Appeal 2007-0283
Application 09/849,594
14 any place between absorbent assembly 22 and seam 10 formed in
longitudinal side regions 88, and can be in front portion 56 or rear portion 58
(id., e.g., col. 5, l. 24, to col. 7, l. 31, col. 11, l. 40, to col. 12, l. 47, and Figs.
1, 2, 3, 6, 6A, and 7). The longitudinal side regions 88 can be a separate
element attached to ear flap region 72 as a containment flap in the manner
known in the prior art as acknowledged by Kielpikowski (see above p. 13),
or by portions of outer layer 48 and inner layer 46 that extend beyond ear
flap 72 (id., e.g., col. 11, ll. 48-57, and Fig. 3). The tear lines 29 extend
continuously between a leg opening, such as leg band 32, and a waist
opening, such as waist band 34, and thus in non-elastic areas of longitudinal
side regions 88 in which outer layer 48 overlaps inner layer 46. In this
respect, the tear lines 29 can also be in elastic areas of longitudinal side
regions 88 containing waistband band member 76 in continuous waist band
34, in areas with elastic strands 105 containing areas of central region 68,
and ear flap region 72 in which elasticized ear flaps 30 have elastic ear flap
members 90, all of which elastic structures are between inner layer 46 and
overlapping outer layer 48. Id., e.g., col. 7, l. 65, to col. 8, l. 28, col. 8, l.
58, to col. 12, l. 47, col. 15, l. 32, to col. 16, l. 8, and Figs. 2-8. The inner
layer 46 and the outer layer 48 can be the same material and can be
polyolefin films and non-woven fabrics, such as hydrophobic materials
which can be a nonwoven web of polyolefin fibers (id., e.g., col. 8,
ll. 29-56).
We find Bridges discloses a “tear line comprising individual bond
sites sized, shaped, spaced and arranged such that the tear line has sufficient
strength during regular use to prevent premature separation of the pants from
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