DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0080] The methods and apparatus of the present invention can be used to make a variety of articles such as disposable absorbent garments including diapers, training pants, feminine hygiene products, incontinence products, other personal care or health care garments, swim pants, athletic clothing, pants and shorts, and the like. As an example, the methods and apparatus of the present invention can be used to make articles in which at least two elements of the article are connected together during the making thereof to assemble or “pre-fasten” the article. For ease of explanation, the methods and apparatus of the present invention are hereafter described in connection with making pre-fastened child's training pants, generally indicated as 20 in FIG. 1 . In particular, the methods and apparatus will be described in terms of those for making pre-fastened disposable training pants as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/444,083 titled “Absorbent Articles With Refastenable Side Seams” and filed Nov. 22, 1999 (corresponding to PCT application WO 00/37009 published Jun. 29, 2000) by A. L. Fletcher et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Training pants 20 can also be constructed using the methods and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,464 issued Jul. 10, 1990 to Van Gompel et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,389 issued Jun. 16, 1998 to Brandon et al.; the disclosures of which are also incorporated herein by reference.

[0081] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1 , the training pants 20 are illustrated in a partially fastened condition and comprise an absorbent chassis 32 having a front waist region 22 , a back waist region 24 , a crotch region 26 interconnecting the front and back waist regions, an inner surface 28 which is configured to contact the wearer, and an outer surface 30 opposite the inner surface and configured to contact the wearer's clothing. With additional reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 , the absorbent chassis 32 also has a pair of laterally opposite side edges 36 and a pair of longitudinally opposite waist edges, respectively designated front waist edge 38 and back waist edge 39 . The front waist region 22 is contiguous with the front waist edge 38 , and the back waist region 24 is contiguous with the back waist edge 39 .

[0082] The illustrated absorbent chassis 32 comprises a composite structure 33 ( FIG. 3 ), which when laid flat can be rectangular or any other desired shape, and has a pair of laterally opposite front side panels 34 and a pair of laterally opposite back side panels 134 extending outward therefrom. The composite structure 33 and side panels 34 , 134 may comprise two or more separate elements, as shown in FIG. 1 , or be integrally formed. Integrally formed side panels 34 , 134 and composite structure 33 would comprise at least some common materials, such as the bodyside liner, flap composite, outer cover, other materials and/or combinations thereof, and could define a one-piece elastic, stretchable, or nonstretchable pants. The illustrated composite structure 33 comprises an outer cover 40 , a bodyside liner 42 ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ) connected to the outer cover in a superposed relation, an absorbent assembly 44 ( FIG. 3 ) disposed between the outer cover and the bodyside liner, and a pair of containment flaps 46 ( FIG. 3 ). The illustrated composite structure 33 has opposite ends 45 which form portions of the front and back waist edges 38 and 39 , and opposite side edges 47 which form portions of the side edges 36 of the absorbent chassis 32 ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ). For reference, arrows 48 and 49 depict the orientation of the longitudinal axis and the transverse or lateral axis, respectively, of the training pants 20 .

[0083] With the training pants 20 in the fastened position as partially illustrated in FIG. 1 , the front and back side panels 34 , 134 are connected together by a fastening system 80 to define a three-dimensional pants configuration having an interior space 51 , a waist opening 50 for receiving the wearer into the interior space of the pants, a pair of leg openings 52 and engagement seams 88 along which the side panels are connected. The interior space 51 of the pants 20 is thus bounded by the absorbent chassis 32 , the engagement seams 88 and the portions of the side panels 34 , 134 extending on opposite sides of the engagement seams 88 (e.g., between the engagement seams and the absorbent chassis. As used herein, the “interior space” 51 is intended to refer to the space between any two portions of a three-dimensional article which generally oppose each other. It is understood that a transverse cross-section of the article need not be closed, e.g., continuous, to define an interior space. For example, a two-dimensional article may be generally folded over on itself so that two portions of the article oppose each other to define an interior space of the article therebetween. Thus, the interior space 51 of the training pants 20 shown in FIG. 1 may be defined by the side panels 34 , 134 themselves or, if the side panels were fully straightened therebetween, the interior space would be defined by a combination of the side panels and the front and back waist regions 22 , 24 of the absorbent chassis 32 .

