Appeal 2007-1323
Application 10/032,701
extending across at least a portion thereof. The Specification defines the
term “line of weakness” as
any region or area of weakened material, preferably having a
length and which may or may not have a defined width, and can
include linear and non-linear patterns. . . . The line of weakness
can include a perforation or other series of cuts, a thinning, or
breakage or separation of material . . . that is more easily torn or
broken than the adjacent portions. . . .
(Id. at 7) Appellants’ specification discloses that the “garment provides a
simple and convenient way to convert a pant-type garment into an open
product simply by providing a line of weakness that has sufficiently low
tensile and tear strengths, so as to allow the user to break the garment along
the line of weakness without undue effort” (Specification 2). The claims
require, inter alia, the body panel to have a specific tear strength along the
line of weakness.
The Examiner finds that Igaue teaches all of the claimed limitations
except for the specific tear strength (Answer 4). Igaue teaches a disposable
diaper, an absorbent garment within the scope of Appellants’ claimed
invention (Igaue 1). Igaue’s diaper comprises cutting lines extending across
at least a portion of the body panel of the diaper (Igaue 3). Igaue teaches
that the cutting lines are formed by intermittent cuts or perforations (Igaue
3). According to Igaue, the front body of the diaper may be torn off from
the rear body along the cutting lines allowing the diaper to be easily
removed from the wearer (Igaue 10-11).
In sum, we find that Igaue teaches an absorbent garment (a diaper)
comprising a body panel having a line of weakness extending across at least
4
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