Disposable absorbent articles are often provided with a fastening system that can retain the absorbent article in a wear configuration on the wearer. These fastening systems often include two pairs of complementary fastener components. As an example, diapers often include a hook fastener component on each rear ear which can engage a loop fastener component located in a front waist region of the diaper. Of course, other fastening means can be used as an alternative or in combination with a hook/loop fastening components. In some circumstances, the rear ears include an ear panel and an ear tab coupled to the ear panel. The ear tab can include the hook fastener component, or other fastening means. These fastening systems, particularly the rear ears, can be formed in a variety of methods. Many of the methods of forming the rear ears involve waste of material, from the ear panel materials, the tab materials, or both.
One method of manufacturing the rear ears for an absorbent article includes coupling the ear tab material, and fastener component thereon, to the ear panel material. Then the rear ears may be cut from the composite material in the shape of the rear ears, and then applied to the chassis of the diaper. An example of this method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,371,302 issued to Myamoto et al. Although this method can cut the rear ears in a nested configuration that provides no waste of trim material, the tab material is cut at the same pitch as the ear panel material, and as a result, may be larger than necessary which may lead to unnecessary amounts of the tab material and fastening component thereon. Additionally, having the same pitch between the ear tab material and the ear panel material limits the potential options in shape of the ear.
Another method of manufacturing the rear ears of an absorbent article can include separately cutting the ear panel material from the ear tab material, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,871,400 issued to Sablone et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0190523 by Pastrello et al. While the manufacturing methods disclosed therein provide for cutting the ear panels in a nested configuration to reduce waste, the configuration of the rear ear panels and the ear tab materials coupled thereto are mostly linear in shape, including corners that in some circumstances can provide irritation or discomfort to the wearer and may be less appealing to the wearer or user as the simple shape may tend to portray the appearance of a lower-tiered product. These manufacturing methods also do not provide an ability to vary the location of the fastening forces of the rear ears based on the shape of the ear tab, which may limit the fastening and fit properties of the absorbent article.
Thus, there remains a need for a method of manufacturing an absorbent article with a fastening system having reduced waste yet can overcome at least one or more of the disadvantages discussed above.