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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. KR10-2021-0013453, filed on 01/29/2021.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/16/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The rejections to Claims 4, 9, 13-14 under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) are withdrawn in view of the amendments to the Claims 4, 9, 13-14.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-3, 6-8, 10-12, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KUROYANAGI et al. (US 2017/0146727 - hereinafter, "Kuroyanagi").
With respect to Claim 1, Kuroyanagi teaches (in Figure 3, 5, 14 and as shown in annotated Figure 3, 5 and 14 below)
A display apparatus (1) comprising:
a display panel (12) on which a screen is displayable along a first direction (see annotated Figure 3 below);
a light source module (18) including a plurality of light sources (LEDs, in paragraph [0043]) configured to emit light toward the display panel (12), the plurality of light sources (LEDs) being spaced apart from each other along a second direction (see annotated Figure 3 below) perpendicular to the first direction (see annotated Figure 3 below);
a rear chassis (20), to support the light source module (18), which is arrangeable at a rear side of the display panel (12), the rear chassis (20) including a first coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the first insertion holes (194)) and a second coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194)) among a plurality of coupling protrusions (screws, in paragraph [0051], “In addition, when screwing a screw which is inserted into the screw insertion hole 194 to the screw hole 202, the heat spreader 19 is fixed to the fixing portion 201”) spaced apart from each other along the second direction (see annotated Figure 3 below); and
a heat dissipation member (19), coupleable to the rear chassis (20), and configured to dissipate heat (in paragraph [0044]) generated from the light source module (18), the heat dissipation member (19) including a first insertion hole (see Figure 5 below) and a second insertion hole (see Figure 14 below) among a plurality of insertion holes (194) into which the plurality of coupling protrusions (screws) of the rear chassis (20) are insertable, the plurality of insertion holes (194) being spaced apart from each other along a long axis (see annotated Figure 5 below) of the heat dissipation member (19) which extends along the second direction (see annotated Figure 3 below),
wherein the first insertion hole (see annotated Figure 5 below), is at a center of the heat dissipation member (19) along the long axis (see annotated Figure 5 below) such that the first coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the first insertion holes (194)) is fixed in the first insertion hole (see annotated Figure 5 below) without a gap (the threads of the coupling protrusion (screws) are engaged with walls of the insertion holes (194), thus there are no gaps and fixed in the first insertion hole), and the second insertion hole (see annotated Figure 14 below) is adjacent to a side end of the heat dissipation member (19) along the long axis and the second insertion hole (see annotated Figure 14 below) is in a shape elongated (see annotated Figure 14 below) along the long axis (see annotated Figure 14 below) which is different from the shape of the first insertion hole (see Figure 5 below) such that the second coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194)) is movable (in paragraph [0062], “The reason for setting the screw insertion hole 194 to a long hole is to suppress a defect caused by thermal expansion of members due to a temperature rise in the inside of the liquid crystal TV 1, or thermal contraction due to a temperature fall in the inside thereof”, thus the second coupling protrusion (screws) are movable due to thermal expansion or contraction and the second coupling protrusion (screws) may shift and move along the second direction) along the second direction (see annotated Figure 14 below) within the second insertion hole (see annotated Figure 14 below), and
the second coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194)), extending (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194) would be extending from the rear chassis (20) when installed and securing heat dissipation member (19) in place) from a portion (201, in paragraph [0051], “FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the backlight chassis 20. A rectangular region with slanted lines, and is surrounded with a dotted line in FIG. 8 is a fixing portion 201 to which the heat spreader 19 is fixed”) of the rear chassis (20), is in a hook shape (Merriam-Webster defines several definitions for “hook” and “shape”, Merriam-Webster provides one of the several definitions of “hook” as “a curved or bent device for catching, holding, or pulling” and “shape” as “to make fit for”, the head of the screws is “a curved device to make fit for catching, holding, or pulling” and in paragraph [0046], “The heat spreader 19 onto which the LED substrate 18 is fixed in advance, using a double-sided tape, is screwed as will be described later”, thus the head of the screws are able to catch and hold the heat dissipating member in place, thus the head of the screws can be considered hook shape) bent along a third direction (see annotated Figure 11 below, Merriam-Webster defines several definitions for “bent”, Merriam-Webster provides one of the several definitions of “bent” as “changed by bending out of an originally straight or even condition”, the head of the screws is bending and not of a straight or flat surface or form, thus a portion of the circumferentially extending head of the screws as is “bent along a third direction”) perpendicular to the first direction (see annotated Figure 2 above) and the second direction (see annotated Figure 14 above), and
the portion (201, in paragraph [0051], “FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the backlight chassis 20. A rectangular region with slanted lines, and is surrounded with a dotted line in FIG. 8 is a fixing portion 201 to which the heat spreader 19 is fixed”) of the rear chassis (20) and an end portion (the head of the screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194)) of the second coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194)) respectively on opposite sides of the heat dissipation member (19) are connected to each other (connected by the second coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194))).
