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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on February 3, 2026, has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Withdrawn Objections/Rejections
The objection to claim 1 is withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendment filed on February 3, 2026.
The 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection of claims 5-7, 17-19 is withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendment and accompanying clarification in the response filed on February 3, 2026.
.The 35 U.S.C. 103 rejections of claims 1-4, 8-16, 20 over Kishimoto in view of Nam, are withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendment filed on February 3, 2026.
New Rejections
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-4, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishimoto (US 2019/0252485) in view of Nam (US 2015/0147532) and Seo (US 20150055287).
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Regarding claim 1, Kishimoto teaches a display device (apparatus 20 [0051], Fig. 2 shown above) comprising:
a display layer (panel 200 [0051]) including:
a first region (flexible area FA [0053]) including a display area (display unit may be located in the flexible area FA [0053]);
a second region (non-flexible area NFA [0053]) spaced apart from the first region FA in a first direction perpendicular to a second direction (Fig. 2);
a first lower film (first protective film 100a [0051]) disposed on a bottom surface of the display layer 200 (Fig. 2) and overlapping the first region FA in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction;
a second lower film (second protective film 100b [0051]) disposed on the bottom surface of the display layer 200 (Fig. 2), overlapping the second region NFA in the third direction, and spaced apart from the first lower film 100a (Fig. 2);
a first adhesive member (120a [0051]) disposed between the display layer 200 and the first lower film 100a, and having a first thickness (Fig. 2); and
a second adhesive member (120b [0051]) disposed between the display layer 200 and the second lower film 100b (Fig. 2), and having a second thickness smaller than the first thickness (less than [0061]).
Kishimoto fails to teach a third region between the first region FA and the second region NFA, where the third region is bent.
However, Kishimoto teaches that the display device is a flexible display device (apparatus [0007]) where a middle region of the first region FA can easily bend ([005]) to curve the flexible display device into a curved one, or to fold the flexible display device into a folded one, where the bent middle region of the first region FA then becomes a third region between the leftmost portion of the first region FA and the second region NFA in Fig. 2.
Nam teaches that a flexible display device ([0005]) includes a flexible region containing a middle region (folding area FA [0031], Fig. 1B shown below) which easily bends to curve the flexible display device into a curved one, or to fold the flexible display device into a folded one ([0005]), for the purpose of providing the desired design functionality.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time, to have provided a third region that is bent, between the first region FA and the second region NFA of the display layer 200 of the display device 20 of Kishimoto, to form a curved or folded flexible display device, in order to obtain the desired design functionality, as taught by Nam.
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Kishimoto, as modified by Nam, fails to teach a support member disposed on the bottom surface of the display layer 200 of Kishimoto (Fig. 2), let alone a support member that includes a joint portion and a flat portion, each overlapping the first lower film 100a (Fig. 2).
However, Seo teaches that a support member ((first body 1 + second body 2 + hinge unit 3), Fig. 2 [0070]) is disposed on a bottom surface of a display layer (flexible display element 4 [0070]), which includes a joint portion (hinge unit 3 [0070]) and a flat portion (first body 1 + second body 2 [0070]), each overlapping the display layer 4 (Fig. 2), for the purpose of providing the desired combination of support and foldability ([0070]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time, to have disposed a support member including a joint portion and a flat portion, on the bottom surface of the display layer of the display device of Kishimoto, as modified by Nam, the joint portion and the flat portion each overlapping the display layer, and hence the first lower film that is disposed on the bottom surface of the display layer, in order to obtain the desired combination of support and foldability, as taught by Seo.
Regarding claim 2, Kishimoto teaches that a storage modulus of the first adhesive member 120a is smaller (first storage modulus may be less [0062]) than a storage modulus of the second adhesive member 120b (second storage modulus [0062]).
Regarding claim 3, Kishimoto teaches that the first adhesive member 120a and the second adhesive member 120b include a same material (silicone, urethane, acryl, or natural rubber [0059]).
Regarding claim 4, Kishimoto teaches that the first lower film 100a and the second lower film 100b include a same material (any one material [0057]).
Regarding claim 8, Kishimoto teaches that the display device 20 further comprises a printed circuit board (500 [0053]) disposed on a top surface of the second region NFA in the third direction, wherein the printed circuit board 500 partially overlaps the second adhesive member 120b in the third direction (Fig. 2).
Claims 9-16, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over,14 Kishimoto (US 2019/0252485) in view of Nam (US 2015/0147532) and Seo (US 20150055287).
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Regarding claim 9, Kishimoto teaches a display device (apparatus 20 [0051], Fig. 2 shown above) comprising:
a display layer (panel 200 [0051]) including:
a first region (flexible area FA [0053]) including a display area (display unit may be located in the flexible area FA [0053]);
a second region (non-flexible area NFA [0053]) spaced apart from the first region FA in a first direction perpendicular to a second direction (Fig. 2);
a first lower film (first protective film 100a [0051]) disposed on a bottom surface of the display layer 200 (Fig. 2) and overlapping the first region FA in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction;
a second lower film (second protective film 100b [0051]) disposed on the bottom surface of the display layer 200 (Fig. 2), overlapping the second region NFA in the third direction, and spaced apart from the first lower film 100a (Fig. 2);
a first adhesive member (120a [0051]) disposed between the display layer 200 and the first lower film 100a (Fig. 2); and
a second adhesive member (120b [0051]) disposed between the display layer 200 and the second lower film 100b (Fig. 2).
Kishimoto fails to teach a third region between the first region FA and the second region NFA, where the third region is bent.
