Patent ID: 8454782

Claim:
A method for producing an open type disposable diaper, the diaper comprising a main part having a front region with front lateral longitudinal edges, a rear region with rear lateral longitudinal edges and a crotch region, disposed, in a longitudinal direction, between the rear region and the front region, the crotch region subsequently lying between legs of a user, the main part also comprising an absorbent pad, and with rear side portions, joined to the rear region on both sides thereof as well as front side portions, joined to the front region on both sides thereof, the rear and front side portions extending in a transverse direction beyond the front and rear lateral longitudinal edges of the main part to facilitate connection between the front region and the rear region when the diaper is in use, wherein, at least at edges thereof facing the crotch region, the front and rear side portions travel obliquely or in a curve-shaped manner relative to the longitudinal direction in order to form leg cutout regions, the main part being formed, at least in the crotch region, in an hourglass-shaped manner, the method comprising the steps of: a) supplying a continuous side portion web of flat material in a longitudinal direction; b) forming first material clearances along a first cutting line at a side edge of the side portion web of flat material to produce contoured cutouts therein, wherein an imaginary parallel line PL, which is parallel to the longitudinal direction and intersects a point P of maximum extent of the contoured cutouts transverse to the longitudinal direction, defines an outer sub-region and an inner sub-region of the side portion web of flat material; c) folding the side portion web of flat material about at least one first folding line running in the longitudinal direction, the first folding line extending within the outer sub-region; d) severing longitudinal portions of the folded side portion web of flat material to form individual side portions of material; e) permanently fixing the individual side portions of material to a respective longitudinal edge of a main part web, thereby forming the front and rear side portions of the diaper on the diaper main part; and f) forming second material clearances along a second cutting line, the second cutting line intersecting the front and rear side portions as well as a respective longitudinal edge of the main part web; wherein the second cutting line crosses the first cutting line but does not extend through the first folding line of the front and rear side portions.