Absorbent sanitary article and method for its production

1 . An absorbent sanitary article, comprising:

a chassis having a longitudinal axis, two side edges, a rear waist section, a front waist section and a crotch section intermediate between the rear waist section and the front waist section, wherein the chassis comprises a topsheet having an outer surface which, during use, faces the user's body, a backsheet and an absorbent core interposed between the topsheet and the backsheet,

at least one pair of side panels extending laterally outwards from the respective side edges of the chassis in at least one of the rear and front waist sections, wherein said at least one pair of side panels have respective proximal edges fixed to the chassis and respective elastic portions elastically extendable along a transverse direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and

at least one gasketing element applied to the outer surface of the topsheet in at least one of said rear and front waist sections, wherein:

said at least one gasketing element has an outer transverse edge, an inner transverse edge and two side edges,

the outer transverse edge is attached to the chassis and the inner transverse edge is detached from the outer surface of the topsheet to form a pocket open towards said crotch section, and

at least one of said side edges of the at least one gasketing element extends in a transverse direction beyond the respective side edge of the chassis, and is fixed to a respective side panel of the at least one pair of side panels, and wherein at least part of the respective elastic portion of the at least one pair of side panels is arranged between said side edge of the gasketing element and said proximal edge of said respective side panel.

2 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 1 , wherein both side edges of the at least one gasketing element extend in the transverse direction beyond the respective side edges of the chassis and are fixed to respective elastic portions of the respective side panels.

3 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 1 , comprising at least one discontinuity region arranged between attachment areas of the at least one gasketing element to a respective side panel and to the chassis, wherein in said at least one discontinuity region, said at least one gasketing element is detached from the chassis.

4 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 1 , comprising a pair of leg cuffs extending on the topsheet parallel to said longitudinal axis, wherein said at least one gasketing element is fixed to the topsheet and to said pair of leg cuffs.

5 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 1 , wherein said at least one gasketing element comprises an elastic element elastically stretchable in said transverse direction.

6 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 1 , wherein said at least one gasketing element is not elastically stretchable.

7 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 1 , wherein said at least one gasketing element comprises longitudinal folds which extend parallel to said longitudinal axis.

8 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 7 , wherein said at least one gasketing element is folded according to a general Q configuration.

9 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of leg cuffs, wherein said at least one gasketing element is attached to the topsheet along a continuous transverse attachment line, and is attached to said pair of leg cuffs along attachment lines parallel to said longitudinal axis, wherein said at least one gasketing element is fixed to portions of said pair of leg cuffs detached from the topsheet.

10 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 1 , wherein said at least one gasketing element is attached to the chassis along a continuous transverse attachment line along the outer transverse edge, the continuous transverse attachment line forming a closed side of the pocket opposite to an open side of the pocket that is open towards the crotch section, the continuous transverse attachment line having opposed transverse edges facing the respective proximal edges of the at least one pair of side panels; and

wherein at least one discontinuity region is arranged at least along the transverse direction between an attachment area fixing the at least one gasketing element to said respective side panel and a respective transverse edge of the continuous transverse attachment line, wherein in said at least one discontinuity region, said at least one gasketing element is detached from the chassis.

11 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 1 , comprising a pair of leg cuffs extending on the topsheet parallel to said longitudinal axis;

wherein said at least one gasketing element is attached to the topsheet along a continuous transverse attachment line along the outer transverse edge, the continuous transverse attachment line forming a closed side of the pocket opposite to an open side of the pocket that is open towards the crotch section, the continuous transverse attachment line having opposed transverse edges facing the respective proximal edges of the at least one pair of side panels;

wherein said at least one gasketing element is attached to said pair of leg cuffs along longitudinal attachment lines extending parallel to said longitudinal axis and positioned proximate respective opposed transverse edges of the continuous transverse attachment line so as to form a C-shaped pocket, wherein said at least one gasketing element is fixed to portions of said pair of leg cuffs that are detached from the topsheet.

12 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 11 , comprising at least one discontinuity region arranged at least along the transverse direction between an attachment area fixing the at least one gasketing element to said respective side panel and a respective longitudinal attachment line, wherein in said at least one discontinuity region, said at least one gasketing element is detached from the chassis.

13 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 11 , wherein said at least one gasketing element comprises two longitudinal folds which extend parallel to said longitudinal axis, wherein respective longitudinal folds are positioned adjacent respective longitudinal attachment lines on an inner side thereof opposite an outer side of the longitudinal attachment lines facing the respective proximal edges of the at least one pair of side panels.

14 . The absorbent sanitary article of claim 1 , where the at least one gasketing element includes:

a length in the longitudinal direction between the inner and outer transverse edges, and

a corner formed at each intersection of the inner transverse edge and a respective side edge of the two side edges,

wherein the at least one of the side edges of the at least one gasketing element is fixed to the respective side panel via an attachment area at a respective corner of the at least one gasketing element, and

wherein the attachment area extends in the longitudinal direction for only a small portion of the length in the longitudinal direction, the small portion being less than one-half the length in the longitudinal direction such that the respective side edge proximate the outer transverse line of the at least one gasketing element is detached from the respective side panel and the chassis.

15 . A method for producing absorbent sanitary articles, comprising:

forming a continuous chassis chain and a plurality of pairs of side panels applied at regular intervals onto said continuous chassis chain,

providing a continuous sheet movable in a direction of its longitudinal axis and transversely cutting said continuous sheet to form a plurality of gasketing elements, and

spacing apart said plurality of gasketing elements from each other in the longitudinal direction and attaching said plurality of gasketing elements to said continuous chassis chain so that outer transverse edges of said plurality of gasketing element are attached to said continuous chassis chain and side edges of said plurality of gasketing elements are attached to elastic portions of said plurality of pairs of side panels.