CA2265733A1

CA2265733A1 - Absorbent article with finger pockets

Info

Publication number: CA2265733A1
Application number: CA002265733A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Larry Kenneth Johnson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 1996-09-24
Filing date: 1997-09-19
Publication date: 1998-04-02
Also published as: WO1998013002A1; EP1005306A1; KR20000048503A; AU4429797A; JP2000503244A; TW360527B; ZA978378B

Abstract

An absorbent article including a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet joined with the topsheet and an absorbent core located between the topsheet and the backsheet. The absorbent article also includes a finger pocket located on the backsheet. The finger pocket includes a fixed portion joined to the backsheet and the free portion is preferably free to move away from the backsheet to provide an opening. A diaperer may slide a finger into the opening for controlling at least a portion of the absorbent article while the diaper is being fitted to or removed from a wearer.

Description

ï»¿CA 02265733 l999-03- 12WO 98/13002 PCT/US97/16798ABSORBENT ARTICLE WITH FINGER POCKETSFIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to absorbent garments having ï¬nger pockets and,more particularly, to disposable absorbent garments such as diapers having ï¬ngerpockets or loops to aid in ï¬tting the garment about a wearer. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONInfants and incontinent individuals often wear absorbent articles such as diapersto receive and contain urine and other bodily exudates. Absorbent articles function bothto contain the discharged materials and to isolate the materials from bedding andclothing. Disposable absorbent articles having many different designs are known in theart. For example, U.S. Patent No. Re. 26,152 entitled "Disposable Diaper" issued toDuncan and Baker on January 31, 1967 describes a disposable diaper which has achievedwide acceptance and commercial success. U.S. Patent No. 3,863,003 entitled"Contractable Side Portions For Disposable Diaper" issued to Buell on Jan. 14, 1975 andU.S. Pat: No. 5,151,092 entitled "Absorbent Article With Dynamic Elastic Waist FeatureHaving A Predisposed Resilient F lexural Hinge" issued to Buell et al. on Sept. 29, 1992describe improved disposable diapers which have achieved commercial success. Despite the improvements that have been made in relation to absorbent garments,such garments are often difficult to properly secure about the wearer. Proper securementis a problem especially if the wearer is moving or if the wearer is ï¬tting the article to himor herself. In such cases, only one hand may be available to both hold the garment aboutthe wearer and to fasten the garment. Further, wearer's ï¬tting the garment to themselvesmay ï¬nd the orientation of the fastening system awkward and that their physicallimitations make the garment almost impossible to don without help. Thus, it would be _advantageous to provide an absorbent article having an improved structure which helpsreduce the difï¬culty associated with properly ï¬tting the garment to the wearer.Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide absorbent articleswith structure which may be more easily ï¬t to the wearer.It is another object of the present invention to provide absorbent articles withï¬nger loops or pockets which may reduce the difficulty associated with ï¬tting suchgarments to the wearer.ï»¿CA 02265733 l999-03- 12W0 98/13002 I PCT/US97/16798It is yet another object of the present invention to provide disposable absorbentarticles, such as diapers, with low cost means for reducing the difï¬culty associated withï¬tting such garments to the wearer.These and other objects of the present invention will be more readily apparentwhen considered with reference to the following descriptions and when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to an absorbent article having a from waistregion, a rear waist region, a crotch region located between the front waist region and therear waist region, a longitudinal centerline, a lateral centerline, a pair of opposed endedges and a pair of longitudinal edges running between the end edges generally parallel_to the longitudinal centerline. The absorbent article preferably includes a liquidpermeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet joined with the topsheet and anabsorbent core located between the topsheet and the backsheet. The backsheet has abody surface adjacent at least a portion of the absorbent core and an opposing garmentsurface. A ï¬nger pocket is located on the garment surface of the backsheet, the ï¬ngerpocket including a ï¬xed portion and a free portion. The ï¬xed portion is preferablyjoined to the backsheet and the free portion is preferably free to move away from thebacksheet to provide an opening into which a diaperer may slide a ï¬nger for controllingat least a portion of the absorbent article while the diaper is being ï¬tted to or removedfrom a wearer.