[0084] The front waist region 22 comprises the portion of the training pants 20 which, when worn, is positioned on the front of the wearer while the back waist region 24 comprises the portion of the training pants which, when worn, is positioned on the back of the wearer. The crotch region 26 of the training pants 20 comprises the portion of the training pants 20 which, when worn, is positioned between the legs of the wearer and covers the lower torso of the wearer. The front and back side panels 34 and 134 comprise the portions of the training pants 20 which, when worn, are positioned on the hips of the wearer. The waist edges 38 and 39 of the absorbent chassis 32 are configured to encircle the waist of the wearer when worn and together define the waist opening 50 ( FIG. 1 ). Portions of the side edges 36 in the crotch region 26 generally define the leg openings 52 .

[0085] The absorbent chassis 32 is configured to contain and/or absorb any exudates discharged from the wearer. For example, the absorbent chassis 32 desirably although not necessarily comprises the pair of containment flaps 46 which are configured to provide a barrier to the transverse flow of body exudates. A flap elastic member 53 ( FIG. 3 ) can be operatively joined with each containment flap 46 in any suitable manner as is well known in the art. The elasticized containment flaps 46 define an unattached edge which assumes an upright configuration in at least the crotch region 26 of the training pants 20 to form a seal against the wearer's body. The containment flaps 46 can be located along the side edges 36 of the absorbent chassis 32 , and can extend longitudinally along the entire length of the absorbent chassis or may only extend partially along the length of the absorbent chassis. Suitable constructions and arrangements for the containment flaps 46 are generally well known to those skilled in the art and are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,116 issued Nov. 3, 1987 to Enloe, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0086] To further enhance containment and/or absorption of body exudates, the training pants 20 desirably although not necessarily include a front waist elastic member 54 , a rear waist elastic member 56 , and leg elastic members 58 , as are known to those skilled in the art ( FIG. 3 ). The waist elastic members 54 and 56 can be operatively joined to the outer cover 40 and/or the bodyside liner 42 along the opposite waist edges 38 and 39 , and can extend over part or all of the waist edges. The leg elastic members 58 can be operatively joined to the outer cover 40 and/or the bodyside liner 42 along the opposite side edges 36 and positioned in the crotch region 26 of the training pants 20 . The leg elastic members 58 can be longitudinally aligned along each side edge 47 of the composite structure 33 . Each leg elastic member 58 has a front terminal point 63 and a back terminal point 65 , which represent the longitudinal ends of the elastic gathering caused by the leg elastic members. The front terminal points 63 can be located adjacent the longitudinally innermost parts of the front side panels 34 , and the back terminal points 65 can be located adjacent the longitudinally innermost parts of the back side panels 134 .

[0087] The flap elastic members 53 , the waist elastic members 54 and 56 , and the leg elastic members 58 can be formed of any suitable elastic material. As is well known to those skilled in the art, suitable elastic materials include sheets, strands or ribbons of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or thermoplastic elastomeric polymers. The elastic materials can be stretched and adhered to a substrate, adhered to a gathered substrate, or adhered to a substrate and then elasticized or shrunk, for example with the application of heat, such that elastic constrictive forces are imparted to the substrate. In one particular embodiment, for example, the leg elastic members 58 comprise a plurality of dry-spun coalesced multifilament spandex elastomeric threads sold under the trade name LYCRA and available from E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., U.S.A.

[0088] The outer cover 40 desirably comprises a material which is substantially liquid impermeable, and can be elastic, stretchable or nonstretchable. The outer cover 40 can be a single layer of liquid impermeable material, but desirably comprises a multi-layered laminate structure in which at least one of the layers is liquid impermeable. For instance, the outer cover 40 can include a liquid permeable outer layer and a liquid impermeable inner layer that are suitably joined together by a laminate adhesive, ultrasonic bonds, thermal bonds, or the like. Suitable laminate adhesives, which can be applied continuously or intermittently as beads, a spray, parallel swirls, or the like, can be obtained from Findley Adhesives, Inc., of Wauwatosa, Wis., U.S.A., or from National Starch and Chemical Company, Bridgewater, N.J. U.S.A. The liquid permeable outer layer can be any suitable material and desirably one that provides a generally cloth-like texture. One example of such a material is a 20 gsm (grams per square meter) spunbond polypropylene nonwoven web. The outer layer may also be made of those materials of which the liquid permeable bodyside liner 42 is made. While it is not a necessity for the outer layer to be liquid permeable, it is desired that it provides a relatively cloth-like texture to the wearer.

