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 .
REJECTIONS WITHDRAWN
All previous rejections have been withdrawn.
REJECTIONS REPEATED
There are no rejections repeated.
NEW REJECTIONS
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by JP2014-106425 (English machine translation provided herein).
JP2014-106425 discloses (the references in parentheses refer to this document) discloses a display device (Figs. 1-5; paragraphs 0001, 0002, 0015-0033: portable having a glass panel) cabinet comprising: a frame (2) having an opening for display use; and a surface panel (3) fixed to the opening, the surface panel having a panel body formed from a transparent material, a decorative layer (8), which is colored (paragraph 0017: decorative printing, e.g. black), in tight contact with an inner surface of a circumferential area of the panel body, the inner surface facing an interior of the display device cabinet, and an adhesion functional resin layer (adhesive print 9) overlaid on an inner surface of the decorative layer, the frame is formed from a synthetic resin material (Figs. 1-6), the frame having an end-face tight contact surface in tight contact with an end face of the surface panel and also having an inner-surface tight-contact surface in tight contact with the inner surface of the circumferential area of the panel body, and a tight-contact edge portion facing a center of the surface panel is formed as part of the inner-surface tight-contact surface so that the tight-contact edge portion is at a position at which the tight- contact edge portion overlaps both the decorative layer and the adhesion functional resin layer (Figs. 1-6).
The limitation, “a synthetic resin material cured while in a tight contact with the surface panel such that the frame and the surface panel are integrally molded together by insert molding” is a method step in a product claim and has been given little to no patentable weight since the method by which a product is produced is not germane to the patentability of a product in a product claims (MPEP 2113).
Claim 2 is disclosed in JP2014-106425 (Fig. 1: layer 8 is longer than layer 9).
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP2014-106425 (English machine translation provided herein).
JP2014-106425 discloses (the references in parentheses refer to this document) discloses a display device (Figs. 1-5; paragraphs 0001, 0002, 0015-0033: portable having a glass panel) cabinet comprising: a frame (2) having an opening for display use; and a surface panel (3) fixed to the opening, the surface panel having a panel body formed from a transparent material, a decorative layer (8), which is colored (paragraph 0017: decorative printing, e.g. black), in tight contact with an inner surface of a circumferential area of the panel body, the inner surface facing an interior of the display device cabinet, and an adhesion functional resin layer (adhesive print 9) overlaid on an inner surface of the decorative layer, the frame is formed from a synthetic resin material (Figs. 1-6), the frame having an end-face tight contact surface in tight contact with an end face of the surface panel and also having an inner-surface tight-contact surface in tight contact with the inner surface of the circumferential area of the panel body, and a tight-contact edge portion facing a center of the surface panel is formed as part of the inner-surface tight-contact surface so that the tight-contact edge portion is at a position at which the tight- contact edge portion overlaps both the decorative layer and the adhesion functional resin layer (Figs. 1-6).
The limitation, “a synthetic resin material cured while in a tight contact with the surface panel such that the frame and the surface panel are integrally molded together by insert molding” is a method step in a product claim and has been given little to no patentable weight since the method by which a product is produced is not germane to the patentability of a product in a product claims (MPEP 2113). Even if it could be argued that said limitation is not a method limitation, it has been found that making something integral would be merely a matter of obvious engineering choice (MPEP 2144.04(V)(B)). It would have been obvious to have provided applicant’s integral molding in order to provide improved strength and/or lower costs due to reduced production steps.
Claim 2 is disclosed in JP2014-106425 (Fig. 1: layer 8 is longer than layer 9).
Claim(s) 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP2014-106425 (English machine translation provided herein) in view of JP2013-146875 (English machine translation provided herein).
JP2014-106425 does not disclose an inner surface support portion facing the interior of the display device cabinet is formed as part of the frame, and the inner surface support portion has the inner-surface tight- contact surface and an inner end face facing the center of the surface panel; and an inner end edge portion of the inner end face, the inner end edge portion facing the interior of the display device cabinet, is at a position closer to the end face than the tight- contact edge portion is, wherein a concave surface contiguous to the tight-contact edge portion is formed as part of the inner end face.
