A tampon including a pledget, a wicking member and a withdrawal cord is disclosed. The pledget includes a mass of fibrous absorbent material disposed within or between one or more layers of an outer cover formed of a first nonwoven web material. The wicking member includes a second nonwoven web material distinct from the first nonwoven web material and the withdrawal cord. The wicking member is joined in direct contact with a surface of the pledget, and has a width less than the width of the pledget width.

In the manufacture of a tampon, an absorbent structure composed of an absorbent material can be formed into a tampon blank. In various embodiments, a withdrawal element can be attached to the absorbent structure either before or after the absorbent structure is formed into a tampon blank. The tampon blank can then undergo a compression step which can result in the pledget of the tampon. The pledget, and resultant tampon, can have at least one linear channel and at least one non-linear channel.

The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for making tampons including primary and secondary absorbent members. During assembly, primary absorbent members, a continuous length of secondary absorbent members, and a continuous cord are advanced in a machine direction. Leading edges of the primary absorbent members are separated from each other in the machine direction by a pitch distance. Discrete secondary absorbent members are cut from the continuous length of secondary absorbent members. Leading edges of the discrete secondary absorbent members are also separated from each other in the machine direction by the pitch distance. The continuous cord is positioned on the secondary absorbent members. And a secondary absorbent member is positioned in contact with a primary absorbent member. A thread is combined with the continuous cord, the secondary absorbent member, and the primary absorbent member.

The present disclosure describes a tampon article, a composite fibrous web, and a method of making same. Such an article includes an outer carrier component including an inner surface that defines an internal void. Including an absorbent component elongate along an axis and is disposed in the internal void. The absorbent component includes an outer surface that extends about the axis and faces the inner surface. The absorbent component further includes a composite fibrous web of staple cellulosic fibers and a meltspun web of filaments entangled with the web of staple cellulosic fibers. The composite fibrous web can be in a compressed configuration in the internal void such that at least portion of the outer surface of the absorbent component is defined by the meltspun web of filaments. The tampon can include a withdrawal cord coupled to the absorbent component.

A tampon pledget is made by assembling one or more pads in a pad compression configuration, radially compressing the pad compression configuration in a traverse direction into a cylindrical form, and axially compressing the cylindrical form in a direction along a vertical axis to form the tampon pledget. In one embodiment, the axial compression is performed as a pressure is applied to at least one of a first and a second end of the cylindrical form. In one aspect of the present invention, the formed tampon pledget has an absorbent capacity as measured by the syngyna test of between about 6.0 grams to 9.0 grams and a density of about 0.4603 grams/cubic centimeter. In another aspect of the invention, the formed tampon pledget has an absorbent capacity as measured by the syngyna test of between about 9.0 grams to 12.0 grams and a density of about 0.4755 grams/cubic centimeter.

A tampon including a pledget, a wicking member disposed in direct contact with the pledget, and a withdrawal cord is disclosed. The wicking member is non-coaxially arranged with respect to the withdrawal cord.

The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for making tampons including primary and secondary absorbent members. During assembly, primary absorbent members, a continuous length of secondary absorbent members, and a continuous cord are advanced in a machine direction. Leading edges of the primary absorbent members are separated from each other in the machine direction by a pitch distance. Discrete secondary absorbent members are cut from the continuous length of secondary absorbent members. Leading edges of the discrete secondary absorbent members are also separated from each other in the machine direction by the pitch distance. The continuous cord is positioned on a first surface of the secondary absorbent members. And a second surface of a secondary absorbent member is positioned in contact with and in a facing relationship with a primary absorbent member. A thread is sewn through the continuous cord, the secondary absorbent member, and the primary absorbent member.

Tampons that provide a balance of adequate absorption with sufficient expansion properties during absorption and a relatively small initial diameter for comfortable insertion are provided.

A tampon including a pledget, a wicking member disposed in direct contact with the pledget, and a withdrawal cord is disclosed. The wicking member is non-coaxially arranged with respect to the withdrawal cord.

Tampons that provide a balance of adequate absorption with sufficient expansion properties during absorption and a relatively small initial diameter for comfortable insertion are provided.