101, 501, 601, 701) being a multi-layer core comprising at least two distinct core layers (502, 503, 602, 603, 702, 703), characterized in that said core layers (502, 503, 602, 603, 702, 703) each comprise an absorbent material, and wherein a first core layer (502, 602, 702) comprises a channel (106) being substantially free of said absorbent material and having a first shape, and a second core layer (503, 603, 703) comprises a further channel (106′) being substantially free of said absorbent material and having a second shape and wherein the first and second core layers (502, 503, 602, 603, 702, 703) are disposed one on top of the other such that a third channel shape is formed along said core length and width, wherein said first and second shapes are substantially the same or different and said first and second shapes are different to said third shape, wherein said shape is the perimeter or contour of said channel and further channel (106, 106′) when viewed over a plane formed by the core length and width, wherein the channel and further channel (106, 106′) are arranged such that only a portion of the channel (106) overlaps the further channel (106′), and wherein said channel and further channel (106, 106′) are mirror images of each other taken about an axis parallel to the core length, core width, or a combination thereof.