Appeal 2007-0724
Reexamination Control 90/006,775
Patent 6,428,526
1 tab may result in tearing the outer cover of the diaper or contaminating the
2 adhesive with baby powder, oil, or the like. Roessler, col. 1, ll. 25-39.
3 Roessler discloses a hook-and-loop fastener which is capable of
4 refastening a diaper securely five or more times and is able to resist
5 contamination that would affect its function as a fastener. Roessler, col. 2,
6 ll. 9-20 and 48-54.
7 Nestegard and Buell also disclose fastening systems comprising hook-
8 and-loop fasteners. Nestegard, col. 1, ll. 6-8; Buell, col. 3, ll. 46-53.
9 Buell recognizes that a diaper closure system may take on a number of
10 configurations such as adhesive tape tabs, mechanical closure tape tabs,
11 fixed position fasteners, or any other means for tensioning the waistband of a
12 diaper. Buell, col. 22, ll. 62-66.
13 PRINCIPLES OF LAW
14 The examiner bears the initial burden of presenting a prima facie case
15 of unpatentability. In re Oetiker, 977 F.2d 1443, 1445, 24 USPQ2d 1443,
16 1444 (Fed. Cir. 1992). After a prima facie case of unpatentability has been
17 established, the burden of going forward shifts to the applicant. In re
18 Piasecki, 745 F.2d 1468, 1472, 223 USPQ 785, 788 (Fed. Cir, 1984).
19 Claims are not read in a vacuum but rather must be read in the light of
20 the specification. In re Prater, 415 F.2d 1393, 1404, 162 USPQ 541, 550
21 (CCPA 1969).
22 Anticipation is established only when a single prior art reference
23 discloses, expressly or under principles of inherency, each and every
24 element of a claimed invention. RCA Corp. v. Applied Digital Data Sys.,
25 Inc., 730 F.2d 1440, 1444, 221 USPQ 385, 388 (Fed. Cir. 1984).
7
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