Patent ID: 8395017

Claim:
An absorbent article having a pair of longitudinal side edges and a first end edge, a second end edge, a first waist panel adjacent to the first end edge, a second waist panel adjacent to the second end edge, a crotch panel positioned between the first and second waist panels, and a side panel extending laterally outwardly from the first or second waist panel, the absorbent article comprising a liquid pervious topsheet, an absorbent core disposed underneath the topsheet, and a chassis layer, wherein at least one of the first and second waist panels comprise a portion of the chassis layer, the chassis layer including an inner sheet and an outer sheet joined to one another to form a laminate, a plurality of spaced discontinuities regularly disposed in at least a portion of the first or second waist panel such that when the waist panel is subject to tension the discontinuities provide openings that extend through the laminate of the chassis layer thereby providing the chassis layer with extensibility in the transverse direction; and an elastic waist band configured as an extensibility controlling means, wherein the elastic waist band inhibits the chassis layer from extending beyond 20% at a tension force of 125 grams/25 mm.