Appeal No. 95-4526
Application 08/200,251
surface layer and the absorbent. Nosaki describes the band
regions 2 and 3 as follows: “said surface layer comprises a
first band region [2] having a hydrophobic plastic film with a
number of openings at least in the menstrual blood absorptive
opening region, and a second band region [3] having
hydrophobic nonwoven cloth with a number of openings”
(translation, page 2). The examiner has implicitly found, and
appellants do not dispute, that the material of the band
region 2 is different from the material of the band regions 3.
Independent claim 1 calls for an absorbent article
comprising, inter alia, a bicomponent cover including a first
material having openings formed therethrough and a
nonapertured second material, with the second material being
different from the first material. Independent claims 25, 26,
29, 30, 37, 42-46, 48, 52-54 contain similar limitations. In
explaining her
rejection of these claims based on the teachings of Sukiennik
and Nosaki, the examiner states that “the only modification
being made is to make Sukiennik’s cover from separate pieces
[of different materials?] instead of one whole sheet, as shown
-6-
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