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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Claims 1-5, 10-12, 16-17 in the reply filed on 4/20/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 13 is rejoined since claims 16-17 depending from it.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Korea on 7/15/2022.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the sliding plate in contact with one of the first portion or the second portion of the display panel of claim 1 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5, 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. Claim 1 recites ‘the sliding plate in contact with one of the first portion or the second portion of the display panel’, while the specification and figures do not seem to describe contact between them. Fig 1b shows an in-folding state with sliding plate 130 while fig 1c shows an out-folding state with display 160 placed where the sliding plate of fig 1b was. However, figs 1b, 1c show opposite states, so the display 160 seems to be placed on the opposite side from sliding plate 130. One of ordinary skill in the art doubts the intent of claim 1.
Claims 2-5, 10-11 are rejected for depending upon an indefinite claim.
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 10-13, 16-17, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Park (US 20210274028 A1, hereinafter Park)
Claim 1. Park teaches a foldable display apparatus comprising:
a first set housing (top left part of 30, figs 2, 3) configured to support a first portion of a display panel (4, fig 25);
a second set housing (bottom right part of 30, figs 2, 3) adjacent to the first set housing, the second set housing configured to support a second portion of the display panel (fig 4);
a sliding plate (32, fig 3) on an upper surface of one of the first set housing and the second set housing, the sliding plate in contact with one of the first portion or the second portion of the display panel (since element 32 helps hold the device together);
a spring member (49, figs 14) in contact with the sliding plate (through element 66, figs 14), the spring member configured to apply pressure to the sliding plate such that the sliding plate moves in a direction that is dependent on a direction of folding of the foldable display apparatus ([0093] recites ‘elastic force from the elastic members 49 is applied to the push member 84 and the upper panel 10 and the lower slider 32’);
a support member (40, fig 5) between the first set housing and the second set housing (figs 1, 2), the support member configured to support a third portion of the display panel that is between the first portion and the second portion of the display panel (figs 14, 25);
a first insertion member (41, 42) between the first set housing and the support member (fig 1, [0064] recites ‘Upper joints 41 and 42 connected to the upper panels 10 are connected to the right and left sides of the top of the central joint 40’);
a second insertion member (other instance of 41, 42) between the second set housing and the support member (fig 1, [0064] recites ‘Upper joints 41 and 42 connected to the upper panels 10 are connected to the right and left sides of the top of the central joint 40’); and
a hinge assembly ([0011] recites ‘a hinge structure’) connected to the first set housing and the second set housing (figs 14-15), the hinge assembly configured to fold the foldable display apparatus in a first direction and fold the foldable display apparatus in a second direction that is opposite the first direction (figs 14-15, also [0011] recites ‘a hinge structure for a mobile communication terminal that is foldable in two opposite directions’).
Claim 2. Park teaches the foldable display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first set housing and the second set housing includes:
a cover (76, figs 23-25) beneath the display panel (figs 25b, c);
a support body (10, fig 3) on the cover (comparing figs 1, 3-5), the display panel on the support body;
a frame (frame of 10, fig 3) surrounding the support body and the cover; and
a receiving portion between the support body and the cover, at least portions of the first insertion member and the second insertion member positioned in the receiving portion.
Claim 3. Park teaches the foldable display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the support body of one of the first set housing or the second support set housing includes a first support area (top of 10 in fig 5) at a first height and a second support area (inner, lower portion of 10 in fig 5) at a second height that is lower than the first height such that a step is between the first support area and the second support area (fig 5), and the sliding plate is in the second support area and has a width that is less than a width of the second support area (fig 5 shows that element 32 is thinner than 10).
Claim 4. Park teaches the foldable display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the support body further includes a groove (space underneath 10, fig 5) and the spring member is in the groove (fig 14c shows that 49 is beneath 10), and a protruding portion (80, fig 5) that protrudes from a rear surface of the sliding plate is in the groove to connect the sliding plate to the support body (fig 5).
