DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (Kr 10-2016-0080249 A) (“Lee”) (by means of machine translation), in view of Song et al. (US 2011/0091811 A1) (“Song”).
Regarding claim 1, Lee teaches at least in figures 1a-b, and 2b, and Examiner figure 1 below:
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A first substrate (110) comprising a display area (130) and a pad area (TPA/DPA);
A second substrate (170) facing the first substrate (110) (a side of 170 faces a side of 110);
a first flexible circuit board (A, not including 170) coupled to the first substrate (110);
A adhesive layer (215) on the first flexible circuit board (A)
a second flexible circuit board (C) on the adhesive layer (215);
a display portion (130/160) comprising a plurality of pixels (130 comprises a plurality of pixels) between the first substrate (110) and the second substrate (170),
the display portion (160) being spaced apart from the second substrate (170).
Lee does not teach:
The adhesive layer comprises:
a first adhesive layer on the securing portion;
a second adhesive layer on the first adhesive.
Song teaches at least in figure 2:
The adhesive layer comprises (Lee 215):
a first adhesive layer (120) on the securing portion (210; equivalent to Lee 170);
a second adhesive layer (130) on the first adhesive layer (120).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to replace the single adhesive layer of Lee with the dual adhesive layer of Song because by using the dual layer of Song one of ordinary skill in the art would be able to better pattern the adhesive layer of Lee to increase inter-adhesion and interconnectivity of the first and second flexible circuit boards. ¶ 0008.
Regarding the limitations
wherein an adhesive force between the first adhesive layer and the first flexible circuit board is in a range from about 1.5 kgf/in to about 2.5 kgf/in,
an adhesive force between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer is in a range from about 2.0 kgf/in to about 3.0 kgf/in, and
an adhesive force between the second adhesive layer and the second flexible circuit board is in a range from 0.3 kgf/inch to 1.5 kgf/inch.
Applicant is claiming a characteristic of the first and second adhesive layer. According to Applicant’s specification at ¶ 0088, the adhesives which can produce the above claimed characteristics are acrylic, silicon, and/or urethane-based material. Id. Applicant does not provide anymore information than that. Therefore, the above characteristics are interpreted to mean that any acrylic, silicon, and/or urethane-based material will have the claimed characteristics.
Song teaches:
That the second adhesive layer (Song 120) can be a thermosetting component; ¶ 0075, where the thermosetting component may comprise silicone and/or acryl and/or urethane-based material.
Lee teaches:
The first adhesive layer is made of a UV curable material, ¶ 0064.
Lee does not teach what the UV curable material is.
Song teaches that UV curable material may comprise silicone and/or acryl and/or urethane-based material. ¶¶ 0074-75, where the material maybe photocurable, i.e. UV curable.
Regarding claim 2, Song teaches at least in figure 2:
wherein the first adhesive layer (120) comprises:
a binder comprising an acrylic resin (¶¶ 0111-13), and
a filler comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of BaSO4, TiO2, SiO2. and carbon black (¶ 0014-18, where each of these materials can be used),
wherein the second adhesive layer (130) comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive (¶ 0045, where 130 may comprise a thermosetting component; ¶ 0075, where the thermosetting component may comprise silicone and/or acryl and/or urethane based material).
Claim(s) 3-8, and 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee, in view of Song, in view of Nakamori et al. (US 2018/0031885 A1) (“Nakamori”), in view of Song.
Regarding claim 3, Lee teaches at least in figures 1a-b, and 2b, and Examiner figure 1 below
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a first substrate (110) comprising a display area (DA) and a pad area (EA);
a touch portion (¶ 0045, where 130 includes both a display and touch portion)
a first flexible circuit board (A) coupled to the first substrate (110);
a second flexible circuit board (C);
a second flexible circuit board (C) on the adhesive layer (215);
a display portion (130/160) comprising a plurality of pixels (130 comprises a plurality of pixels) between the first substrate (110) and the second substrate (170),
the display portion (160) being spaced apart from the second substrate (170).
Lee does not teach:
a second substrate facing the first substrate;
a touch portion on the second substrate;
a second flexible circuit board coupled to the touch portion;
This is because Lee does not teach the details of the difference between the display and the touch portion. Lee lumps them together into 130).
Nakamori teaches at least in figure 20:
a second substrate (sub2) facing the first substrate (sub1);
a touch portion (Rx) on the second substrate (sub2);
a second flexible circuit board (27) coupled to the touch portion (Rx).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine Lee and Nakamori. This is because Lee does not teach how to integrate the touch portion with the display. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have searched for another reference to fill in these missing teachings. Nakamori would be such as reference as it is related art and contains both a display and touch sensor integrated.
Lee does not teach:
The adhesive layer comprises:
a first adhesive layer on the securing portion;
a second adhesive layer on the first adhesive.
