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 Objections
Claims 21-22 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 21 recites the limitation “an extension direction of the first buckle part intersects with an extension direction of the coil spring body” does not further limit the scope of the claim following the limitation “wherein the first buckle part is connected to an inner side end of the coil spring body”. A spring body connected at its end to a buckle part would necessarily require and intersection between these two components. It appears as though this limitation may have been meant to require that the end of the coil spring body and the extension direction of the first buckle part are perpendicular to each other where they intersect, like that shown in Fig. 14 of the present application. The limitation “an extension direction of the first buckle part intersects with an extension direction of the coil spring body” should either be amended to recite an additional limitation, i.e. the perpendicular intersection, or removed from the claim for not being unnecessary and not further limiting the claim.
Claim 22 depends from claim 21 and is objected to therein.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(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, 2, 4, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kang et al. (US 20230113925 A1, hereinafter “Kang”).
Regarding Claim 1, Kang discloses a display device, comprising:
a first middle frame (410), wherein the first middle frame comprises a first frame body (413) and a first support body (411) disposed on the first frame body [fig. 5];
a second middle frame (420), wherein the second middle frame and the first middle frame are disposed slidably [fig. 11b] [0143], and the second middle frame comprises a second frame body (420) and a second support body (470) disposed on the second frame body [fig. 9] [0160];
a first rack (474), wherein the first rack is fixedly disposed on the second middle frame [fig. 9];
a first gear (452), wherein the first gear is disposed inside the first frame body and engaged with the first rack [fig. 9];
a driving assembly (450a), wherein the driving assembly is disposed inside the first middle frame and configured to drive the first gear to rotate;
a flexible panel [440], wherein the flexible panel is disposed on the first support body and the second support body [fig. 9]; and
a rolling up element (472), wherein the rolling up element is configured to roll the flexible panel [0160].
Regarding Claim 2, Kang discloses the display device of claim 1, and further discloses:
wherein the driving assembly comprises a rotation axis (C2), wherein the rotation axis is disposed inside the first middle frame, rotatably connected to a side wall of the first frame body [fig. 8], and configured to drive the first gear to rotate [0160] [fig. 8]; and wherein the first gear is sleeved on a peripheral side of the rotation axis [figs. 5 and 8].
Regarding Claim 4, Kang discloses the display device of claim 2, and further discloses:
wherein the driving assembly further comprises a second gear (451), a third gear (453), and a substrate module (460) [fig. 5]; the substrate module is configured to be fixed on an external member (462) [fig. 5]; the second gear is sleeved on a peripheral side of the rotation axis and disposed on a side of the first gear [fig. 11A]; and the third gear is disposed inside the first middle frame [fig. 11A];
the first middle frame is disposed on the substrate module comprising a substrate (461) and a latch (plate and axis between 461 and 453 forming a latch) disposed on the substrate [fig. 5]; the latch passes through a bottom of the first frame body (490) and extends into the first frame body [fig. 5], and the third gear is fixedly connected to the latch [fig. 5, fig. 10]; and the first middle frame is rotatably connected to the latch [fig. 10]; and
the second gear and the third gear are engaged with each other and are both bevel gears [fig. 10].
Regarding Claim 6, Kang discloses the display device of claim 4, and further discloses:
wherein the latch comprises a rotating part (plate shaped part between 453 and 461 that fits in through hole 491) and a clamping part (axis part between 453 and 461 to which 453 is attached) disposed on the rotating part [fig. 5]; a bottom of the first middle frame is provided with a through-hole (491) [fig. 5], and the third gear is provided with a clamping hole [fig. 10] (shows 453 clamped around axis/clamping part);
the rotating part is disposed in the through-hole and rotationally connected to the bottom of the first middle frame [fig. 5] [0159], and the clamping part is clamped in the clamping hole [fig. 10].
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 3, 5, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Ma et al. (CN 114244930 A, hereinafter “Ma”).
Regarding Claim 3, Kang discloses the display device according to claim 2, but does not disclose wherein the display device further comprises a third middle frame and a second rack; the third middle frame comprises a third frame body and a third support body disposed on the third frame body; one of the second rack and the first rack is located above the first gear, and another one of the second rack and the first rack is located below the first gear; and the third middle frame and the first middle frame are disposed slidably; the second rack is fixedly disposed on the third middle frame and engaged with the first gear; the flexible panel is further disposed on the third support body.
