Ernesto Gabriel Bianchi, Oberursel, Germany; Bruno Johannes Ehrnsperger, Bad Soden, Germany; Joerg Endres, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; and Julien René Garcia, Frankfurt, Germany.
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH.

Filed: 10/16/20
Issued: 11/18/25

An absorbent core extending in a longitudinal direction parallel to a longitudinal axis and a transversal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein the absorbent core comprises: a core wrap comprising a top side and a bottom side; an absorbent material between the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap; a first and second longitudinally-extending channel-forming areas substantially free of absorbent material, and wherein the first channel-forming area is on one side of the longitudinal axis and the second channel-forming area is on another side of the longitudinal axis; a central absorbent zone comprising absorbent material and disposed between the first and the second channel-forming areas; and a first lateral absorbent zone and a second lateral absorbent zone comprising absorbent material and disposed laterally outwardly of the first channel-forming area and the second channel-forming area respectively; wherein: a basis weight of the absorbent material in the central absorbent zone is higher than a basis weight of the absorbent material in each of the lateral absorbent zones for at least a first transversal section (S1) of the core having a first length in the longitudinal direction of at least 10 mm; the basis weight of the absorbent material in the central absorbent zone is lower than the basis weight of the absorbent material in each of the lateral absorbent zones for at least a second transversal section (S2) of the core having a second length in the longitudinal direction of at least 10 mm; and wherein at least one transversal folding line is formed in a transversal section (S4) of the core, wherein the transversal section (S4) comprises a minimum basis weight in the lateral absorbent zones relative to the neighboring regions of the lateral absorbent zones, so that the transversal section (S4) of minimum basis weight acts as a folding line, wherein the transversal section (S4) is oriented parallel to the transversal direction, wherein the transversal section (S4) comprises a longitudinal length of 5 mm to 30 mm, and wherein the transversal section (S4) extends laterally up to longitudinal side edges of the absorbent core.