Patent ID: 7135014

Claim:
A disposable diaper comprising: an outer sheet composed of: a front waist region; a rear waist region; a crotch region extending between the waist regions; and a pair of thigh-surrounding peripheral side regions that curve inwardly over a full length of said crotch region in a transverse direction; an inner pad disposed to the inner side of said outer sheet and extending between said front and rear waist regions, said inner pad comprising a liquid-pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-absorbent core positioned between the liquid-pervious topsheet and the liquid-impervious backsheet of the inner pad; a pair of side flaps extending in said longitudinal direction along transversely opposite side edges of said core; stretchable first elastic members positioned beneath the inner pad and contractibly secured to the respective thigh-surrounding peripheral side regions, curving transversely inwardly; and stretchable second elastic members contractibly secured to said side flaps and being positioned above the liquid-impervious backsheet of the inner pad, and extending rectilinearly in said longitudinal direction, said thigh-surrounding peripheral side regions of said outer sheet respectively having: front regions extending on a side of said front waist region; rear regions extending on a side of said rear waist region; and intermediate regions respectively extending between said front and rear regions, said first elastic members being secured to at least to said front and rear regions so that said first elastic members cross said second elastic members in said front regions and rear regions of said thigh-surrounding peripheral side regions, said side flaps respectively having: proximal regions lying in a vicinity of side edges of said core, with at least one of said stretchable second elastic members extending alone said proximal regions; distal regions lying outside said proximal regions; and fixed end regions lying on said from and rear waist regions of said outer sheet, at least said proximal regions of said side flaps being joined to said thigh-surrounding peripheral side regions of said outer sheet at least in one of two cross regions of said first elastic members and said second elastic members.