Claim 5. Park teaches the foldable display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the spring member is compressed by a predetermined amount ([0098] recites ‘the elastic force applied … and semi-automatically press the upper panels 10 and the lower panels 30 coupled to the upper panels 10 such that they are fully unfolded or movement of the upper panels 10 and the lower panels 30 coupled to the upper panels 10 stops at a specific position’) in an unfolded state (fig 14c) of the foldable display apparatus in which an angle of 1800 is between the first set housing and the second set housing (fig 14c), and the sliding plate is spaced apart from an inner side of the second support area (element 32 is further from the center than element 10 is in fig 14c) and an outer side of the second support area while the foldable display apparatus is in the unfolded state (since element 32 is thinner that element 10, see fig 5).
Claim 10. Park teaches the foldable display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sliding plate slides towards the outer side of the second support area ([0093] recites ‘the pair of lower sliders 32 are normally supplied with an elastic force such that they are pressed in the opposite directions perpendicular to the length direction of the central joint 40’) during folding in the first direction, and the sliding plate slides towards the inner side of the second support area during folding in the second direction (slides in the opposite direction when it is rotated the other way).
Claim 11. Park teaches the foldable display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display panel is an inner surface of the foldable display apparatus responsive to folding in the first direction (figs 14-15, 25), and the display panel is an outer surface of the foldable display apparatus responsive to folding in the second direction (figs 14-15, 25).
Claim 12. Park teaches a foldable display apparatus, comprising:
a display panel (4, figs 14c, 25c) including a first portion and a second portion;
a first set housing (top left part of 30 including 10, figs 2, 3) configured to support the first portion of a display panel (fig 25);
a second set housing (bottom right part of 30 including 10, figs 2, 3) adjacent to the first set housing and configured to support the second portion of the display panel (fig 4), the second set housing including a recess (space above 30, fig 3);
a sliding plate (32, fig 3) in the recess of the second set housing and connected to a part of the second portion of the display panel (since element 32 helps hold the device together), the sliding plate having a first side (inner side) that is spaced apart from an inner side of the recess (fig 3 shows that 32 is further from the center than element 30) and a second side that is spaced apart from an outer side of the recess (since fig 3 shows that the bottom right part of 32 is spaced from 30) while the foldable display apparatus is in an unfolded state (fig 14c); and
a hinge assembly ([0011] recites ‘a hinge structure’) connected to the first set housing and the second set housing (figs 14-15), the hinge assembly configured to fold the foldable display apparatus in a first direction from the unfolded state and fold the foldable display apparatus in a second direction from the unfolded state that is opposite the first direction (figs 14-15, also [0011] recites ‘a hinge structure for a mobile communication terminal that is foldable in two opposite directions’).
Claim 13. Park teaches the foldable display apparatus of claim 12, wherein in the unfolded state of the foldable display apparatus an angle of 180o is between the first set housing and the second set housing (fig 14c), and the display panel is an inner surface of the foldable display apparatus responsive to folding in the first direction from the unfolded state (figs 14a-c), and the display panel is an outer surface of the foldable display apparatus responsive to folding in the second direction from the unfolded state (figs 15).
Claim 16. Park teaches the foldable display apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: a spring (49, figs 14) in contact with the sliding plate, wherein the spring is compressed and applies pressure to the sliding plate while the foldable display apparatus is in the unfolded state ([0093] recites ‘the pair of lower sliders 32 are normally supplied with an elastic force such that they are pressed in the opposite directions perpendicular to the length direction of the central joint 40’).
Claim 17. Park teaches the foldable display apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second set housing includes a groove (underneath 10, fig 3) and the spring is in the groove (fig 14c), and the sliding plate includes a protrusion (80, fig 5) that protrudes from a rear surface of the sliding plate and is in the groove to connect the sliding plate to the second set housing (comparing figs 14-17, 20).
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular elements, columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS R BURTNER whose telephone number is (571)272-0966. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen Parker can be reached at 303-297-4722. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DOUGLAS R BURTNER/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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