DETAILED ACTION
Elections/Restrictions
1. This office action is a response to Applicant's election filed on 02/03/2026 without traverse of Group I, claims 1-6 for further examination. Claims 7-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
4. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/24/2023 is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections
5. 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 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.
6. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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 of this title, 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.
8. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
9. Claims 1-6 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2019/0341289 A1) hereinafter Lee ‘289 in view of Lee et al. (US 2011/0220019 A1) hereinafter Lee ‘019 (the terminology of the claims in the application is used, but the references of Lee ‘289 & Lee ‘019 are included between parentheses).
As regards to claim 1, Lee ‘289 discloses an apparatus for manufacturing a display device (abs; fig 1-6), comprising:
a chamber (660) ([0103]-[0104]; fig 6);
a mask assembly (610) disposed in the chamber (660) and facing a display substrate (640) ([0103]-[0105]; fig 6); and
a deposition source (670) disposed in the chamber (660) and facing the mask assembly (610), the deposition source (670) that supplies a deposition material (see fig 6, arrows) such that the deposition material (see fig 6, arrows) passes through the mask assembly (610) and is deposited on the display substrate (640) ([0103]-[0105]; fig 6),
wherein the mask assembly (610) comprises:
a mask frame (200/620) including an opening area (201) ([0049]-[0050]; [0103]-[0105]; fig 1-3C & 6);
at least one shield stick (300) fixed on the mask frame (200/620) in a tensioned state across the opening area (201) of the mask frame (200/620) ([0014]; [0018]; [0021]; [0048]-[0054]; [0063]-[0064]; [0069]; [0074]; [0103]-[0105]; fig 1-3C & 6); and
a mask sheet (630) covering at least part of the opening area (201) and at least partially overlapping the at least one shield stick (300) ([0004]; [0048]-[0054]; fig 1-3C), the at least one shield stick (300) comprises:
a first shield member (340, right side shorter 340, see fig 2) ([0054]; [0056]; [0058]; [0062]-[0065]; fig 1-3C);
a second shield member (374) at least partially overlapping the first shield member (340, right side shorter 340, see fig 2) ([0054]; [0056]-[0058]; [0062]-[0065]; fig 1-3C); and
a third shield member (330) at least partially overlapping the first shield member (340, right side shorter 340, see fig 2) ([0054]; [0056]-[0058]; [0062]-[0068]; [0071]; fig 1-3C), and
the second shield member (374) and the third shield member (330) are disposed above (see fig 1-3C) the first shield member (340, right side shorter 340, see fig 2) and are closer to the mask sheet (630) than the first shield member (340, right side shorter 340, see fig 2) is close to the mask sheet (630) ([0004]; [0054]; [0056]-[0058]; [0062]-[0068]; [0071]; fig 1-3C), however Lee ‘289 does not disclose a plurality of mask sheets.
Lee ‘019 discloses an apparatus for manufacturing a display device (abs; fig 1-5), comprising: a plurality of mask sheets (20) covering at least part of the opening area (10a), wherein the frame (10) forms an outer frame of the mask frame assembly and has a substantially rectangular shape in which the opening (10a) formed in the middle of the frame (10) ([0025]-[0042]; fig 1-5). Thus, a single mask sheet covering at least part of the opening area and a plurality of mask sheets covering at least part of the opening area are considered functionally equivalent masks covering at least part of the opening area. Therefore, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include wherein the mask covering at least part of the opening area includes a plurality of mask sheets (substitute plurality of mask sheets for single mask sheet) in the apparatus of Lee ‘289, because Lee ‘019 teaches a plurality of mask sheets covering at least part of the opening area, wherein the frame forms an outer frame of the mask frame assembly and has a substantially rectangular shape in which the opening formed in the middle of the frame ([0025]-[0027]).
As regards to claim 2, Lee ‘289 discloses an apparatus (abs; fig 1-6), wherein a shield stick groove (260) is disposed in the mask frame (200/620) and accommodates end portions (321) of the at least one shield stick (300) ([0014]; [0018]; [0021]; [0048]-[0054]; [0063]-[0064]; [0069]-[0070]; [0074]; [0103]-[0105]; fig 1-3C & 6).
As regards to claim 3, Lee ‘289 discloses an apparatus (abs; fig 1-6), wherein in case that the at least one shield stick (300) is accommodated in the shield stick groove (260), the first shield member (340, right side shorter 340, see fig 2) is fixed on the mask frame (200/620) ([0014]; [0018]; [0021]; [0048]-[0054]; [0063]-[0064]; [0069]; [0074]; [0103]-[0105]; fig 1-3C & 6).
As regards to claim 4, Lee ‘289 discloses an apparatus (abs; fig 1-6), wherein in case that the at least one shield stick (300) is accommodated in the shield stick groove (260), the second shield member (374) and third shield member (330) are fixed on the mask frame (200/620) to mounting portion (250) ([0014]; [0018]; [0021]; [0048]-[0054]; [0063]-[0069]; [0074]; [0103]-[0105]; fig 1-3C & 6).
As regards to claim 5, Lee ‘289 discloses an apparatus (abs; fig 1-6), wherein the at least one shield stick (300) comprises at least one of a stainless material and an invar material ([0053]).
As regards to claim 6, Lee ‘289 discloses an apparatus (abs; fig 1-6), wherein the at least one shield stick (300) further comprises: a fourth shield member (340, left side lower longer 340, see fig 2) at least partially overlapping the third shield member (330), disposed below (see fig 3A-3C) the third shield member (330), and being closer to the deposition source (670) than the third shield member (330) is close to the deposition source (670); and a fifth shield member (373) at least partially overlapping the fourth shield member (340, left side lower longer 340, see fig 2), disposed above (see fig 1-3C) the fourth shield member (340, left side lower longer 340, see fig 2), and being closer to the mask sheet (630) than the fourth shield member (340, left side lower longer 340, see fig 2) is close to the mask sheet (630) ([0004]; [0014]; [0018]; [0021]; [0048]-[0054]; [0063]-[0069]; [0074]; [0103]-[0105]; fig 1-3C & 6).
however Lee ‘289 does not disclose a plurality of mask sheets.
Lee ‘019 discloses an apparatus for manufacturing a display device (abs; fig 1-5), comprising: a plurality of mask sheets (20) covering at least part of the opening area (10a), wherein the frame (10) forms an outer frame of the mask frame assembly and has a substantially rectangular shape in which the opening (10a) formed in the middle of the frame (10) ([0025]-[0042]; fig 1-5). Thus, a single mask sheet covering at least part of the opening area and a plurality of mask sheets covering at least part of the opening area are considered functionally equivalent masks covering at least part of the opening area. Therefore, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include wherein the mask covering at least part of the opening area includes a plurality of mask sheets (substitute plurality of mask sheets for single mask sheet) in the apparatus of Lee ‘289, because Lee ‘019 teaches a plurality of mask sheets covering at least part of the opening area, wherein the frame forms an outer frame of the mask frame assembly and has a substantially rectangular shape in which the opening formed in the middle of the frame ([0025]-[0027]).
Conclusion
10. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: all references cited on the attached PTO-892 Notice of References Cited excluding the above (see fig 1-3C) relied upon references.
11. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jethro M Pence whose telephone number is (571)270-7423. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 8:00 A.M. - 6:30 P.M..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dah-Wei D. Yuan can be reached on 571-272-1295. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jethro M. Pence/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1717