Appeal No. 2003-0437
Application No. 09/523,801
1. A nonwoven fabric having first and second surfaces
and formed by component fibers mechanically entangled
between said first and second surfaces, regions of high
fibers surface density and regions of low fibers
surface density continuously or intermittently extend
in parallel one to another in one direction so as to be
alternatively arranged in a direction transversely of
said one direction and to form undulations defined by
crests corresponding to said regions of high fibers
surface density and troughs corresponding to said
regions of low fibers surface density; and
said nonwoven fabric further including bridge
regions each extending transversely of said one
direction between each pair of adjacent ones of said
regions of high fibers surface density and said regions
of low fibers surface density, said bridge regions
having a density higher than that of said regions of
low fibers surface density.
The examiner relies on the following references as evidence
of unpatentability:
Hotchkiss et al. (Hotchkiss) 4,436,780 Mar. 13, 1984
Tomita et al. (Tomita) 5,618,610 Apr. 08, 1997
Claims 1 through 4 and 8 stand rejected under
35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Tomita in view of
Hotchkiss.
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