[0089] The inner layer of the outer cover 40 can be both liquid and vapor impermeable, or can be liquid impermeable and vapor permeable. The inner layer can be manufactured from a thin plastic film, although other flexible liquid impermeable materials may also be used. The inner layer, or the liquid impermeable outer cover 40 when a single layer, prevents waste material from wetting articles, such as bedsheets and clothing, as well as the wearer and caregiver. A suitable liquid impermeable film for use as a liquid impermeable inner layer, or a single layer liquid impermeable outer cover 40 , is a 0.02 millimeter polyethylene film commercially available from Pliant Corporation of Schaumburg, Ill., U.S.A.

[0090] If the outer cover 40 is a single layer of material, it can be embossed and/or matte finished to provide a more cloth-like appearance. As earlier mentioned, the liquid impermeable material can permit vapors to escape from the interior space 51 of the disposable absorbent article, while still preventing liquids from passing through the outer cover 40 . A suitable “breathable” material is composed of a microporous polymer film or a nonwoven fabric that has been coated or otherwise treated to impart a desired level of liquid impermeability. A suitable microporous film is a PMP-1 film material commercially available from Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals, Inc., Tokyo, Japan, or an XKO-8044 polyolefin film commercially available from 3M Company, Minneapolis, Minn. U.S.A.

[0091] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the training pants 20 and in particular the outer cover 40 desirably comprises one or more appearance-related components. Examples of appearance-related components include, but are not limited to, graphics; highlighting or emphasizing leg and waist openings in order to make product shaping more evident or visible to the user; highlighting or emphasizing areas of the product to simulate functional components such as elastic leg bands, elastic waistbands, simulated “fly openings” for boys, ruffles for girls; highlighting areas of the product to change the appearance of the size of the product; registering wetness indicators, temperature indicators, and the like in the product; registering a back label, or a front label, in the product; and registering written instructions at a desired location in the product.

[0092] The illustrated pair of training pants 20 is designed for use by young girls and includes a registered outer cover graphic 60 ( FIG. 2 ). In this design, the registered graphic 60 includes a primary pictorial image 61 , simulated waist ruffles 62 , and simulated leg ruffles 64 . The primary pictorial image 61 includes a rainbow, sun, clouds, animal characters, wagon and balloons. Any suitable design can be utilized for a training pants intended for use by young girls, so as to be aesthetically and/or functionally pleasing to them and the caregiver. The appearance-related components are desirably positioned on the training pants 20 at selected locations, which can be carried out using the methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,389 issued Jun. 16, 1998 to Brandon et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The primary pictorial image 61 is desirably positioned in the front waist region 22 along the longitudinal center line of the training pants 20 .

[0093] The liquid permeable bodyside liner 42 is illustrated as overlying the outer cover 40 and absorbent assembly 44 , and may but need not have the same dimensions as the outer cover 40 . The bodyside liner 42 is desirably compliant, soft feeling, and non-irritating to the child's skin. Further, the bodyside liner 42 can be less hydrophilic than the absorbent assembly 44 , to present a relatively dry surface to the wearer and permit liquid to readily penetrate through its thickness. Alternatively, the bodyside liner 42 can be more hydrophilic or can have essentially the same affinity for moisture as the absorbent assembly 44 to present a relatively wet surface to the wearer to increase the sensation of being wet. This wet sensation can be useful as a training aid. The hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties can be varied across the length, width and depth of the bodyside liner 42 and absorbent assembly 44 to achieve the desired wetness sensation or leakage performance.