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFigure 1 is a plan view of an absorbent article including one embodiment of theï¬nger pockets of the present invention;Figure 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an absorbent articleincluding the ï¬nger pockets of the present invention;Figure 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an absorbent articleincluding an alternative embodiment of the ï¬nger pockets of the present invention;Figure 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an absorbent articleincluding an alternative embodiment of the ï¬nger pockets of the present invention;Figure 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an absorbent article.including an alternative embodiment of the ï¬nger pockets of the present invention;Figure 6 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an absorbent articleincluding an alternative embodiment of the ï¬nger pockets of the present invention;ï»¿CA 02265733 l999-03- 12WO 98/13002 PCT/US97/16798Figure 7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an article of clothingincluding an alternative embodiment of the ï¬nger pockets of the present invention;Figure 8 is a perspective view of one method for making one embodiment of theï¬nger pockets of the present invention;Figure 9 is a perspective View of one method of making an alternativeembodiment of the ï¬nger pockets of the present invention; andFigure 10 is a perspective View of one embodiment of the present inventionshowing the diaperer's hand as the garment is being ï¬tted to a wearer.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONAs used herein the term "absorbent article" refers to articles which absorb and contain body exudates and more speciï¬cally refers to articles which are placed against orin proximity to the body of the wearer to absorb and contain various exudates dischargedfrom the body. Absorbent articles are typically differentiated by whether they arereusable or disposable. "Disposable" refers to articles which are generally intended to be .discarded after a single use (i.e., they are not generally intended to be laundered orotherwise restored or reused). The absorbent articles of the present invention arepreferably disposable absorbent articles. The absorbent articles may be further deï¬nedby whether they are "unitary" such that they do not require a separate manipulative partsor whether they comprise an element of a diaper system such as a separate holder andliner. The absorbent articles of the present invention are preferably unitary. Onepreferred embodiment of a unitary disposable absorbent article of the present invention,diaper 20, is shown in FIG. 1. As used herein, the term "diaper" refers to a garmentgenerally worn by infants and/or incontinent persons about the lower torso to receive andcontain bodily exudates. It should be understood, however, that the present invention isalso applicable to other disposable absorbent articles such as incontinence briefs,undergarment absorbent inserts, disposable training pants, belted diapers, diaper holders,sanitary napkins and the like, as well as articles of clothing or other articles to be ï¬tted towearers. "Figure 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of aidiaper 20 in its ï¬at out,uncontracted state (i.e., without any elastic induced contraction pulled out) with portionsof the structure being cut away to more clearly show the underlying structure of thediaper 20 and with the portion of the diaper 20 which contacts the wearer facing awayfrom the viewer. The diaper 20 is shown to have a front waist region 36, a rear waistregion 38, and a crotch region 37 located between the front waist region 36 and the rearwaist region 38. The waist regions generally comprise those portions of the diaper 20ï»¿CA 02265733 l999-03- 12W0 98/ 13002 PCTIUS97/16798which, when worn, encircle the waist of the wearer. The waist regions may include anelastic element or other means for gathering or for permitting extension about the waistof the wearer to improve fit and containment. The crotch region 37 is that portion of thediaper 20 positioned between the front waist region 36 and the rear waist region 38which, when the diaper 20 is worn, is generally positioned between the legs of thewearer.The diaper 20 preferably comprises a liquid pervious topsheet 22, a liquidimpervious backsheet 24 and an absorbent core 26 which is preferably located betweenthe topsheet 22 and the backsheet 24. The absorbent core 26 preferably has a garmentsurface which generally faces away from the wearer and a body surface which generallyfaces the wearer. The diaper 20 preferably also includes at least one ï¬nger pocket 50which may be used to help fit the diaper 20 to the wearer. The diaper 20 may alsoinclude such other features as are known in the art including leg cuffs 28, front and rearear panels 30, waist features 32, elastics and the like to provide better fit, containmentand aesthetic characteristics. Such additional features are well known in the art and aredescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,003 entitled "Contractable Side Portions For DisposableDiaper" issued to Buell on Jan. 14, 1975 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,092 entitled "AbsorbentArticle With Dynamic Elastic Waist Feature Having A Predisposed Resilient FlexuralHinge" issued to Buell et al. on Sept. 29, 1992. Each of these patents is incorporated byreference herein.In a preferred embodiment of the diaper 20 in which the backsheet 24 has lengthand width dimensions generally larger than those of the absorbent core 26, the backsheet24 extends beyond the edges of the absorbent core 26 to thereby form the periphery ofthe absorbent article. The periphery defines the outer perimeter, in other words, theedges of the diaper 20. The periphery comprises the longitudinal edges 42 and the endedges 44. As shown in FIG. 1, the topsheet 22 may be coterrninous with the backsheet24 along the end edges 44 as well as the longitudinal edges 42 of the diaper 20.The absorbent core 26 may be any absorbent material which is generally -compressible, conformable, non-irritating