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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 3/17/2026 has been entered.
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 § 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 1-13, 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103 as being unpatentable over He et al (US 20210044683; “He” hereinafter), in view of Song et al (US 20200264660; “Song” et al).
Regarding claim 1, He teaches: a display device (fig. 1) comprising:
a display module (2, fig. 3) including a flat portion (20, figs. 1-2, 4) and a bendable portion (21, figs. 2, 4) extending from the flat portion in a first direction (as disclosed upon examination of figs. 1-7, and annotated fig. 7 below, where ‘D1’ is the first direction and ‘D2’ is the second direction);
segmental members (430, 431, fig. 16) disposed below the display module (see at least figs. 9-10, 19), overlapping the bendable portion, and extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction (figs. 8-10, 15-16);
pattern parts (432, fig. 16, ¶[0136]) connected to at least one end of the segmental members (fig. 16), respectively; and
wherein the pattern parts (432) are free from protrusions extending beyond the segmental members in a third direction normal to the first direction and the second direction (figs. 9, 15, and annotated fig. 16 below teaches this limitation); and
a cover module (31, figs. 9 and 12-13) defining a rail groove (312, figs. 9 and 12-13) accommodating the pattern parts (¶[0138]),
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He does not explicitly disclose:
the pattern parts defining an etching groove,
wherein the etching groove has a concave shape extending into the pattern part in a third direction, wherein the third direction is normal to the first direction and the second direction
However, Song teaches:
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a coupling of a guide block (232, fig. 16) and sliding rail (231 i.e. pattern part, fig. 16), whereas the sliding rail comprises an etching groove (see annotated fig. 16 below) with a concave shape extending into a pattern part.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify He’s pattern part and rail groove with Song’s teaching, such that pattern part comprises an etching groove in a an upper and lower portion, with a concave shape extending into the pattern part in a third direction, wherein the third direction is normal to the first direction and the second direction, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966), MPEP 2144.04
Regarding claim 2, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and the combination further teaches: wherein the cover module is slidingly coupled to the etching groove of each of the pattern parts (The combination of He and Song teaches this limitation, see at least ¶[0138], He).
Regarding claim 3, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and He further teaches: wherein the pattern parts move along the rail groove (¶[0138]).
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Regarding claim 4, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and He further teaches: wherein the cover module includes a first rail (see annotated figure 13 below) and a second rail (see annotated figure 13 below) which define the rail groove.
Regarding claim 5, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 4, and He further teaches: wherein the first rail is spaced apart from the second rail and positioned inside the second rail (annotated figure 13 above, teaches this limitation).
Regarding claim 6, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 4, and the combination further teaches: wherein the etching groove is defined on an upper portion and lower portion of each of the pattern parts (via the combination of He and Song defined in claim 1),
the etching groove defined on the upper portion of each of the pattern parts is slidingly coupled to the second rail, (via the combination of He and Song defined in claim 1), and
the etching groove defined on the lower portion of each of the pattern parts is slidingly coupled to the first rail (via the combination of He and Song defined in claim 1).
Regarding claim 7, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 4, and He further teaches: wherein the cover module includes:
a first straight portion (where 3120 is disposed, fig. 13);
a curved portion adjacent to the first straight portion (where 3121 is disposed, fig. 16); and
a second straight portion adjacent to the curved portion and facing the first straight portion (opposite portion where a second instance of 3120 is disposed, facing the first straight portion, fig. 16).
Regarding claim 8, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 7, and He further teaches: wherein the rail groove (312) extends from the first straight portion to the second straight portion through the curved portion (see fig. 16).
Regarding claim 9, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 8, and He further teaches: wherein a shape of the rail groove overlapping the curved portion is curved (fig. 16 teaches this limitation).
Regarding claim 10, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and He further teaches: wherein a length of the cover module in the first direction is greater than or substantially equal to a length of the bendable portion in the first direction (figs 8, 10-12 discloses this limitation).
Regarding claim 11, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and He further teaches: wherein the segmental members are spaced apart from each other in a plan view (as disclosed in fig. 15. Furthermore, there are gaps between the plurality of support ribs 430 and 430, see fig. 16, otherwise rotation of the segmental element would be hampered).
Regarding claim 12, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and He further teaches: wherein the pattern parts are spaced apart from each other in a plan view (fig. 16).
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Regarding claim 13, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and the combination further teaches: wherein the etching groove has a shape of one of a rectangle, a triangle, and a semicircle (via the combination of He and Song, where the concave shape is equivalent to a semicircle, see annotated fig. 16 below from Song).
Regarding claim 15, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and He further teaches: wherein the pattern parts do not overlap the display module (as disclosed in fig. 9).
Regarding claim 16, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and He further teaches: wherein the cover module does not overlap the display module (as disclosed upon examination of fig. 9, where the cover module 31 does not overlap the display module (portion 20) in the third direction).
Regarding claim 17, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and He further teaches: wherein the pattern parts and the segmental members are integral with each other (“a pin shaft 432 that rotatably connects the outer chain plate 431 and the inner chain plate 430”, ¶[0136]).
Regarding claim 18, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and the combination further teaches: wherein the etching groove extends in the first direction (the now modified pattern part 432 would meet this limitation. Also, the diameter of unmodified pattern part 432 meets this limitation, see annotated fig. 15).
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Regarding claim 19, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and He further teaches: wherein the pattern parts include:
first pattern parts each connected to first ends of the segmental members (see annotated figs. 15-16 below), respectively; and
second pattern parts connected to second ends of the segmental members (see annotated figs. 15-16 below), respectively, and
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each of the first pattern parts and the second pattern parts defines the etching groove (via the combination of He and Song defined in claim 1).
Regarding claim 20, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, and He further teaches: wherein
the cover module includes a first cover member and a second cover member spaced apart from the first cover member in the second direction (clearly disclosed upon examination of figs. 8-12, ¶[0117]-[0118]), and
each of the first cover member and the second cover member defines the rail groove accommodating the pattern parts (as disclosed upon examination of figs. 8-12, ¶[0117]-[0118], [0124]-[0125]).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103 as being unpatentable over He et al (US 20210044683; “He” hereinafter), in view of Song et al (US 20200264660; “Song” et al), and further in view of Hong et al (US 20230110625; “Hong” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 14, He in view of Song discloses the limitation of claim 1, but does not explicitly teach: wherein a cross section of an end of each of the pattern parts is a rectangle.
However, Hong teaches:
a segmental member (31, figs. 6-8) with a pattern part (312, figs. 6-8) comprising an end with a rectangle cross-section (figs. 6-8, 11).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Hong’s pattern part as modified by Song with He’s teaching, such that a cross section of an end of each of the pattern parts is a rectangle, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966), MPEP 2144.04
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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/ALLEN L PARKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/P.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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