Appeal No. 97-4294 Page 30
Application No. 08/294,155
staple) fibers are wettable, (2) the binder fibers are
wettable and
(3) the liquid uptake rate is at least 2 times greater than
the article with no wettable staple fiber. The claimed
percentages of superabsorbent material, staple fiber, and
binder fiber is met by the specific teachings of Bair that (1)
the binder fiber usually amounts to no more than 25% of the
total weight of the web (i.e., the weight of both the binder
fiber and the matrix (staple) fiber), and (2) the SAP
particles amount to about 5 to 50 per cent by weight of the
composite article.
We find that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that
the matrix fibers used by Bair (e.g., polyethylene
terephthalate homopolymer, polyester staple fibers (KODEL 430
sold by Eastman)) are wettable. Bair is silent as to whether
or not his matrix fibers are wettable. However, since the
appellants' disclosure (specification, p. 9) informs us that
polyethylene terephthalate and polyesters are wettable, it is
reasonable to conclude that the matrix fibers used by Bair
(e.g., polyethylene terephthalate homopolymer, polyester
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