Patent ID: 8303564

Claim:
An absorbent article having a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent core therebetween; said absorbent article comprising: a body panel having a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction and a transverse axis extending in a lateral direction, said body panel further comprising a crotch region between a front panel and a rear panel; a belt having a first belt portion and a second belt portion; said first and second belt portions each having a distal portion extending from a respective connection region at which connection region said belt portion is joined to said rear panel; and a belt fastener provided near a distal end of at least one of said belt portions which is capable of securing said first and second belt portions to each other about the waist of a wearer; wherein at least one releasable attachment is provided on at least one of said first and second belt portions which, when in an attached condition, secures respective said belt portion in a folded configuration, in which folded configuration a distal end region of respective said belt portion is releasably restrained against a part of respective said belt portion or against a part of said rear panel and whereby upon release of said releasable attachment at said distal end region of said belt portion, an extended configuration of respective said belt portion is formed; and wherein said distal portions of said first and second belt portions, in both said released and in said attached condition of said releasable attachment, project laterally outwardly of said rear panel and of said rear panel connection region, wherein the article can be worn by a user in a slip or belt configuration, waist size in the slip configuration being the same as or within 10% deviation from waist size in the belt configuration, wherein in the slip configuration, said front panel is secured to said first and said second belt portions with each said releasable attachment in the attached condition, and in the belt configuration, at least one of said belt portions is in said extended configuration, with respective said releasable attachment in a released condition.