Patent ID: 7905871

Claim:
An absorbent article comprising: a backsheet; a topsheet connected with the backsheet and having longitudinally opposing first and second waist regions, the topsheet comprising a carrier material having a bending stiffness B of at least 4 μN*m to about 12 μN*m; a void space between the topsheet and the backsheet for receiving bodily exudates; an opening in the topsheet providing access to the void space, the opening having longitudinally extending first and second side edges; first and second laterally opposing elasticated regions disposed adjacent respective first and second side edges of the opening, the first and second laterally opposing elasticated regions extending from the first waist region to the second waist region, wherein the first and second laterally opposing elasticated regions are parallel to each other along the first and second side edges of the opening and laterally diverge from each other in the first and second waist regions; and wherein the first and second laterally opposing elasticated regions each comprise an elastic material having a length defined along a direction of stretch, wherein the elastic material is bonded to the carrier material in a plurality of bonding areas spaced apart from each other along the length defined along the direction of stretch of the elastic material, wherein the elastic material has an elastic load force of less than about 2.0 N at 100% extension and wherein a distance D along the length of the elastic material defined along the direction of stretch between adjacent bonding areas is at least (0.6 mm+60 N −1 *B) to about (1.2 mm+120 N −1 *B);