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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/19/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. After further consideration, Choi et al. 20220310970 discloses the amended claimed invention.
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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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claims 1-4 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. 20220310970.
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Regarding claim 1, figs. 3-4 of Choi discloses a display apparatus comprising:
a display panel 10 including a display area DA and a bending area BA which is spaced apart from the display area and at which the display panel is bendable to define a bent portion; and
a cover window CW which is in the bending area (see CW overlapping BA) and covers the display panel,
wherein the display panel which is bent includes an adjacent portion (as labeled by examiner above) of the bending which is closer to the cover window than the bent portion, overlaps the bent portion and is unbent (as labeled by examiner above).
Regarding claim 2, fig. 4 of Choi discloses wherein the display panel which is bent further includes the bent portion under the adjacent portion and further from the cover window than the adjacent portion.
Regarding claim 3, fig. 4 of Choi discloses wherein the display panel which is bent further includes an entirety of the bent portion within a planar area of the adjacent portion (see bottom portion of BA which is within orthogonal projection region of OA).
Regarding claim 4, fig. 4 of Choi discloses wherein the display panel which is bent includes the adjacent portion DISL separated from the bent portion along a thickness direction.
Regarding claim 6, fig. 4 of Choi discloses further comprising a separation layer (PL1a nad PL2) between the adjacent portion and the bent portion along a thickness direction.
Regarding claim 7, fig. 4 of Choi discloses wherein the display panel which is bent includes the separation layer Pl1a in contact with the adjacent portion and spaced apart from the bent portion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 recites “wherein the adjacent portion includes the pixel-defining layer and the encapsulation layer on the separation layer, and the bent portion includes the insulating layer under the separation layer, and the display panel which is bent includes the insulating layer of the bent portion spaced apart from the separation layer” is not taught by the references of record.
Claims 9-14 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 VONGSAVANH SENGDARA whose telephone number is (571)270-5770. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM EST.
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, Sue Purvis can be reached on (571)272-1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VONGSAVANH SENGDARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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