02.28.04
A disposable absorbent garment was recently patented. The article includes a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent core disposed between the two. The topsheet, backsheet and absorbent core are placed together to form a layered assembly including a front region, a back region and a crotch region between the front and back regions. The layered assembly has a longitudinal plane that extends centrally through the front, back and crotch regions.
The front and back regions also include a pair of ear portions extending in opposite lateral directions with respect to the longitudinal plane. At least one of the ear portions includes a layered section with an outer material layer featuring an inside surface and an outside surface.
The outside surface of the ear portion has a decorative or instructional display on it. The outside surface also features an elastic stretchable non-permanently elongated member extendible between a contracted configuration and an extended, non-permanently elongated configuration.
The inside surface of the ear portion is secured to a corresponding surface of the stretchable member when the stretchable member is in an extended configuration. When the outside surface is in a substantially planar configuration, the display is observable and the outer material layer is subsequently contractible then extendible with the stretchable member.
The outside surface can return to a planar configuration without permanent elongation of the outer material layer and the stretchable non-permanently elongated member. The display on the outside surface is unobscured and observable when the outside surface is in a planar position. The display is less observable and less unobscured when the stretchable member is in a contracted configuration.