JP2013-146875 disclose an inner surface support portion facing the interior of the display device cabinet is formed as part of the frame, and the inner surface support portion has the inner-surface tight- contact surface and an inner end face facing the center of the surface panel; and an inner end edge portion of the inner end face, the inner end edge portion facing the interior of the display device cabinet, is at a position closer to the end face than the tight-contact edge portion is, wherein a concave surface contiguous to the tight-contact edge portion is formed as part of the inner end face (22 from Figs. 3-6) in a glass insert molded article for use in articles such as mobile phones for the purpose of providing improved bond strength between the glass material and a resin frame (paragraphs [0001 – 0002], [0006]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant’s invention was made to have provided an inner surface support portion facing the interior of the display device cabinet is formed as part of the frame, and the inner surface support portion has the inner-surface tight- contact surface and an inner end face facing the center of the surface panel; and an inner end edge portion of the inner end face, the inner end edge portion facing the interior of the display device cabinet, is at a position closer to the end face than the tight- contact edge portion is, wherein a concave surface contiguous to the tight-contact edge portion is formed as part of the inner end face in JP2014-106425 in order to provide improved bond strength between the glass material and a resin frame as taught or suggested by JP2013-146875.
Claim(s) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP2014-106425 (English machine translation provided herein) in view of JP2005-121929 (English machine translation provided herein).
Applicant discloses that a frame made from Hytrel is a polyester elastomer having a tensile elastic modulus of at least 100 MPa and at most 500 MPa and a bending elastic modulus of at least 200 MPa and at most 1000 MPa (See applicant’s PGPUB US 2024/0074078, paragraph [0028]).
JP2014-106425 does not disclose a frame made from Hytrel is a polyester elastomer having a tensile elastic modulus of at least 100 MPa and at most 500 MPa and a bending elastic modulus of at least 200 MPa and at most 1000 MPa.
JP2005-121929 discloses a frame made from Hytrel is a polyester elastomer having a tensile elastic modulus of at least 100 MPa and at most 500 MPa and a bending elastic modulus of at least 200 MPa and at most 1000 MPa (since Hytrel is disclosed, paragraph [0060]) in a display device (paragraph [0001]) for the purpose of preventing damaging the panel (paragraph [0013]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant’s invention was made to have provided a frame made from Hytrel is a polyester elastomer having a tensile elastic modulus of at least 100 MPa and at most 500 MPa and a bending elastic modulus of at least 200 MPa and at most 1000 MPa in JP2014-106425 in order to prevent damaging the panel as taught or suggested by JP2005-121929.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP2014-106425 (English machine translation provided herein) in view of JP2005-121929 (English machine translation provided herein), as applied to claims 5-6 above, and further in view of JP2015-050675 (English machine translation provided herein).
Applicant discloses that the rear cover is made from ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) which has a larger tensile elastic modulus and a larger bending elastic modulus than the frame (Hytrel) (See applicant’s PGPUB US 2024/0074078, paragraphs [0028] and [0043]).
JP2005-121929 discloses a frame made from Hytrel is a polyester elastomer having a tensile elastic modulus of at least 100 MPa and at most 500 MPa and a bending elastic modulus of at least 200 MPa and at most 1000 MPa (since Hytrel is disclosed, paragraph [0060]).
JP2014-106425 does not disclose a rear cover layer made from ABS which is linked to the frame to form the display device cabinet, wherein the rear cover has a larger surface area than the frame.
JP2015-050675 discloses a rear cover layer made from ABS (paragraph [0021]) which is linked to the frame to form the display device cabinet and wherein the rear cover has a larger surface (3c from Fig. 5) area than the frame (3a from Fig. 5) in a display device cabinet for the purpose of lowering costs (paragraph [0021]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant’s invention was made to have provided a rear cover layer made from ABS which is linked to the frame to form the display device cabinet, wherein the rear cover has a larger surface area than the frame in JP2014-106425 in order to provide lower costs as taught or suggested by JP2015-050675.
The limitation, “the rear cover has a larger tensile elastic modulus and a larger bending elastic modulus than the frame” is provided by the prior art since JP2005-121929 discloses a frame made from Hytrel and JP2015-050675 discloses a rear cover made from ABS which are the exact same materials disclosed by applicant (See applicant’s PGPUB US 2024/0074078, paragraphs [0028] and [0043]).
ANSWERS TO APPLICANT’S ARGUMENTS
Applicant’s arguments of 6/5/26 have been carefully considered but are deemed unpersuasive.
Applicant argues that the prior art does not disclose the limitation, “a synthetic resin material cured while in a tight contact with the surface panel such that the frame and the surface panel are integrally molded together by insert molding.” However, is a method step in a product claim and has been given little to no patentable weight since the method by which a product is produced is not germane to the patentability of a product in a product claims (MPEP 2113). Moreover, even if it could be argued that said limitation is not a method limitation, it has been found that making something integral would be merely a matter of obvious engineering choice (MPEP 2144.04(V)(B)). It would have been obvious to have provided applicant’s integral molding in order to provide improved strength and/or lower costs due to reduced production steps.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL C MIGGINS whose telephone number is (571)272-1494. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 1-9 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Aaron Austin can be reached at 571-272-8935. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL C MIGGINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1782
MCM
June 23, 2026
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