Interference No. 105,019
Correa v. Roberts
the barrier cuff along the edge of the core, the less the barrier can contain liquid, and vice versa.
The recognition of that relationship derives from common sense and is certainly within the scope
of the basic or fundamental skills of one with ordinary skill in the am Note also that a conclusion
of obviousness may be made from common knowledge and common sense of the person of
ordinary skill in the art without any specific hint or suggestion in a particular reference. In re
Bozek, 416 F.2d 1385, 1390,163 USPQ 545, 549 (CCPA 1969). On that basis, we conclude it
would have been within the ordinary skill in the art to have a cuff length that is anywhere between
0% and 100% of the core length, such as 50% or 60% of the core length, albeit with the
recognition that a shorter length barrier cuff would have a correspondingly lower ability to serve
as barrier for containing liquid. Since the core is liquid absorbent, liquid blocked by the partial
barrier could get absorbed by portions of the core before flowing out around the barrier cuff. It is
not well grounded to suggest that one with ordinary skill would insist that the barrier cuff must
extend the entire length of the core. Correa's claims 7 and 8 would have been obvious over
Correa's claim I as prior art even in the absence of any additional prior art reference.
Alternatively, Roberts has provided an additional item of prior art, U.S. Patent No.
4,743,246 (Exhibit 1008, "the Lawson '246 reference"), which brings forth the teaching that
gasketing cuffs 56 along the edges of the absorbent core of an absorbent article such as a diaper
or an incontinent brief need not extend the entire length of the absorbent core (Exhibit 1008,
Figure 1). The gasketing cuffs 56 of the Lawson '246 reference are also for containing liquid
within the boundaries of the absorbent article (Column 2, lines 31-33). Roberts has further
provided another item of prior art, U.S. Patent No. 4,655,759 (Exhibit 1006, "the Romans-Hess
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