Absorbent article having separately attached side-flaps, and a method of manufacturing such an article

A method of manufacturing an absorbent article, comprising:

• enclosing an absorbent material between a moving web of liquid-permeable sheet material to form an inner casing sheet, and a moving web of liquid-impermeable sheet material to form an outer casing sheet;
• thereafter mutually joining said webs to form an absorbent-unit web;
• forming two moving side-flap webs from sheet material;
• joining the side-flap webs to the absorbent unit web;
• and
• cutting the thus formed combination of moving, mutually joined side-flap and absorbent unit webs transversely, such as to form separate absorbent articles;
• arranging a first part of a width of each of said side-flap webs adjacent a longitudinally extending side-edge of the absorbent unit web over a portion of the absorbent material and joining said first web part to the absorbent unit within this portion;
• and
• arranging a remaining, second part of the width of the side-flap web laterally outside the absorbent-unit web such as to form side-flaps.

An absorbent article having an elongated absorbent unit, comprising:

• a liquid-permeable first, inner casing sheet which forms a part of a side of the article which lies proximal to the wearer in a worn state of the article;
• a liquid-permeable second, outer casing sheet;
• and
• an elongated absorbent body enclosed between said first and second casing sheets;
• the absorbent unit having two opposing long sides;
• the absorbent article further having along each of said long sides a side-flap which is made of a strip of sheet material whose length is greater than its width, and which is separate from but joined to one of said casing sheets;
• each of said strips includes a first part that is folded backwardly along a fold line and arranged between the absorbent unit and a second part of the strip, the fold line being substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the absorbent unit;
• each of said strips being fastened to said absorbent unit by means of a curved fastening line that fastens said first part to the absorbent unit, wherein the fastening line is closest to the fold line at a center of said absorbent unit and extends away from the absorbent unit at ends of the absorbent unit.