to,the wearer's skin, and capable of absorbingand retaining liquids and certain body exudates. The absorbent core 26 may bemanufactured in a wide variety of sizes and shapes (e.g., rectangular, hour-glass,asymmetric, etc.) and from a wide variety of liquid absorbent materials commonly usedin disposable diapers and other absorbent articles, such as comminuted wood pulp, whichis generally referred to as airfelt. Examples of other suitable absorbent materials includecreped cellulose wadding, absorbent foams, absorbent sponges, superabsorbentpolymers, absorbent gelling materials, or any equivalent materials or combination ofï»¿CA 02265733 l999-03- 12W0 98/ 13002 PCT/US97/16798materials. The total absorbent capacity of the absorbent core 26 should be compatiblewith the intended use of the diaper 20. Further, the absorbent capacity and conï¬gurationof the absorbent core 26 may be varied to accommodate wearers ranging from infantsthrough adults (e.g., the absorbent core may have a varying caliper, or hydrophilicgradient, a capillary differential, low density zones, or may or may not contain absorbentgelling materials).The absorbent core 26 may comprise a layer of absorbent material comprisinghydrophilic ï¬bers and particles of absorbent gelling material (hydrogel) such as theabsorbent structure described in U.S. Patent 4,610,678 entitled "High-Density AbsorbentStructure" which issued to Paul T. Weisman and Steven A. Goldman on September 9,1986 and which patent is incorporated herein by reference. Preferred embodiments ofthe absorbent core 26 are generally described in U.S. Patent No. 5,234,423 entitled"Absorbent Article With Elastic Waist Feature and Enhanced Absorbency", issued toAlemany et al. on August 10, 1993; and U.S. Patent No. 5,217,445 entitled "AbsorbentStructures Containing Superabsorbent Material and Web of Wetlaid Stiffened Fibers"issued to Young et al. on June 8, 1993, which are incorporated herein by reference.Other exemplary absorbent cores useful in the present invention are described in U.S.Patent No. 5,124,188 entitled "Porous, Absorbent, Polymeric Macrostructures andMethods of Making the Same", issued to Roe et al., on June 23, 1992; U.S. Patent No.5,137,537 entitled "Absorbent Structure Containing Individualized, Polycarboxylic AcidCrosslinked Wood Pulp Cellulose Fibers", issued to Herron et al., on August 11, 1992;U.S. Patent No. 5,180,622 entitled "Absorbent Members Containing lnterparticleCrosslinked Aggregates", issued to Berg, et al., on January 19, 1993; U.S. Patent5,260,345 entitled "Absorbent Foam Materials for Aqueous Body Fluids and AbsorbentArticles Containing Such Materials" issued to DesMarais et al., on November 9, 1993;U.S. Patent 4,673,402 entitled "Absorbent Article With Dual-Layered Cores" whichissued to Paul T. Weisman, Dawn 1. Houghton and Dale A. Gellert on June 16; and PCTPublication No. W0 92/ 1 1830, published on July 23, 1992, entitled "Absorbent ArticleHaving Rapid Acquiring, Multiple Layer Absorbent Core". All of these patents andpublications are hereby incorporated herein by reference. _The topsheet 22 is preferably compliant, soft feeling, and non-irritating to thewearer's skin. Further, the topsheet 22 is preferably liquid pervious permitting liquids toreadily penetrate through its thickness. A suitable topsheet 22 may be manufacturedfrom a wide range of materials, such as porous foams, reticulated foams, fonned ï¬lms,apertured plastic ï¬lms, natural ï¬bers (e.g., wood or cotton ï¬bers), synthetic ï¬bers (e.g.,polyester or polypropylene ï¬bers) or from a combination of natural and synthetic ï¬bers.ï»¿CA 02265733 l999-03- 12W0 98/ 13002 PCT/US97/16798There are a number of manufacturing techniques which may be used to manufacture thetopsheet 22. For example, the topsheet 22 may be woven, non-woven, spunbonded,carded, or the like. One preferred topsheet 22 comprises polypropylene fibers having adenier of about 2.2, such as P-8, manufactured by Veratec, Inc., a Division of theInternational Paper Company, of Walpole, Massachusetts. A preferred topsheet 22 iscarded, and thermally bonded by means well known to those skilled in the fabrics art.Preferably, the topsheet 22 is made of a hydrophobic material to isolate thewearer's skin from liquids in the absorbent core 26. If the topsheet 22 is made of ahydrophobic material, at least the upper surface of the topsheet 22 is treated to behydrophilic so that liquids will transfer through the topsheet 22 more rapidly. Thisdiminishes the likelihood that body exudates will ï¬ow off the topsheet 22 rather thanbeing drawn through the topsheet 22 and being absorbed by the absorbent core 26. Thetopsheet 22 can be rendered hydrophilic by treating it with a surfactant includingspraying the topsheet 22 material with a surfactant or immersing the material into thesurfactant. A more detailed discussion of such a treatment is contained in U.S. Patents4,988,344 entitled "Absorbent Articles with Multiple Layer Absorbent Layers" issued toReising et al., on January 29, 1991, and U.S. Patent 4,988,345 entitled "AbsorbentArticles with Rapid Acquiring Absorbent Cores" issued to Reising on January 29, 1991,each of which is incorporated herein by reference.The topsheet 22 and the backsheet 24 may be joined together in any suitablemanner as is well known in the diaper manufacturing art. As used herein, the term"joined" encompasses conï¬gurations whereby elements of the diaper 20 are connected toeach other either directly or indirectly. Thus, the topsheet 22 may be directly joined tothe backsheet 24 by affixing the topsheet 22 to