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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I, Claims 1-6, 18-20 in the reply filed on 4/24/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the groups of claims are not mutually exclusive since the claimed details do not necessarily exclude the claimed details of the remainder of the protrusions, gear parts, or wing plates. This is not found persuasive because the MPEP defines mutually exclusive differently. The last sentence of MPEP section 806.05 Related Inventions [R-08.2012] recites ‘Related inventions in the same statutory class are considered mutually exclusive, or not overlapping in scope, if a first invention would not infringe a second invention, and the second invention would not infringe the first invention’.
The traversal is on the ground(s) that the details are capable of use together. This is not found persuasive because the requirement for restriction is that (C) the inventions as claimed are either not capable of use together or can have a materially different design, mode of operation, function, or effect. The references Lee and Watanabe are used to reject claims 1-6 but those references to not apply to claim 9 and would require a significant modification in order to be used together. This shows that the inventions as claimed can have a materially different design, mode of operation, function, or effect, even though they are disclosed as being capable of use together.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Korea on 9/2/2022.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 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.
(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 1-4, 6, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee (US 20140111954 A1)
Claim 1. Lee teaches a display device comprising:
a display assembly (10, fig 1) including a first non-folding region (101) and a second non-folding region (102) that are disposed in a first direction (x direction, fig 2) and a folding region (103, fig 1) disposed between the first and second non-folding regions (fig 1);
a first body (212, fig 1) disposed under (212 contains portions that lie under 101 along the Z direction) the first non-folding region (fig 1);
a second body (222) disposed under (222 contains portions that lie under 102 along the Z direction) the second non-folding region (fig 1);
a hinge assembly (30 including 33, 34, 331) disposed between the first body and the second body and defining biaxial rotational axes (axes matching 311, 331, fig 2) extending parallel to a second direction (y) intersecting the first direction (fig 2);
a first bracket (33 including 331, S2, fig 2) and a second bracket (other instance of 33 including 331, S2, opposite of the first bracket in the diagonal direction, fig 2) that are disposed on opposite sides of the hinge assembly opposite each other in the second direction (fig 2), the first bracket and the second bracket being disposed in the first direction and adjacent to the biaxial rotational axes (figs 1, 2); and
a plurality of protrusions (inner portions of 211, 221 including the holes that match S2 and 214, 224) connected to the opposite sides of the hinge assembly and protruding between the first bracket and the second bracket (figs 1-3).
Claim 2. Lee teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein in case that the display assembly is unfolded (fig 3), the protrusions make physical contact with a side (side of S2) of the first bracket and a side of the second bracket facing each other in the first direction ([0052] recites ‘The connection portions 33 are … inserted into the first and second front cases 211 and 221 and thus connected by screws S2’).
Claim 3. Lee teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein the protrusions are disposed between the biaxial rotational axes when viewed in the second direction (214, 224 are disposed between the biaxial rotational axes when viewed in the second direction).
Claim 4. Lee teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein in case that the display assembly is folded, the first and second bodies rotate about the biaxial rotational axes and face each other (fig 4), and the protrusions make physical contact with the side of the first bracket and the side of the second bracket in a third direction intersecting a plane defined by the first and second directions (the protrusions make physical contact with all sides of S2 whether the device is opened or closed).
Claim 6. Lee teaches the display device of claim 4, wherein the protrusions are supported by the first and second brackets (since they are connected through S2) and limit movement of the hinge assembly (since 211, 221 contact each other in the closed position).
Claim 19. Lee teaches a display device comprising:
a display assembly (10, fig 1) including a first non-folding region (101), a folding region (103, figs 1, 7), and a second non-folding region (102 of fig 1) disposed in a first direction (X direction, fig 1);
a first body (212, fig 1) disposed under (212 contains portions that lie under 101 along the Z direction) the first non-folding region (fig 1);
a second body (22, fig 1) disposed under (22 has 221 and 222 which each contain portions that lie under 102 along the Z direction) the second non-folding region (fig 1);
a hinge assembly (30 including 33, 34, 331, fig 2) disposed between the first body and the second body and defining biaxial rotational axes (axes matching 311, 331, fig 2) extending parallel to a second direction (y direction of fig 2) intersecting the first direction (figs 1, 2);
a plurality of protrusions (inner portions of 211, 221 including the holes that match S2 and 214, 224) connected to the opposite sides of the hinge assembly opposite each other in the second direction and protruding outside the hinge assembly (fig 1).
