Appeal 2007-0098
Application 10/169,909
33-36. Haid, like Schilkowski and the Appellant, forms a nonwoven fabric
with fusible fibers (binder fibers) and non-fusible fibers (cellulosic pulps and
fibers). See column 2, lines 5-13 and 51-55 and column 3, lines 1-16. Haid
teaches the advantage of employing a combination of light thermal bonding
and hydraulically needling to bond air-lay fusible and non-fusible fibers.
See column 2, lines 5-32. The light thermal bonding is said to strengthen the
integrity of the web, while the hydraulically needling is said to stabilize the
web surface and increase web durability and abrasion resistance. See
column 2, lines 19-32.
Suskind, like Schilkowski and the Appellant, teaches the advantage of
bonding air-formed (air-laid) pulp fibers and synthetic fibers via a
combination light thermal bonding and hydraulic needling. Specifically,
Suskind teaches (col. 1, ll. 18-57) that:
Composite webs made up of various combinations of
fibers are known in the prior art….
Nonwoven fibrous webs comprising mixtures of wood
pulp and synthetic fibers have high moisture absorption
capabilities and may be inexpensively produced by
conventional papermaking procedures. However, such products
also tend to have relatively low wet strength properties and lack
sufficient strength for many applications, for example, for use
as household cloths, food service wipes and industrial
machinery wipes. The strength of such products may be
improved by including a bonding agent in the fiber furnish….
When the strength characteristics of the web are improved by
use of an adhesive binder…, the liquid absorption capability of
the web is correspondingly decreased.
In accordance with the present invention, a high strength
nonwoven absorbent fabr ic [sic, fabric] may be produced…
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