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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-17, filed 11/24/2025, with respect to claims 1, 4-14, and 16 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 103 rejections of claims 1, 4-14, and 16 have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments regarding claim 17 which states, “Sung fails to teach, disclose, or suggest "the second inorganic insulating film is provided on the base substrate side of the partition wall so as not to extend beyond the partition wall, and the second inorganic insulating film is provided continuously from the display area to the partition wall," The examiner agrees. However, a new interpretation to reject this limitation can be made using Seo et al. (US 20200067017 A1) and is presented by the examiner in the rejection below.
The examiner acknowledges the addition new claim 23.
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 17, 18, 20-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (US 20210376290 A1) and further in view of Seo et al. (US 20200067017 A1).
Regarding claim 17, Zhang discloses a display device comprising:
a base substrate (100); ([0042], Fig. 5)
a thin film transistor layer (annotated below) provided on the base substrate (100) and including a wiring layer (120); (Fig. 5) and
a light-emitting element layer (140) provided on the thin film transistor layer (annotated below) and including a plurality of first electrodes (132), a plurality of functional layers (141/142) , and a common, second electrode (143), which are sequentially stacked, in this stated order, in such a manner as to correspond to a plurality of subpixels in a display area (AA), ([0043], Fig. 1 and 5) wherein
an insular non-display area (IVA) is provided in the display area (AA), ([0039], Fig. 1 and 5)
a through hole (HA) extends in a direction of a thickness of the base substrate (100) in the non-display area (IVA), ([0038], Fig.1)
a partition wall (160) is provided in the non-display area (IVA) such that the partition wall surrounds (per [0044]) the through hole (HA), and
the partition wall (160) is made of a same material (metal), and provided in a same layer (TFT layer annotated below), as the wiring layer (120) in such a manner that an edge on a through hole (HA) side of an upper side segment on a light-emitting element layer (140) side projects toward the through hole (HA) side beyond an edge on the through hole (HA) side of a lower side segment, on a base substrate (100) side, ([0048], Fig. 5)
the wiring layer (120) includes a first metal layer (121), a second metal layer (122), and a third metal layer (123), all of which are sequentially stacked, in this stated order, from the base substrate (100) side toward the light-emitting element layer (140) side, ([0042], Fig. 5)
the partition wall (160) includes:
a wall bottom portion (163) made of a same material (metal), and provided in a same layer (TFT layer annotated below), as the first metal layer (121) and similar to frame (Fig. 6),
a wall middle portion (162) made of a same material (metal), and provided in a same layer (TFT layer annotated below), as the second metal layer (122), and shaped similar to a frame (Fig. 6),and
a wall top portion (161) made of a same material (metal), and provided in a same layer (TFT layer annotated below) as the third metal layer (123) and shaped similar to a frame (Fig. 6), ([0048], Fig. 1, 5, 6) wherein the wall top portion (161) comprises, on the through hole (HA) side, an edge shaped similar to an eave (annotated Fig. 6 below) which projects toward the through hole (HA) side beyond an edge of the wall middle portion (162) on the through hole (HA) side, and wherein
the thin film transistor layer (TFT layer annotated below) includes a second inorganic insulating film (111-115) provided on the base substrate side (below) of the wiring layer (120), and
the second inorganic insulating film (111-115) is provided on the base substrate side (below) of the partition wall (160), (Fig. 5)
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Zhang does not disclose:
so as not to extend beyond the partition wall, and the second inorganic insulating film is provided continuously from the display area to the partition wall.
However, Seo discloses:
so as not to extend beyond the partition wall (650+630), and the second inorganic insulating film (130) is provided continuously from the display area (I-I) to the partition wall (650+630). ([0079], Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Zhang and Seo for the second inorganic insulating film to not to extend beyond the partition wall and the second inorganic insulating film is provided continuously from the display area to the partition wall in order to “prevent cracks from being transferred to the display area DA, when the cracks occur in the first inorganic insulating layer 120 and the second inorganic insulating layer 130 due to impact when cutting a mother substrate during manufacture of the display apparatus 10 or when the display apparatus 10 is used.” (Seo, [0079])
Regarding claim 18, Seo discloses the display device according to claim 17, wherein
the partition wall (650+630) is provided so as to cover an edge of the second inorganic insulating film (130) on the through hole side (after II’). (Fig. 2)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Zhang and Seo for similar reasons above
Regarding claim 20, Zhang discloses the display device according to claims 17, wherein
a sealing film (150) in which a first inorganic sealing film (151), an organic sealing film (152), and a second inorganic sealing film (153) are sequentially stacked is provided on the light-emitting element layer (140), (Fig. 5) and
the first inorganic sealing film (151) is provided in the non-display area (IVA) so as to be in (indirect) contact with the base substrate (100). (Fig. 5)
Regarding claim 21, Zhang discloses the display device according to claims 17, wherein
the first metal layer (121) and the third metal layer (123) include a titanium film (per [0042]), and the second metal layer (122) includes an aluminum film (per [0042]).
Regarding claim 22, Zhang discloses the display device according to claim 17, wherein
the through hole (HA) contains an electronic component (per [0035]). (Fig. 1)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 4-14, 16 and 23 are allowed.
Claim 19 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.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ASHLEY BLACKWELL whose telephone number is (703)756-1508. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00-1600.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Choi can be reached at 469-295-9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ASHLEY NICOLE BLACKWELL/ Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/JACOB Y CHOI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897