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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 9-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected process, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 6/18/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-8 in the reply filed on 6/18/2026 is acknowledged.
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 1, 4, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (US 2019/0373719).
With regard to claim 1, fig. 5A of Lee discloses a display device comprising: a display panel DP including: a first non-bending area NBA; a bending area CA extending from the first non-bending area NBA; and a second non-bending area FA extending from the bending area CA; an adhesive layer AM3 disposed in the first non-bending area NBA; a window (BS, BZL, ES) connected to the display panel DP through the adhesive layer AM3, the window (BS, BZL, ES) including: a base substrate BS; a light blocking pattern BZL disposed on the base substrate BS; and a protrusion pattern ES disposed on at least a portion of the light blocking pattern BZL; and a reinforcing layer FF surrounding at least a portion of the bending area CA.
With regard to claim 4, fig. 5A of Lee discloses that the reinforcing layer FF contacts at least a portion (right end of DP in NBA) of the first non-bending area NBA.
With regard to claim 8, fig. 5A of Lee discloses that the light blocking pattern BZL overlaps the bending area CA.
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2019/0373719) in view of Choi (US 2021/0126223).
With regard to claim 2, Lee does not disclose that the reinforcing layer contacts at least a portion of the light blocking pattern.
However, fig. 10 of Choi discloses that the reinforcing layer 190 contacts at least a portion of the light blocking pattern 167.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the stress relief member of Lee with the sealing material as taught in Choi in order to provide the flexible display device with improved waterproof performance and prevent chemical contamination. See par [0206] of Choi.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2019/0373719) in view of Jeon (US 2020/0310577).
With regard to claim 5, fig. 5A of Lee discloses the reinforcing layer FF includes a curable (“light curable material”, par [0080]) resin (“stress relief member FF includes a synthetic resin”, par [0080]).
Lee does not disclose an ultraviolet curable resin.
However, fig. 7 of Jeon discloses an ultraviolet curable resin (bending stress relieving layer CRD1 may be an “ultraviolet curable adhesive material”, par [0112]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the stress relief member of Lee with the ultraviolet curable adhesive material as taught in Jeon in order to provide a bending stress relieving layer that prevent a short circuit of wiring of the printed circuit board and/or corrosion caused by foreign substances. See par [0112] of Jeon.
Claims 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2019/0373719) in view of Jeon (US 2011/0221332) (“Jeon 2”).
With regard to co claim 6, Lee does not disclose that the protrusion pattern and the light blocking pattern include a same material.
However, fig. 9 of Jeon 2 discloses that the protrusion pattern (vertical portion of 670) and the light blocking pattern 671 include a same material.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the bezel of Lee with the side edge bezel as taught in Jeon in order to improve the picture quality by preventing the lines at the left and right edges from being perceived. See par [0138] of Jeon.
Claim 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2019/0373719) in view of Barrett (US 2021/0405688).
With regard to claim 3, Lee does not disclose that the reinforcing layer contacts a surface of the protrusion pattern.
However, fig. 2 of Barrett discloses that the reinforcing layer 30-1 contacts a surface of the protrusion pattern 30-2.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the connection portion of the housing member of Lee with the display mounting member as taught in Barrett in order to serve as a reference surface (datum) that helps establish a desired physical relationship between the member and other portions of device. See par [0035] of Lee.
With regard to claim 7, Lee does not disclose that the protrusion pattern includes an ultraviolet curable resin.
However, fig. 12 of Barrett discloses that the protrusion pattern 30-2 includes an ultraviolet curable resin (“(e.g., ultraviolet light) may be used in curing the polymer forming member 30”, par [0034]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the connection portion of the housing member of Lee with the display mounting member as taught in Barrett in order to serve as a reference surface (datum) that helps establish a desired physical relationship between the member and other portions of device. See par [0035] of Lee.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN T LIU whose telephone number is (571)272-6009. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11:00am-7:30pm.
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/BENJAMIN TZU-HUNG LIU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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