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 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.
Claims 11-13 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lim et al. (KR 10-2278056; translation provided by Examiner; citations taken from that translation).
Regarding claim 11, Lim discloses a method of manufacturing a display apparatus comprising a cover window and a display panel (Title; Abstract; pg. 5, 2nd par.), the method comprising: arranging the cover window (“cover glass”: G) *under (fig. 5a: above, as viewed) a first seat portion (100/120) (fig. 5a; pg. 3, par. 5; pg. 5, par. 4); arranging the display panel (film: F; “elements such as OLED and various films are attached to the inside of the cover glass”) on a second seat portion (300/700) to face the first seat portion (fig. 5a; pg. 2, par. 4; pg. 5, par. 4); adsorbing the display panel onto an adsorber (400/700) inside (connected to and between each of 330) a rail groove (four of 330 shown) in the second seat portion, the adsorber configured to move inside the rail groove (700/400 move within the four of 330 and 400 slides directly within each of 330) (figs. 4-5a; pg. 3, par. 7; pg. 4, par. 4); tilting the second seat portion to form an angle with respect to the first seat portion (fig. 5b; pg. 5, par. 4); and attaching the display panel to the cover window by pressing the display panel by using a roller portion (600), the adsorber moving inside and along the rail groove as the display panel is attached to the cover window (figs. 5b-5f; pp. 3-4 pars. 8 through 1; pg. 5, pars. 4-8).
*NOTE: the term “under” and other relative directional words throughout the claims are not understood to carry significant weight or meaning, based upon the Applicant’s own disclosure of special definition of such terms. Please refer to instant Specification (par. 0043) which discloses, inter alia, that “the term “below” may encompass both an orientation of above and below”. Accordingly, when an object is physically located above another object in the prior art, it can reasonably be interpreted to be above it or below it, and when an object is below another object, it can be interpreted as above or below it. Further, the disclosure of par. 0043 also makes it reasonable to reverse the relative directions in a single interpretation according to the Applicant’s own special definitions.
Regarding claim 12, Lim discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the attaching of the display panel includes pressing the cover window and the display panel while moving the roller portion under the display panel (figs. 5b-5f; pg. 5, pars. 4-8).
Regarding claim 13, Lim discloses the method of claim 12, further comprising moving the second seat portion under the display panel in a same direction as a moving direction of the roller portion (both the second seat portion, 700, and the roller, 600, simultaneously move downward, as viewed; 700 and 600 also both move leftward, as viewed) (figs. 5b-5f; pp. 3-4 pars. 8 through 1; pg. 5, pars. 4-8).
Regarding claim 15, Lim discloses the method of claim 12, wherein the rail groove extends in a same direction (both downward, and leftward and rightward, and the roller moves in each of these directions as well) as a moving direction of the roller portion, and wherein the rail groove has a first inner side (fig. 5a: bottom/outside end of groove, 330, as shown) and a second inner side (fig. 5a: top/inside end of groove, 330, as shown), the first inner side being arranged in an opposite direction (away from, i.e. distal to) of the roller portion, the second inner side being arranged in a direction (toward, i.e. proximal to) of the roller portion (figs. 5b-5f; pp. 3-4 pars. 8 through 1; pg. 5, pars. 4-8).
Regarding claim 16, Lim discloses the method of claim 15, wherein the adsorber moves inside and along the rail groove in a direction from the first inner side to the second inner side along the rail groove (figs. 5b-5f: as the adsorber, 700, moves upward and inward, it moves from the first inner side to the second inner side).
Regarding claim 17, Lim discloses the method of claim 15, wherein the adsorber slides inside and along the rail groove in a direction from the first inner side to the second inner side of the rail groove (figs. 5b-5f: as the adsorber, 700, moves upward and inward, it moves from the first inner side to the second inner side).
Regarding claim 18, Lim discloses the method of claim 11, further comprising detaching the display panel from the adsorber; and attaching a portion of the display panel detached from the adsorber to the cover window (figs. 5d-5f; pg. 5, pars. 6-8).
Regarding claim 19, Lim discloses the method of claim 18, wherein the portion of the display panel detached from the adsorber is attached to the cover window after the adsorber has moved along the rail groove (figs. 5b-5f; pg. 5, pars. 4-8).
Regarding claim 20, Lim discloses the method of claim 18, wherein the rail groove extends in a same direction (both downward, and leftward and rightward, and the roller moves in each of these directions as well) as a moving direction of the roller portion in a plan view, and wherein the rail groove has a first inner side (fig. 5a: bottom/outside end of groove, 330, as shown) and a second inner side (fig. 5a: top/inside end of groove, 330, as shown), the first inner side being arranged in an opposite direction (away from, i.e. distal to) of the roller portion, and the second inner side being arranged in a direction (toward, i.e. proximal to) of the roller portion (figs. 5b-5f; pp. 3-4 pars. 8 through 1; pg. 5, pars. 4-8), and wherein the portion of the display panel detached from the adsorber is attached to the cover window after the adsorber contacts the second inner side (figs. 5b-5c).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/25/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant has argued that: “FIG. 2 demonstrates unambiguously that suction head 700 as taught by Lim cannot be inside guide groove 330 because guide groove 330 is occupied by guide roller 400 and attached thereto is a bushing to which is attached suction head 700.
In other words, Lim needs to have guide roller 400 inside guide groove 330, and fails to teach an adsorber (suction head 700) is inside a rail groove (guide groove 330), as recited in amended claim 11.”
Respectfully, this argument is not compelling because it appears to ignore the actually cited figures 4 and 5a, which clearly show that the cited adsorption head (400/700) is within the four rail grooves (330) both by virtue of being between the four and by element (400) being physically located inside each of the cited rail grooves. The Applicant’s argument represents a conclusory logical fallacy known as a false dichotomy, whereby the argument is predicated on a statement that: because one element is in the rail grooves, no other element can possibly be in the grooves. This is demonstrably incorrect as it is clearly shown that element (700) is indirectly in the grooves and that guide element (400, cited as part of the adsorbing head) is directly in the grooves. Either situation anticipate the limitation, and both clearly anticipate both reasonable interpretations of being directly and indirectly in the groove.
As such, according to the prior art rejections above, as well as the response to arguments herein, all of the currently disclosed limitations in the claims are held to be properly rejected, and each argument on the merits has been answered and rebutted.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please refer to the concurrently mailed PTO-892, as all of those cited references are considered to be pertinent to the claimed invention. For example, Oh et al. (US 9,498,940 B2) is held to be of particular relevance to the claimed invention (see at least figs. 2-3) as there is disclosed method of manufacturing a display apparatus (Title; Abstract) comprising a cover window (110/130) and a display panel (120/140), the method comprising: arranging the cover window under a first seat portion (220); arranging the display panel on a second seat portion (210) to face the first seat portion; adsorbing the display panel onto an adsorber inside a rail groove (231) in the second seat portion (figs. 2-3; col. 3, lines 21-29; col. 4, lines 25-53).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Jeffrey T Carley whose telephone number is (571)270-5609. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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, Thomas Hong can be reached at (571)272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JEFFREY T CARLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
Prosecution Insights