[0094] The bodyside liner 42 can be manufactured from a wide selection of web materials, such as synthetic fibers (for example, polyester or polypropylene fibers), natural fibers (for example, wood or cotton fibers), a combination of natural and synthetic fibers, porous foams, reticulated foams, apertured plastic films, or the like. Various woven and nonwoven fabrics can be used for the bodyside liner 42 . For example, the bodyside liner can be composed of a meltblown or spunbonded web of polyolefin fibers. The bodyside liner can also be a bonded-carded web composed of natural and/or synthetic fibers. The bodyside liner can be composed of a substantially hydrophobic material, and the hydrophobic material can, optionally, be treated with a surfactant or otherwise processed to impart a desired level of wettability and hydrophilicity. For example, the material can be surface treated with about 0.45 weight percent of a surfactant mixture comprising Ahcovel N-62 from Hodgson Textile Chemicals of Mount Holly, N.C., U.S.A. and Glucopan 220UP from Henkel Corporation of Ambler, Pa. in an active ratio of 3:1. The surfactant can be applied by any conventional means, such as spraying, printing, brush coating or the like. The surfactant can be applied to the entire bodyside liner 42 or can be selectively applied to particular sections of the bodyside liner, such as the medial section along the longitudinal center line.

[0095] A suitable liquid permeable bodyside liner 42 is a nonwoven bicomponent web having a basis weight of about 27 gsm. The nonwoven bicomponent can be a spunbond bicomponent web, or a bonded carded bicomponent web. Suitable bicomponent staple fibers include a polyethylene/polypropylene bicomponent fiber available from CHISSO Corporation, Osaka, Japan. In this particular bicomponent fiber, the polypropylene forms the core and the polyethylene forms the sheath of the fiber. Other fiber orientations are possible, such as multi-lobe, side-by-side, end-to-end, or the like. The outer cover 40 , bodyside liner 42 and other materials used to construct the pants can comprise elastomeric or nonelastomeric materials.

[0096] The absorbent assembly 44 ( FIG. 3 ) is positioned between the outer cover 40 and the bodyside liner 42 , which can be joined together by any suitable means such as adhesives, ultrasonic bonds, thermal bonds, or the like. The absorbent assembly 44 can be any structure which is generally compressible, conformable, non-irritating to the child's skin, and capable of absorbing and retaining liquids and certain body wastes, and may be manufactured in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, and from a wide variety of liquid absorbent materials commonly used in the art. For example, the absorbent assembly 44 can suitably comprise a matrix of hydrophilic fibers, such as a web of cellulosic fluff, mixed with particles of a high-absorbency material commonly known as superabsorbent material. In a particular embodiment, the absorbent assembly 44 comprises a matrix of cellulosic fluff, such as wood pulp fluff, and superabsorbent hydrogel-forming particles. The wood pulp fluff can be exchanged with synthetic, polymeric, meltblown fibers or short cut homofil bicomponent synthetic fibers and natural fibers. The superabsorbent particles can be substantially homogeneously mixed with the hydrophilic fibers or can be nonuniformly mixed. The fluff and superabsorbent particles can also be selectively placed into desired zones of the absorbent assembly 44 to better contain and absorb body exudates. The concentration of the superabsorbent particles can also vary through the thickness of the absorbent assembly 44 . Alternatively, the absorbent assembly 44 can comprise a laminate of fibrous webs and superabsorbent material or other suitable means of maintaining a superabsorbent material in a localized area.

[0097] Suitable superabsorbent materials can be selected from natural, synthetic, and modified natural polymers and materials. The superabsorbent materials can be inorganic materials, such as silica gels, or organic compounds, such as crosslinked polymers, for example, sodium neutralized polyacrylic acid. Suitable superabsorbent materials are available from various commercial vendors, such as Dow Chemical Company located in Midland, Mich., U.S.A., and Stockhausen GmbH & Co. KG, D-47805 Krefeld, Federal Republic of Germany. Typically, a superabsorbent material is capable of absorbing at least about 15 times its weight in water, and desirably is capable of absorbing more than about 25 times its weight in water.

