Appeal 2007-1015
Application 10/011,088
As to claim 40, Widlund shows leg elastic members 32
and 33 along the longitudinal sides of the absorbent article that
provide biaxial stretchability.
Answer 4-5.
The Examiner further maintains that:
Widlund discloses in col. 5, lines 40-60 that elastic
threads 24 are applied to the liquid permeable layer and the
longitudinal threads simultaneously form an edge elastic, which
is shown in Figures 4 and 5. Widlund discloses the elastic
threads are applied to the two outer layers 1 and 2 (col. 5, lines
15-18). Therefore, Widlund discloses leg elastic members
captured between a biaxially extensible outer [cover] and a
biaxially extensible bodyside liner as described above.
Answer 13-14.
Appellants contend that:
The assertion, in the Action, that Widlund discloses leg
elastic members captured between a biaxially extensible outer
cover and a biaxially extensible bodyside liner is not well
founded. In particular, the contention that Widlund discloses
leg elastic members captured between a biaxially extensible
outer cover and a biaxially extensible bodyside liner improperly
ignores that the rejection simultaneously relies on the very same
elastic threads or ribbons in Widlund as both forming the leg
elastic members and the biaxially extensible outer cover and
the biaxially extensible bodyside liner. Clearly, if the elastic
threads or ribbons of the absorbent article of Widlund are
required and included to form a part of the biaxially
extensible outer cover and the biaxially extensible bodyside
liner, respectively, such elastic threads or ribbons are not
also captured between the biaxially extensible outer cover
and the biaxially extensible bodyside liner along the first
and second longitudinal side of the chassis, respectively, as
required by the claimed invention. That is, without the
elastic threads or ribbons, the outer cover and the bodyside liner
of the absorbent article of Widlund have been acknowledged as
not being biaxially extensible. It is respectfully submitted that
5
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013