the backsheet 24 itself or may beindirectly joined to the backsheet 24 by afï¬xing the topsheet 22 to intermediate memberswhich in turn are affixed to the backsheet 24. In a preferred embodiment, the topsheet 22and the backsheet 24 are joined directly to each other in the diaper periphery by anadhesive or any other attachment means as is known in the art. Alternative suitableattachment means are discussed below with regard to the backsheet 24.The backsheet 24 is preferably positioned adjacent the garment surface of theabsorbent core 26 that faces away from the wearer and is preferably secured thereto byattachment means such as those well known in the art. For example, the backsheet 24may be secured to the absorbent core 26 by a uniform continuous layer of adhesive, apatterned layer of adhesive, or an array of separate lines or spots of adhesive.Alternatively, the attachment means may comprise heat bonds, pressure bonds, ultrasonicbonds, dynamic mechanical bonds, or any other suitable attachment means orï»¿CA 02265733 l999-03- 12WO 98/13002 . PCT/US97/16798combinations of these attachment means as are known in the art. An adhesive which hasbeen found to be satisfactory is manufactured by H. B. Fuller Company of St. Paul Minn.and marketed as HL-1258. The core attachment means preferably comprise an openpattern network of ï¬laments of adhesive as is shown in U.S. Patent 4,573,986 entitled"Disposable WasteâContainment Garment" which issued to J. A. Minetola and David R.Tucker on March 4, 1986, and which is incorporated herein by reference. An exemplaryattachment means of an open pattern network of ï¬laments comprises several lines ofadhesive ï¬laments swirled into a pattern such as is illustrated by the apparatus andmethods shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,911,173 issued to Sprague, Jr. on Oct. 7, 1975; U.S.Patent No. 4,785,996 issued to Zieckler, et al. on Nov. 22, 1978; and U.S. Patent No.4,842,666 issued to Werenicz on June 27, 1989. Each of these patents are incorporatedherein by reference.Figures 2-9 show examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention.In each case, garment 20 includes at least one ï¬nger pocket 50. The ï¬nger pocket 50 isuseful in reducing the difï¬culty associated with ï¬tting garments, such as disposableabsorbent garments, to wearers. A person ï¬tting the garment 20 to the wearer, whether itis the wearer himself or another, may use the ï¬nger pockets 50 to help control a portionor portions of the garment 20 while initially ï¬tting the garment to the wearer, infastening or refastening the closure system of the garment or when removing the garmentfrom the wearer. In any case, the person donning the garment 20 may slide one _or moreï¬ngers into the ï¬nger pocket(s) 50. When in the pockets 50, the ï¬ngers are generallybetter able to control the surrounding portions of the garment 20 and more easily positionthe garment 20 about the wearer. Such positive control may be especially useful in caseswhere the wearer is moving or in cases where the garment 20 is being ï¬tted to the wearerby him or herself.In Figure 2, one preferred absorbent article embodiment of the present inventionis shown. (Although the term "absorbent article" is used to describe many of theembodiments herein, such embodiments are not intended to limit the invention toabsorbent or disposable absorbent articles. For instance, it is contemplated that many ofthe embodiments described may be useful as diaper covers or the like which may not beintended to absorb bodily exudates.) The absorbent article 20 preferably includes twoï¬nger pockets 50, disposed adjacent the end edge 44 of the diaper 20 along eachlongitudinal edge 42. The ï¬nger pockets 50 are preferably located on the garmentsurface 48 of the backsheet 24 in the front waist region 36. Each ï¬nger pocket 50preferably includes a ï¬xed portion 52 which is joined with the backsheet 24 and a freeï»¿CA 02265733 l999-03- 12WO 98113002 PCTIUS97/16798portion 54. The free portion 54 is capable of moving away from the backsheet 24, thusproviding an opening 56 into which the diaperer may slide one or more ï¬ngers.The ï¬nger pockets 50 may be integral with the diaper 20 or separate membersattached thereto. Further, the ï¬nger pockets 50 may take on any size or shape so long asthe ï¬nger pocket may be provided in a conï¬guration that permits at least one ï¬nger toslide into its opening 56. In one preferred embodiment, the ï¬nger pocket 50 includes agenerally rectangular member having opposed ï¬xed portions 52 and an intermediate freeportion 54, as shown in Figure 4. Alternatively, the ï¬nger pocket 50 may include agenerally rectangular member having three sides closed or joined to the backsheet 22, asshown in Figure 2. In yet another embodiment, the ï¬nger pocket 50 includes a generallytriangular member wherein at least a portion of two of the three sides are ï¬xed and atleast a portion of the third side is free to form the opening 56.The number of ï¬nger pockets 50 included in any single article or garment may bevaried. For instance, in the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8, twoï¬nger pockets 50 are shown. In Figure 6, a single ï¬nger pocket 50 is shown and in -Figure 4, four ï¬nger pockets 50 are shown. Further, in absorbent articles, such asdiapers, ï¬nger pockets 50 may be located on any surface of the garment 20 in the frontwaist region 36, the rear waist region 38 or the crotch region 37.If the ï¬nger pocket 50 is a separate element attached to the diaper 20, it mayjoined to the diaper 20 by any means