Disposable absorbent articles

A disposable pant for wearing about the lower torso of a wearer, the disposable pant including a chassis which has a topsheet, a backsheet attached to at least a portion of the top sheet, an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet;

• a front waist region disposed adjacent to a front waist edge, a back waist region disposed adjacent to a back waist edge, and a crotch region disposed between the front waist region and the back waist region;
• and a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, wherein the chassis has a periphery that is defined by the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge and the front waist edge and the back waist edge, wherein the absorbent core does not extend to the front waist edge and the back waist edge, the disposable pant further comprising:
• a pair of front side panels attached to the chassis in the front waist region, a first front side panel extending outward from the first longitudinal edge in the front waist region and a second front side panel extending outward from the second longitudinal edge in the front waist region;
• a pair of back side panels attached to the chassis in the back waist region, a first back side panel extending outward from the first longitudinal edge in the back waist region and a second back side panel extending outward from the second longitudinal edge in the back waist region, wherein the pair of front side panels and the pair of back side panels are capable of attaching to each other, thereby forming a waist opening and a pair of leg openings;
• and
• a waist member having a first segment attached to the topsheet in the front waist region and to each of the pair of front side panels and a second segment attached to the top sheet in the back waist region and to each of the pair of back side panels, wherein the first segment and the second segment are attached to a wearer-facing surface of the disposable pant and unattached to an outer-facing surface of the disposable pant, wherein the first segment and the second segment extend to the outer side edges of the front side panels and back side panels, wherein the first segment and the second segment can be attached such that the waist member can encircle a waist of a wearer when the disposable pant is donned on the wearer, and wherein the first segment extends outward from the front waist edge, and the second segment extends outward from the back waist edge, such that the waist member extends beyond the periphery of the chassis outward from the front waist edge or the back waist edge, such that at least a region of the first segment and at least a region of the second segment are visible from a vantage point external to the disposable absorbent article, thereby providing the appearance of a finished front waist edge and the appearance of a finished back waist edge.

A disposable pant-like absorbent article for wearing about the lower torso of a wearer, the disposable pant-like absorbent article including a chassis, an outer cover having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region disposed between the front waist region and the back waist region, a first backsheet layer which defines an outer surface of the disposable pant-like absorbent article, wherein the chassis has a periphery that is defined by longitudinal edges and a front waist edge and a back waist edge, the disposable pant-like absorbent article further comprising:

• (a.) a pair of elastically extensible front side panels attached to a portion of the first backsheet layer and disposed on a wearer-facing surface of the disposable pant-like absorbent article;
• (b.) a pair of elastically extensible back side panels attached to a portion of the first backsheet layer and disposed on the wearer-facing surface of the disposable pant-like absorbent article;
• (c.) an absorbent assembly having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, wherein the absorbent assembly comprises a topsheet, a second backsheet layer associated with the topsheet and an absorbent core disposed between said topsheet and the second backsheet layer, wherein the absorbent core does not extend to the front waist edge and the back waist edge, wherein the second backsheet layer is disposed on the first backsheet layer, wherein the absorbent assembly is attached to the wearer-facing surface of the disposable pant-like absorbent article such that the first and second longitudinal edges are in a spaced apart relationship with each of the front and back side panels, thereby defining a front longitudinally orientated non-elasticized portions and a rear longitudinally orientated non-elasticized portions therebetween;
• (d.) a first barrier cuff attached to the first longitudinal edge of the absorbent assembly;
• (e) a second barrier cuff attached to the second longitudinal edge of the absorbent assembly;
• and
• (f.) a waist member having a first segment attached to the topsheet in the front waist region and to each of the pair of front side panels and a second segment attached to the topsheet in the back waist region and to each of the pair of back side panels, wherein the first segment and the second segment are attached to the topsheet on a wearer-facing surface of the disposable pant-like absorbent article and unattached to an outer-facing surface of the first backsheet layer, wherein the first segment and the second segment extend to the outer side edges of the front side panels and back side panels, wherein the first segment and the second segment can be attached such that the waist member can encircle a waist of a wearer when the disposable pant-like absorbent article is donned on the wearer, and wherein the first segment extends outward from the front waist edge, and the second segment extends outward from the back waist edge, such that the waist member extends beyond the periphery of the chassis outward from the front waist edge or the back waist edge, such that at least a region of the first segment and at least a region of the second segment are visible from a vantage point external to the disposable pant-like absorbent article, thereby providing the appearance of a finished front waist edge and the appearance of a finished back waist edge.