Tucked fastener for improved fastener performance

Abstract

Packaged garments having pre-fastened, refastenable seams tucked in a certain position can preserve fastener performance. Such refastenable seams are particularly suitable for side seams on pant-like absorbent garments. Prior to packaging the garment, the refastenable seams are pre-fastened and tucked into the garment such that any resilient fastening components lie flat in a plane parallel to a plane in which front and back waist portions of the garment lie. When the garment is compressed and packaged, the resilient fastening components remain flat and do not become creased or crushed.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A packaged garment having a refastenable seam tucked between front and back regions of a garment chassis, comprising: 
 a first substrate folded such that a first portion of the first substrate is separated from a second portion of the first substrate by at least one fold;    a resilient fastening component permanently attached to the first portion of the first substrate and lying in a plane parallel to a plane in which the second portion of the first substrate lies; and    a second substrate folded such that a first portion of the second substrate is separated from a second portion of the second substrate by at least one fold and the first portion of the second substrate is releasably attached to the resilient fastening component.    
     
     
         2 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the second substrate lies in a plane parallel to the plane in which the resilient fastening component lies.  
     
     
         3 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient fastening component comprises a hook component.  
     
     
         4 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the second substrate comprises a loop component.  
     
     
         5 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the second substrate comprises a resilient fastening component and each of the resilient fastening components on the garment is a self-engaging fastener.  
     
     
         6 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the garment comprises more than one resilient fastening component permanently attached to the first portion of the first substrate and lying in a plane parallel to the plane in which the second portion of the first substrate lies.  
     
     
         7 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the first substrate is folded in addition to the at least one fold between the first and second portions of the first substrate.  
     
     
         8 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the second substrate is folded in addition to the at least one fold between the first and second portions of the second substrate.  
     
     
         9 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient component is between the second portion of the first substrate and the second portion of the second substrate.  
     
     
         10 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient component is folded over an outer surface of the garment chassis.  
     
     
         11 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the first substrate is wider than the first portion of the second substrate.  
     
     
         12 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the second substrate is wider than the first portion of the first substrate.  
     
     
         13 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the first substrate has a width about equal to a width of the first portion of the second substrate.  
     
     
         14 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the first substrate is wider than the second portion of the second substrate.  
     
     
         15 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the second substrate is wider than the second portion of the first substrate.  
     
     
         16 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the first substrate has a width about equal to a width of the second portion of the second substrate.  
     
     
         17 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , comprising a pant-like garment, wherein the first substrate comprises a front region of the garment, the first portion of the first substrate comprises a front side panel, the second portion of the first substrate comprises a front panel, the second substrate comprises a back region of the garment, the first portion of the second substrate comprises a back side panel, and the second portion of the second substrate comprises a back panel.  
     
     
         18 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , comprising a pant-like garment, wherein the first substrate comprises a back region of the garment, the first portion of the first substrate comprises a back side panel, the second portion of the first substrate comprises a back panel, the second substrate comprises a front region of the garment, the first portion of the second substrate comprises a front side panel, and the second portion of the second substrate comprises a front panel.  
     
     
         19 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , comprising an absorbent garment.  
     
     
         20 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , comprising a diaper.  
     
     
         21 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , comprising a training pant.  
     
     
         22 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , comprising swimwear.  
     
     
         23 . The packaged garment of  claim 1 , comprising a medical garment.  
     
     
         24 . A tucked, refastenable, pant-like absorbent garment, comprising: 
 a chassis including a front region and a back region, together defining a waist opening and first and second leg openings;    a first refastenable seam joining a first distal portion of the front region to a first distal portion of the back region, and including a first resilient fastening component positioned between at least a portion of the front region and at least a portion of the back region, the front region and the back region both folded such that the first resilient fastening component lies in a plane parallel to a plane in which a front waist region of the front region lies; and    a second refastenable seam joining a second distal portion of the front region to a second distal portion of the back region, and including a second resilient fastening component positioned between at least a portion of the front region and at least a portion of the back region, the front region and the back region both folded such that the second resilient fastening component lies in a plane parallel to a plane in which the front waist region of the front region lies.    
     
     
         25 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the first and second resilient fastening components are permanently attached to the front region and releasably attached to the back region.  
     
     
         26 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the first and second resilient fastening components are permanently attached to the back region and releasably attached to the front region.  
     
     
         27 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the front region is transversely wider than the back region.  
     
     
         28 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the back region is transversely wider than the front region.  
     
     
         29 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the first and second resilient fastening components each comprise a hook component.  
     
     
         30 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the front region comprises a loop material.  
     
     
         31 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the back region comprises a loop material.  
     
     
         32 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , further comprising a third resilient fastening component releasably engaged with the first resilient fastening component and a fourth resilient fastening component releasably engaged with the second resilient fastening component, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth resilient fastening components is a self-engaging fastener.  
     
     
         33 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein each of the first and second refastenable seams includes more than one resilient fastening component permanently attached to the chassis and lying in a plane parallel to the plane in which the front waist region of the front region lies.  
     
     
         34 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the first and second refastenable seams are positioned between the front region and the back region.  
     
     
         35 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the first and second refastenable seams are folded over an outer surface of the front waist region.  
     
     
         36 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the first and second refastenable seams are folded over an outer surface of a back waist region of the back region.  
     