known in the art. For example, the ï¬xed portion 52of the ï¬nger pocket 50 may be joined to the diaper 20 by continuous or intermittentbonds of adhesive, thermal or ultrasonic bonds, or other mechanical joining means suchas rivets, staples, hook and loop type fasteners, and the like. (As used herein the term"intermittent" refers to bonds which are broken or discontinuous. The term "continuous"refers to bonds which are neither broken nor discontinuous.)An alternative embodiment of the present invention, which is shown in Figure 6,includes ï¬nger pockets 50 which are integral with the backsheet 24. In Figure 6, theï¬nger pockets 50 includes a slit 58 in the backsheet 24. The slit 58 has ï¬xed portions 52at either end and an open portion 54 intermediate the ï¬xed portion 52. The free portion54 provides an opening 56 through which the diaperer may âslide one or more ï¬ngers.Although a particular slit length and orientation is shown in Figure 6, any size, shape,orientation, or number of slits may be used to provide the ï¬nger pocket 50 of the presentinvention. If the backsheet 24 is a laminate of more than one lamina, the slit 58 maypass through any or all of the layers. Additional integral ï¬nger pockets 50 may beprovided by pleating or folding selected portions of the absorbent article 20.ï»¿CA 02265733 l999-03- 12WO 98/13002 PCT/US97/16798Examples of folded integral ï¬nger pockets 50 are shown in Figures 8 and 9. InFigure 8, the garment 20 includes ear ï¬aps 60 located in the from waist region 36 whichexpands laterally outwardly from adjacent the absorbent core 26. The ear ï¬aps 60 eachinclude a proximal edge 62 located generally adjacent the absorbent core 26 and a distaledge 64 which is located laterally outwardly from the proximal edge when the ear ï¬aps60 are in an open, unfolded conï¬guration (shown in dotted lines). To provide ï¬ngerpockets 50, the ear ï¬aps 60 are folded inwardly over at least a portion of the backsheet24 and joined thereto in the ï¬xed portion(s) 52. The size and shape of the ï¬nger pockets50 and the location of the ï¬xed portion(s) 52 may be varied as desired.Figure 9 shows an embodiment of the present invention including an integralï¬nger pocket 50. The ï¬nger pocket 50 is formed by folding the end edge 44 of thearticle 20 longitudinally inwardly over the backsheet 24. One or more ï¬xed portions 52are joined with the underlying structure of the article 20. As shown, the ï¬nger pocket 50created in such conï¬gurations is relatively large and may have an opening 56 which islarge enough to accept more than one of the diaperers ï¬ngers. In other embodiments, theend edge 44 in the rear waist region 38 may be folded to form a different ï¬nger pocket50.Figure 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention included in agarment-such as a shirt or robe. The ï¬nger pockets 50 may be located anywhere on thegarment to provide easier ï¬tting or removal of the garment. For example, the ï¬ngerpockets 50 may be located along the front opening of a shirt. In combination withmechanical fasteners such as hook and loop type fasteners, such garments may be easilydonned on or removed by those with limited physical capacities in their hands or arms.Of course, any type of garment may include such ï¬nger pockets 50 and they may beuseful with many different types of fastening devices.Diaper and diaper cover embodiments of the present invention are preferablyï¬tted to the wearer as follows. The diaper or diaper cover is placed ï¬at on a surface andthe wearer is positioned on the topsheet of the article such that the wearer's back isadjacent the rear waist region 38 of the diaper 20. The front waist region 36 is thenpulled through the wearer's legs and positioned across the front waist of the wearer. Thediaperer may slide one or more ï¬ngers into any of the ï¬nger pockets 50 to help properlyposition the diaper for fastening. The ï¬nger pockets 50 may be especially useful if thewearer is moving at the time of diapering. The diaperer's hand can be used not only toposition the diaper, but can be used to maintain control of the wearer, as shown in Figure10.ï»¿CA 02265733 l999-03- 12WO 98/13002 PCT/US97/ 16798I 0While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated anddescribed, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes andmodiï¬cations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes andmodiï¬cations that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An absorbent article having a front waist region, a rear waist region, a crotch region located between said front waist region and said rear waist region, a longitudinal centerline, a lateral centerline, a pair of opposed end edges and a pair of longitudinal edges running between said end edges generally parallel to said longitudinal centerline; the absorbent article comprising:
a liquid permeable topsheet;
a liquid impermeable backsheet joined with said topsheet, said backsheet having a body surface adjacent at least a portion of said absorbent core and an opposing garment surface;
an absorbent core located between said topsheet and said backsheet; and the absorbent article characterized by a finger pocket located on said garment surface of said backsheet said finger pocket including a fixed portion and a free portion, said fixed portion joined to said backsheet and said free portion free to move away from said backsheet to provide an opening into which a diaperer may slide a finger for controlling at least a portion of said absorbentarticle while said diaper is being fitted to or removed from a wearer.

