Patent ID: 8684988

Claim:
A disposable diaper having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region between the waist regions, an interior surface and an exterior surface, and comprising: an absorbent assembly having an interior surface and an exterior surface and laterally opposing longitudinally extending side edges, the absorbent assembly comprising an absorbent core having longitudinally extending side edges, a water-permeable upper covering sheet disposed interiorly of the absorbent core, and a lower covering sheet disposed exteriorly of the absorbent core, such that the absorbent core is sandwiched between the upper covering sheet and the lower covering sheet, each of the upper covering sheet and the lower covering sheet extending laterally beyond the side edges of the absorbent core, wherein the lower covering sheet forms a portion of the exterior surface; two laterally opposing longitudinally extending barrier cuff strips attached to the interior surfaces of the lower covering sheet adjacent the distal side edges of the absorbent assembly, each barrier cuff strip having an interior surface, an exterior surface, longitudinally opposing ends, a longitudinally extending distal edge and a laterally opposing longitudinally extending proximal edge, each barrier cuff strip being attached to the upper covering sheet of the absorbent assembly at points adjacent to its ends and immediately adjacent its longitudinally extending proximal edge in the front and back waist regions, but each barrier cuff not attached to the upper covering sheet in the crotch region, each barrier cuff strip further comprising a longitudinally extending elastic gathering member attached adjacent to its proximal edge, the distal edge of each barrier cuff strip disposed laterally outboard of the respective side edge of the absorbent assembly over substantially the entire longitudinal extent of that side edge, the interior surface of each barrier cuff strip forming the interior surface of the disposable diaper from the proximal edge of the barrier cuff strip to the distal edge of the diaper; wherein the proximal edge of each barrier cuff strip is disposed laterally inward of the side edges of the absorbent core; wherein the distal edge of each barrier cuff strip is non-linear when the disposable diaper is in its flat, uncontracted state; wherein a portion of each of the barrier cuff strips is disposed laterally outward of the lower covering sheet to define a first region on each of the barrier cuff strips, and wherein at least a portion of the first region on each of the barrier cuff strips is elastically stretchable in a lateral direction; and wherein a portion each of the barrier cuff strips is disposed laterally inward of the lower covering sheet to define a second region on each of the barrier cuff strips, and wherein at least a portion of the of the second region on each of the barrier cuff strips is elastically stretchable in the longitudinal direction due to the elastic gathering members.