Appeal No. 98-2149 Page 5
Application No. 08/651,991
cushioning pad wherein the hook ends are randomly oriented are
known, but that such fastening devices are not strong enough to
securely hold the wear caps in place when subjected to certain
forces (see, generally, pages 2 and 3). In order to overcome
the deficiencies of the prior art:
A replaceable wear cap is provided together with a
fastening structure which is releasably carried
between the inner surface of the wear cap and the
outer surface of the cushioning pad. The fastening
structure comprises a cooperating pair of first and
second layers. The first layer is comprised of a
material having a plurality of loops. The second
layer is formed into segments each of which is
comprised of a material having a plurality of hooks.
The hooks of each segment have distal ends which
point substantially unidirectionally so that when the
hooks interengage with the loops the segment has a
maximum resistance to force components vectored
opposite the direction that the hook ends point. The
hooks are released by the method of moving the blade-
like portion of a thin flat tool in the direction the
hook ends point along the length of the interface
between the hooks and loops. [Specification, pages 4
and 5; emphasis added.]
Independent claims 1 and 17, each expressly require at
least first and second segments having unidirectionally
oriented hook ends wherein the hook ends on one segment point
in a direction which diverges from the direction the hook ends
point on the other segment. In order to satisfy these
limitations, the examiner relies on Robinson and states that
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