Gerard A. Viens, Wyoming, OH; and Christopher Philip Bewick-Sonntag, Cincinnati, OH. Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH.

Filed: 9/27/18
Issued: 5/20/25

A sanitary napkin comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core, the absorbent core comprising a fluid acquisition/distribution layer and a fluid storage layer comprising particles of absorbent gelling material, wherein the fluid acquisition/distribution layer is a single integrated layer formed of a staple fiber nonwoven comprising a plurality of strata including a wearer-facing stratum and a garment facing stratum, the staple fiber nonwoven comprising a combination of staple fibers including bicomponent fibers and cellulosic fibers, wherein the cellulosic fibers are present in greater weight percentage in the garment-facing stratum and lesser weight percentage in the wearer-facing stratum; wherein the bicomponent fibers have a PE/PET sheath-core configuration; wherein the staple fiber nonwoven is heat stiffened, wherein at least a portion of individual ones of the bicomponent fibers are bonded together via bonds between sheaths thereof; wherein the cellulosic fibers and the bicomponent fibers are integrated within the single integrated layer, wherein the wearer facing stratum comprises from about 10% to about 50% by weight of cellulosic fibers and from about 10% to about 50% by weight of bicomponent fibers, wherein the garment facing stratum comprises greater than 60% of cellulosic fibers, and wherein the fluid acquisition/distribution layer has a caliper of between about 2 millimeters and about 4 millimeters and a basis weight of 100 gsm to 175 gsm.