Appeal No. 1996-3195 Page 6
Application No. 08/228,086
is applied to inwardly folded back opposite edges of a tube-
shaped, one-sided polyurethane coated polyester fabric sheet
with the polyurethane coating of each edge being in mutual
contact as the sole mechanism for securing the opposite edges
together. Claim 15 and the claims depending therefrom require
a fabric seam wherein an ultrasonic weld is applied to folded
back edges of adjacent pieces of one-sided polyurethane coated
polyester fabric sheet material with the polyurethane coatings
in mutual contact as the sole mechanism for securing the
pieces together.
Kerr discloses the multi-layer coating of a fabric
substrate (figure 1) to provide a fabric structure useful in a
fuel cell or rotary flap peening device. Kerr teaches that a
variety of substrate materials may be used including polyester
fibers and the coatings may comprise various polymers
including polyurethanes (columns 2-10). Kerr does not
disclose seam formation including formation of an
ultrasonically welded seam. Pounder discloses joined sheets of
cross-linked polyurethanes and/or polyurethane coated fabrics
using ultrasonically formed seams. Pounder teaches that the
separate sheets to be joined are assembled in abutting or
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