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Figure IV
With respect to Claim 2, Kuroyanagi further teaches (in Figure 3, 5, 14 and as shown in annotated Figure 3, 5 and 14 above)
wherein the heat dissipation member (19) is formed of a material (aluminum, in paragraph [0044]) having greater thermal expansion (the thermal expansion of aluminum is greater than the thermal expansion of steel) than the rear chassis (20, steel, in paragraph [0045]).
With respect to Claim 3, Kuroyanagi further teaches (in Figure 3, 5, 14 and as shown in annotated Figure 3, 5 and 14 above)
wherein a width (a width of the shaft of the screws in the second direction) of the second coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194)) along the second direction (see annotated Figure 14 above) is smaller than a width (W1 or W2) of the second insertion hole (see annotated Figure 14 above) along the second direction (see annotated Figure 14 above).
With respect to Claim 6, Kuroyanagi further teaches (in Figure 3, 5, 14 and as shown in annotated Figure 3, 5 and 14 above)
wherein the second coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194)) includes
a bent portion at which the second coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194)) extending along the first direction is bent toward the third direction (see annotated Figure 11 above, the Examiner notes a portion of the circumferentially extending head of the screws prior to an end or edge portion, as is bent along a third direction) and
an end portion extending along the third direction (see annotated Figure 11 above, an end or edge portion of the circumferentially extending head of the screws following after the bent portion along a third direction) from the bent portion, and
the end portion (the end or edge portion of the circumferentially extending head of the screws) is disposed outside the second insertion hole (see annotated Figure 14 above, the end or edge portion of the circumferentially extending head of the screws would not be within or at the second insertion hole and lie beyond the second insertion hole along the third direction) along the third direction (see annotated Figure 14 above).
With respect to Claim 7, Kuroyanagi further teaches (in Figure 3, 5, 14 and as shown in annotated Figure 3, 5 and 14 above)
wherein an area (an area of the shaft of the coupling protrusions (screws) that is in contact with the rear chassis (20) before a distal end of the screw) between a base (the distal end of the screw, opposite of the circumferentially extending head of the screws) of the second coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194)) and the bent portion (see annotated Figure 11 above, the Examiner notes a portion of the circumferentially extending head of the screws prior to an end or edge portion, as is bent along a third direction) in the first direction (see annotated Figure 11 above) is configured not to be in contact with the heat dissipation member (19).
With respect to Claim 8, as best understood by the Examiner, Kuroyanagi further teaches (in Figure 3, 5, 14 and as shown in annotated Figure 3, 5 and 14 above)
wherein the end portion (an end or edge portion of the circumferentially extending head of the screws following after the bent portion along a third direction) of the second coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194)) is configured to be in contact with the heat dissipation member (19).
With respect to Claim 10, Kuroyanagi further teaches (in Figure 3, 5, 14 and as shown in annotated Figure 3, 5 and 14 above)
wherein the first coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the first insertion holes (194)) is in a tubular shape (shaft of the screws) protruding along the first direction (see annotated Figure 3 above), and
an end portion (threads of the screws) of the first coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the first insertion holes (194)) in the first direction (see annotated Figure 3 above) is bent to face toward the heat dissipation member (19).
With respect to Claim 11, Kuroyanagi further teaches (in Figure 3, 5, 14 and as shown in annotated Figure 3, 5 and 14 above)
wherein the end portion (head of the screws) of the first coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the first insertion holes (194)) is bent along a third direction (see Figure 11, the Examiner notes a portion of the circumferentially extending head of the screws as is bent along a third direction) perpendicular to the first direction (see annotated Figure 3 above) and the second direction (see annotated Figure 3 above) to be in contact with the heat dissipation member (19).
