Appeal No. 95-0954
Application 08/058,092
absorb a fragrance. Instead, Whistler teaches that the
capacity of the granules to absorb functional substances is
dependent upon the compatibility of the surfaces of the starch
matrix with the absorbate, and discloses materials which are
effective for use in treating the starch matrix surfaces to
increase that compatibility (col. 2, line 49 - col. 3, line
13). Thus, in view of this teaching, one of ordinary skill in
the art would have had a reasonable expectation that ECO-FOAM
starch, with treatment of its surfaces if needed, would be
capable of absorbing fragrances which are compatible with the
ECO-FOAM surfaces.
With respect to the last step in claim 16, which recites
that the foam vegetable starch substrate is dissolved in water
when the fragrance has substantially volatilized, appellant
argues that there is no teaching or suggestion of this method
of disposal (brief, page 10). We are not persuaded by this
argument for the following reason. As acknowledged by
appellant, a known problem in the art was that polystyrene
foam fragrance carriers would not decompose in landfills
(specification, page 1, lines 21-32). For the above reasons,
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