Appeal No. 2002-0741
Application No. 08/935,348
background section of the specification, the requirements for
adhesives for application to the skin are stringent. The
adhesives must
adhere well to human skin during perspiration, when the
weather is hot, or in an environment of draining
wounds, yet be removable without leaving adhesive
residue on the skin's surface. Moreover, adhesion
should take effect immediately on application to skin,
even in a hot or moist environment, and should release
cleanly and with minimal discomfort when voluntarily
removed in this environment. [Column 1, lines 13-20.]
Paul also observes that “[a]dhesives applied to sensitive
areas of the human body require further special characteristics.
Hair covered regions are especially difficult to adhere well to
without causing pain upon removal of the adhered article” (column
1, lines 21-24). Paul indicates that the adhesives disclosed
therein meet these objectives. Thus, Paul’s adhesives “[are]
especially suited for adhesive skin application” (columns 54-55).
The above noted teachings of Zacharias PCT ‘238 and Paul
would have provided ample motivation to one of ordinary skill in
the art to have utilized the hot melt, pressure sensitive
adhesives of Paul in the sanitary napkin article of Zacharias PCT
‘238. Appellants do not argue that the combination proposed by
the examiner would not have been obvious or that the resulting
modified Zacharias PCT ‘238 article would not correspond to the
19
Page: Previous 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007