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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) submitted on December 4, 2023 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: 10, 20 and 100.
The drawings are objected to because Fig. 2 does not show what paragraph [0045] of the specification says that it shows, namely: “As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of spacers 30 are provided on a side of the opposite substrate 20 adjacent to the array substrate 10. An end of the spacer 30 is fixed on the opposite substrate 20, and another end of the spacer 30 abuts against a surface of the array substrate 10 adjacent to the opposite substrate 20.” Figure 2 does not show a plurality of spacers 30.
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. 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.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because “the” in line 1 should be capitalized. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
“dam 1011” should read “dam 101” ([0070], line 6);
“are surrounded by” should read “surround” ([0077], line 5).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities: in line 1, “claim 1” should read “claim 11”. 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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2008/0055532 A1 (hereinafter “Wu-2008”).
Regarding claim 1, Wu-2008 discloses a display panel (200; Fig. 4; [0051]), comprising an array substrate (210; Fig. 4; [0051]) and an opposite substrate (215; Fig. 4; [0053]) arranged opposite to each other,
wherein a plurality of spacers (280; Fig. 4; [0053]) are provided on a side (a bottom side in Fig. 4) of the opposite substrate adjacent to the array substrate, a plurality of dams (260, 274; Fig. 4; [0051] and [0053]) are provided on a side (a top side in Fig. 4) of the array substrate adjacent to the opposite substrate, and the dams are arranged around ends of the spacers adjacent to the array substrate (Figs. 4, 5G-5L; [0052] and [0056]).
Regarding claim 2, Wu-2008 discloses the dams are distributed along circumferential directions of the ends of the spacers adjacent to the array substrate and partially surround each of the spacers (Figs. 5G-5L; [0052]).
Regarding claim 3, Wu-2008 shows a minimum distance between each of the dams and the opposite substrate is less than a height of each of the spacers (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 11, Wu-2008 discloses a display device ([0004]), comprising a display panel (200; Fig. 4; [0051]) comprising an array substrate (210; Fig. 4; [0051]) and an opposite substrate (215; Fig. 4; [0053]) arranged opposite to each other,
wherein a plurality of spacers (280; Fig. 4; [0053]) are provided on a side (a bottom side in Fig. 4) of the opposite substrate adjacent to the array substrate, a plurality of dams (260, 274; Fig. 4; [0051] and [0053]) are provided on a side (a top side in Fig. 4) of the array substrate adjacent to the opposite substrate, and the dams are arranged around ends of the spacers adjacent to the array substrate (Figs. 4, 5G-5L; [0052] and [0056]).
Regarding claim 12, Wu-2008 discloses the dams are distributed along circumferential directions of the ends of the spacers adjacent to the array substrate and partially surround each of the spacers (Figs. 5G-5L; [0052]).
Regarding claim 13, Wu-2008 shows a minimum distance between each of the dams and the opposite substrate is less than a height of each of the spacers (Fig. 4).
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) 4-7, 10, 14-17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu-2008 in view of US 2006/0281211 A1 (hereinafter “Yoon”).
Regarding claim 4, Wu-2008 discloses the display panel according to claim 1, wherein the array substrate comprises a first base (210; Fig. 4; [0051]), a passivation layer (274; Fig. 4; [0053]), and buffer blocks (260; Fig. 4; [0051]) disposed between the first base and the passivation layer, and each of the dams is composed of one of the buffer blocks and the passivation layer located on the one of the buffer blocks.
Wu-2008 does not explicitly disclose the passivation layer is an inorganic insulation layer.
Yoon teaches the passivation layer (150; Fig. 4; [0037]) is an inorganic insulation layer.
Wu-2008 and Yoon are analogous art because they both are directed to liquid crystal display panels and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Wu-2008 with the specified features of Yoon because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide an inorganic insulation layer as the passivation layer, as taught by Yoon, because of the better heat resistance, moisture resistance and durability of inorganic insulating materials compared to organic insulating materials.
Regarding claim 5, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon disclose the display panel according to claim 4, wherein the array substrate comprises a first conductive layer (Wu-2008: 222, 230; Fig. 4; [0051]) and a second conductive layer (Wu-2008: 226, 228; Fig. 4; [0051]), the first conductive layer is disposed between the second conductive layer and the first base, the first conductive layer comprises gates (222), and the second conductive layer comprises sources (226) and drains (228); and wherein the buffer blocks are arranged in a same layer as the second conductive layer and independently separated from the sources and the drains (Wu-2008: Fig. 4; [0051]).
Wu-2008 does not explicitly disclose the first conductive layer is a first metal layer, and the second conductive layer is a second metal layer.
Yoon teaches the first conductive layer (102, 132; Fig. 4; [0033]) is a first metal layer, and the second conductive layer (134, 136; Fig. 4; [0036]) is a second metal layer.
