Gary Dean Lavon, Liberty Township, OH; Thomas Henrich, Montgomery, OH; Luke Nogales, West Chester, OH; Kevin Michael Smith, Cincinnati, OH; and John Strube, Okeana, OH. Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH.
Filed: 5/4/09
Issued: 3/10/15
An absorbent article comprising: an absorbent assembly comprising an absorbent core; a chassis formed by a web comprising at least one continuous layer that forms a portion of a water-impermeable backsheet and a portion of laterally opposing, inwardly folded side flaps; the chassis further comprising a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, a front waist region comprising a front waist edge, a back waist region comprising a back waist edge, a crotch region between the waist regions, laterally opposing side edges extending between the front waist edge and the back waist edge, an exterior surface, and an interior surface to which the absorbent assembly is attached; each of the side flaps comprise a longitudinally extending first elastic gathering member attached at or adjacent to its proximal edge to form barrier cuff flaps; at least one abdominal stretch panel attached to the interior surface or the exterior surface of the chassis in the front waist region or the back waist region and having a circumferentially extending longitudinally distal edge disposed at or adjacent to the respective waist edge and a longitudinally opposing circumferentially extending longitudinally proximal edge, the at least one abdominal stretch panel providing a circumferential contractive force around the waist opening when the chassis is stretched circumferentially; and the chassis further comprises a continuously activated region disposed in one or both of the front and back waist regions of the article, the continuously activated region comprising longitudinally oriented ridges and valleys, wherein the continuously activated region overlaps the portion of the chassis where the at least one abdominal stretch panel is disposed.