Disposable diapers

Claim 1

In a disposable diaper having a water-permeable top sheet, a water-impervious back sheet, a semi-rigid absorbent body primarily composed of fluffed pulp interposed between these two sheets and formed narrower in a crotch area, side flaps extending outwardly from laterally opposite side edges of said absorbent body, and elastic members secured in said side flaps for longitudinally elastic contraction and expansion, the improvement comprising: (A) said absorbent body comprising a first absorbent member and a second absorbent member, each composed of fluffed pulp, (1) said first absorbent member (a) having a generally rectangular configuration and a hydrophobic netty sheet at least covering its bottom surface, (b) having partially cut out side panels that are separated by an intermediate panel, said side panels being folded inwardly towards each other so that said side panels and said intermediate panel form a folded 3-layer thickness of absorbent material, (2) said second absorbent member (a) having a generally rectangular configuration with a width that is greater than the width of said folded 3-layer thickness of absorbent material, (b) that has at least its top surface covered with a hydrophobic netty sheet, and (c) that lies upon the top surface of said first absorbent member, (B) inner and outer side flaps located on each side of said diaper (1) said inner side flap being composed of the portion of the side of said second absorbent member that extends outwardly from said folded 3-layer thickness of the first absorbent material, said portion including an underlying layer of hydrophobic netty material, and said portion being interposed between said top and back sheets, and (2) said outer side flap being located outwardly from said inner side flap and being composed of said top and back sheets bonded to each other, (C) said elastic member located in said side flaps and being in the form of a foamed tape having a length of 10-50 mm and being positioned at a distance of not more than 19.1 mm outwardly from the side of said second absorbent member.