# US 2014/0155855 A1 · Adjustable Pant-Like Disposable Undergarment With Attachment Assembly Concealing A Line Of Weakness And Method Of Manufacture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0155855 A1 - Document ID: US20140155855A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/690,534 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Applicants: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Inventors: Chadwick Irvin Romzek; Brian Keith Rhodes; Jason Andrew Verboomen; Bradley William Schoon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155855A1 ## CPC - A61F 13/15577: {Apparatus or processes for manufacturing} - A61F 13/15723: {Partitioning batts; Cutting} - A61F 13/49007: {Form-fitting, self-adjusting disposable diapers} - A61F 13/496: in the form of pants or briefs - A61F 13/565: {pants type diaper} - A61F 2013/49087: {having breakable lateral stitches or panels} - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract A method and apparatus for producing a pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment including a front body panel having a line of weakness is disclosed. The method includes providing a moving web having a waist end and a leg-cut-out end. The moving web is weakened to form a line of weakness defining a leading portion of the moving web and a trailing portion of the moving web at the line of weakness. Desirably, the line of weakness includes a series of weakened areas having a combined length in a cross-machine direction at least 85% of a distance between the waist end and the leg cut-out end. The method further includes passing it through a fastener attachment station to bridge the leading portion and the trailing portion of the moving web together with a fastener assembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment comprising: a. a body panel having a waist end and a leg-cut-out end; b. a fastener assembly attached to the body panel, wherein at least one side of the fastener assembly is releasably attached to the body panel; c. a line of weakness under the fastener assembly defining a first section of the body panel and a second section of the body panel attached at the line of weakness, the fastener assembly bridging the first section of the body panel and the second section of the body panel; and d. wherein the line of weakness comprises a series of weakened areas, the series of weakened areas having a combined length in a longitudinal direction at least 85% of a distance between the waist end and the leg cut-out end. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment of claim 1 wherein the series of weakened areas having a combined length in the longitudinal direction at least 90% of the distance between the waist end and the leg cut-out end. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment of claim 1 wherein the series of weakened areas having a combined length in the longitudinal direction at least 99% of the distance between the waist end and the leg cut-out end. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment of claim 1 wherein the line of weakness comprises a series of intermittent perforations. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment of claim 1 wherein the line of weakness comprises a scored web. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment of claim 1 wherein the line of weakness comprises: a. a first region at the waist end having a first perforation pattern; b. a second region at the leg cut-out end having a second perforation pattern; and c. a third region extending between the first region and second region, the third region having a third perforation pattern, wherein the third perforation pattern is different than the first and second perforation pattern. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment of claim 6 wherein the first and second perforation pattern comprise a first perforation length and the third perforation pattern comprises a second perforation length, wherein the first perforation length is greater than the second perforation length. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment of claim 7 wherein the first perforation length is greater than about 10 mm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment of claim 6 wherein the first and second perforation pattern comprise a first perforation length and the third perforation pattern comprises a second perforation length, wherein the first perforation length is less than the second perforation length. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment of claim 9 wherein the first perforation length is less than about 2 mm and the second perforation length is greater than 2 mm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment of claim 6 wherein the line of weakness further comprises a fourth region in a middle of the body panel, the fourth region having at least one perforation extending between 10% and 85% of the distance between the waist end and the leg cut-out end. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The pre-fastened adjustable pant-like disposable absorbent undergarment of claim 11 wherein the line of weakness further comprises a fifth region extending between the fourth region and the third region, the fifth region having a fourth perforation pattern comprising a perforation length of less than about 2 mm. ### Claim 13 A method of producing pre-fastened adjustable disposable absorbent garments, comprising: a. providing a moving web for use as a body panel having a waist end and a leg-cut-out end; b. weakening the moving web to form a line of weakness defining a leading portion of the moving web and a trailing portion of the moving web at the line of weakness, wherein the line of weakness comprises a series of weakened areas having a combined length in a cross-machine direction at least 85% of a distance between the waist end and the leg cut-out end; and c. attaching a fastener assembly to the moving web such that the leading portion and trailing portion remain bridged together by the fastener assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the series of weakened areas comprise a combined length in the cross-machine direction at least 90% of the distance between the waist end and the leg cut-out end. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the series of weakened areas having a combined length in the cross-machine direction at least 99% of the distance between the waist end and the leg cut-out end. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising providing the moving web on a stability control module selected from vacuum, surface roughness, needle/clamp engagement and combinations thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the line of weakness comprises a series of intermittent perforations. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the line of weakness comprises scoring the web to provide a weakened area. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the line of weakness comprises: a. a first region at the waist end having a first perforation pattern; b. a second region at the leg cut-out end having a second perforation pattern; and c. a third region extending between the first region and second region, the third region having a third perforation pattern, wherein the third perforation pattern is different than the first and second perforation pattern. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein the first and second perforation patterns comprise a first perforation length and the third perforation pattern comprises a second perforation length, wherein the first perforation length is greater than the second perforation length. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein the first perforation length is greater than about 10 mm. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein the first and second perforation patterns comprise a first perforation length and the third perforation pattern comprises a second perforation length, wherein the first perforation length is less than the second perforation length. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein the first perforation length is less than about 2 mm and the second perforation length is greater than 2 mm. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein the line of weakness further comprises a fourth region in a middle of the body panel, the fourth region having at least one perforation extending between 10% and 85% of the distance between the waist end and the leg cut-out end. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein the line of weakness further comprises a fifth region extending between the fourth region and the third region, the fifth region having a fourth perforation pattern comprising a perforation length of less than about 2 mm.