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 § 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 1-9, 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dian hong Li et al (Chinese Patent: 111733380, here after Li).
Claim 1 is rejected. Li teaches a method for repairing a mask plate (4), the mask
plate comprising: a frame (1) having an opening [page 2 last line, fig. 1], wherein the
frame comprises a first side frame and a second side frame opposite in a first direction,
and an upper side frame and a lower side frame opposite in a second direction [fig. 1],
a plurality of first shielding strips (3), and
a plurality of mask strips (21, or 4 area between mask opening as shows in fig.
1), wherein the plurality of first shielding strips (3) and the plurality of mask strips are
fixed on the upper side frame and the lower side frame [fig. 2, fig. 1, page 5 lines 12-17],
and the method comprises:
identifying a mask strip deformation area, comprising identifying an area of the
mask plate having a mask strip of the plurality of mask strips that expands inward and
deforms in the second direction as the mask strip deformation area [fig. 3];
replacing a shielding strip of the plurality of first shielding strips, comprising:
performing a net tensioning process for a second shielding strip (shielding strip with different tension) [page 5 lines 18-25], replacing at least part of the first shielding
strips in the mask strip deformation area with the second shielding strip, and obviously
connecting the second shielding strip to the upper side frame and the lower side frame.
Li teaches deformation is inward and mask plate (and mask strip) does not expand
outward. However, it is to the skill of an ordinary person in art to apply tension stress
(rather than compressing) to have the mask plate and mask strips expand outward in
absence of criticality, because the stress applied to the mask a plate (and mask strip)
can be compression or tension. After replacing the first strip with second strip, mask
strip that expands outward and deforms is retracted inward toward the inside of the
opening along the second direction. Although Li does not teach repairing a mask plate,
however replacing of one of the shield strips which results in adjusting elastic
deformation of frame [page 5 lines 21-24], can be considered as repairing the mask. A
number of second shielding strips is obviously correlated(positively) with an elastic
deformation (retraction and deformation amount) that the mask strip which (expands
outward and deforms along the second direction retracts inwardly along the second
direction) [page 5 last 4 lines page 6 lines 1-4]. Li also teaches the step of replacing the
shielding strip further comprises:
in performing the net tensioning process for the second shielding strip, controlling
the (pulling) force along the second direction applied to the second shielding strip, so
that when the second shielding strip is connected to the upper side frame and the lower
side frame, the mask strip that expands outward and deforms is retracted inward along
the second direction to a state without deformation in the second direction [fig. 3], and in
the mask strip deformation area, the mask strips (area between shielding strips) with
intervals therebetween distributed in a direction from the second shielding strip to the
left side frame, and the mask strips with intervals therebetween distributed in a direction
from the second shielding strip to the right side frame, outward protrude and deform in opposite directions along a first direction [fig. 3].
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Claim 2 is rejected. Although in this embodiment Li teaches the number of
masking strips is 3[page 5 last paragraph first line, fig 3], however in another
embodiment Li teaches the number of strips is 4[page 5 last paragraph lines 1-2]. With
having 4 strip lines and same interval, the second shielding strips are symmetrically
distributed with a center line of the mask strip deformation area in the first direction as a
symmetry axis.
Claim 3 is rejected for the same reason claim 2 is rejected. Li teaches the second
shielding strip is located at a central portion of the mask strip deformation area in the
first direction [fig. 3].
Claim 4 is rejected for the same reason claim 2 is rejected. With 4 shielding
strips, at least two second shielding strips are located at the central portion and are
distributed with intervals therebetween in the first direction.
Claim 5 is rejected for the same reason claim 2 is rejected. With having 4
shielding strips, replacing at least one mask strip that expands outward and deforms
and that is located at the central portion with at least one replaced mask strip [page 2
second paragraph], and the at least one replaced mask strip is disposed between
adjacent second shielding strips at the central portion.
