ABSORBENT ARTICLE HAVING ELASTICIZED BUMPERS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

An absorbent article includes a moisture barrier, a bodyside liner bonded to the moisture barrier, and an absorbent structure disposed between the bodyside liner and moisture barrier. Elasticized bumpers which function as threedimensional physical barriers to liquid movement are disposed in the margins of the article. The elasticized bumpers include an internal barrier structure and an elasticized cover disposed over the internal barrier structure and bonded to one of the margins. In particular embodiments, the elasticized cover is formed of a hydrophobic material, is unadhered to the internal barrier structure, and/or is comprised of elastic strands of variable degrees of power. A method of making the absorbent article includes the steps of providing a continuous carrier web having opposite side edges and disposing a continuous absorbent web on the continuous carrier web between the side edges. Continuous strands of an internal barrier material are disposed on the continuous carrier web with one of the strands being located between the absorbent web and each of the side edges. The continuous carrier web, absorbent web and strands of internal barrier material forming a continuous inprocess composite structure which is transversely cut to form a plurality of individual, in-process composite structures. Each individual, in-process composite structure includes an absorbent structure and a pair of internal barrier structures disposed on a carrier sheet. The method also includes disposing the individual, in-process composite structures on a continuous moisture barrier web, and providing a pair of continuous covers. The continuous covers are elasticized over at least part of their length and are positioning over the internal barrier structures. The continuous covers are bonded to the moisture barrier and the moisture barrier web and the covers are cut between the individual, in-process composite structures.