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 .
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s amendment filed June 15, 2026.
Drawings
The objection to the drawings has been withdrawn due to the amendment filed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-6, 10, 19, 25 and 27-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cao et al. (CN 101866584 A) in view of Qin et al. (CN 113130822 A).
In regard to claim 1, Cao et al. teach a display panel, comprising a display area (center) and a frame area (at 711/721) surrounding the display area (center), the display panel comprising: a base substrate 71 and a cover plate 72 opposite to each other; one or more convex ribs 711/721 on at least one of the base substrate 71 and the cover plate 72, wherein each convex rib 711/721 of at least some of the convex ribs comprises a plurality of rib segments (See Figure 8) connected sequentially along an extension trajectory of the convex rib, and an angle is formed between adjacent two of the rib segments (See Figure 8); and an encapsulation structure 73 between the base substrate 71 and the cover plate 72 and covering the convex ribs 711/721(Figures 7-8, pages 8-9, paragraphs [0049]-[0059]).
In regard to claim 4, Cao et al. teach a plurality of convex rib groups (at 711/721) are provided on at least one of the base substrate 71 and the cover plate 72 and are distributed at intervals, each convex rib group of the convex rib groups (at 711/721) comprising one or more of the convex ribs 711/721 (Figures 7-8, pages 8-9, paragraphs [0049]-[0059]).
In regard to claim 5, Cao et al. teach multiple of the convex rib groups (at 711/721) in the frame area (at 711/721), and distributed at intervals along a periphery of the display area (center) (Figures 7-8, pages 8-9, paragraphs [0049]-[0059]).
In regard to claim 6, Cao et al. teach the frame area (at 711/721) in a ring shape and comprises at least one corner portion, and a density of the convex ribs at the corner portion of the frame area (at 711/721) is greater than that of the convex ribs 711/721 at other portions of the frame area (at 711/721) (Figures 7-8, pages 8-9, paragraphs [0049]-[0059]).
In regard to claim 10, Cao et al. teach the encapsulation structure 73 comprising a sealant provided in the frame area (at 711/721) and bonded between the base substrate 71 and the cover plate 72; and wherein one of the convex ribs 711/721 is provided in the frame area (at 711/721) and is covered by the sealant, or wherein multiple of the convex ribs are provided in the frame area and are at least partially covered by the sealant (Figures 7-8, pages 8-9, paragraphs [0049]-[0059]).
In regard to claim 25, Cao et al. teach the convex rib group (See Figure 8) comprises multiple of the convex ribs 711/721 distributed at intervals, with a trench being formed between adjacent two of the multiple of the convex ribs 711/721 (Figures 7-8, pages 8-9, paragraphs [0049]-[0059]).
In regard to claim 27, Cao et al. teach the convex ribs 711/721 provided on the base substrate 71 and the cover plate 72, and orthographic projections of the convex ribs 711 on the base substrate 71 on the cover plate and the convex ribs 721 on the cover plate 72 are arranged at intervals (Figures 7-8, pages 8-9, paragraphs [0049]-[0059]).
In regard to claim 28, Cao et al. teach a display apparatus, comprising the display panel according to claim 1 (Figures 7-8, pages 8-9, paragraphs [0049]-[0059]).
However, Cao et al. fail to teach the encapsulation structure comprising an encapsulation layer; wherein the base substrate comprises a base, a light-emitting unit, and a barrier dam; wherein the light-emitting unit is provided on the base, and the encapsulation layer covers the light-emitting unit; wherein the barrier dam is provided on the base and located in the frame area, and the barrier dam is configured to block a portion of the encapsulation layer; and wherein one or more of the convex ribs are provided in the frame area on a side of the barrier dam away from the display area.
Qin et al. teach an encapsulation structure 80 comprising an encapsulation layer 81/82/83; wherein the base substrate comprises a base 10, a light-emitting unit 31, and a barrier dam 90; wherein the light-emitting unit 31 is provided on the base 10, and the encapsulation layer 81/82/83 covers the light-emitting unit 31; wherein the barrier dam 90 is provided on the base and located in the frame area 103, and the barrier dam 90 is configured to block a portion 82 of the encapsulation layer 80; and wherein one or more of the convex ribs 80 are provided in the frame area 103 on a side of the barrier dam 90 away from the display area 101.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device structure as taught by Cao et al. with the display device having an encapsulation structure comprising an encapsulation layer; wherein the base substrate comprises a base, a light-emitting unit, and a barrier dam; wherein the light-emitting unit is provided on the base, and the encapsulation layer covers the light-emitting unit; wherein the barrier dam is provided on the base and located in the frame area, and the barrier dam is configured to block a portion of the encapsulation layer; and wherein one or more of the convex ribs are provided in the frame area on a side of the barrier dam away from the display area as taught by Qin et al. to prevent failure of the display panel (page 2).
In regard to claim 2, Qin et al. teach the plurality of rib segments (of 40) comprise at least a first rib segment (of 40), a second rib segment (of 40), and a third rib segment (of 40) connected sequentially, a first angle is formed between the first rib segment (of 40) and the second rib segment (of 40), and a second angle is formed between the third rib segment (of 40) and the second rib segment (of 40), and an end of the first rib segment (of 40) away from the second rib segment (of 40) and an end of the third rib segment (of 40) away from the second rib segment (of 40) are on a same side in a width direction of the second rib segment (of 40) (Figure 4, pages 13-18).
In regard to claim 3, Qin et al. teach the angle formed between the adjacent two of the rib segments (of 40) being an obtuse angle (Figure 4, pages 13-18).
In regard to claim 19, Qin et al. teach the base substrate comprising: a base 10; a pixel definition layer 32 on a side of the base 10 and with a pixel opening (in 32); and a light-emitting unit 31 in the pixel opening (in 32), wherein orthographic projections of the convex ribs 40/90 in the non-display area 103/104 on the base 10 are within an orthographic projection of the pixel definition layer 32 on the base 10 (Figures 4-5, pages 13-18).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 29 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regard to claim 29, The prior art of record (Cao et al. (CN 101866584 A) in view of Qin et al. (CN 113130822 A)) does not disclose, make obvious, or otherwise suggest the structure of the applicant's claimed invention, such as the configuration of the display area, frame area, base substrate, cover plate, convex ribs, rib segments, angles, encapsulation structure, base, light-emitting unit, encapsulation layer, sealant.
Claims 7, 11, 14, 20 and 23 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.
Claims 8-9 are objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 7.
Claim 16 is objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 14.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/05/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Cao et al. (CN 101866584 A) further in view of Qin et al. (CN 113130822 A) to teach the claimed subject matter from canceled claim 13.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to display devices:
Wang et al. (CN 113013221 A).
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IMS
July 14, 2026
/IDA M SOWARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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