Patent ID: 8440039

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a disposable worn article including: a back portion covering a back side of a wearer; a front portion covering a front side of the wearer; a crotch portion between the front portion and the back portion; a first side flap extending in a girth direction on each side of the back portion; a second side flap extending in the girth direction on each side of the front portion; respective girth portions joined to each of the first side flaps or each of the second side flaps and lying on the other one of the first and second side flaps when the worn article is worn, the girth portions further extending in the girth direction beyond respective side edges of the first and second side flaps in the girth direction; respective first fastener members provided on a skin-contact surface of each of the girth portions; and respective second fastener members provided on a non-skin-contact surface of each of the other one of the first and second side flaps and capable of engaging with a corresponding one of the first fastener members, the method comprising: a carrying step of carrying a continuous member of a combined web forming the worn article in a direction perpendicular to the girth direction; a first folding step of folding the girth portions along a virtual first line extending in the perpendicular direction, while performing the carrying step, so that a non-skin-contact surface of the girth portions lies on a non-skin-contact surface of the one of the first and second side flaps; a second folding step of folding the first and second side flaps along a virtual second line extending in the perpendicular direction, while performing the carrying step and after the first folding step, so that a skin-contact surface of the first side flap lies on a skin-contact surface of the back portion and a skin-contact surface of the second side flap lies on a skin-contact surface of the front portion; a severing step of severing an individual worn article from the continuous member after the second folding step; and a third folding step of folding the individual worn article along a virtual third line extending in the girth direction so that one of the first fastener members provided on the skin-contact surface of one of the girth portions lies on one of the second fastener members provided on the non-skin-contact surface of the other one of the first and second side flaps, and another one of the first fastener members provided on the skin-contact surface of the other one of the girth portions lies on another one of the second fastener members provided on the non-skin-contact surface of the other one of the first and second side flaps.