Wu-2008 and Yoon are analogous art because they both are directed to liquid crystal display panels and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Wu-2008 in view of Yoon with the specified features of Yoon because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide a first metal layer as the first conductive layer, and to provide a second metal layer as the second conductive layer, as taught by Yoon, because of the generally lower resistivity of metals compared to other conductive materials.
Regarding claim 6, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon shows in a direction perpendicular to the first base (the vertical direction in Fig. 4 of Wu-2008), each of the buffer blocks partially overlaps with the first metal layer, and each of the spacers overlaps with the first metal layer (Wu-2008: Figs. 3, 4).
Regarding claim 7, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon shows in the direction perpendicular to the first base, each of the spacers does not overlap with the second metal layer, and each of the spacers does not overlap with the buffer blocks (Wu-2008: Figs. 3, 4).
Regarding claim 10, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon shows an orthographic projection of each of the buffer blocks on the first base is shaped as a rectangle, a square, a circle, or an oval (Wu-2008: Figs. 5G, 5I-5L).
Regarding claim 14, Wu-2008 discloses the display device according to claim 11, wherein the array substrate comprises a first base (210; Fig. 4; [0051]), a passivation layer (274; Fig. 4; [0053]), and buffer blocks (260; Fig. 4; [0051]) disposed between the first base and the passivation layer, and each of the dams is composed of one of the buffer blocks and the passivation layer located on the one of the buffer blocks.
Wu-2008 does not explicitly disclose the passivation layer is an inorganic insulation layer.
Yoon teaches the passivation layer (150; Fig. 4; [0037]) is an inorganic insulation layer.
Wu-2008 and Yoon are analogous art because they both are directed to liquid crystal display panels and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Wu-2008 with the specified features of Yoon because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide an inorganic insulation layer as the passivation layer, as taught by Yoon, because of the better heat resistance, moisture resistance and durability of inorganic insulating materials compared to organic insulating materials.
Regarding claim 15, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon disclose the display device according to claim 14, wherein the array substrate comprises a first conductive layer (Wu-2008: 222, 230; Fig. 4; [0051]) and a second conductive layer (Wu-2008: 226, 228; Fig. 4; [0051]), the first conductive layer is disposed between the second conductive layer and the first base, the first conductive layer comprises gates (222), and the second conductive layer comprises sources (226) and drains (228); and wherein the buffer blocks are arranged in a same layer as the second conductive layer and independently separated from the sources and the drains (Wu-2008: Fig. 4; [0051]).
Wu-2008 does not explicitly disclose the first conductive layer is a first metal layer, and the second conductive layer is a second metal layer.
Yoon teaches the first conductive layer (102, 132; Fig. 4; [0033]) is a first metal layer, and the second conductive layer (134, 136; Fig. 4; [0036]) is a second metal layer.
Wu-2008 and Yoon are analogous art because they both are directed to liquid crystal display panels and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Wu-2008 in view of Yoon with the specified features of Yoon because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide a first metal layer as the first conductive layer, and to provide a second metal layer as the second conductive layer, as taught by Yoon, because of the generally lower resistivity of metals compared to other conductive materials.
Regarding claim 16, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon shows in a direction perpendicular to the first base (the vertical direction in Fig. 4 of Wu-2008), each of the buffer blocks partially overlaps with the first metal layer, and each of the spacers overlaps with the first metal layer (Wu-2008: Figs. 3, 4).
Regarding claim 17, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon shows in the direction perpendicular to the first base, each of the spacers does not overlap with the second metal layer, and each of the spacers does not overlap with the buffer blocks (Wu-2008: Figs. 3, 4).
Regarding claim 20, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon shows an orthographic projection of each of the buffer blocks on the first base is shaped as a rectangle, a square, a circle, or an oval (Wu-2008: Figs. 5G, 5I-5L).
Claim(s) 8, 9, 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu-2008 in view of Yoon as applied to claims 4 and 14 above, and further in view of CN 110703509 A (hereinafter “Wu-2020”).
Regarding claim 8, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon disclose the display panel according to claim 4, wherein the array substrate comprises a first conductive layer (Wu-2008: 222, 230; Fig. 4; [0051]) and a second conductive layer (Wu-2008: 226, 228; Fig. 4; [0051]), the first conductive layer is disposed between the second conductive layer and the first base; the first conductive layer comprises gates (222), and the second conductive layer comprises sources (226) and drains (228).
Wu-2008 does not explicitly disclose the first conductive layer is a first metal layer, the second conductive layer is a second metal layer, and the buffer blocks are arranged on a side of the second conductive layer away from the first base.
Yoon teaches the first conductive layer (102, 132; Fig. 4; [0033]) is a first metal layer, and the second conductive layer (134, 136; Fig. 4; [0036]) is a second metal layer.
Wu-2020 teaches the buffer blocks (1141, 1142; Figs. 1-3; [0054]-[0055] of the attached English machine translation) are arranged on a side of the second conductive layer (1125; Fig. 1; [0051]) away from the first base (111; Fig. 1; [0050]).
