Interference No. 105,019
Correa v. Roberts
skill in the art, we are of the view that it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the
art to put in place a cuff having an extent within the broad ranges specified in Correa's claim 7
(5% to 80% of the core length) and Correa's claim 8 (15% to 60% of core length).'
As for Correa's claim 11, the parties are in agreement that the differences between
Correa's claim 11 and Correa's claim I is simply that (Motion ý 24) "claim I I in addition to
claiming [an] absorbent cuff running along at least one edge of the absorbent, also claims at least
one end cuff overlying the upper permeable sheet," and that "claim I I does not expressly recite a
lateral wing like claim 1 does."
Correa's claim 12 reads as follows:
Disposable intimate feminine absorbent according to claim 11, in which
there are two end cuffs.
Correa's claim 13 reads as follows:
Disposable intimate feminine absorbent according to claim 11, in which
said opening of said end cuff extends across the width of the said absorbent core.
In Correa's specification, end cuffs are cuffs in the transverse direction which are useful
for preventing longitudinal leakages (Elements 330 and 340 in Figures 9 and 10; Column 8, lines
1 The other items of prior art cited by Roberts, i.e., U.S. Patent No. 4,936,839
("Molee"), U.S. Patent No. 4,015,604 ("Csillag"), and U.S. Patent No. 4,589,876 ("Van
Tilburg") are not very pertinent. Csillag and Van Tilburg appear to use barrier or seal elements
along the entire length of the absorbent core. As for Molee, while it is true that barrier means 65
does not extend to cover the entire length of the absorbent core (Figure 5), full length coverage
there is not necessary because Molee also employs transverse compressed channels 24 and 26 to
keep fluids from reaching the upper and lower ends. Because Correa's claims 7 and 8 do not
require something like Melee's elements 24 and 26, it cannot be said that partial length coverage
without also requiring transverse barriers would have been obvious.
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