Appeal No. 2003-1406 Page 3
Application No. 09/335,723
18. A shaped element for use in an absorbent
product selected from the group consisting of a
sanitary towel, an incontinence pad, and a panty liner;
said shaped element having an essentially elongate
shape with a longitudinal direction and a transverse
direction, and comprising a first short side and a
second short side, two long sides, a central portion, a
first end portion extending from said first short side
and a second end portion extending from said second
short side; said first end portion being wider than the
central portion and having a width which increases
towards said first short side of the shaped element,
and said second end portion being a bifurcated end
portion comprising a first segment having a first edge
extending in said longitudinal direction from said
second short side towards said first short side, and a
second segment having a second edge extending in said
longitudinal direction from said second short side
towards said first side, and said first edge being
bonded to said second edge.
The sole prior art reference of record relied upon by the
examiner in rejecting the appealed claims is:
Buell 5,171,302 Dec. 15, 1992
Claims 18-23 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being
unpatentable over Buell.
We refer to the briefs and to the answer for a complete
exposition of the opposing viewpoints expressed by appellant and
the examiner concerning the issues before us in this appeal.
OPINION
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