Ma discloses a display device including a first middle frame (100, 400) including a first gear (310) [fig. 5, fig. 8] (frame between 110 and 120), a second middle frame (110) comprising a first rack (320) [fig. 4] [0032], the second middle frame comprising a second frame body (frame of 110) [fig. 8] and a second support body (111) disposed on the third frame body [fig. 8], and a third middle frame (130) and a second rack (330) [fig. 4]; the third middle frame comprises a third frame body (frame of 120) [fig. 8] and a third support body (121) disposed on the third frame body [fig. 8]; one of the second rack and the first rack is located above the first gear [fig. 5], and another one of the second rack and the first rack is located below the first gear [fig. 5]; and the third middle frame and the first middle frame are disposed slidably [figs. 1-2]; the second rack is fixedly disposed on the third middle frame and engaged with the first gear [0030-0032]; the flexible panel is further disposed on the third support body [0037].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Kang to include the features of the third middle frame and the means for moving/sliding the second and third middle frames with the first middle frame to extend and retract the flexible screen of Ma because it provides a means for extending the flexible screen not just in one direction with only the second middle frame but in two directions allowing the screen to remain centered on the middle frame and the watch. Furthermore, the system of Ma also uses a similar gear/rack assembly to extend/retract the flexible screen very similar to that disclosed by Kang such that a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize these as substitutable components/similar techniques for making the flexible screen expand with a rolling mechanism. A person of ordinary skill in the art would find that the application of the second and third middle frames and their respective rolling mechanisms of Ma instead of the second frame and rolling mechanism of Kang would be a substitution of known elements disclosed in the prior art for doing the same function in a substantially similar way and the substitution of these components would be predictable. And in substituting these components, the advantage of Ma would be achieved with Kang for having the screen expand in two directions.
Regarding Claim 5, Kang and Ma disclose the display device according to claim 3, and Kang further discloses:
wherein the driving assembly further comprises a second gear (451), a third gear (453), and a substrate module (460) [fig. 5]; the substrate module is configured to be fixed on an external member (462) [fig. 5]; the second gear is sleeved on a peripheral side of the rotation axis and disposed on a side of the first gear [fig. 11A]; and the third gear is disposed inside the first middle frame [fig. 11A];
the first middle frame is disposed on the substrate module comprising a substrate (461) and a latch (plate and axis between 461 and 453 forming a latch) disposed on the substrate [fig. 5]; the latch passes through a bottom of the first frame body (490) and extends into the first frame body [fig. 5], and the third gear is fixedly connected to the latch [fig. 5, fig. 10]; and the first middle frame is rotatably connected to the latch [fig. 10]; and
the second gear and the third gear are engaged with each other and are both bevel gears [fig. 10].
Regarding Claim 7, Kang and Ma disclose the display device of claim 5, and Kang further discloses:
wherein the latch comprises a rotating part (plate shaped part between 453 and 461 that fits in through hole 491) and a clamping part (axis part between 453 and 461 to which 453 is attached) disposed on the rotating part [fig. 5]; a bottom of the first middle frame is provided with a through-hole (491) [fig. 5], and the third gear is provided with a clamping hole [fig. 10] (shows 453 clamped around axis/clamping part);
the rotating part is disposed in the through-hole and rotationally connected to the bottom of the first middle frame [fig. 5] [0159], and the clamping part is clamped in the clamping hole [fig. 10].
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang and Ma as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Jiang (CN 113496656 A).
Regarding Claim 9, Kang and Ma disclose the display device of claim 3, with Kang providing that the first support member is on opposite sides of the first and Ma further discloses the second and third support bodies comprising interlocking support parts slidably disposed within the chutes of the other. However, Kang and Ma do not disclose wherein the first support body comprises a support part and is provided with a first chute and a second chute, and the support part is disposed between the first chute and the second chute; and the second support body is slidably disposed inside the first chute, and the third support body is slidably disposed inside the second chute.
