Appeal No. 2003-0577
Application No. 09/194,378
36 (final Office action mailed Dec. 3, 2001, paper 19), which
are all the claims pending in the above-identified application.1
The subject matter on appeal relates to a breathable
composite sheet material. According to the appellants, the
composite sheet is useful in apparel, surgical drapes, sterile
wraps, packaging materials, protective covers, construction
materials, and personal care absorbent articles such as diapers
and sanitary napkins. (Specification, page 1, lines 6-9.)
Further details of this appealed subject matter are recited in
representative claim 27, the only independent claim on appeal,
reproduced below:
27. A breathable composite sheet material
comprising a substrate and a thermoplastic film
adhered directly to the substrate in the absence of an
adhesive,
said thermoplastic film comprising
at least 50% by weight of a Fraction A
consisting essentially of polymer from the group
of block copolyether esters, block copolyether
amides and polyurethanes,
at least 5% by weight of a Fraction B
consisting essentially of polymer that is
incompatible with Fraction A, and
at least 0.1% by weight of a Fraction C
consisting essentially of a compatibilizer for
Fractions A and B; and
said substrate comprising at least 50% by weight
1 The appellants’ request for a continued prosecution
application filed May 30, 2001 (paper 15) included an
instruction for the entry of an “unentered” amendment previously
filed on Apr. 30, 2001 (paper 12). We note, however, that this
amendment has not been clerically entered. The examiner should
attend to this matter upon receipt of this application.
2
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