However, Kishimoto teaches that the display device is a flexible display device (apparatus [0007]) where a middle region of the first region FA can easily bend ([005]) to curve the flexible display device into a curved one, or to fold the flexible display device into a folded one, where the bent middle region of the first region FA then becomes a third region between the leftmost portion of the first region FA and the second region NFA in Fig. 2.
Nam teaches that a flexible display device ([0005]) includes a flexible region containing a middle region (folding area FA [0031], Fig. 1B shown below) which easily bends to curve the flexible display device into a curved one, or to fold the flexible display device into a folded one ([0005]), for the purpose of providing the desired design functionality.
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time, to have provided a third region that is bent, between the first region FA and the second region NFA of the display layer 200 of the display device 20 of Kishimoto, to form a curved or folded flexible display device, in order to obtain the desired design functionality, as taught by Nam.
Kishimoto, as modified by Nam, fails to teach that the second adhesive member 120b includes a base film; a first sub-adhesive layer disposed between the base film and the second region NFA; and a second sub-adhesive layer disposed between the base film and the second lower film 100b.
However, a double-sided adhesive tape including a base film with a first sub-adhesive layer disposed on one side of the base film, and a second sub-adhesive layer disposed on the opposite side of the base film, that is used to laminate two separate layers together, was a commercially available adhesive product that was already well-known even to a common layman at the time, let alone one of ordinary skill in the art at the time.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time, to have used a double-sided adhesive tape including a base film with a first sub-adhesive layer disposed on one side of the base film, and a second sub-adhesive layer disposed on the opposite side of the base film, as the second adhesive member 120b disposed between the display layer 200 and the second lower film 100b of the display device 20 of Kishimoto, in order to laminate the display layer 200 and the second lower film 100b together.
Kishimoto, as modified by Nam, fails to teach a support member disposed on the bottom surface of the display layer 200 of Kishimoto (Fig. 2), let alone a support member that includes a joint portion and a flat portion, each overlapping the first lower film 100a (Fig. 2).
However, Seo teaches that a support member ((first body 1 + second body 2 + hinge unit 3), Fig. 2 [0070]) is disposed on a bottom surface of a display layer (flexible display element 4 [0070]), which includes a joint portion (hinge unit 3 [0070]) and a flat portion (first body 1 + second body 2 [0070]), each overlapping the display layer 4 (Fig. 2), for the purpose of providing the desired combination of support and foldability ([0070]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time, to have disposed a support member including a joint portion and a flat portion, on the bottom surface of the display layer of the display device of Kishimoto, as modified by Nam, the joint portion and the flat portion each overlapping the display layer, and hence the first lower film that is disposed on the bottom surface of the display layer, in order to obtain the desired combination of support and foldability, as taught by Seo.
Regarding claims 10-11, Kishimoto teaches that the first adhesive member 120a has a first thickness ([0061]) that is greater than a thickness of the second adhesive member 120b (second thickness is less than the first thickness [0061]) such that the first thickness is greater than a sum of a thickness of the first sub-adhesive layer and a thickness of the second sub-adhesive layer.
Regarding claims 12-13, Kishimoto teaches that a storage modulus of the first adhesive member 120a is smaller (first storage modulus may be less [0062]) than a storage modulus of the second adhesive member 120b (second storage modulus [0062]), such that the storage modulus of the first adhesive member 120a is smaller than a storage modulus of the first sub-adhesive layer and a storage modulus of the second sub-adhesive layer of the second adhesive member 120b when the storage modulus of the first sub-adhesive layer and the storage modulus of the second sub-adhesive layer are equal to each other in the second adhesive member 120b.
Regarding claim 14, Kishimoto teaches that the first adhesive member 120a and the second adhesive member 120b include a same material (silicone, urethane, acryl, or natural rubber [0059]) such that the first sub-adhesive layer, and the second sub-adhesive layer also include a same material.
Regarding claim 15, while Kishimoto teaches that the first thickness of the first adhesive member 120a may be greater than the second thickness of the second adhesive member 120b, due to the second adhesive member 120b being com-pressed to provide a higher rigidity ([0061]), the higher rigidity of the second adhesive member 120b may also be provided through a more rigid material, such that the second thickness may also be equal to the first thickness.
Regarding claim 16, Kishimoto teaches that the first lower film 100a and the second lower film 100b include a same material (any one material [0057]).
Regarding claim 20, Kishimoto teaches that the display device 20 further comprises a printed circuit board (500 [0053]) disposed on a top surface of the second region NFA in the third direction, and the printed circuit board 500 partially overlaps the second adhesive member 120b in the third direction (Fig. 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 17-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The closest prior art of record, Kishimoto, fails to fairly teach or suggest, even in view of Nam and Seo, the specific combination of structural features in which the display layer 200 (Fig. 2 of Kishimoto) further includes an auxiliary region extending from a first side of the first region FA in the second direction, where the display device 20 (Fig. 2 of Kishimoto) further includes a roller surrounded by at least a part of the auxiliary region, a position of a bending portion of the auxiliary region being moved in the second direction by movement of the roller, and the display device 20 is configured to be switched between a first state and a second state, in which: in the first state, the auxiliary region overlaps the first region FA in the third direction, and in the second state, the auxiliary region does not overlap the first region FA in the third direction. None of the references cited above teach a roller, let alone one that is in the presently claimed configuration of said specific combination of structural features.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments regarding claims 1-4, 8-16, 20 have been considered but are moot because of the new reference in the new grounds of rejection.
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Sow-Fun Hon whose telephone number is (571)272-1492. The examiner is on a flexible schedule but can usually be reached during a regular workweek between the hours of 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Aaron Austin, can be reached at (571)272-8935. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571)273-8300.
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/Sophie Hon/
Sow-Fun Hon
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1782