Detailed Correspondence
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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cai et al. (US 20220307120 , hereafter ‘120).
‘120 teaches some limitations of:
Claim 1: FINE METAL MASK PLATE (title, includes the claimed “A metal mask, comprising”):
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fine metal mask plate includes a mask strip body 100 being of a strip-like shape and including two opposite long edges and two opposite short edges, and at least three skirts 200 arranged on each short edge and spaced apart from each other along an extension direction of the short edge ([0030], includes the claimed “a mask body having two opposite first side edges and two opposite second side edges, the two side edges extending along a first direction, the two second side edges extending along a second direction, each of the two first side edges having a first length”),
The opening evaporation area is provided with a plurality of sub-areas, and a plurality of openings 100a arranged in an array form are provided in each sub-area ([0050], 3rd sentence, includes the claimed “the mask body comprising an open slot region”),
The opening evaporation area is located in the middle area of the mask strip body, the welding areas are located at two opposite ends of the opening evaporation area and close to the end-part positions ([0050], 2nd sentence), A plurality of welding spots 300 are arranged in the welding area ([0039], includes the claimed “two first fixing regions”),
at least two end-part skirts 201 located at the two end-part positions of the short edge among the three skirts 200 may be clamped by the tensioning device, so as to apply a tensioning force to the two end-part skirts 201 ([0031], 3rd sentence, includes the claimed “and two first clamping regions arranged between the two first side edges along the second direction, wherein the two first fixing regions are positioned on two opposite sides of the open slot region, respectively, and each of the two first clamping regions is positioned between each of the two first fixing regions and each of the two first side edges” and as shown in Fig. 1);
The two adjacent skirts 200 are spaced apart from each other, and an gap formed by the spacing between the two adjacent skirts 200 ([0046], includes the claimed “and at least one first gap formed in each of the two first side edges, each of the at least one first gap having a first opening length in the first direction”),
a width D1 of each skirt 200 in the extension direction of the short edge ranges from 10 mm to 80 mm ([0035]), a spacing d1 between two adjacent skirts 200 in the extension direction of the short edge ranges from 20 mm to 80 mm ([0037]), a width D of the mask strip body 100 in an extension direction of the short edge ranges from 100 mm to 400 mm ([0032], mostly likely read into the claimed “wherein a ratio of the first opening length to the first length is between 0.2 and 0.8” except choosing very large D1 and very small d1 or vice versa, therefore, it is overlapping in range, see MPEP 2144.05).
Claim 2: As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fine metal mask plate includes a mask strip body 100 being of a strip-like shape and including two opposite long edges and two opposite short edges, and at least three skirts 200 arranged on each short edge and spaced apart from each other along an extension direction of the short edge ([0030], includes the claimed “wherein a number of the at least one first gap in each of the two first side edges is plural, the plurality of the first opening lengths of the plurality of first gaps positioned in each of the two first side edges are added up to obtain a first length sum, and a ratio of the first length sum to the first length is between 0.2 and 0.8”).
Claim 3: a spacing d1 between two adjacent skirts 200 in the extension direction of the short edge ranges from 20 mm to 80 mm ([0037], includes the claimed “wherein the first opening length is greater than 15 mm”).
Claim 4: Figs. 1 shows the claimed “wherein the mask body is rectangular, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction”.
Claim 5: The opening evaporation area is provided with a plurality of sub-areas, and a plurality of openings 100a arranged in an array form are provided in each sub-area ([0050], 3rd sentence, includes the claimed “wherein a plurality of open slots are formed in the open slot region and arranged along the second direction”).
Claim 6: As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a tensioning device for fixing the above-mentioned fine metal mask plate onto the mask plate frame 20 is further provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure. The tensioning device includes: two clamps 30 configured to clamp the two short edges of the mask strip body 100 respectively, and a tension control mechanism configured to control each clamp 30 to apply a tensioning force to the mask strip body 100 ([0054], includes the claimed “wherein the two first clamping regions are suitable for interfering with a clamping mechanism”, note being suitable does not require a clamping mechanism),
A plurality of welding spots 300 are arranged in the welding area ([0039], includes the claimed “and the two first fixing regions are suitable for being welded onto a frame”, note being suitable does not require welding being made).
Claim 7: Fig. 1 shows the gap is U-shaped (includes the claimed “wherein the at least one first gap comprises U-shaped gap, V-shaped gap, rectangular gap, or a combination thereof”).
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘120, as being applied to claim 1 rejection above, in view of NAKAMURA et al. (US 20190378984, hereafter ‘984).
‘120 does not teach the limitations of:
Claim 8: wherein the mask body further comprises two second fixing regions and two second clamping regions, wherein the open slot region, the two second fixing regions, and the two second clamping regions are arranged between the two second side edges along the first direction, the two second fixing regions are positioned on the two opposite sides of the open slot region, respectively, and each of the two second clamping regions is positioned between each of the two second fixing regions and each of the two second side edges.
Claim 9: further comprising a plurality of second gaps formed in the two second side edges, each of the two second side edges having a second length, each of the plurality of the second gaps having a second opening length in the second direction, wherein the plurality of the second opening lengths of the plurality of the second gaps positioned in each of the two second side edges are added up to obtain a second length sum, and a ratio of the second length sum to the second length is between 0.2 and 0.8.
‘984 is analogous art in the field of EPOSITION MASK DEVICE (title), holds the vapor deposition mask in a stretched state ([0008]), each joint portion 60 is configured as a weld portion by spot welding ([0077], 2nd last sentence). ‘984 teaches that the vapor deposition mask 20 has a plurality of notches 42 ([0081], Fig. 1 or 3 shows notches on all sides of the mask), The first width W1 of the notch 42 can be, for example, 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. The second width W2 of the joint piece 44 can be, for example, 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less (Fig. 23, [0087], 2nd last sentence, also reads into “a ratio of the second length sum to the second length is between 0.2 and 0.8”), for the purpose of suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles and deformation in the vapor deposition mask ([0014]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have adopted notches at all sides of the mask, as taught by ‘984, to the mask strip body 100 of ‘120, for the purpose of suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles and deformation in the vapor deposition mask ([0014]).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘120 and ‘984, as being applied to claim 8 rejection above, further in view of Krijne et al. (CN 20120178190, hereafter ‘190).
The combination of ‘120 and ‘984 does not teach the limitations of:
Claim 10: wherein a single open slot is formed in the open slot region, and the two first fixing regions and the two second fixing regions are connected and arranged around the single open slot.
‘190 is analogous art in the field of a shadow mask (20) comprising a number of deposition openings (Di) (abstract), metal shadow mask is pre-tensioned prior to being welded onto a mask-retaining metal frame ([0007], 3rd sentence). ‘190 teaches that it is assumed that the shadow mask and support mask comprise a plurality of openings, but evidently the arrangement and method according to the invention could equally well be applied to a shadow mask and support mask each having only a single opening ([0017], last sentence).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have reduced the a plurality of openings 100a of ‘120 to a single opening, as taught by ‘190, for its suitability with predictable results. The selection of something based on its known suitability for its intended use has been held to support a prima facie case of obviousness. MPEP 2144.07.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20210351351 is cited for mask with a groove 16 (Fig.1) or two (Fig. 9) and D1+D2=(0.3 to 0.4)*D3 (Fig. 2,[0036]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEATH T CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1870. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am-5:00 pm.
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/KEATH T CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716