With respect to Claim 12, Kuroyanagi further teaches (in Figure 3, 5, 14 and as shown in annotated Figure 3, 5 and 14 above)
wherein the first coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the first insertion holes (194)) is in a tubular shape (shaft portion of the screws) protruding along the first direction (see annotated Figure 3 above), and
an end portion (threads of the screws) of the first coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the first insertion holes (194)) along the first direction (see annotated Figure 3 above) is configured to be in contact (the threads of the screws would be engaged and contacting the heat dissipation member (19)) with the heat dissipation member (19).
With respect to Claim 15, Kuroyanagi further teaches (in Figure 3, 5, 14 and as shown in annotated Figure 3, 5 and 14 above)
wherein the first insertion hole (see annotated Figure 5 above) is among a plurality of first insertion holes (see annotated Figure 5 above), and the second insertion hole (see annotated Figure 5 above) is among a plurality of second insertion holes (see annotated Figure 5 above), and
a number of the plurality of first insertion holes (see annotated Figure 5 above) is greater than a number of the plurality of second insertion holes (see annotated Figure 5 above).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/14/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With respect to Applicant’s remark to Claim 1 (Present remark page 5), Examiner notes that Applicant’s arguments are directed to the claims as amended and the rejection has been modified to meet the limitations of the amended claims (See rejection above).
With respect to Applicant’s further remark to Claim 1
“Applicant respectfully submits that Kuroyanagi does not disclose "the second coupling protrusion... is in a hook shape."
The Office Action argues that the "second coupling protrusion in a hook shape" in claim 1 is equated with screws that are associated to the second insertion holes 194, and, from the Merriam-Webster defining "hook" as "a curved device to make fit for catching, holding, or pulling," the head of the screws is "a curved device to make fit for catching, holding, or pulling." Pages 6- 7 of the Office Action.
To support the above arguments, the Office Action also argues that ""The heater spreader 19 onto which the LED substrate 18 is fixed in advance, using a double-sided tape, is screwed as will be described later," thus the head of the screws are able to catch and hold the heat dissipating member in place, thus the head of the screws can be considered hook shape." Page 7 of the Office Action. Applicant respectfully disagrees.
Applicant respectfully submits a person of ordinary skill would not agree that a curved surface of the screw device is able to catch, hold, or pull an object because the curved surface may typically include a circumferential surface…" (Present remark page 6-8) The Examiner respectfully disagrees
The Examiner would like to clarify, “the head of the screws” is what makes the “second coupling protrusion (screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194))”, “hook shape”, as per in Claim 1, “hook shape (Merriam-Webster defines several definitions for “hook” and “shape”, Merriam-Webster provides one of the several definitions of “hook” as “a curved or bent device for catching, holding, or pulling” and “shape” as “to make fit for”, the head of the screws is “a curved device to make fit for catching, holding, or pulling” and in paragraph [0046], “The heat spreader 19 onto which the LED substrate 18 is fixed in advance, using a double-sided tape, is screwed as will be described later”, thus the head of the screws are able to catch and hold the heat dissipating member in place, thus the head of the screws can be considered hook shape)”, Applicant is stating
“Applicant respectfully submits a person of ordinary skill would not agree that a curved surface of the screw device is able to catch, hold, or pull an object because the curved surface may typically include a circumferential surface.
In this regard, annotated FIG. 11 of Kuroyanagi appears to show the screws which appear to have circumferential surfaces. Annotated FIG. 11 illustrates that there is no way to catch, hold, or pull an object using a curved surface since the circumferential surfaces of the screws curve outward”, Examiner agrees with Applicant, “the curved surface”, which is the “exterior, outwardly facing surface” of the “head of the screw” will not catch, hold or pull an object as it is the “exterior, outwardly facing surface” of the “head of the screw”, the Examiner would like to state the “head of the screws”, wherein the “screws” are the same “screws that are associated to the second insertion holes (194)” which are the second coupling protrusion, “the head of the screws is “a curved device to make fit for catching, holding, or pulling” and in paragraph [0046], “The heat spreader 19 onto which the LED substrate 18 is fixed in advance, using a double-sided tape, is screwed as will be described later”, thus the head of the screws are able to catch and hold the heat dissipating member in place, thus the head of the screws can be considered hook shape”, the Examiner did not state the “curved portion (a circumferential surface portion) of the screw” is the “a curved device to make fit for catching, holding, or pulling”.
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 Steven Ngo whose telephone number is (571)272-4295. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30AM - 4:00PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached at (571) 272-3740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/S.N./Examiner , Art Unit 2841
/Jayprakash N Gandhi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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