Patent ID: 7807861

Claim:
A disposable article configured to be worn over and about the lower torso of a wearer, the article comprising: a) a containment assembly having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge opposed thereto, a first end edge and a second end edge opposed thereto, the first and the second longitudinal edges being configured to contact the legs of the wearer, and the first and the second end edges being structured and configured to contact the waist of the wearer; and b) at least one elastomeric side panel carried by the containment assembly and extending outwardly from the first longitudinal edge of the containment assembly adjacent the first end edge of the containment assembly, the at least one elastomeric side panel including an inner region having at least one discontinuity for dividing a tensile force applied to the at least one elastomeric side panel into a waist-directing force and a leg-directing force wherein the at least one discontinuity is completely contained within the inner region of the at least one elastomeric side panel, wherein the at least one discontinuity is defined by at least one cut line, wherein the at least one cut line is disposed substantially parallel with a first lateral edge of the at least one elastomeric side panel, wherein the at least one elastomeric side panel further includes a waist region and a leg region separated by the at least one discontinuity, wherein the waist region is configured to transmit a waist-directing force, and the leg region is configured to transmit a leg-directing force, and wherein the waist region has an extensibility varying from about 5 g/mm to about 50 g/mm and the leg region has an extensibility varying from about 1 g/mm to about 30 g/mm, wherein the at least one elastomeric side panel is positioned in the back region of the disposable article for connecting waist features of the disposable article.