Appeal No. 2006-0904
Application No. 09/919,465
in multiple component meltblown webs of the type claimed.
Shawyer teaches “[w]ith the addition of the thermoplastic
elastomeric polymer the bonds between the strands of the fabric
tend not to debond as easily and the abrasion resistance of the
fabric is enhanced” (column 3, lines 11-15). Accordingly, we
find that it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in
the art to omit the elastomeric polymer of Shawyer along with the
disclosed advantage of obtaining improved abrasion resistance.
It is well settled that the omission of a feature disclosed by
the prior art along with its attendant function is a matter of
obviousness for one of ordinary skill in the art. In re
Thompson, 545 F.2d 1290, 1294, 192 USPQ 275, 277 (CCPA 1976); In
re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 555, 188 USPQ 7, 9 (CCPA 1975); In re
Edge, 359 F.2d 896, 899, 149 USPQ 556, 557 (CCPA 1966); In re
Porter, 68 F.2d 971, 973, 20 USPQ 298, 301 (CCPA 1934).
Appellants have not demonstrated that polymeric blends not
comprising elastomeric polymers exhibit a comparable abrasion
resistance to the polymer blends of Shawyer.
We appreciate, as urged by appellants, that the polymer
blend of Newkirk includes polypropylene, and the group of
polymers recited in the appealed claims do not include
polypropylene. However, for the reasons set forth above, it
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