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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 02/06/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, and 3-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 as being anticipated by Li et al. ( US 2024/0049532 A1; hereinafter Li)
Regarding claim 1, Li teaches a display panel comprising: a support substrate ( Fig. 2 substrate #101) including a display area ( Fig. 2 display area #101a ) including a plurality of pixel areas ( Fig. 2 pixel units #102 ) which emits light for image display ( [0091] plurality of pixel units #102 are disposed in the display area #101a ) and a non-display area ( Fig. 2 #101b) disposed around the display area ( [0091] a peripheral area #101b surrounding the display area #101a ); an emitting array disposed on the support substrate ( [0033] a light-emitting unit sequentially laminated in a direction going away from the base substrate) and including a plurality of emitting devices corresponding to the plurality of pixel areas ( [0033] each of the plurality of pixel units includes a thin film transistor); a first dam structure ( [0091] the barrier structure #103, the at least one first power line #104 and the row drive circuit #105 are disposed in the peripheral area #101b ) disposed in a first surrounding area of the non-display area ( Fig. 2 peripheral area #101b ), which is in contact with one side of the display area ( [0091] a peripheral area #101b surrounding the display area #101a ); a second dam structure ( Fig. 1 second barrier dam #1032 ) disposed in a second surrounding area of the non-display area( Fig. 2 #101b ), which is in contact with another side of the display area ( [0020] the second barrier dam includes a third pattern, a fourth pattern, and a fifth pattern sequentially laminated in a direction going away from the base substrate ) and having a same thickness as the first dam structure ( [0141] a thickness of the first barrier dam #1031 may be less than a thickness of the second barrier dam #1032); and a sealing structure covering the emitting array ( Fig. 10 #115 ) , wherein the sealing structure includes: a first sealing layer disposed on the emitting array ( Fig. 10 #1151 ) and including an inorganic insulating material ( [0183] the first film layer 1151 and the third film layer 1153 may be made of an inorganic material ); a second sealing layer disposed on the first sealing layer ( Fig. 10 #1152 ) and including an organic insulating material ( [0183] the second film layer #1152 may be made of an organic material ) ; and a third sealing layer (Fig. 10 #1153) disposed on the first sealing layer ( Fig. 10 #1151 ), covering the second sealing layer ( Fig. 10 #1152) , and including the inorganic insulating material ( [0183] the first film layer 1151 and the third film layer 1153 may be made of an inorganic material ), wherein the third sealing layer (Fig. 10 #1153) is in contact with an edge ( Fig. 10 edges touch near the sidewall of #1031) of the first sealing layer ( Fig. 10 #1151 ), wherein the second sealing layer ( Fig. 10 #1152 ) includes a first side portion overlapping an upper surface ( Fig. 10 #1152 extends to cover the upper surface of #1031) of the first dam structure ( Fig. 10 #1031 ) and having a cross section with a first curvature ( Fig. 10 #1152 curves down towards the sidewall of #1031 ) and a second side portion ( Fig. 10 #1152 bends and covers both dam structures) overlapping an upper surface of the second dam structure ( [0184] the second film layer #1152 may be disposed in the area formed by the barrier structure #103 in a surrounding fashion ) and having a cross section with a second curvature greater than the first curvature, wherein a plurality of grooves ( Fig. 11 shows top down view of dam structures) is defined in an upper surface of the second dam structure ( Fig. 11 opening #104a ) through the second dam structure to extend in parallel with each other ( [0225] three openings 104a are all disposed in an area where the second barrier dam #1032 of the barrier structure #103 is formed) along an extending direction of the second dam structure ( Fig. 11 #104a ).
Regarding claim 3, Li teaches the display panel of claim 1 (as discussed above), wherein a gradient of a side surface of the second dam structure (Fig. 10 #1032) defining the plurality of grooves with respect to the upper surface or a lower surface of the second dam structure is in a range of about to about 90° ( Fig. 10 #1032 side surface is around 90 degrees).
Regarding claim 4, Li teaches the display panel of claim 1 (as discussed above), wherein the first side portion ( Fig. 10 #1152) covers the first dam structure ( Fig. 10 #1031) , and a height of the first side portion (Fig. 10 #1152) with respect to the support substrate gradually decreases ( Fig. 10 #1152 decreases as it approaches the first dam structure #1031) as the first side portion (Fig. 10 #1152) becomes closer to an edge of the support substrate (Fig. 10 base substrate #101) corresponding to the first surrounding area ( [0018] the first barrier dam is proximal to the plurality of pixel units relative to the second barrier dam).
Regarding claim 5, Li teaches the display panel of claim 4 (as discussed above), wherein a gradient of a side surface of the first dam structure (Fig. 10 #1031) is less than about 45° (Fig. 10 #1031 side surface is around 45 degrees or less).
Regarding claim 6, Li teaches the display panel of claim 1 (as discussed above), wherein a height of the first side portion (Fig. 10 #1152) with respect to the support substrate (Fig. 10 base substrate #101) gradually decreases with a first slope corresponding to the first curvature ( Fig. 10 #1152 curves down towards the sidewall of #1031 ) as the first side portion ( Fig. 10 #1152) becomes more distant from the display area, a height of the second side portion ( Fig. 10 #1152 bends and covers both dam structures) with respect to the support substrate (Fig. 10 #101) decreases with a second slope corresponding to the second curvature greater than the first curvature ( Fig. 10 curvature around the dams is greater than the curve leading to the dams ) and greater than the first slope as the second side portion becomes more distant from the display area ( Fig. 10 #1152 bends and covers both dam structures ), and a width of the second side portion is smaller than a width of the first side portion ( Fig. 10 width of the area to the left of the dam structures is greater than the width to the right ).
