Beth Johnson, Appleton, WI; Sarah Kleuskens, Neenah, WI; James R Niedt, Grand Chute, WI; Kyle M Barriger, Neenah, WI; Timothy A. Thorson, Neenah, WI; and Victor Stevens, Cape Town, South Africa.
Assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI.

Filed: 5/23/18
Issued: 6/13/23

An absorbent article extending in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, the article including front region, a crotch region, and a rear region, the article having a first longitudinal side edge and a second longitudinal side edge and further comprising: an absorbent insert having an insert front waist edge and an insert rear waist edge and comprising an outer cover, a liner, and an absorbent core disposed between the outer cover and the liner; a first waist panel bonded to the outer cover of the absorbent insert through an adhesive bonding region and comprising a weakened region, the first waist panel having a first waist panel bottom edge, a first waist panel top edge, an outer first waist panel surface, and an inner first waist panel surface, the first waist panel further comprising a first waist band portion and a first chassis portion, each of the first waist band portion and the first chassis portion comprising one or more elastic elements; and a second waist panel coupled to the absorbent insert, wherein the adhesive bonding region bonding the first waist panel to the absorbent insert forms a first attachment region, the first attachment region extending continuously between a first attachment region longitudinal side edge disposed proximate a first longitudinal side edge of the absorbent insert, a first attachment region top edge disposed proximate the insert front waist edge, and a first attachment region bottom edge disposed proximate the first waist panel bottom edge, wherein the first waist panel is bonded to the second waist panel proximate the first side edge of the absorbent article and the second side edge of the absorbent article, wherein a first one of the elastic elements of the first waistband portion is spaced laterally from a second one of the elastic elements of the first waistband portion forming a waistband non-elasticized region laterally between the first one of the elastic elements and the second one of the elastic elements, and wherein the weakened region extends at least partially between the first waist panel bottom edge and the first waist panel top edge and through the waistband non-elasticized region.