Jiang discloses a display device having a first support body (31), a second support body (321), and a third support body (331) for supporting a flexible display (10) and for slidably connecting the first frame (34) of the first support body with the second frame (32) of the second support body and the third frame (33) of the third support body [figs. 8-9], and wherein the first support body is connected to opposite sides of the first frame body [fig. 9]; the first support body comprises a support part (311) and is provided with a first chute (312) and a second chute (313) [fig. 9], and the support part is disposed between the first chute and the second chute [fig. 9]; and the second support body (321) is slidably disposed inside the first chute [fig. 9], and the third support body (331) is slidably disposed inside the second chute [fig. 9].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the combination of Kang and Ma with the support part, first chute, and second chute of Jiang because it is disclosed that by arranging the spaces where the second and third support bodies slide within the first frame body at intervals the flexible screen can be better supported [0053-0060] or to reduce the weight of the second and third supporting bodies [0069] since these are the components which are moving unlike the supporting part.
Regarding Claim 10, Kang, Ma, and Jiang disclose the display device of claim 9, and Jiang further discloses:
wherein the support part, the second support body, and the third support body are alternately disposed in sequence [fig. 9].
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang and Ma as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Jiang (CN 113496656 A).
Regarding Claim 12, Kang and Ma disclose the display device of claim 5, but do not disclose a second rolling up element, an end of the flexible panel is connected to a peripheral side surface of the first rolling up element, and another end of the flexible panel is connected to a peripheral side surface of the second rolling up element; an end part of the first rolling up element is provided with a first accommodating hole, and an end part of the second rolling up element is provided with a second accommodating hole; and the display device further comprises a first coil spring and a second coil spring; the first coil spring is disposed in the first accommodating hole, an end of the first coil spring is fixedly connected to the first rolling up element, and another end of the first coil spring is fixedly connected to the second frame body; the second coil spring is disposed in the second accommodating hole, an end of the second coil spring is fixedly connected to the second rolling up element, and another end of the second coil spring is fixedly connected to the third frame body.
Jian discloses a display device having a first support body (31), a second support body (321), and a third support body (331) for supporting a flexible display (10) and for slidably connecting the first frame (34) of the first support body with the second frame (32) of the second support body and the third frame (33) of the third support body [figs. 8-9], a rolling up element (20) which comprises a first rolling up element and a second rolling up element (both 20) [fig. 6], the first rolling up element is rotationally disposed on a side of the second frame body away from the third middle frame [fig. 6], and the second rolling up element is rotationally disposed on a side of the third frame body away from the second middle frame [fig. 6];
an end of the flexible panel (10) is connected to a peripheral side surface of the first rolling up element [fig. 5], and another end of the flexible panel is connected to a peripheral side surface of the second rolling up element [fig. 5];
an end part of the first rolling up element is provided with a first accommodating hole [fig. 10] (hole where 24 is inserted) [fig. 10], and an end part of the second rolling up element is provided with a second accommodating hole [fig. 10] (hole where 24 is inserted); and
the display device further comprises a first coil spring and a second coil spring (24) [fig. 10]; the first coil spring is disposed in the first accommodating hole, an end of the first coil spring is fixedly connected to the first rolling up element (sleeved on 221), and another end of the first coil spring is fixedly connected to the second frame body (part 212 of second frame body) [fig. 10] [0079]; the second coil spring is disposed in the second accommodating hole [fig. 10] (hole where 24 is inserted), an end of the second coil spring is fixedly connected to the second rolling up element (sleeved on 221), and another end of the second coil spring is fixedly connected to the third frame body (part 212 of second third body) [fig. 10] [0079].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the combination of Kang and Ma to further include the features of the of the rolling mechanism of Jiang, including the first and second rolling up mechanism disclosed by Jiang, because it provides through its coil springs, damping members, and shape of the rolling mechanism a device that ensures tension in the flexible screen [0079] and this device is substantially similar to the rolling device of Kang and Ma that the substation of the components would be straight forward and obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to gain the benefits disclosed by Jiang.
Regarding Claim 13, Kang, Ma, and Jiang disclose the display device of claim 12, and Jiang further discloses:
wherein another end part of the first rolling up element is provided with a third accommodating hole [fig. 10] (hole where damper 23 is inserted), and another end part of the second rolling up element is provided with a fourth accommodating hole [fig. 10] (hole where damper 23 is inserted);
the display device further comprises a first damper (23) and a second damper (23); the first damper is disposed in the third accommodating hole, an end of the first damper is fixedly connected to the first rolling up element (sleeved on 221) [fig. 10] [0079], and another end of the first damper is fixedly connected to the second frame body (with end cover 212 of the frame) [fig. 10] [0079]; the second damper is disposed in the fourth accommodating hole, an end of the second damper is fixedly connected to the second rolling up element (sleeved on 221) [fig. 10] [0079], and another end of the second damper is fixedly connected to the third frame body (with end cover 212 of the frame) [fig. 10] [0079].