[0098] In one embodiment, the absorbent assembly 44 comprises a blend of wood pulp fluff and superabsorbent material. One preferred type of pulp is identified with the trade designation CR1654, available from U.S. Alliance, Childersburg, Ala., U.S.A., and is a bleached, highly absorbent sulfate wood pulp containing primarily soft wood fibers and about 16 percent hardwood fibers. As a general rule, the superabsorbent material is present in the absorbent assembly 44 in an amount of from 0 to about 90 weight percent based on total weight of the absorbent assembly. The absorbent assembly 44 suitably has a density within the range of about 0.10 to about 0.35 grams per cubic centimeter. The absorbent assembly 44 may or may not be wrapped or encompassed by a suitable tissue wrap that may help maintain the integrity and/or shape of the absorbent assembly.

[0099] The absorbent chassis 32 can also incorporate other materials designed primarily to receive, temporarily store, and/or transport liquid along the mutually facing surface with absorbent assembly 44 , thereby maximizing the absorbent capacity of the absorbent assembly. One suitable material is referred to as a surge layer (not shown) and comprises a material having a basis weight of about 50 to about 120 grams per square meter, and comprising a through-air-bonded-carded web of a homogenous blend of 60 percent 3 denier type T-256 bicomponent fiber comprising a polyester core/polyethylene sheath and 40 percent 6 denier type T-295 polyester fiber, both commercially available from Kosa Corporation of Salisbury, N.C., U.S.A.

[0100] As noted previously, the illustrated training pants 20 have front and back side panels 34 and 134 disposed on each side of the absorbent chassis 32 . The front side panels 34 can be permanently bonded along seams 66 to the composite structure 33 of the absorbent chassis 32 in the respective front and back waist regions 22 and 24 . More particularly, as seen best in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the front side panels 34 can be permanently bonded to and extend transversely outward beyond the side edges 47 of the composite structure 33 in the front waist region 22 , and the back side panels 134 can be permanently bonded to and extend transversely outward beyond the side edges of the composite structure in the back waist region 24 . The side panels 34 and 134 may be bonded to the composite structure 33 using attachment means known to those skilled in the art such as adhesive, thermal or ultrasonic bonding. Alternatively, the side panels 34 and 134 can be formed as an integral portion of a component of the composite structure 33 . For example, the side panels can comprise a generally wider portion of the outer cover 40 , the bodyside liner 42 , and/or another component of the absorbent chassis 32 . The front and back side panels 34 and 134 can be permanently bonded together or be releasably connected with one another such as by the fastening system 80 of the illustrated embodiment.

[0101] The front and back side panels 34 , 134 each have an outer edge 68 spaced laterally from the seam 66 , a leg end edge 70 disposed toward the longitudinal center of the training pants 20 , and a waist end edge 72 disposed toward a longitudinal end of the training pants. The leg end edge 70 and waist end edge 72 extend from the side edges 47 of the composite structure 33 to the outer edges 68 . The leg end edges 70 of the side panels 34 and 134 form part of the side edges 36 of the absorbent chassis 32 . In the back waist region 24 , the leg end edges 70 are desirably although not necessarily curved and/or angled relative to the transverse axis 49 to provide greater coverage toward the back of the pants 20 as compared to the front of the pants. The waist end edges 72 are desirably parallel to the transverse axis 49 . The waist end edges 72 of the front side panels 34 form part of the front waist edge 38 of the absorbent chassis 32 , and the waist end edges 72 of the back side panels 134 form part of the back waist edge 39 of the absorbent chassis.

[0102] In particular embodiments for improved fit and appearance, the side panels 34 , 134 desirably have an average length measured parallel to the longitudinal axis 48 which is about 15 percent or greater, and particularly about 25 percent or greater, of the overall length of the pants, also measured parallel to the longitudinal axis 48 . For example, in training pants 20 having an overall length of about 54 centimeters, the side panels 34 , 134 desirably have an average length of about 10 centimeters or greater, such as about 15 centimeters. While each of the side panels 34 , 134 extends from the waist opening 50 to one of the leg openings 52 , the illustrated back side panels 134 have a continually decreasing length dimension moving from the attachment line 66 to the outer edge 68 , as is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .

