07.09.12
An absorbent article has received a U.S. patent. The article comprises an outer cover material, a liner and an absorbent structure positioned between the outer cover material and the liner, the absorbent structure including a front portion, a rear portion, and a middle portion, the middle portion positioned between the front portion and the rear portion, the middle portion being narrower than the front portion, the front portion extending from a front edge of the absorbent structure to the narrower middle portion, the front portion defining an outermost lateral periphery, the front portion having a width, the absorbent structure further comprising a pair of opposing lateral flaps connected to the middle portion and folded at least onto the middle portion of the absorbent structure, each of the flaps, when in an unfolded state, extending beyond the outermost lateral periphery, the middle portion having a basis weight where the lateral flaps have been folded that is at least twice the basis weight of the front portion where the flaps are not located, each of the flaps having a width adjacent to the middle portion that is from about 25% to 100% of the width of the middle portion, wherein the absorbent structure defines a length and wherein the pair of opposing lateral flaps extend only a portion of the length of the absorbent structure adjacent to the middle portion.