Claims 14, 15, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang (US 20230113925 A1, hereinafter “Kang”) and further in view of Ma et al. (CN 114244930 A, hereinafter “Ma”).
Regarding Claim 14, Kang discloses a watch [0140], comprising a watchband (462) [fig. 5] and a display device, wherein the display device comprises:
a first middle frame (410), wherein the first middle frame comprises a first frame body (413) and a first support body (411) disposed on the first frame body [fig. 5];
a second middle frame (420), wherein the second middle frame and the first middle frame are disposed slidably [fig. 11b] [0143], and the second middle frame comprises a second frame body (420) and a second support body (470) disposed on the second frame body [fig. 9] [0160];
a first rack (474), wherein the first rack is fixedly disposed on the second middle frame [fig. 9];
a first gear (452), wherein the first gear is disposed inside the first frame body and engaged with the first rack [fig. 9];
a driving assembly (450a), wherein the driving assembly is disposed inside the first middle frame and configured to drive the first gear to rotate;
a flexible panel [440], wherein the flexible panel is disposed on the first support body and the second support body [fig. 9]; and
a rolling up element (472), wherein the rolling up element is configured to roll the flexible panel [0160]
wherein the driving assembly comprises a rotation axis (C2) [fig. 5] and a substrate module (460), the first middle frame is disposed on the substrate module [fig. 5], and the watchband is connected to a side of the substrate module [fig. 5]; the rotation axis is disposed inside the first middle frame and rotatably connected to a side wall of the first frame body [fig. 8], and configured to drive the first gear to rotate, and the first gear is sleeved on a peripheral side of the rotation axis [0160] [fig. 8].
Kang does not disclose wherein the display device further comprises a third middle frame and a second rack; the third middle frame comprises a third frame body and a third support body disposed on the third frame body; one of the second rack and the first rack is located above the first gear, and another one of the second rack and the first rack is located below the first gear; and the third middle frame and the first middle frame are disposed slidably; the second rack is fixedly disposed on the third middle frame and engaged with the first gear; the flexible panel is further disposed on the third support body.
Ma discloses a display device including a first middle frame (100, 400) including a first gear (310) [fig. 5, fig. 8] (frame between 110 and 120), a second middle frame (110) comprising a first rack (320) [fig. 4] [0032], the second middle frame comprising a second frame body (frame of 110) [fig. 8] and a second support body (111) disposed on the third frame body [fig. 8], and a third middle frame (130) and a second rack (330) [fig. 4]; the third middle frame comprises a third frame body (frame of 120) [fig. 8] and a third support body (121) disposed on the third frame body [fig. 8]; one of the second rack and the first rack is located above the first gear [fig. 5], and another one of the second rack and the first rack is located below the first gear [fig. 5]; and the third middle frame and the first middle frame are disposed slidably [figs. 1-2]; the second rack is fixedly disposed on the third middle frame and engaged with the first gear [0030-0032]; the flexible panel is further disposed on the third support body [0037].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Kang to include the features of the third middle frame and the means for moving/sliding the second and third middle frames with the first middle frame to extend and retract the flexible screen of Ma because it provides a means for extending the flexible screen not just in one direction with only the second middle frame but in two directions allowing the screen to remain centered on the middle frame and the watch. Furthermore, the system of Ma also uses a similar gear/rack assembly to extend/retract the flexible screen very similar to that disclosed by Kang such that a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize these as substitutable components/similar techniques for making the flexible screen expand with a rolling mechanism. A person of ordinary skill in the art would find that the application of the second and third middle frames and their respective rolling mechanisms of Ma instead of the second frame and rolling mechanism of Kang would be a substitution of known elements disclosed in the prior art for doing the same function in a substantially similar way and the substitution of these components would be predictable. And in substituting these components, the advantage of Ma would be achieved with Kang for having the screen expand in two directions.