     
         37 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the first and second refastenable seams overlap one another between the front waist region of the front region and a back waist region of the back region.  
     
     
         38 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 , wherein the front waist region of the front region is vertically offset from a back waist region of the back region.  
     
     
         39 . A compressed package of pant-like absorbent garments comprising the tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 24 .  
     
     
         40 . A tucked, refastenable, pant-like absorbent garment, comprising: 
 a chassis including a front panel, a back panel, first and second side panels extending from the front panel, third and fourth side panels extending from the back panel;    the front panel, back panel, and each side panel including a waist region;    the front and back panels each including a crotch region, the side panels each including a leg region;    a waist opening defined by the front panel waist region, the back panel waist region and the waist regions of each of the side panels;    first and second leg openings defined by the front panel crotch region, the back panel crotch region, and the leg region of each of the side panels;    a first refastenable seam joining the first side panel to the third side panel, and including a first resilient fastening component positioned between the first side panel and the third side panel, the first resilient fastening component lying in a plane parallel to a plane in which a front waist region of the front panel lies; and    a second refastenable seam joining the second side panel to the fourth side panel, and including a second resilient fastening component positioned between the second side panel and the fourth side panel, the second resilient fastening component lying in a plane parallel to a plane in which the front waist region of the front panel lies;    wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth side panels is folded at least once.    
     
     
         41 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first and second side panels are integral with the front panel and the third and fourth side panels are integral with the back panel.  
     
     
         42 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first and second side panels are separate structures permanently attached to the front panel and the third and fourth side panels are separate structures permanently attached to the back panel.  
     
     
         43 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein a width of each of the first and second side panels is about equal to a width of each of the third and fourth side panels.  
     
     
         44 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first and second side panels are each wider than each of the third and fourth side panels.  
     
     
         45 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the third and fourth side panels are each wider than each of the first and second side panels.  
     
     
         46 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein a width of the front panel is about equal to a width of the back panel.  
     
     
         47 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein a width of the front panel is greater than a width of the back panel.  
     
     
         48 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein a width of the back panel is greater than a width of the front panel.  
     
     
         49 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first resilient fastening component is permanently attached to the first side panel and releasably attached to the third side panel, and the second resilient fastening component is permanently attached to the second side panel and releasably attached to the fourth side panel.  
     
     
         50 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first resilient fastening component is permanently attached to the third side panel and releasably attached to the first side panel, and the second resilient fastening component is permanently attached to the fourth side panel and releasably attached to the second side panel.  
     
     
         51 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first and second resilient fastening components each comprise a hook component.  
     
     
         52 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first and second side panels each comprise a loop material.  
     
     
         53 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the third and fourth side panels each comprise a loop material.  
     
     
         54 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , further comprising a third resilient fastening component releasably engaged with the first resilient fastening component and a fourth resilient fastening component releasably engaged with the second resilient fastening component, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth resilient fastening components is a self-engaging fastener.  
     
     
         55 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein each of the first and second refastenable seams includes more than one resilient fastening component permanently attached to the chassis and lying in a plane parallel to the plane in which the front waist region of the front panel lies.  
     
     
         56 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first and second refastenable seams are positioned between the front panel and the back panel.  
     
     
         57 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first and second refastenable seams are folded over an outer surface of the front waist region of the front panel.  
     
     
         58 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first and second refastenable seams are folded over an outer surface of a back waist region of the back panel.  
     
     
         59 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first and second refastenable seams overlap one another between the front waist region of the front panel and a back waist region of the back panel.  
     
     
         60 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the front waist region of the front panel is vertically offset from a back waist region of the back panel.  
     
     
         61 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first and second side panels are each folded at least twice.  
     
     
         62 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the third and fourth side panels are each folded at least twice.  
     
     
         63 . The tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 , wherein the first and fourth side panels are each folded at least twice.  
     
     
         64 . A compressed package of pant-like absorbent garments comprising the tucked, refastenable garment of  claim 40 .  
     
     
         65 . A compressed package of pre-fastened, refastenable, pant-like garments, each garment comprising: 
 a chassis including a front panel, a back panel, a pair of stretchable front side panels extending from transverse sides of the front panel, and a pair of stretchable back side panels extending from transverse sides of the back panel;    the front panel, back panel and each side panel including a waist region;    the front and back panels each including a crotch region, the side panels each including a leg region;    a waist opening defined by the front panel waist region, the back panel waist region and the waist regions of each of the front and back side panels;    first and second leg openings defined by the front panel crotch region, the back panel crotch region, and the leg region of each of the front and back side panels;    the front panel and the back panel including a liquid permeable bodyside liner, a liquid impermeable outer cover having a graphic on an outer surface of the outer cover, and an absorbent assembly at least partially made of superabsorbent material and positioned between the bodyside liner and the outer cover; and    first and second refastenable side seams, each refastenable side seam joining a front side panel to a back side panel and including at least one resilient fastening component, each refastenable side seam tucked between the front panel and the back panel with each of the resilient fastening components lying in a plane parallel to a plane in which the waist region of the front panel lies;    wherein the waist regions of the front and back panels each have transverse widths which are about equal to each other, and the waist region of the front panel is transversely aligned with the waist region of the back panel.