[0103] Each of the side panels 34 , 134 can include one or more individual, distinct pieces of material. In particular embodiments, for example, each side panel 34 , 134 can include first and second side panel portions that are joined at a seam, or can include a single piece of material which is folded over upon itself (not shown).

[0104] The side panels 34 , 134 desirably although not necessarily comprise an elastic material capable of stretching in a direction generally parallel to the transverse axis 49 of the training pants 20 . Suitable elastic materials, as well as one process of incorporating elastic side panels into training pants, are described in the following U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,464 issued Jul. 10, 1990 to Van Gompel et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,405 issued Jul. 6, 1993 to Pohjola; U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,116 issued Apr. 14, 1992 to Pohjola; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,272 issued Sep. 10, 1991 to Vogt et al.; all of which are incorporated herein by reference. In particular embodiments, the elastic material comprises a stretch-thermal laminate (STL), a neck-bonded laminate (NBL), a reversibly necked laminate, or a stretch-bonded laminate (SBL) material. Methods of making such materials are well known to those skilled in the art and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,220 issued May 5, 1987 to Wisneski et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,992 issued Jul. 13, 1993 to Morman; and European Patent Application No. EP 0 217 032 published on Apr. 8, 1987 in the names of Taylor et al.; all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the side panel material may comprise other woven or nonwoven materials, such as those described above as being suitable for the outer cover 40 or bodyside liner 42 ; mechanically pre-strained composites; or stretchable but inelastic materials.

[0105] The illustrated training pants 20 includes the fastening system 80 for refastenably securing the training pants about the waist of the wearer. The illustrated fastening system 80 includes first fastening components 82 adapted for refastenable engagement to corresponding second fastening components 84 . In one embodiment, one surface of each of the first fastening components 82 comprises a plurality of engaging elements which project from that surface. The engaging elements of the first fastening components 82 are adapted to repeatedly engage and disengage engaging elements of the second fastening components 84 .

[0106] The fastening components can comprise separate elements bonded to the side panels, or they may be integrally formed with the side panels. Thus, unless otherwise specified, the term “fastening component” includes separate components which function as fasteners, and regions of materials such as the side panels which function as fasteners. Moreover, a single material can define multiple fastening components to the extent that different regions of the material function as separate fasteners. The fastening components 82 , 84 can be located on the side panels, between the side panels such as on the absorbent chassis, or a combination of the two.

[0107] The fastening components 82 , 84 can comprise any refastenable fasteners suitable for absorbent articles, such as adhesive fasteners, cohesive fasteners, mechanical fasteners, or the like. In particular embodiments the fastening components comprise mechanical fastening elements for improved performance. Suitable mechanical fastening elements can be provided by interlocking geometric shaped materials, such as hooks, loops, bulbs, mushrooms, arrowheads, balls on stems, male and female mating components, buckles, snaps, or the like.

[0108] The refastenable fastening system 80 allows for easy inspection of the interior space 51 of the pants 20 . If necessary, the fastening system 80 also allows the pants 20 to be removed quickly and easily. This is particularly beneficial when the pants contain messy excrement. For training pants 20 , the caregiver can completely remove the pant-like product and replace it with a new one without having to remove the child's shoes and clothing.

[0109] In the illustrated embodiment, the first fastening components 82 comprise hook fasteners and the second fastening components 84 comprise complementary loop fasteners. In another particular embodiment, the first fastening components 82 comprise loop fasteners and the second fastening components 84 comprise complementary hook fasteners. Alternatively, the fastening components 82 , 84 can comprise interlocking similar surface fasteners, adhesive or cohesive fastening elements such as an adhesive fastener and an adhesive-receptive landing zone or material; or the like. Although the training pants 20 illustrated in FIG. 1 show the back side panels 134 overlapping the front side panels 34 upon connection thereto, which is convenient, the training pants 20 can also be configured so that the front side panels overlap the back side panels when connected. One skilled in the art will recognize that the shape, density and polymer composition of the hooks and loops may be selected to obtain the desired level of engagement between the fastening components 82 , 84 . A more aggressive hook material may comprise a material with a greater average hook height, a greater percentage of directionally-aligned hooks, or a more aggressive hook shape.

