Patent ID: 7658813

Claim:
A method of preparing closure components suitable for use in absorbent articles, comprising the steps of (a) providing a fastening portion comprising fastening means, (b) providing a continuous web of a material in a machine direction, said continuous web having a first outer major surface and a second inner major surface and a left and right longitudinal edge, at least one of said first and second major surfaces being capable of releasably engaging with the fastening means, (c) joining said fastening portion in the machine direction to at least one of the inner or outer major surfaces of the continuous web so that the fastening means of said fastening portion are exposed, (d) applying at least two first cuts to the continuous web in order to provide at least two flaps each having a top edge and a baseline, each of said at least two first cuts being discontinuous in the machine direction and in a cross direction such that the integrality of the continuous web is maintained, each of said at least two flaps bearing at least part of said fastening portions and being connected to the continuous web at least through its respective baseline so that the baseline of at least one of said at least two flaps is closer to the left longitudinal edge than the right longitudinal edge of the continuous web, and the baseline of at least one of said at least two flaps is closer to the right longitudinal edge than the left longitudinal edge of the continuous web, (e) folding over the flaps into a direction from their top edges to their baseline essentially along said base line onto the continuous web so that the fastening means releasably engage with the first outer major surface or the second inner major surface of the continuous web, wherein upon folding, the integrality of the continuous web is maintained, and (f) applying further cuts to the continuous web to produce individual closure components comprising said flaps in a folded position.