Patent ID: 8684990

Claim:
An absorbent article comprising: a laterally elastically extensible chassis comprising a laterally continuous, water vapor-permeable backsheet, a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region between the waist regions, laterally opposing side edges defining its width, longitudinally opposing front and back waist end edges defining its length, and an interior surface and an exterior surface, wherein the backsheet is the outermost layer of the absorbent article; an absorbent assembly comprising an absorbent core, upper covering sheet, lower covering sheet, and an interior and exterior surface, the absorbent assembly being attached to the interior surface of the chassis, and the absorbent core comprising its side edges and its end edges disposed proximally relative to the respective side edges and end edges of the chassis, wherein the upper covering sheet is the innermost layer of the absorbent article and wherein the lower covering sheet is intermediate of the upper covering sheet and the backsheet; wherein the lower covering sheet is folded laterally inward to form breathable side flaps, each side flap having a folded edge that is disposed laterally distal relative to a proximal edge of the side flap, and wherein a portion of the laterally continuous, water vapor-permeable backsheet in the crotch region is folded laterally inward and joined to at least a portion of laterally opposing breathable side flaps; wherein a portion of the laterally continuous, water vapor-permeable backsheet in at least one of the waist regions extends laterally outward beyond distal edges of the side flaps in the crotch region and is not joined to the laterally opposing breathable side flaps in the front and back waist regions; wherein the side flaps are attached to the interior surface of the absorbent assembly adjacent to their longitudinally distal ends in at least one of the front or back waist regions; wherein the chassis comprises first and second ear panels in the front waist region and third and fourth ear panels in the back waist region, each of the ear panels being integral with the chassis and formed at least in part by the laterally continuous, water vapor permeable backsheet; and wherein the first and second ear panels in the front waist region are joined to the third and fourth ear panels of the back waist region via closure members to form a waist opening and leg openings.