Appeal 2006-2813
Application 10/168,887
said first zone and said second zone being separated by a porous
membrane assembly comprising a membrane material having a [sic, an]
actual surface area along its surface contours,
wherein said membrane assembly has a projected surface area
projected on an surface generally aligned with the member surface during its
intended use whereby said membrane assembly is capable of maintaining a
pressure differential between the second zone and the first zone without
permitting air to penetrate from said first zone to said second
wherein said membrane material has an actual surface area which is at
least 2 times the area of said projected surface of said membrane assembly,
and which is not more than 200 times the area of said projected surface of
said membrane assembly when measured without a load applied to the
member.
The Examiner relies upon the following references in the rejections of
the appealed claims:
Corbin, III US 4,246,121 Jan. 20, 1981
Lawrence US 5,678,564 Oct. 21, 1997
Blaney US 5,834,385 Nov. 10, 1998
Appellants' claimed invention is directed to a disposable absorbent
article comprising a liquid handling member having first and second zones,
wherein the second zone is connected to a suction device. These zones are
separated by a porous membrane assembly, and the membrane material has
an actual surface area that is at least two times, but less than 200 times, the
area of the projected surface of the membrane assembly.
Appealed claims 1-4, 6-10, 12, 16, 17, 19, and 20 stand rejected under
35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as being anticipated by Corbin. Claim 27 stands rejected
under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under
35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over Corbin. In addition, claims 5,
2
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