Appeal 2006-2352
Application 10/065,436
The Specification discloses that “the provision of openings along the
filament or fiber allows air to escape and thus prevents air pressure from
limiting the capillary draw into the filament or fiber. In turn, this allows the
filament or fiber to substantially fill with water, thus greatly increasing the
absorbent capacity of the filament. . . .” (Specification 6, ¶ [0031]).
The Specification discloses that the hollow filament can be contacted
with various chemical compositions or mechanically cracked to form the
openings therein (Specification 12-14).
The Specification does not address any basic and novel characteristics
of the claimed subject matter that would be detrimentally affected by the
inclusion of any sulfonates in the formation of the filament. See the
Specification in its entirety.
The Examiner has found that Shiozaki discloses hollow polyester
filaments, which filaments have fine pores and an affinity for absorbing
water corresponding to that claimed (Answer 3). Shiozaki discloses that 90
molar percent of the ester repeating units of the polyester are of a formula I.
See, e.g.; Shiozaki at col. 1, l. 56 through col. 2, l. 51. Moreover, the
Examiner has correctly found that polyethylene terephthalate is a preferred
polyester filament described by Shiozaki (Answer, 4). See, e.g., Shiozaki;
(col. 3, ll. 36-38).
Shiozaki discloses: (1) providing a pore-forming agent comprising an
organic sulfonate compound of a specified formula (III); (2) blending the
organic sulfonate with the polyester via melt-spinning; and (3) alkali treating
the blend to remove at least a portion of the organic sulfonate compound
from the polyester filaments thereby forming a number of fine pores in the
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