Claims 1-5, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Watanabe (US 20170192460 A1, hereinafter Watanabe)
Claim 1. Watanabe teaches a display device comprising:
a display assembly (11, fig 1) including a first non-folding region (left region of fig 1) and a second non-folding region (right region of fig 1) that are disposed in a first direction (X direction, fig 1) and a folding region (middle region, figs 1, 7) disposed between the first and second non-folding regions (fig 1);
a first body (left instance of 12, fig 1) disposed under the first non-folding region (fig 1);
a second body (right instance of 12, fig 1) disposed under the second non-folding region (fig 1);
a hinge assembly (13, 15, 16, 17, fig 1) disposed between the first body and the second body and defining biaxial rotational axes (axes matching 17, fig 1) extending parallel to a second direction (into the page of fig 1, y direction of fig 2) intersecting the first direction (figs 1, 2);
a first bracket (left instance of 15 including 15a, 15b, figs 1, 3, 7, bottom left instance of 15 in fig 2) and a second bracket (right instance of 16 including 16a, 16b, figs 1, 3, 7, top right instance of 16 in fig 2 opposite of the first bracket in the y direction, fig 2) that are disposed on opposite sides of the hinge assembly opposite each other in the second direction (fig 2), the first bracket and the second bracket being disposed in the first direction and adjacent to the biaxial rotational axes (figs 1, 2); and
a plurality of protrusions (17, fig 1) connected to the opposite sides of the hinge assembly and protruding between the first bracket and the second bracket (figs 1-3).
Claim 2. Watanabe teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein in case that the display assembly is unfolded (fig 3), the protrusions make physical contact with a side (inside) of the first bracket (17 makes physical contact with 15b) and a side of the second bracket (17 makes physical contact with 16b) facing each other in the first direction (figs 1-3, [0054] recites ‘a rotation shaft portion 17 is inserted through a rotation center of the rotating portions 15b, 16b’).
Claim 3. Watanabe teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein the protrusions are disposed between the biaxial rotational axes when viewed in the second direction (figs 1-3).
Claim 4. Watanabe teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein in case that the display assembly is folded (fig 7), the first and second bodies rotate about the biaxial rotational axes and face each other (fig 7), and the protrusions make physical contact (fig 7) with the side of the first bracket and the side of the second bracket in a third direction intersecting a plane defined by the first and second directions (fig 7, the protrusions make physical contact with the insides of the brackets whether the device is opened or closed).
Claim 5. Watanabe teaches the display device of claim 4, wherein the protrusions (17, figs 1, 7) are fixed without being rotated ([0059] recites ‘display support portions 12 are moved around the rotation shaft portion 17 of the hinge portion 13 as a rotation center’), and the side of the first bracket and the side of the second bracket move along outer surfaces of the protrusions when viewed in the second direction (figs 1, 7).
Claim 20. Watanabe teaches a display device comprising:
a display assembly (11, fig 1) including a first non-folding region (left region of fig 1) and a second non-folding region (right region of fig 1) disposed in a first direction (X direction, fig 1) and a folding region (middle region, figs 1, 7) disposed between the first and second non-folding regions (fig 1);
a first body (left instance of 12, fig 1) disposed under the first non-folding region (fig 1);
a second body (right instance of 12, fig 1) disposed under the second non-folding region (fig 1);
a hinge assembly (13, 15, 16, 17, fig 1) disposed between the first body and the second body and defining biaxial rotational axes (axes matching 17, fig 1) extending parallel to a second direction (into the page of fig 1, y direction of fig 2) intersecting the first direction (figs 1, 2);
a first bracket (left instance of 15 including 15a, 15b, figs 1, 3, 7, bottom left instance of 15 in fig 2) and a second bracket (right instance of 16 including 16a, 16b, figs 1, 3, 7, top right instance of 16 in fig 2 opposite of the first bracket in the y direction, fig 2) that are disposed on opposite sides of the hinge assembly opposite each other in the second direction (fig 2), the first bracket and the second bracket being disposed in the first direction and adjacent to the biaxial rotational axes (figs 1, 2); and
a plurality of protrusions (17, fig 1) protruding between the first bracket and the second bracket from the opposite sides of the hinge assembly (protruding in the Y direction) and that physically contact a side (inside) of the first bracket (17 makes physical contact with 15b) and a side of the second bracket (17 makes physical contact with 16b) facing each other (figs 1-3, [0054] recites ‘a rotation shaft portion 17 is inserted through a rotation center of the rotating portions 15b, 16b’).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 of this title, 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 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee in view of Lee (US 10623537 B2, hereinafter Lee ‘537)
Claim 18. Lee teaches the display device of claim 1, but fails to teach the folding region includes: a curved portion bent in a curved shape; and reverse curvature portions disposed between the first non-folding region and the curved portion and between the second non-folding region and the curved portion and bent so as to be symmetrical to each other, the reverse curvature portions being bent opposite to the curved portion
Lee ‘537 teaches a folding region includes:
a curved portion (CV3, fig 21) bent in a curved shape; and
reverse curvature portions (CV1, CV2, fig 21) disposed between the first non-folding region and the curved portion and between the second non-folding region and the curved portion (fig 21) and bent so as to be symmetrical to each other (figs 21, 22), the reverse curvature portions being bent opposite to the curved portion (figs 21, 22).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the arrangement as taught by Lee ‘537 into the device of Lee. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Lee in the above manner for the purpose of making the display last longer by decreasing the bending radius.
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular elements, columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS R BURTNER whose telephone number is (571)272-0966. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/ALLEN L PARKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/DOUGLAS R BURTNER/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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