Abstract: An article, including disposable articles and durable articles, includes one or more shaped thermoplastic members, which can be at least partially impregnated into one or more fibrous substrates forming a composite material of the article having regions of breathability, elasticity, and/or stiffening to provide desired functions of the article. The shaped thermoplastic members have a profiled thickness and/or basis weight providing variation in material properties. A percent variation of the profiled thickness of the thermoplastic member can vary from about 5% to about 95%. A process for manufacturing the composite material of the present invention is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a disposable absorbent article comprising a chassis defining a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region disposed between the front waist region and back waist region. The article includes a fastening system that includes one or more fastening devices, each having at least one tab member configured to releasably connect to a slot member when, for instance, fastening the article to the body of the wearer. A variable stiffness member is associated with at least a portion of the fastening device that, in response to a predetermined external stimulus, reduces its stiffness to correspondingly reduce the stiffness of the fastening device.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for forming thermoplastic material using rotary forging. A volume of a thermoplastic material is delivered. The thermoplastic material is transported between a first rotating forging device and a second rotating forging device. The first forging device defines a first forging region in its surface, which receives the thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic material is at or above a forging temperature and flows into the first void region and shapes a core element from the thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic material is substantially solidified into the core element. Then, the core element is transferred from the first rotating forging device.