# US 8,771,471 B2 · Process for making absorbent component > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,471 B2 - Document ID: US8771471B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/748,637 - Filed: 2013-01-24 - Published: 2013-09-05 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-05 - Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company - Applicants: The Procter & Gamble Company - Inventors: Anirudh Singh; Christopher Michael Young; Timothy Duane Smith; Steven Lee Barnholtz; Dirk Saevecke; Gina Isoldi; Florian Philip Rousselange; Norbert Matthias Stelzer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771471B2 ## CPC - A61F 13/15617: {Making absorbent pads from fibres or pulverulent material with or without treatment of the fibres} - D21C 9/007: {by mechanical or physical means} - D21H 11/16: modified by a particular after-treatment - D21H 11/18: Highly hydrated, swollen or fibrillatable fibres - D21H 15/02: characterised by configuration - D21H 15/04: crimped, kinked, curled or twisted fibres - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - D21C: PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR - D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A process for making an absorbent component comprising the steps of providing individual sheets of pulp; attaching a first individual pulp sheet to one or more second individual pulp sheets to form a strip of pulp; feeding the strip of pulp into a defiberizer; defiberizing the strip of pulp to form defiberized fibers; and depositing the defiberized fibers onto a forming surface to form the absorbent component. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for making an absorbent component, the process comprising the steps of: providing individual sheets of pulp, each sheet of pulp having a face; attaching a first individual pulp sheet to one or more second individual pulp sheets to form a strip of pulp, wherein the face of the first individual pulp sheet overlaps less than 30% of a surface area of the face of the second individual pulp sheet; feeding the strip of pulp into a defiberizer; defiberizing the strip of pulp to form defiberized fibers; and depositing the defiberized fibers onto a forming surface to form the absorbent component. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises the step of positioning at least a portion of the first individual pulp sheet in contact with at least a portion of at least one of the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 2, wherein the step of positioning comprises abutting at least a portion of the first individual pulp sheet to at least a portion of at least one of the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 2, wherein the step of positioning comprises overlapping at least a portion of the first individual pulp sheet with at least a portion of at least one of the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 1, wherein the step of attaching comprises mechanically attaching the first individual pulp sheet to at least one of the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 5, wherein the step of mechanically attaching comprises sewing the first individual pulp sheet to at least one of the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 5, wherein the step of mechanically attaching comprises dovetailing the first individual pulp sheet to the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 5, wherein the step of mechanically attaching comprises mechanically entangling the first individual pulp sheet to at least one of the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 5, wherein the step of mechanically attaching comprises needle punching the first individual pulp sheet to the one or more second individual pulp sheets, wherein one or more fibers of the first individual pulp sheet are in contact with one or more fibers of the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 5, wherein the step of mechanically attaching comprises interleaving the first individual pulp sheet to at least one of the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 1, wherein the step of attaching comprises adhering the first individual pulp sheet to at least one of the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 11, wherein the step of adhering comprises taping the first individual pulp sheet to at least one of the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 11, wherein the step of adhering comprises gluing the first individual pulp sheet to at least one of the one or more second individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 1, wherein the first individual pulp sheet comprises at least one edge, wherein the at least one edge is perpendicular to the machine direction of the defiberizer when feeding the strip of pulp into the defiberizer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 1, wherein the first individual pulp sheet comprises at least one edge, wherein the at least one edge is at an angle in the range of about 5 degrees to about 90 degrees to the machine direction of the defiberizer when feeding the strip of pulp into the defiberizer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 1, wherein the first individual pulp sheet comprises at least one edge, wherein the at least one edge is substantially parallel to the machine direction of the defiberizer when feeding the strip of pulp into the defiberizer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first individual pulp sheet is in the range of from about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises the step of removing the first individual pulp sheet from a stack comprising a plurality of individual pulp sheets. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises the step of depositing the first individual pulp sheet on a transfer device, wherein the transfer device moves the first individual pulp sheet toward the defiberizer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The process for making an absorbent component of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises the step of aligning the first individual pulp sheet on the transfer device, wherein the first individual pulp sheet comprises a first face and a second face, wherein the first face is substantially perpendicular to a plane of the transfer device.