Appeal 2007-0283
Application 09/849,594
Claims 1, 14, and 27 illustrate Appellants’ invention of a leak proof
seal bonding together at least two layers of liquid-impermeable material and
a bonding process for making the same, and are representative of the claims
on appeal:
1. A leak-proof seal, comprising:
at least two layers of liquid-impermeable material at least partially
positioned in overlapping relationship;
a plurality of ultrasonic bond points bonding together the at least two
layers of liquid-impermeable material along an edge of at least one of the
layers;
wherein the bond points are aligned in at least three parallel rows with
adjacent bond points in each row at a distance between about 0.001
inch and about 0.20 inch from one another, at least one of the bond points in
each of the rows is equally spaced apart from at least three other bond
points, and the bond points in adjacent rows are offset from one another.
14. A combination of at least one containment flap including a first
liquid-impermeable material bonded to a garment including a second liquid-
impermeable material, comprising:
a plurality of ultrasonic bond points joining the first liquid-
impermeable material to the second liquid-impermeable material and
forming a leak-proof seal between the at least one containment flap and the
garment;
wherein the bond points are aligned in a pattern including at least
three parallel rows, at least one of the bond points in each of the rows
equally spaced apart from at least three other bond points with bond points
in adjacent rows offset from one another, such that each bond points is
within about 0.001 inch and about 0.20 inch of at least one other bond point.
27. A bonding process for bonding together two layers of liquid-
impermeable material, comprising the steps of:
ultrasonically forming a leak-proof bond between the two layers along
an edge of at least one of the layers with discrete bond points aligned in at
least three parallel rows, with adjacent bond points in each row at a distance
between about 0.001 inch and about 0.20 inch from one another, at least one
2
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