Regarding claim 7, Li teaches the display panel of claim 6 (as discussed above), wherein the display area has a rectangular shape ( Fig. 1 ) including first and second sides opposing each other and third and fourth sides ( [0012] the peripheral area includes: a first area and a second area which are opposite and parallel to each other and a third area and a fourth area which are opposite and parallel to each other) in contact with the first and second sides and opposing each other ( [ 0012] wherein an extension direction of the first area is perpendicular to an extension direction of the third area ) , the first surrounding area is in contact with the first side of the display area ( [0013] the first part is disposed in the first area ), and the second surrounding area is in contact with the second, the third side, and the fourth side ( [0013] the second part is disposed in the second area, the third area and the fourth area) of the display area ( [0005] a peripheral area surrounding the display area).
Regarding claim 8, Li teaches the display panel of claim 1 (as discussed above), further comprising: a circuit array ( [0010] a row drive circuit) disposed on the support substrate ( [0015] an orthographic projection of the light-emitting control drive circuit on the base substrate) and including a plurality of pixel driving circuits ( [0010] electrically connected to the plurality of pixel units) corresponding to the plurality of pixel areas and connected to the plurality of emitting devices ( [0010] configured to provide a drive signal for the plurality of pixel units); and a via layer covering the circuit array ( [0036] the connection layer is electrically connected to the first gate pattern ), wherein the emitting array includes: a plurality of first electrodes disposed on the via layer ( [0035] the light-emitting unit includes an electrode pattern ) and corresponding to the plurality of pixel areas ( [0035] a light-emitting pattern, and the first electrode layer); a pixel defining layer disposed on the via layer ( [0033] each of the plurality of pixel units includes a thin film transistor and an light-emitting unit sequentially laminated in a direction going away from the base substrate ), between the plurality of pixel areas ([ 0033] plurality of pixel units ) , and covering edges of each of the plurality of first electrodes ( [0009] first electrode layers in the plurality of pixel units): a plurality of emitting layers disposed on the plurality of first electrodes ( [0035] the first electrode layer which are sequentially laminated in a direction going away from the base substrate ), respectively; and a second electrode disposed on the pixel defining layer ( [0035] the electrode pattern is disposed in the second electrode layer and connected to the drain electrode) and the plurality of emitting layers and corresponding to the plurality of pixel areas ( [0035] the light-emitting unit includes an electrode pattern, a light-emitting pattern, and the first electrode layer), and each of the first dam structure ( Fig. 10 #1031 ) and the second dam structure ( Fig. 10 #1032 ) includes: a first dam layer ( [0019] the first barrier dam includes a first pattern and a second pattern sequentially laminated in a direction going away from the base substrate) defined by a same layer as the via layer ( [0021] the first pattern and the fourth pattern are disposed in a pixel define layer of the display panel); and a second dam layer disposed on the first dam layer ( [0020] the second barrier dam includes a third pattern, a fourth pattern, and a fifth pattern sequentially laminated in a direction going away from the base substrate) and defined by a same layer as the pixel defining layer ( [0021] the first pattern and the fourth pattern are disposed in a pixel define layer of the display panel).
Response to Amendment/Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/06/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Li does not disclose a second dam structure having a same thickness as the first dam structure, however, Li discloses in [0141] a thickness of the first barrier dam #1031 may be less than a thickness of the second barrier dam #1032 ( so they could be the same thickness). Additionally, Fig. 10 shows that #1152 extends towards the dam structures and overlaps the upper surface of both. Fig. 12 also provides an overview of where the dam structure is placed within the non-display area on the sides of the display area.
Applicant then argues that Li does not disclose a plurality of grooves that extend in parallel with each other along an extending direction of the second dam structure, however, Fig. 11 illustrates the grooves present in the second dam layer #1032 and they extend along the second dam structure.
Applicant then argues that the second film layer of Li Fig. 10 #1152 does not overlap upper surfaces of the first barrier dam Fig. 10 #1031 and the second barrier dam Fig. 10 #1032, however, as stated in [0184] the second film layer #1152 may be disposed in the area formed by the barrier structure #103 in a surrounding fashion.
Applicant further argues that Li fails to teach or suggest “a portion of the barrier structure 103 disposed in the first areas 101b1 of the peripheral area 101b has a different shape from the other portions of the barrier structure 103 disposed in the second area 101b2, the third area 101b3 and the fourth area 101b4 of the peripheral area 101b” and “opening defined in the barrier structure 103”, however, Li states in [0091] the barrier structure #103, the at least one first power line #104 and the row drive circuit #105 are disposed in the peripheral area #101b which responds to the features listed in claim 1. Features that are not listed in the claims are not addressed.
Applicant further argues the features recited in claim 1, “a first dam structure DM1 disposed in a first surrounding area, a second dam structure DM2 in a second surrounding area, and a plurality of grooves GR defined in the upper surface of the second dam structure DM2” as stated in Li the first dam structure Fig. 1 #103 is disposed in a first surrounding area Fig. 2 #101b, and the second dam structure #1032 disposed in a second surrounding area of the non display area which is shown in Fig. 2 #101b is broken into multiple areas #101b1-#101b4, Li further shows a plurality of grooves GR defined in the upper surface of the second dam structure DM2 as show in the top down view of Fig. 11 #1032 area.
Conclusion
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/K.N.F./Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/MARLON T FLETCHER/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817