Appeal No. 1998-0240
Application 08/522,479
the number of issues on appeal. (Brief, p. 1 and Reply Brief, p. 1). Accordingly, this is a decision on
appeal which involves claims 5 and 9-12.
The Invention
The appellant's invention relates to a helically crimped multicomponent conjugate fiber
comprising a first thermoplastic polymer and a second thermoplastic polymer having different
solidification periods. A nucleating agent is present in the polymer having the shorter solidification
period or may be present in both polymers. (Specification, page 2, line 31 to page 3, line 10 and page
6, lines 14-19). Mineral particles are described as suitable nucleating agents for the polymers.
(Specification, page 6, line 24 to page 7, line 1). Desirably, the nucleating agent is present in an amount
ranging from about 0.005% to about 2% based on the total weight of the component composition.
(Specification, page 6, lines 20-23). A copy of the claims under appeal is set forth in the appendix to
the appellant's brief. Claims 5, which depends from claims 1-4, and claim 9 are illustrative of the
invention. Claims 1-5 and 9 read as follows:
1. A helically crimped multicomponent conjugate fiber comprising at least a first composition
and a second composition, said first composition comprising a first thermoplastic polymer and
said second composition comprising a second thermoplastic polymer, said first and second
thermoplastic polymers having different solidification periods, wherein at least one of said first
and second compositions contains an amount of nucleating agent effective to modify the level of
crimp within said fiber.
2. The conjugate fiber of claim 1 wherein said first and second thermoplastic polymers are
selected from polyolefins, polyamides, polyesters, vinyl acetate-based polymers, and blends
and copolymers thereof.
2
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