Patent ID: 8096981

Claim:
A disposable absorbent article comprising: an absorbent assembly having a bodyside liner, an outer cover, an absorbent structure disposed intermediate the liner and the outer cover, a first waist region, a second waist region, a crotch region disposed longitudinally between and interconnecting the first waist region and the second waist region, longitudinally opposite ends, and laterally opposite side edges; a pair of hip panels for releaseably securing the first and second waist regions of the absorbent assembly together in a wear configuration of the article, one of the hip panels extending laterally outward from one of the side edges in one of the first and second waist regions of the absorbent assembly and the other hip panel extending laterally outward from the opposite side edge in said one of the first and second waist regions of the absorbent assembly, each of the hip panels comprising an upper edge, a lower edge, a fixed end attached to one of said first and second waist regions, and a free end, each of the upper and lower edges having a length and being curved upward along at least a portion of its length, the curved portions of the upper and lower edges being substantially identical with respect to each other; and a fastener component secured to each of the hip panels.