Leg and flap elastic composite for an absorbent article and method of manufacturing same

A method of manufacturing a leg and flap elastics composite for use in an absorbent article, the method comprising:

• joining a leg elastic member to a web moving in a machine direction;
• joining a flap elastic member to the web, the flap elastic member being spaced from the leg elastic member;
• feeding the web to a chopper assembly wherein portions of the leg and flap elastic members are rendered less elastic at spaced-apart intervals to define deadened portions of the leg and flap elastic members;
• attaching the leg and flap elastics composite to a web of liner material such that an outer side edge of the leg and flap elastics composite is coterminous with one of a pair of laterally opposing side edges of the web of liner material;
• and
• attaching an absorbent assembly to the web of liner material before the leg and flap elastics composite is attached to the web of outer cover material, the absorbent assembly being attached to the opposite side of the web of liner material as the leg and flap elastics composite.

A method of manufacturing a leg and flap elastics composite for use in an absorbent article, the method comprising:

• feeding a continuous web having a longitudinal centerline to a slitter assembly;
• cutting the web along the longitudinal centerline at the slitter assembly to form two web segments thereby defining a first web segment and a second web segment;
• attaching leg elastic members to each of the first and second web segments;
• attaching flap elastic members to each of the first and second web segments, each of the flap elastic members being spaced from the leg elastic members on the respective one of the first and second web segments;
• bonding the first and second web segments to a web of liner material having a pair of side edges, the first web segment being bonded adjacent one of the side edges and the second web segment being bonded adjacent the other side edge;
• and
• attaching a web of outer cover material and a discrete absorbent assembly to the web of liner material having the first and second web segments bonded thereto, the web of outer cover material and absorbent assembly being attached after the first and second web segments are bonded to the web of liner material, the absorbent assembly being disposed between the web of outer cover material and the web of liner material.