Wu-2008, Yoon and Wu-2020 are analogous art because they each are directed to liquid crystal display panels and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Wu-2008 in view of Yoon with the specified features of Yoon and Wu-2020 because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide a first metal layer as the first conductive layer, and to provide a second metal layer as the second conductive layer, as taught by Yoon, and to arrange the buffer blocks on a side of the second conductive layer away from the first base, as taught by Wu-2020, because of the generally lower resistivity of metals compared to other conductive materials, and in order to improve an aperture ratio of the display panel by arranging the buffer blocks above the thin film transistor rather than laterally adjacent thereto.
Regarding claim 9, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon, and further in view of Wu-2020, disclose the display panel according to claim 8.
Wu-2008 in view of Yoon do not disclose the array substrate comprises a planarization layer disposed on the side of the second metal layer away from the first base, and the buffer blocks are disposed on a side of the planarization layer away from the first base.
Wu-2020 teaches the array substrate (11; Fig. 1; [0049]) comprises a planarization layer (113; Fig. 1; [0050]) disposed on the side of the second metal layer (1125; Fig. 1; [0051]) away from the first base (111; Fig. 1; [0050]), and the buffer blocks (1141, 1142; Fig. 1; [0054]) are disposed on a side of the planarization layer away from the first base.
Wu-2008, Yoon and Wu-2020 are analogous art because they each are directed to liquid crystal display panels and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Wu-2008 in view of Yoon, and further in view of Wu-2020, with the specified features of Wu-2020 because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the array substrate to comprise a planarization layer disposed on the side of the second metal layer away from the first base, and to dispose the buffer blocks on a side of the planarization layer away from the first base, as taught by Wu-2020, in order to ensure that the buffer blocks are spaced apart from each other along a direction (i.e., a horizontal direction) that is perpendicular to an extending direction of the spacer, thereby preventing the spacer from sliding in any horizontal direction.
Regarding claim 18, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon disclose the display device according to claim 14, wherein the array substrate comprises a first conductive layer (Wu-2008: 222, 230; Fig. 4; [0051]) and a second conductive layer (Wu-2008: 226, 228; Fig. 4; [0051]), the first conductive layer is disposed between the second conductive layer and the first base; the first conductive layer comprises gates (222), and the second conductive layer comprises sources (226) and drains (228).
Wu-2008 does not explicitly disclose the first conductive layer is a first metal layer, the second conductive layer is a second metal layer, and the buffer blocks are arranged on a side of the second conductive layer away from the first base.
Yoon teaches the first conductive layer (102, 132; Fig. 4; [0033]) is a first metal layer, and the second conductive layer (134, 136; Fig. 4; [0036]) is a second metal layer.
Wu-2020 teaches the buffer blocks (1141, 1142; Figs. 1-3; [0054]-[0055]) are arranged on a side of the second conductive layer (1125; Fig. 1; [0051]) away from the first base (111; Fig. 1; [0050]).
Wu-2008, Yoon and Wu-2020 are analogous art because they each are directed to liquid crystal display panels and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Wu-2008 in view of Yoon with the specified features of Yoon and Wu-2020 because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide a first metal layer as the first conductive layer, and to provide a second metal layer as the second conductive layer, as taught by Yoon, and to arrange the buffer blocks on a side of the second conductive layer away from the first base, as taught by Wu-2020, because of the generally lower resistivity of metals compared to other conductive materials, and in order to improve an aperture ratio of the display panel by arranging the buffer blocks above the thin film transistor rather than laterally adjacent thereto.
Regarding claim 19, Wu-2008 in view of Yoon, and further in view of Wu-2020, disclose the display device according to claim 18.
Wu-2008 in view of Yoon do not disclose the array substrate comprises a planarization layer disposed on the side of the second metal layer away from the first base, and the buffer blocks are disposed on a side of the planarization layer away from the first base.
Wu-2020 teaches the array substrate (11; Fig. 1; [0049]) comprises a planarization layer (113; Fig. 1; [0050]) disposed on the side of the second metal layer (1125; Fig. 1; [0051]) away from the first base (111; Fig. 1; [0050]), and the buffer blocks (1141, 1142; Fig. 1; [0054]) are disposed on a side of the planarization layer away from the first base.
Wu-2008, Yoon and Wu-2020 are analogous art because they each are directed to liquid crystal display panels and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Wu-2008 in view of Yoon, and further in view of Wu-2020, with the specified features of Wu-2020 because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the array substrate to comprise a planarization layer disposed on the side of the second metal layer away from the first base, and to dispose the buffer blocks on a side of the planarization layer away from the first base, as taught by Wu-2020, in order to ensure that the buffer blocks are spaced apart from each other along a direction (i.e., a horizontal direction) that is perpendicular to an extending direction of the spacer, thereby preventing the spacer from sliding in any horizontal direction.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER M ALBRECHT whose telephone number is (571)272-7813. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM (CT).
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/PETER M ALBRECHT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811