Abstract: An absorbent article includes a central absorbent assembly having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region interconnecting the front and back waist regions. Front side panels extend outward from the front waist region and back side panels extend outward from the back waist region. The article includes a pair of tabs. Each tab has an attachment region attached to one of the front side panels and the back side panels, and a tab region extending transversely outward from the attachment region and being releasably attachable to the other one of the front side panels and the back side panels. The one of the front side panels and the back side panels to which the attachment region of the tab is attached has a first stiffness and at least a portion of the tab region has a second stiffness greater than the first stiffness.

Abstract: An absorbent article has attachment regions having body adhesive. The attachment regions have a protected condition where the body adhesive is fully covered. The attachment regions are adapted to transition from the protected condition to a fixed donning condition where a portion of the body adhesive is exposed and a portion of the body adhesive is covered. The attachment regions are adapted to transition from the fixed donning condition to a fully exposed condition where the body adhesive is fully exposed.

Abstract: Absorbent articles with carefully controlled stretch properties are disclosed. In particular, the absorbent articles have a percentage of stretch in the lateral direction at the widest portion in the front region of the article and/or in the back region in the range of from about 25% to about 150%. Additionally, at least about 70% of the above stretch resides in a first edge zone and in a second edge zone of the chassis. The first edge zone and the second edge zone are separated by a middle zone. The middle zone, which has the same length as each edge zone, is stretchable, but to a lesser extent than the edge zones. Through this construction, the absorbent article exhibits improved fit and appearance. Of particular advantage, the carefully controlled stretch properties prevent sagging or drooping of the crotch region, even after the crotch region has been wetted.

Abstract: Packaged garments having pre-fastened, refastenable seams tucked in a certain position can preserve fastener performance. Such refastenable seams are particularly suitable for side seams on pant-like absorbent garments. Prior to packaging the garment, the refastenable seams are pre-fastened and tucked into the garment such that any resilient fastening components lie flat in a plane parallel to a plane in which front and back waist portions of the garment lie. When the garment is compressed and packaged, the resilient fastening components remain flat and do not become creased or crushed.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are disclosed for manufacturing several distinct disposable absorbent articles on a single machine. The apparatus includes three sections. The first section is capable of forming an absorbent assembly and cutting the absorbent assembly into individual absorbent assemblies. The second section is capable of moving a bodyside liner into alignment with the individual absorbent assemblies and applying an outer cover to the individual absorbent assemblies to form a continuous web having a primary stretch in a cross direction. The second section is further capable of adding at least three components to the web. The third section is capable of severing the continuous web into individual absorbent articles which can then be folded, stacked and packaged.

Abstract: A prefastened absorbent garment is manufactured with its longitudinal axis in the machine direction. A web of garment chassis material extending in the machine direction is overlaid with a side panel web. The side panel web is attached at opposite width borders of the chassis web and has one or more complementary fasteners opposing each other in the longitudinal axis direction of the garment chassis web. The garment can be folded to place the complementary fasteners in releasable engagement and individuated from the combined chassis and side panel webs.

Abstract: A boxer-style pant and a method of making a boxer-style pant having side seams and hanging legs. Expandable material is used to provide a conforming fit and to expedite high-speed manufacture. The pant is made from a web and includes a garment shell having a front region, a back region, and a crotch region positioned between the front and back regions. The side seams connect the front region to the back region. The garment shell may be essentially composed of an expandable material that is selectively expanded in certain areas of the garment, and/or an expandable material may be attached to the garment shell in the crotch region and/or in the back region.

Abstract: An absorbent pant garment including a pair of front and back side panels on opposite transverse sides of the garment, with a refastenable seam formed between the front and back side panels including a fastening component on the front side panel and a mating fastening component on the back side panel, with elasticity in the front and/or back side panel. Each of the front and back side panels includes a waist and a leg end edge, with a portion of the waist end edge and a portion of the leg end edge substantially parallel to one another adjacent a distal edge for a distance greater than a transverse width of the fastening component or mating fastening component bonded thereto.

Abstract: A pant has a garment shell. The garment shell includes a front region, a back region, a contracted crotch region, side seams connecting the front region to the back region, two leg openings, and hanging legs. At least a portion of each of the front region, the back region, the contracted crotch region and the hanging legs include portions of a single flat web. The hanging legs include no elasticization around a full periphery of the leg openings and are adapted to hang loosely about a wearer's thigh.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing body adhering absorbent articles orientated in the cross-machine direction, body adhering absorbent article having reduced or eliminated curl. The articles are manufactured with reduced curl by selectively reducing or eliminating the shell elastic tension in regions where components of the body adhering absorbent article are to be attached to form the composite absorbent article web. In certain aspects the body adhering absorbent articles are manufactured by supplying an elastic web of shell material having a longitudinal and transverse direction, that is stretchable only in the transverse direction, attaching at least one component to form a composite web material, and cutting the composite web material to form a body adhering absorbent article.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods of manufacturing a body adhering absorbent article oriented in the machine direction wherein the body adhering absorbent articles have reduced or eliminated curl. The articles are manufactured with reduced curl by selectively reducing or eliminating the shell elastic tension in regions where components of the body adhering absorbent article are to be attached to form the composite absorbent article web. In certain aspects the body adhering absorbent articles are manufactured by supplying an elastic web of shell material having a longitudinal and transverse direction, stretching the web of shell material in the longitudinal direction, deadening at least one region of the stretched web of shell material, attaching at least one absorbent article component to at least a portion of the longitudinal deadened zone to form a composite web material, and cutting the composite web material to form a body adhering absorbent article.

