Disposable undergarment with a stretchable absorbent insert and method for the use thereof

1. A disposable undergarment comprising:

a body panel comprising a body side surface and a garment side surface; and

an absorbent insert comprising a back sheet connected to a top sheet and a retention portion disposed between said back sheet and said top sheet, wherein said back sheet and top sheet are formed separately from said body panel and do not form any portion thereof, wherein at least one of said back sheet and said top sheet is stretchable and comprises an elastic material, and wherein at least one of said back sheet and said top sheet is connected to one of said body side surface and said garment side surface of said body panel, wherein said retention portion is minimally attached to at least one of said back sheet and said top sheet along a longitudinally extending centerline of said retention portion, with portions of said retention portion overlapping said at least one of said back sheet and said top sheet on either side of said longitudinally extending attachment along the centerline of said retention portion being free of any attachment to either of said back sheet or said top sheet.

2. The disposable undergarment of claim 1 wherein said back sheet is stretchable and comprises said elastic material.

3. The disposable undergarment of claim 2 wherein said elastic material comprises an elastic film.

4. The disposable undergarment of claim 2 wherein said back sheet comprises a laminate comprising a non-woven material and said elastic material.

5. The disposable undergarment of claim 1 wherein said body panel comprises a front body panel comprising a terminal waist edge and a terminal crotch edge and a rear body panel comprising a terminal waist edge and a terminal crotch edge, wherein said front and rear body panels are formed separately with said terminal crotch edges of each of said front and rear body panels extending laterally across at least a longitudinal centerline of said front and rear body panels, and wherein said terminal crotch edge of said rear body panel is longitudinally spaced from and forms a gap with said terminal crotch edge of said front body panel, and wherein said absorbent insert bridges said gap and is connected to said front and rear body panels.

6. The disposable undergarment of claim 1 wherein said body panel comprises an elastic material.

7. The disposable undergarment of claim 6 wherein said body panel comprises a laminate comprising a non-woven material outer layer, an elastic core comprising said elastic material and a non-woven material inner layer.

8. The disposable undergarment of claim 1 wherein said absorbent insert is connected to said body panel at an attachment location positioned along at least a longitudinally extending centerline of said absorbent insert.

9. The disposable undergarment of claim 1 wherein said absorbent insert is secured to a bodyside surface of said body panel.

10. The disposable undergarment of claim 1 wherein said retention portion is directly minimally attached to said at least one of said back sheet and said top sheet along said longitudinally extending centerline.

11. The disposable undergarment of claim 10 wherein said retention portion comprises an absorbent material and a tissue substrate.

12. The disposable undergarment of claim 1 wherein said body panel comprises front and rear terminal waist edges.

13. A disposable undergarment comprising:

a stretchable body panel, wherein said body panel comprises a front body panel comprising a terminal waist edge and a terminal crotch edge and a rear body panel comprising a terminal waist edge and a terminal crotch edge, wherein said front and rear body panels are formed separately with said terminal crotch edges of each of said front and rear body panels extending laterally across at least a longitudinal centerline of said front and rear body panels, and wherein said terminal crotch edge of said rear body panel is longitudinally spaced from and forms a gap with said terminal crotch edge of said front body panel, and wherein said absorbent insert bridges said gap and is connected to said front and rear body panels; and

an absorbent insert comprising a back sheet connected to a top sheet and a retention portion disposed between said back sheet and said top sheet, wherein said back sheet is stretchable and comprises an elastic material, and wherein a garment side surface of said back sheet is connected to a body side surface of said front body panel.

14. The disposable undergarment of claim 13 wherein said elastic material comprises an elastic film.

15. The disposable undergarment of claim 14 wherein said back sheet comprises a laminate comprising a non-woven material and said elastic material.

16. The disposable undergarment of claim 13 wherein said retention portion is minimally attached to at least one of said back sheet and said top sheet along a longitudinally extending centerline of said retention portion, with portions of said retention portion overlapping said at least one of said back sheet and said top sheet on either side of said longitudinally extending attachment along the centerline of said retention portion being free of any attachment to either of said back sheet or said top sheet.

17. The disposable undergarment of claim 13 wherein said body panel comprises an elastic material.

18. The disposable undergarment of claim 17 wherein said body panel comprises a laminate comprising a non-woven material outer layer, an elastic core comprising said elastic material and a non-woven material inner layer.

19. The disposable undergarment of claim 13 wherein said absorbent insert is connected to said body panel at an attachment location positioned along at least a longitudinally extending centerline of said absorbent insert.