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 § 102
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim (US2020/0338804A1) .
The applied reference has a common applicant and common joint inventor with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
Kim discloses the claimed invention as follows (refer to Figs. 1A and 8A to 8C), as well as 9A-9C:
Claim 1. A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:
seating (see Fig. 8A, 9A; see [0137], [0146] and [0147]) a support member (1000, 1001) on a second jig portion (200; see Fig. 1A for the reference number);
pressing (see Fig. 8B and 9B; see [0138]) the support member by a pressing portion (101), of a first jig portion (100; see Fig. 1A for the reference number) in a downward direction;
bending (see Fig. 8B and 9B; see [0139]) a portion of an end of the support member via linear movement of a linear movement portion (201) of the second jig portion and the support member together in the downward direction (the pressing causes stage 201 to move downwardly and causes the bending, as described in [0139]); and
pressing (see Fig. 8C and 9C; see [0140]), by a third jig portion (311 and 321), a bent portion of the end of the support member to bend the portion of the end of the support member again (see [0141]).
Claim 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: heating the bent portion of the end of the support member (see [0139] and [0141]).
Claim 3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of an upper surface of the support member and a side surface of the support member is heated (see [0139] and [0141]).
Claim 4. The method of claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the pressing portion and an upper surface of the linear movement portion are maintained to be spaced apart from each other with a gap when the support member is pressed by the first jig portion. See Figs. 8A and 8B, 9A, 9B. The support member maintains a gap between the lower surface of the pressing portion and the upper surface of the linear movement portion.
Claim 5. The method of claim 1, wherein a side surface of the third jig portion and a side surface of the linear movement portion are maintained to be spaced apart from each other with a gap when a side surface of the support member is pressed by the third jig portion. See Fig. 8B and 9B, there is a horizontal gap between 311/321 and 201
Claim 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressing portion bends the portion of the end of the support member at a first angle, and the third jig portion bends the portion of the end of the support member at a second angle different from the first angle. See Figs. 8B, 8C, 9B and 9C. See [0139]-[0141].
Claim 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second angle is greater than the first angle. The first angle is the angle between the state of Fig. 8A/9A and that of Fig. 8B/9B, i.e. about 90 degrees. The second angle is the angle as shown in Fig. 8C/9C, which, clearly, is greater than the angle of Fig. 8B/8C, relative to the starting state of Fig. 8A/9A.
Claim 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: attaching the support member to a cover member (2000, Fig. 8I) and a panel member (3000, Fig. 8I; see [0143]) of the display device.
Claim 10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the cover member is bent. See Fig. 8I.
Claim 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the cover member includes a flat portion and a bent portion, wherein the support member is sequentially attached to the panel member from the flat portion of the cover member to the bent portion of the cover member. See Fig. 8J. The support member is first attached with the flat side, to the panel member busing a roller member, and the sides are made to have the same bending angle as the panel member. Compare Figs. 8H and 8I. See [0143], especially last sentence.
Claim 12. The method of claim 9, further comprising: removing a film member (4000) of the support member. See [0148]. Note that, it is clear from [0146] the same steps are performed as for the embodiment of Figs. 8A to 8I, other than the presence of the film member 4000.
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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Roh (KR1020170000445A).
Kim discloses the claimed invention, except for the second jig portion pneumatically absorbing the support member.
As mentioned in the Office Action mailed 9/10/2025, Roh discloses an invention similar to that claimed, wherein a support member (1) is pneumatically absorbed to a second jig portion by means of suction holes 101 and 202 (Figs. 2 and 3a; see [0034]).
In view of the teachings of Roh, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to provide the second jig portion 200 of Kim with suction holes, to aid in seating the support member on the second jig portion.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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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/LIVIUS R. CAZAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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