Method of making sanitary napkin comprising three dimensionally shaped tube of absorbent material

A method of making a shaped tube of absorbent material for an absorbent article, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a web of absorbent material, said web of absorbent material having a length, a width, a longitudinal centerline oriented in the direction of the length of said web of absorbent material, a first surface and an opposed second surface;
• (b) providing a cover for the first and second surfaces of said web of absorbent material;
• (c) at least partially covering the first and second surfaces of said web of absorbent material with said cover to form a tube-forming composite web of absorbent material having longitudinal side margins;
• (d) folding said tube-forming composite web at least once with folds defining fold lines that are arranged about the longitudinal centerline of the web of absorbent material;
• and
• (e) autogenously bonding a portion of said cover that covers said first surface of said web of absorbent material to a portion of said cover that covers an opposing portion of the second surface of said web of absorbent material, forming the shaped tube.

The method of making a shaped tube of absorbent material for an absorbent article comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a web of absorbent material, said web of absorbent material having a length, a width, a longitudinal centerline oriented in the direction of the length of said web of absorbent material, a first surface and an opposed second surface;
• (b) providing a cover for the first and second surfaces of said web of absorbent material;
• (c) at least partially covering the first and second surfaces of said web of absorbent material with said cover to form a tube-forming composite web of absorbent material having longitudinal side margins;
• (d) folding said tube-forming composite web at least once with folds defining fold lines that are arranged about the longitudinal centerline of the web of absorbent material;
• folding the longitudinal side margins of said composite web inward toward the longitudinal centerline about a first longitudinally-oriented fold line to form a C-folded structure;
• folding the composite web inward about the longitudinal centerline so that the longitudinal side margins of said folded composite web are brought adjacent to each other;
• and
• (e) autogenously bonding a portion of said cover that covers said first surface of said web of absorbent material to a portion of said cover that covers an opposing portion of the second surface of said web of absorbent material, forming the shaped tube.