Absorbent Article and Method of Manufacturing Same

A method of manufacturing an absorbent article using an absorbent element, comprising

• forming an absorbent body by accumulating a mixture of fibers and high absorbent polymer particles in at least one absorbent body mold while performing suction from a plurality of suction holes with
• a laterally disposed and rotationally driven fiber accumulating drum provided with, on an outer peripheral surface thereof, the absorbent body mold having a concave shape, a rotation direction corresponding to a front-back direction, and in a bottom face thereof, the plurality of suction holes,
• transferring the absorbent body formed in the absorbent body mold to an intermediate part in a width direction on an upper surface of a wrapping sheet, folding back parts of the wrapping sheet located at both sides of the absorbent body in the width direction to an upper side of the absorbent body, respectively, overlapping distal ends of folded portions to form a connecting portion, and bonding an internal surface of the wrapping sheet and an external surface of the absorbent body through a hot melt adhesive, thereby manufacturing the absorbent element obtained by wrapping the absorbent body in the wrapping sheet,
• wherein a total weight of the high absorbent polymer particles is larger than a total weight of the fibers in the absorbent body,
• the accumulating is performed such that a content rate of the high absorbent polymer particles of the absorbent body formed in the absorbent body mold increases stepwise or continuously from a bottom side toward an inlet side of the absorbent body mold, and
• the connecting portion of the wrapping sheet is incorporated in the absorbent article such that the connecting portion corresponds to a back face side of the absorbent body in the absorbent article.