The present disclosure relates to methods for making elastomeric laminates that may be used as components of absorbent articles. Aspects of the methods for assembling elastomeric laminates may utilize elastic strands supplied from beams that may be joined with first and second substrates, and may be configured to carry out various types of operations, such as bonding and splicing operations.

A through-air thermally bonded nonwoven fabric is provided. The nonwoven fabric can include a first surface and a second surface and a visually discernible pattern of three-dimensional features on one of the first or second surface. Each of the three-dimensional features can define a microzone comprising a first region and a second region. The first and second regions can have a difference in values for an intensive property, wherein at least one of the surfaces has a TS7 value of less than about 15 dB V.sup.2 rms, and wherein the first surface has a TS7 value that is higher than the second surface TS7 value.

The present disclosure relates to one or a combination of an absorbent article's chassis, inner leg cuffs, outer leg cuffs, ear panels, side panels, waistbands, and belts that may comprise one or more pluralities of tightly spaced (less than 4 mm, less than 3 mm, less than 2 mm, and less than 1 mm) and/or very fine (less than 300, less than 200, less than 100 dtex) and/or low strain (less than 300%, less than 200%, less than 100%) elastics to deliver low pressure less than 1 psi (according to the conditions defined by the Pressure-Under-Strand method below) under the elastics, while providing adequate modulus of (between about 2 gf/mm and 15 gf/mm) to make the article easy to apply and to comfortably maintain the article in place on the wearer, even with a loaded core (holding at least 50 mls of liquid), to provide for the advantages described above.

A through-air thermally bonded nonwoven fabric is provided. The nonwoven fabric can include a first surface and a second surface and a visually discernible pattern of three-dimensional features on one of the first or second surface. Each of the three-dimensional features can define a microzone comprising a first region and a second region. The first and second regions can have a difference in values for an intensive property, wherein at least one of the surfaces has a TS7 value of less than about 15 dB V.sup.2 rms, and wherein the first surface has a TS7 value that is higher than the second surface TS7 value.

The present disclosure relates to methods for assembling elastomeric laminates, wherein elastic material may be stretched and joined with either or both first and second substrates. First spools are rotated to unwind first elastic strands from a first unwinder in a machine direction. The first elastic strands are positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate to form an elastomeric laminate. Before the first elastic strands are completely unwound from the rotating first spools, second spools are rotated to unwind second elastic strands from a second unwinder. Subsequently, the advancement of the first elastic strands from the first unwinder is discontinued. Thus, the elastomeric laminate assembly process may continue uninterrupted while switching from an initially utilized elastic material drawn from the first spools to a subsequently utilized elastic material drawn from the second spools.

Nonwoven fabrics having a plurality of fibers that are bonded to each other to form a coherent web, wherein the fibers comprise a blend of a polylactic acid (PLA) and at least one secondary alkane sulfonate are provided. The nonwoven fabrics exhibit increased tensile strengths, elongation and toughness.

A meltblown nonwoven formed from a bicomponent fiber, wherein: the bicomponent fiber has a first region and a second region, the first region is formed from a first composition comprising at least 75 wt. % of a polypropylene; the second region is formed from a second composition comprising at least 75 wt. % of an ethylene/alpha-olefin interpolymer.

Disclosed is an absorbent body for an absorbent article, comprising: 1) a first topsheet facing the wearer, the first topsheet being a water permeable nonwoven layer comprising eccentric bicomponent fibers, and having a basis weight of at least about 20 gsm, 2) a second topsheet disposed on the garment facing side of the first topsheet, the second topsheet being a nonwoven layer comprising spunbond fibers and having a positive, at least about 100%, Accumulative One-way Transport Capacity according to the National Standards of the People's Republic of China GB/T 21655.2-2009, wherein the basis weight of the second topsheet is the same or smaller than the basis weight of the first topsheet; 3) an absorbent core disposed on the garment facing side of the second topsheet, and 4) a water impermeable backsheet disposed on the garment facing side of the absorbent core.

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.

A through-air bonded nonwoven fabric comprises a first surface and a second surface and a visually discernible pattern of three-dimensional features on one of the first or second surfaces. Each of the three-dimensional features define a microzone comprising a first region and a second region. The first and second regions have a difference in values for an intensive property, wherein in at least one of the microzones, the first region exhibits a Contact Angle of greater than 90 degrees, as measured by the Contact Angle Test Method, and wherein the second region exhibits a Time to Wick of less than 10 seconds, as measured by the Time to Wick Test Method.