Disposable diaper with three dimensional gathers

A disposable diaper comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and a liquid retentive absorbent member interposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, said absorbent member including first and second substantially planar sides, said topsheet being positioned on said first substantially planar side, and having a pair of inner sheets which include continuous extensions of the backsheet and are provided at opposite longitudinal side portions of the disposable diaper on its topsheet side and on said first substantially planar side of said absorbent member such that longitudinal inner side edges of the inner sheets are positioned inwardly with respect to the longitudinal side edges of the absorbent member;

• first elastically expansible members provided at first portions of said backsheet which are located adjacent to said second side of said absorbent member and adjacent to a respective inner sheet to form leg gathers, and second elastically expansible members provided at second portions of said backsheet which include the inner side edges of each of the inner sheets, said second expansible members form frill portion gathers;
• the topsheet and the inner sheets being attached together with respect to a region located within the longitudinal side edges of the absorbent member on said first substantially planar side of said absorbent member and within the longitudinal inner side edges of the inner sheets such that the frill portion gathers define free edges spaced from said topsheet, and a portion of said frill portion gathers is attached to a portion of said inner sheet located between said frill portion gathers and said leg gathers, whereby said frill portion gathers provide three-dimensional gathers which substantially reduce leakage of bodily secretions from the diaper.

A disposable diaper comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and a liquid retentive absorbent member interposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, said absorbent member including first and second substantially planar sides, said topsheet being positioned on said first substantially planar side, and having a pair of inner sheets which include continuous extensions of the backsheet and are provided at opposite longitudinal side portions of the disposable diaper on its topsheet side and on said first substantially planar side of said absorbent member such that longitudinal inner side edges of the inner sheets are positioned inwardly with respect to the longitudinal side edges of the absorbent member;

• first elastically expansible members provided at first portions of said backsheet which are located adjacent to said second side of said absorbent member and adjacent to a respective inner sheet to form leg gathers, and second elastically expansible members provided at second portions of said backsheet which include the inner side edges of each of the inner sheets, said second expansible members form frill portion gathers;
• the topsheet and the inner sheets being attached together with respect to a region located within the longitudinal side edges of the absorbent member on said first substantially planar side of said absorbent member and within the longitudinal inner side edges of the inner sheets such that the frill portion gathers define free edges spaced from said topsheet, and a portion of said inner sheets located between the leg gathers and said attachment between the topsheet and the inner sheets being free from attachment with said topsheet, whereby said frill portion gathers provide three-dimensional gathers which substantially reduce leakage of bodily secretions from the diaper.