Claim 6 is rejected. Although Li does not specifically teach tearing off the mask
strip, however teaches replacing it, which in fact means removing or tearing it off. Li
teaches deformation is inward and mask plate (and mask strip) does not expand
outward. However, it is to the skill of an ordinary person in art to apply tension stress
(rather than compressing) to have the mask plate and mask strips expand outward in
absence of criticality, because the stress applied to the mask a plate (and mask strip)
can be compression or tension. Therefore, the strip expands outward and deforms along the second direction at the central portion of the mask strip deformation area in the first direction; tearing off the first shielding strips disposed adjacently on the left and right sides of mask strip that expands outward and deforms(shielding strips are in center of mask opening areas, mask strips); obviously performing a net tensioning process for the second shielding strip and connecting the second shielding strip to the upper side frame and the lower side frame( to make sure the elastic deformation of the frame is adjusted by replacement) [page 5 lines 18-25], and the position where the second shielding strip is arranged on the mask plate is the same as that of the torn-off first shielding strips on the mask plate; it is also obvious performing a net tensioning process for the replaced mask strip and connecting the second shielding strip to the upper side frame and the lower side frame, where the replaced mask strip is arranged on the mask plate is the same as the position where the torn-off mask strip that expands outward and deforms is arranged on the mask plate.
Claim 7 is rejected. Although Li does not teach the details of analyzing the data
and obtaining results, however teach correction of shield strip with tension force [page 5
lines 18-25]. Therefor the details of analysis, establishing a database, the database
comprising a three-dimensional curve among the outward expansion and deformation
amount of the mask strip that expands outward and deforms along the second direction
in the mask strip deformation area, a value of a pulling force along the second direction
applied to the second shielding strip in the process of performing a net tensioning
process for the second shielding strip and the number of the second shielding strips is
not patentable over Li, because an ordinary skill in art can make and form data bases
and curves to obtain results in absence of criticality.
Claim 8 is rejected. An ordinary skill in art can use data base and according to
the outward expansion and deformation amount of the mask strip that expands outward
and deforms along the second direction in the mask strip deformation area determine
the number of the second shielding strips.
Claim 9 is rejected. Although Li applied compression force, however it is obvious
to an ordinary skill in rat that a tension force also can apply in the second direction to
the second shielding strip in the process of performing a net tensioning process for the
second shielding strip through the database, which in fact according to the outward
expansion and deformation amount of the mask strip that expands outward and deforms
along the second direction in the mask strip deformation area the value of pulling force
can be determined (for example with considering Poisson's ratio).
Claim 12 is rejected. Li teaches in the step of identifying the mask strip
deformation area, n first shielding strips (3) with intervals therebetween in the first
direction, and n-1 mask strips (area between the opening of mask) that expand outward
and deform in the second direction and are disposed in the intervals are formed in the
mask strip deformation area, wherein nis greater than or equal to 2[fig, 2, area of
deformation is between lines 3, and there are 3 lines and 2 areas].
Claim 13 is rejected as Li teaches each mask strip (4) of the plurality of mask
strips comprise a plurality of pattern evaporation areas [fig. 2].
Claim 14 is rejected as Li teaches the plurality of pattern evaporation areas is
distributed along the second direction [fig. 1].
Claim 15 is rejected as Li teaches establishing the database is performed before
identifying the mask strip deformation area [page 3 last paragraph, page 5 lines 18-end
of the page].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/10/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The examiner does not agree with applicant statement in page 8 of Remarks (02/10/26) when compression force applies to the frame, deformation in the first direction would be outward, and not inward, because the volume of the object has to be preserved. Based on Hooks law ΔL = F/k, elastic compression force in one direction (uniaxial compression) causes temporary deformation where a material shortens along the axis of force, and expanding perpendicular to it.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TABASSOM TADAYYON ESLAMI whose telephone number is (571)270-1885. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:3-6.
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/TABASSOM TADAYYON ESLAMI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718
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