Regarding Claim 15, Kang and Ma disclose the display device of claim 14, and Kang further discloses:
wherein the driving assembly further comprises a second gear (451), a third gear (453), and a substrate module (460) [fig. 5]; the substrate module is configured to be fixed on an external member (462) [fig. 5]; the second gear is sleeved on a peripheral side of the rotation axis and disposed on a side of the first gear [fig. 11A]; and the third gear is disposed inside the first middle frame [fig. 11A];
the first middle frame is disposed on the substrate module comprising a substrate (461) and a latch (plate and axis between 461 and 453 forming a latch) disposed on the substrate [fig. 5]; the latch passes through a bottom of the first frame body (490) and extends into the first frame body [fig. 5], and the third gear is fixedly connected to the latch [fig. 5, fig. 10]; and the first middle frame is rotatably connected to the latch [fig. 10]; and
the second gear and the third gear are engaged with each other and are both bevel gears [fig. 10].
Regarding Claim 17, Kang and Ma disclose the display device of claim 15, and Kang further discloses:
wherein the latch comprises a rotating part (plate shaped part between 453 and 461 that fits in through hole 491) and a clamping part (axis part between 453 and 461 to which 453 is attached) disposed on the rotating part [fig. 5]; a bottom of the first middle frame is provided with a through-hole (491) [fig. 5], and the third gear is provided with a clamping hole [fig. 10] (shows 453 clamped around axis/clamping part);
the rotating part is disposed in the through-hole and rotationally connected to the bottom of the first middle frame [fig. 5] [0159], and the clamping part is clamped in the clamping hole [fig. 10].
Claims 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang and Ma as applied to claim 14 above, and further in view of Jiang (CN 113496656 A).
Regarding Claim 20, Kang and Ma disclose the watch of claim 14, with Kang providing that the first support member is on opposite sides of the first and Ma further discloses the second and third support bodies comprising interlocking support parts slidably disposed within the chutes of the other. However, Kang and Ma do not disclose wherein the first support body comprises a support part and is provided with a first chute and a second chute, and the support part is disposed between the first chute and the second chute; and the second support body is slidably disposed inside the first chute, and the third support body is slidably disposed inside the second chute.
Jiang discloses a display device having a first support body (31), a second support body (321), and a third support body (331) for supporting a flexible display (10) and for slidably connecting the first frame (34) of the first support body with the second frame (32) of the second support body and the third frame (33) of the third support body [figs. 8-9], and wherein the first support body is connected to opposite sides of the first frame body [fig. 9]; the first support body comprises a support part (311) and is provided with a first chute (312) and a second chute (313) [fig. 9], and the support part is disposed between the first chute and the second chute [fig. 9]; and the second support body (321) is slidably disposed inside the first chute [fig. 9], and the third support body (331) is slidably disposed inside the second chute [fig. 9].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the combination of Kang and Ma with the support part, first chute, and second chute of Jiang because it is disclosed that by arranging the spaces where the second and third support bodies slide within the first frame body at intervals the flexible screen can be better supported [0053-0060] or to reduce the weight of the second and third supporting bodies [0069] since these are the components which are moving unlike the supporting part.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 11, and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 21-22 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the claim objections set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Han (CN 113242345 A) discloses electronic device comprises a shell assembly, a flexible display screen and a driving module. the shell assembly comprises a first shell, a second shell and a third shell; the flexible display screen comprises a first part, a second part and a third part; the first part is fixedly connected with the first shell; the second part and the third part respectively connected at two ends of the first part; the driving module comprises a motor and a thread transmission mechanism; the motor is connected with the thread transmission mechanism to drive the second shell and the third shell connected with the thread transmission mechanism to close to each other or slide in the direction away from each other.
Feng (US 20210375165 A1) discloses a display device which includes a housing unit, a first supporting structure, a second supporting structure, and a display device. The second supporting structure is slidably arranged opposite to the first supporting unit. A driving mechanism is connected to the second supporting structure. A flexible display screen is laid between a side of the first supporting structure and a side of the second supporting structure, a first end of the flexible display screen is connected to an end of the second supporting structure, and a second end of the flexible display screen is connected to the driving mechanism.
Conclusion
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/KEVIN ANDREW JOHNSTON/Examiner, Art Unit 2844
/EDWIN A. LEON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831