03.28.06
A personal care article having a lateral cross-direction and a lengthwise longitudinal direction has been issued a patent. The article includes a front portion, a rear portion, and a crotch portion interconnecting the front and rear portions. The personal care article includes an article substrate comprising an outer cover and a bodyside liner. The substrate has a first waistband section in the front portion and a second waistband section in the rear portion. At least one of the first waistband section and the second waistband section are resiliently stretchable along at least the cross-direction. The first waistband section has first laterally opposed end regions and a second waistband section has second laterally opposed end regions.
Also included is an absorbent structure comprising an absorbent core between the outer cover and the bodyside liner. The absorbent core is operable for receiving and storing exudates. Extendable attachment elements secure the absorbent structure to the outer cover while accommodating resilient stretching of the outer cover along the cross-direction. The extendable attachment elements accommodate resilient stretching of at least one of the first and second waistband sections, of at least about 5% elongation, as determined with respect to an unstretched condition of the respective waistband section.
A fastener apparatus is configured to hold the personal care article on a wearer. The fastener apparatus is disposed at each laterally opposed end region of one of the first and second waistband sections.
First and second substantially non-stretchable grasping panels are effectively free of fastening properties, and are located at laterally opposed end regions of the other of the first and second waistband sections. The non-stretchable grasping panels are attached to the substrate at portions of the substrate that are stretchable in the cross-direction. A fastener landing zone is located between the first and second grasping panels at the outer cover for receiving and securing to the fastener apparatus.