Disposable absorbent article of hygiene with double leakproofing barrier and process of manufacture

A process for the manufacture of flaps intended to be employed in an absorbent article of hygiene comprising a liquid-impervious supporting sheet which has opposite lengthwise edges and transverse edges, each of the lengthwise edges comprising an indentation defining a crotch region of a narrower width than two end regions of increased width, an absorbent pad secured to the supporting sheet and smaller in size than the supporting sheet, a liquid-permeable cover sheet of substantially rectangular shape, secured to the absorbent pad and of sufficient size to cover the absorbent pad at least in the crotch region and first lengthwise elastic members secured, in a stretched state, to the supporting sheet, outside the lengthwise edges of the absorbent pad, comprising the steps of:

• producing a strip of flexible material of substantially rectangular shape which has a width slightly greater than half of a width of the article of hygiene and similar in length to that of the article of hygiene;
• securing an elastic member lengthwise, in the a stretched state, at a distance smaller than half of the width of the strip, over a length at least substantially equal to the crotch region of the article;
• folding the strip back onto itself around the elastic member, to form a loop which has a top and lengthwise side walls;
• bringing the lengthwise lower edges of the loop into contact;
• and
• joining together the lengthwise lower edges along a lengthwise connection line in order to form a flap which has an intermediate part provided with a vertical fold of a length which is at least substantially equal to that of the crotch region of the article, joined to two end parts of greater width.

A process for securing side flaps to an absorbent article of hygiene, comprising:

• a liquid-impervious supporting sheet which has opposite lengthwise edges and transverse edges, each of the lengthwise edges comprising an indentation defining a crotch region of a narrower width than two end regions of increased width;
• an absorbent pad secured to the supporting sheet and smaller in size than the supporting sheet;
• a liquid-permeable cover sheet of substantially rectangular shape, secured to the absorbent pad and of sufficient size to cover the absorbent pad at least in the crotch region;
• first lengthwise elastic members secured, in a stretched state, to the supporting sheet outside the lengthwise edges of the pad;
• the process comprising the steps of:
• producing two identical flaps;
• arranging the flaps thus produced symmetrically in relation to a median lengthwise axis of the article above the supporting sheet, the absorbent pad and the cover sheet, so that loops are pointing vertically towards an interior and are situated nearer to the lengthwise edges of the pad in the crotch region than to a median lengthwise axis and corresponding end parts of the flaps form overlapping regions along the median lengthwise axis;
• securing the flaps over their periphery to the supporting sheet;
• securing the flaps to the cover sheet by means of lengthwise connecting lines situated substantially above the absorbent pad in the crotch region and outside in relation to the loops;
• and
• joining the flaps together in the overlapping regions of the end parts of the said flaps.