2. The absorbent article of Claim 1 wherein said finger pocket includes a generally rectangular member having opposed fixed portions and an intermediate free portion.

3. The absorbent article of Claim 1 wherein said finger pocket includes a generally triangular member having three sides, said triangular member being joined to said backsheet adjacent at least a portion of two of said three sides.

4. The absorbent article of Claim 1 wherein said finger pocket includes a pleat formed in said backsheet.

5. The absorbent article of Claim 1 wherein said finger pocket is formed from a front ear flap which extends laterally outwardly from said absorbent core in said front waist region, said front ear flap having a proximal edge disposed adjacentsaid absorbent core and a distal edge spaced laterally outwardly from said proximal edge, said distal edge of said front ear flap being folded laterally inwardly over at least a portion of said backsheet to form said finger pocket.

6. The absorbent article of Claim 1 wherein said backsheet includes a slit forming said finger pocket.

7. A diaper cover having a front waist region, a rear waist region, a crotch region located between said front waist region and said rear waist region, a longitudinal centerline, a lateral centerline, a pair of opposed end edges and apair of longitudinal edges running between said end edges generally parallel to said longitudinal centerline; the absorbent article comprising a liquid impermeable backsheet having a body surface and an opposing garment surface; and the diaper cover characterized by a finger pocket located on said garment surface of said backsheet, said finger pocket including a fixed portion and a free portion, said fixed portion joined to said backsheet and said free portion free to move away from said backsheet to provide an opening into which a diaperer may slide a finger for controlling at least a portion of the diaper cover while the diaper cover is being fitted about a wearer.

8. The absorbent article of any of the preceding claims comprising a single finger pocket adjacent said end edge located in said front waist region.

9. The absorbent article of any of the preceding claims comprising two finger pockets, one of said finger pockets located adjacent each said longitudinal edge in said front waist region.