Song teaches at least in figure 2:
The adhesive layer comprises (Lee 215):
a first adhesive layer (120) on the securing portion (210; equivalent to Lee 170);
a second adhesive layer (130) on the first adhesive layer (120).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to replace the single adhesive layer of Lee with the dual adhesive layer of Song because by using the dual layer of Song one of ordinary skill in the art would be able to better pattern the adhesive layer of Lee to increase inter-adhesion and interconnectivity of the first and second flexible circuit boards. ¶ 0008.
Regarding the limitations
wherein an adhesive force between the first adhesive layer and the first flexible circuit board is in a range from about 1.5 kgf/in to about 2.5 kgf/in,
an adhesive force between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer is in a range from about 2.0 kgf/in to about 3.0 kgf/in, and
an adhesive force between the second adhesive layer and the second flexible circuit board is in a range from 0.3 kgf/inch to 1.5 kgf/inch.
Applicant is claiming a characteristic of the first and second adhesive layer. According to Applicant’s specification at ¶ 0088, the adhesives which can produce the above claimed characteristics are acrylic, silicon, and/or urethane-based material. Id. Applicant does not provide anymore information than that. Therefore, the above characteristics are interpreted to mean that any acrylic, silicon, and/or urethane-based material will have the claimed characteristics.
Song teaches:
That the second adhesive layer (Song 120) can be a a thermosetting component; ¶ 0075, where the thermosetting component may comprise silicone and/or acryl and/or urethane-based material.
Lee teaches:
The first adhesive layer is made of a UV curable material, ¶ 0064.
Lee does not teach what the UV curable material is.
Song teaches that UV curable material may comprise silicone and/or acryl and/or urethane-based material. ¶¶ 0074-75, where the material maybe photocurable, i.e. UV curable.
Regarding claim 4, Song teaches at least in figure 2:
wherein the first adhesive layer (130) comprises:
a binder comprising an acrylic resin (¶¶ 0111-13), and
a filler comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of BaSO4, TiO2, SiO2. and carbon black (¶ 0014-18, where each of these materials can be used),
Song does not teach the size of the filler particles.
However, Song teaches the thickness of 130 can be in the range of 50nm to 100 µm.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill that if they put fillers into the first adhesive layer as Song allows that the fillers must have a particle size smaller than the thickness of the layer in which they are in. Thus, if one of ordinary skill in the art makes 130 at the lower allowable range then the particle size must be smaller than the lower allowable range. As such while Song does not explicitly teach a particle size of 2nm to 500nm would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the filler particle could be in this range in order to integrate them into the 130 at the thicknesses taught by Song.
Regarding claim 5, Song teaches at least in figure 2:
a filler comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of BaSO4, TiO2, SiO2. and carbon black (¶ 0014-18, where each of these materials can be used),
Regarding claim 6, Song teaches at least in figure 2:
a binder comprising an acrylic resin (¶¶ 0111-13).
Regarding claim 7, Song teaches at least in figure 2:
Song teaches the thickness of 130 can be in the range of 50nm to 100 µm.
Regarding claim 8, Song teaches at least in figure 2:
wherein the second adhesive layer (120) comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive (¶¶ 0054-110, and , where 120 may comprise silicone and/or acryl and/or urethane based material).
Regarding claim 15, the prior art does not teach:
A third adhesive layer between the second adhesive layer and the second flexible circuit board.
However, under MPEP 2144.04(VI)(B), the mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. Here, the specification contains no information of anything new from adding a third adhesive layer, nor are there any unexpected results disclosed. Thus, there is no patentable significance to adding a third adhesive layer. This statement is back up by claim 16, where the third adhesive layer is the same as the first adhesive layer.
Regarding claim 16,
Claim 16 is obvious for the reasons given in claims 3-8, and 15.
Claim(s) 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee, in view of, Song, in view of Nakamori et al. (US 2018/0031885 A1) (“Nakamori”), in view of Song.
Regarding claim 17,
Claim 3 teaches all the limitations of claim 17 with the exception of…
a first pattern defining an application area (Song teaches in figure S3 a first pattern in 121a or 131a); and
a second pattern applied at a predetermined interval on the first flexible circuit board or on the second flexible circuit board in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction within the first pattern in a plan view (Song teaches in figure S3 a second patter in 131a or 121a on 220 or 210 in a horizontal and vertical direction)
Regarding claim 18,
Claim 18 is rejected for the same reasons as claims 2 and 4.
Regarding claim 19,
Claim 19 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 2 and 5.
Regarding claim 20,
Claim 20 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 2 and 6.
Response to Arguments
Based upon Applicant’s amendments and arguments dated May 2, 2025, Examiner has modified the rejection to include the display portion to include 130/160. The only limitation to the display portion is that it contains a plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels can be found in the 160 portion of 130/160. Further, 130/160 can both be considered part of the display portion as they both facility the display displaying images on the pixels.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/VINCENT WALL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2822