Interference No. 105,019
Correa v. Roberts
Although the barriers of Molee and Csillag have a different structure than that required by
Correa's claim 11, they are there for the same purpose, i.e., to keep body liquids or exudates from
leaking out of the absorbent article. Csillag's invention is directed to absorbent products used for
absorbing and retaining body fluids and wom in contact with the body such as diapers, sanitary
napkins, dressings and the like, and Molee's invention is directed to a sanitary napkin. The only
teaching needed from either Molee or Csillag to combine with Correa's claim I is the recognition
that body fluids or exudates can leak from the absorbent product in the longitudinal direction as
well as in the lateral direction. Both Csillag and Molee clearly provide that teaching. Molee
discloses use of transverse compressed channels 24 and 26 extending across the width of the
absorbent article to control leakage in the longitudinal direction (Figure 5 and column 4, lines
61-68), and Csillag discloses use of transverse narrow zones 30 impregnated with hydrophobic
material to retard leakage in the longitudinal direction (Figure I and column 5, lines 19-22;
Figures 6 and 8 and column 7, lines 11-20). That the structure of the barrier of Csillag and Molee
is different from that required by Correa's claim I I is of no moment, the structure of the required
barrier is already provided by Correa's claim I as prior art.
Correa's claim I I requires at least one end cuff. Correa's claim 12 requires two end cuffs.
Correa's claim 13 requires that the end cuff of claim 11 extend across the width of the absorbent
article. The transverse barrier zone of both Molee and Csillag are two in number and both extend
across the width of the absorbent article (Molee Figure 1 and Csillag Figure 1). For reasons
discussed above, the subject matter of these claims would have been obvious in view of the
combination of Correa's claim I and either Molee or Csillag. The motivation to combine stems
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