Appeal 2007-0291
Application 09/976,412
According to Appellants, the invention is directed to a low
contaminant wiper suitable for use in a cleanroom environment, where the
wiper is made from low contaminant polyester filaments substantially free of
inorganic ionic additives with a discontinuous fused border zone along one
or more perimeter edges (Br. 3). Independent claim 5 is illustrative of the
invention and is reproduced below:
5. A low contaminant wiper suitable for use in a cleanroom
environment and being constructed of a low contaminant textile fabric
having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction, said fabric being
formed from a multiplicity of yarns made of polyester filaments, the low
contaminant wiper comprising: an interior and a plurality of perimeter edges
disposed in surrounding relation to the interior and at least one discontinuous
fused border zone disposed inboard of and extending substantially parallel to
at least two of the perimeter edges, wherein each of said discontinuous fused
border zones comprises a plurality of substantially discrete fusion points
formed by localized melt fusion of said thermoplastic filaments such that
said discrete fusion points are disposed within a matrix of unmelted material,
and wherein said polyester filaments are substantially free of inorganic ionic
additives, such that complete combustion of said polyester filaments yields
an ash content of not greater than about 0.1% of the initial weight of said
polyester filaments.
The Examiner has relied on the following references as evidence of
obviousness:
Paley US 4,888,229 Dec. 19, 1989
Langley US 4,938,817 Jul. 03, 1990
Rockwell US 6,001,442 Dec. 14, 1999
Dean US 6,139,954 Oct. 31, 2000
Morin US 6,189,189 B1 Feb. 20, 2001
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