Appeal No. 2001-0168
Application No. 09/170,790
vinyl alcohol. The second layer includes a thermoplastic
urethane. The first and second layers are held together by
hydrogen bonding. In accordance with the method of the
invention, the laminated barrier membrane is preferably
manufactured by extruding the layers.
Discussion
Appellants assert that "[e]ach of the present claims is
patentable over the Moureaux reference because the Moureaux
reference fails to teach, mention or suggest hydrogen bonding
between layers of a barrier membrane." Appeal Brief, Paper No.
10, received March 2, 2000, page 9. Appellants appear to concede
that Moureaux teaches a barrier membrane having layers containing
the same chemical components as the claimed first and second
layers. See id., pages 9 and 10. However, appellants maintain
that the structure of Moureaux's first layer is such that
hydrogen bonding would not occur, while the structure of
appellants' first layer allows for hydrogen bonding to occur
along a segment of the membrane between the first and second
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