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 .
Status of the Claims
Amendment filed June 22, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 9-10 have been cancelled. Claim 1 has been amended. Claims 1-8 and 11-13 are pending.
Action on merits of claims 1-8 and 11-13 follows.
Specification
The newly submitted title is not descriptive. The title is:
APPARATUS HAVING FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE INCLUDING SIGNAL LINE FORMED BETWEEN TWO INORGANIC LAYERS AND COVERED BY ORGANIC LAYERS OVER THE INORGANIC LAYERS
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 person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KWON et al. (US. Pub. No. 2014/0232956).
With respect to claim 11, KWON teaches an apparatus as claimed including:
a flexible substrate; and
an electrode (190) disposed on a plane of a first portion (DA) of the flexible substrate, a second portion (BA) of the flexible substrate being bent away from the plane, wherein:
a signal line (141) is embedded in the flexible substrate between a pair of inorganic layers (131-151) of the flexible substrate, the signal line (141) being electrically connected to the electrode (190);
two organic layers (110-188) are disposed on each of the pair of inorganic layers (131-151); and
the signal line (141) extends from the second portion (BA) into the first portion (DA). (See FIG. 1E).
With respect to claim 12, the pair of inorganic layers (131-151) of KWON are stacked between a first organic layer (110) of the flexible substrate and a second organic layer (188) of the flexible substrate.
With respect to claim 13, a neutral plane of the second portion (BA) of KWON extends in the signal line (141).
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KWAK et al. (US. Pub. No. 2014/0217397) of record.
With respect to claim 11, KWAK teaches an apparatus as claimed including:
a flexible substrate; and
an electrode (242, 243, 244) disposed on a plane of a first portion (DA) of the flexible substrate, a second portion (NA) of the flexible substrate being bent away from the plane, wherein:
a signal line (220) is embedded in the flexible substrate between a pair of inorganic layers (261C, 262C) of the flexible substrate, the signal line (220) being electrically connected to the electrode;
two organic layers (210C, 269C) are disposed on each of the pair of inorganic layers (261C, 262C); and
the signal line (220) extends from the second portion (NA) into the first portion (DA). (See FIG. 2C).
With respect to claim 12, the pair of inorganic layers (261C, 262C) of KWAK are stacked between a first organic layer (210C) of the flexible substrate and a second organic layer (269C) of the flexible substrate.
With respect to claim 13, a neutral plane (tensile force and compressive force offset) of the second portion (NA) of KWAK extends in the signal line (220).
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.
Claims 1-4 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KWAK ‘397 in view of KAWAI et al. (US. Patent No. 7,348,492) of record.
With respect to claim 1, KWAK teaches an apparatus substantially as claimed including:
a flexible substrate comprising:
a first area (DA) extending along a plane; and
a second area (NA) extending from the first area (DA), the second area (NA) being bent away from the plane;
an electrode (243) overlapping the first area (DA); and
a signal line (220) disposed in association with the first area (DA) and the second area (NA), the signal line (220) being electrically connected to the electrode,
wherein:
in association with the second area (BA), the signal line (220) is arranged in a stack of organic layers and inorganic layers; and
the stack comprises:
a second organic layer (210C);
a first inorganic layer (261C) disposed on the second organic layer (210C);
the signal line (220) disposed on the first inorganic layer (261C);
a second inorganic layer (262C) disposed on the signal line (220); and
a third organic layer (269C) disposed on the second inorganic layer (262C); and
a neutral plane (tensile force and compressive force offset) of the second area (NA) extend in the signal line (220). (See FIG. 2C).
Thus, KWAK is shown to teach all the features of the claim with the exception of explicitly disclosing the stack comprising a first organic layer and a fourth organic layer.
However, KAWAI teaches an apparatus including:
in association with the second area (bend), a signal line is arranged in a stack of organic layers and inorganic layers; and
the stack comprises:
a first organic layer (14);
a second organic layer (16) disposed on the first organic layer (14); and
a fourth organic layer (14) disposed on a third organic layer (16). (See FIGs. 2-3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to form the stack of KWAK further including the first and fourth organic layer as taught by KAWAI to provide for more desirable flexibility.
With respect to claim 2, the flexible substrate of KWAK is formed comprising the second organic layer (210C), the first inorganic layer (261C), the signal line (220), the second inorganic layer (262C), and the third organic layer (269C).
With respect to claim 3, the second organic layer (210C), the third organic layer (269C) of KWAK, and, in view of KAWAI, the fourth organic layer (14) comprise polyimide.
With respect to claim 4, As best understood by the Examiner, in view of KAWAI, coefficients of thermal expansion of the fourth organic layer (14) and the second organic layer (210) are different from one another.
With respect to claim 7, in view of KAWAI, the thicknesses of the first and fourth organic layer (14) can be adjusted in order to improve the flexibility.
Therefore, in view of KAWAI, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to adjust the thickness of the first and fourth organic layer (14) including forming the first organic layer thicker than the fourth organic layer for optimal flexibility.
It is well settled that "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955) (Claimed process which was performed at a temperature between 40 ºC and 80 ºC and an acid concentration between 25% and 70% was held to be prima facie obvious over a reference process which differed from the claims only in that the reference process was performed at a temperature of 100 ºC and an acid concentration of 10%.); see also Peterson, 315 F.3d at 1330, 65 USPQ2d at 1382 ("The normal desire of scientists or artisans to improve upon what is already generally known provides the motivation to determine where in a disclosed set of percentage ranges is the optimum combination of percentages.").
With respect to claim 8, flexible organic layers of KWAK can be formed utilizing a variety of polymer material including acrylic polymer.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to form the first organic layer and the fourth organic layer of KAWAI, utilizing an acrylate polymer to improve flexibility.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KWAK ‘397 and KWAI ‘492 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of YOUN et al. (US. Pub. No. 2014/0217373).
With respect to claim 5, the apparatus of KWAK further comprising a pixel electrode (251C) overlapping the first area (DA), wherein:
the electrode (243) forms a portion of a thin film transistor (240C);
fourth organic layer (264) overlaps the first area (DA); and
the pixel electrode (251) is electrically connected to the electrode (243) of the thin film transistor (240C) through a contact hole formed in the fourth organic layer (264).
Thus, KWAK and KWAI are shown to teach all the features of the claim with the exception of explicitly disclosing the fourth organic layer overlaps the first area and the second area.
However, YOUN teaches a apparatus including:
a pixel electrode (251D) overlapping the first area (DA), wherein:
an electrode (243D) forms a portion of a thin film transistor (240D);
a fourth organic layer (264D) overlaps the first area (DA) and a second area (NA); and
the pixel electrode (251D) is electrically connected to the electrode (243D) of the thin film transistor (240D) through a contact hole formed in the fourth organic layer (264D). (See FIG. 2D).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to form the fourth organic layer of KWAK overlapping the first area and the second area as taught by YOUN for the same intended purpose of reducing a risk of breaking the wire.
With respect to claim 6, in view of YOUN, the apparatus further comprising a pixel electrode (251) overlapping the first area (DA), wherein: the fourth organic layer (265) overlaps the first area (DA) and the second area (NA);
the fourth organic layer (265) comprises a patterned region overlapping the pixel electrode (251); and an organic layer (254) is disposed in the patterned region, the organic layer (254) being configured to emit light.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to amended claim 1 has 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANH D MAI whose telephone number is (571)272-1710 (Email: Anh.Mai2@uspto.gov). The examiner can normally be reached 10:00-4:00PM.
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/ANH D MAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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