[0110] Loop fasteners typically comprise a fabric or material having a plurality of loop members extending upwardly from at least one surface of the structure. The loop material can be formed of any suitable material, such as acrylic, nylon, polypropylene or polyester, and can be formed by methods such as warp knitting, stitch bonding or needle punching. Loop materials can also comprise any fibrous structure capable of entangling or catching hook materials, such as carded, spunbonded or other nonwoven webs or composites, including elastomeric and nonelastomeric composites. Suitable loop materials are available from Guilford Mills, Inc., Greensboro, N.C., U.S.A. under the trade designation No. 36549. Another suitable loop material can comprise a pattern un-bonded web as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,515 issued Jan. 12, 1999 to Stokes et al.

[0111] Hook fasteners typically comprise a fabric or material having a base or backing structure and a plurality of hook members extending upwardly from at least one surface of the backing structure. In contrast to the loop fasteners which desirably comprise a flexible fabric, the hook material advantageously comprises a resilient material to minimize unintentional disengagement of the fastener components as a result of the hook material becoming deformed and catching on clothing or other items. The term “resilient” as used herein comprises an interlocking material having a predetermined shape and the property of the interlocking material to resume the predetermined shape after being engaged and disengaged from a mating, complementary interlocking material. Suitable hook material can be molded or extruded from nylon, polypropylene or another suitable material. Suitable single-sided hook materials for the fastening components 82 , 84 are available from commercial vendors such as Velcro Industries B. V., Amsterdam, Netherlands or affiliates thereof, and are identified as Velcro HTH-829 with a unidirectional hook pattern and having a thickness of about 0.9 millimeters (35 mils) and HTH-851 with a unidirectional hook pattern and having a thickness of about 0.5 millimeters (20 mils); and Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co., St. Paul, Minn. U.S.A., including specific materials identified as CS-600.

[0112] With particular reference to FIG. 3 , the fastening components 82 are disposed on the inner surface 28 of the back side panels 134 . The fastening components 82 are desirably positioned along the outer edges 68 of the back side panels 134 , and abutting or adjacent to the waist end edge 72 . In certain embodiments, for example, the fastening components 82 can be located within about 2 centimeters, and more particularly within about 1 centimeter, of the outer edges 68 , the waist end edges 72 , and the leg end edges 70 . With particular reference to FIG. 2 , the second fastening components 84 are disposed on the outer surface 30 of the front side panels 134 . The second fastening components 84 are sized to receive the first fastening components 82 and are desirably positioned along the outer edges 68 of the front side panels 34 , and abutting or adjacent to the waist end edge 72 . As an example, the second fastening components 84 can be located within about 2 centimeters, and more particularly within about 1 centimeter, of the outer edges 68 , the waist end edges 72 , and the leg end edges 70 . Where the first fastening components 82 comprise loop fasteners disposed on the inner surface 28 and the second fastening components 84 comprise hook fasteners disposed on the outer surface 30 , the first fastening components can be sized larger than the second fastening components to ensure coverage of the rigid, outwardly-directed hooks.

[0113] The fastening components 84 , 82 can be adhered to the respective side panels 34 , 134 by any means known to those skilled in the art such as adhesive bonds, ultrasonic bonds or thermal bonds. The fastening components 82 , 84 may comprise separate fastening elements or distinct regions of an integral material. For example, the training pants 20 can include an integral second fastening material disposed in the front waist region 22 for refastenably connecting to the first fastening components 82 at two or more different regions, which define the second fastening components 84 ( FIG. 1 ). In a particular embodiment, the fastening components 82 , 84 can comprise integral portions of the waist regions 24 , 22 . For instance, one of the elastomeric front or back side panels 34 , 134 can function as second fastening components 84 in that they can comprise a material which is releasably engageable with fastening components 82 disposed in the opposite waist region.

[0114] The fastening components 82 , 84 of the illustrated embodiments are rectangular, although they may alternatively be square, round, oval, curved or othe