Abstract: An absorbent pant garment having a leg opening shape and fastener placement that, together, minimize the likelihood of fastener pop-opens during use. The garment includes a pair of front and back side panels on opposite transverse sides of the garment, with a refastenable seam formed between the front and back side panels including a fastening component on the front side panel and a mating fastening component on the back side panel, with elasticity in the front and/or back side panel. Each of the front and back side panels includes a waist end edge and a leg end edge, with a portion of the waist end edge and a portion of the leg end edge substantially parallel to one another adjacent a distal edge for a distance greater than a transverse width of the fastening component or mating fastening component bonded thereto.

Abstract: An absorbent article is provided for personal wear about a wearer's waist. The article includes a pair of front side panels attached to the front waist region and a pair of back side panels attached to the back waist region, and is configurable from a wear configuration to a disposal configuration in which the article is generally compacted for disposal. The article also includes a disposal tab having an attachment region with an attachment width and a tab region with a gripping width, the attachment region attached to one of the front or back side panels, the tab region being attachable to the article in at least the disposal configuration of the article, wherein the attachment width is substantially equal to the gripping width.

Abstract: Absorbent articles are disclosed that include a machine readable code. The machine readable code, once scanned by a suitable reader device, provides access to information related to the absorbent article. The information may relate to use or disposal of the article. In other embodiments, the information may comprise promotional materials, such as coupons, rebates and news about related products, new products, or the like. The present disclosure is particularly directed to applying and positioning the machine readable codes on the absorbent articles so that the codes are noticeable and can be scanned.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes a front waist region, a back waist region and a crotch region. The front and back waist regions are permanently attached or releasably attachable to each other by an article fastening system to define a wear configuration of the absorbent article. The article is configurable from the wear configuration to a disposal configuration. A disposal tab has an attachment region attached to one of the sides of the article and extends a greatest length La along at least a portion of a length Lp of one of the sides. A tab region extends transversely outward from the attachment region a greatest distance Dt and is attachable to the article in at least the disposal configuration of the article. The attachment region has a first surface attached to one of the sides of the article and a second surface that defines part of the article fastening system.

Abstract: A boxer-style pant and methods of making a boxer-style pant having side seams and hanging legs. At least a portion of each of the hanging legs may be non-planar in an uncontracted state prior to formation of the side seams. The methods each involve providing at least one web. In some methods, a crotch panel is bonded to first and second regions of the web between two leg openings, and a distance between bonded regions of upper and lower edges of the crotch panel, measured parallel to a longitudinal axis of the pant, is shorter along a central region of the crotch panel and longer in distal regions of the crotch panel, such that the bonded region results in a bow-tie-shaped crotch panel. In some methods, a crotch region of the web is folded and stabilized along a longitudinal centerline of the web. In some methods, leg extensions are attached to at least a portion of each of two leg openings. Front and back regions may be joined together to form the side seams.

Abstract: An absorbent article has front and back waist regions that define transversely opposite sides each extending a length Lp from a waist opening to a leg opening of the article. A disposal tab has an attachment region attached to one side of the article and extending a greatest length La along at least a portion of the length Lp of the side. A tab region of the tab extends transversely outward from the attachment region a greatest distance Dt and is attachable to the article in at least a disposal configuration of the article. The greatest length La of the attachment region is substantially greater than the greatest distance Dt that the tab region extends transversely outward from the attachment region. The greatest length La of the attachment region is in the range of about 35 percent to 100 percent of the length Lp of the side of the article.

Abstract: A boxer-style pant and a method of making a boxer-style pant having side seams, a contracted crotch region, and hanging legs. A web is provided. The web may be a single pant assembly, or a continuous web of multiple pant assemblies connected to one another. The web may be folded against a support structure. In certain embodiments, a multi-lane production system may be used wherein the web is folded against multiple support structures each parallel to a direction in which the web is conveyed, with each lane or machine direction array of pant assemblies folded against just one support structure. The web is cut to define leg openings, and contracted in selected areas along the web between the leg openings. Front and back regions are then joined together to form the side seams. An absorbent structure may be attached to the web.

Abstract: Absorbent articles with carefully controlled stretch properties are disclosed. In particular, the articles exhibit stretch not only in the lateral direction but also in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the articles have a biaxial stretch ratio, which refers to a ratio of stretch along the hip circumference of the article to the amount of stretch in the longitudinal direction, that is from about 1.0 to about 2.5, and particularly from about 1.1 to about 1.5. Absorbent articles made in accordance with the present invention are capable of accommodating a relatively large size range of wearers. The articles also exhibit improved fit and prevent sagging or drooping of the crotch region, even after the crotch region has been wetted.