01.21.03
A pant-like, disposable absorbent article has been patented. The article features a front and back waist region, a crotch region and a longitudinal and a lateral direction. The article also comprises an absorbent chassis, which defines an absorbent core, an exterior and interior surface, a pair of laterally opposed side edges and a pair of longitudinally opposed waist edges.
A pair of opposed side panels extend laterally outward from the chassis’ side edges and connect the front to the back waist region to define a waist opening and a pair of leg openings. The opposed side panels define a first side margin that is permanently attached to the side edge of the absorbent chassis in the front waist region to provide a pair of front permanent joints and a second side margin, which is permanently attached to the chassis’ side edge in the back waist region to provide a pair of back permanent joints. A fastener is located in one of the side panels and a line of weakness is located in the side panel separating the fastener from one of the front or back permanent joints. The fastener is released only after the line of weakness is broken and configured to refastenably engage one side panel to the exterior surface of the chassis in one of the article’s front or back waist regions.