DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 08/13/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicants’ submission, filed on 07/15/2026, in response to claims 1-3 and 6-11 rejection from the final office action (05/22/2026), by amending claims 1 and 7-8 and cancelling claim 6 is entered and will be addressed below.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 4-5 remain withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species B2,B3, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Interpretation
The newly added limitation “wherein a pair of the at least one first coupling portion and the at least one second coupling portion which overlap each other is parallel to any one of the plurality of first tension portions and the plurality of second tension portions” of claim 1, parallel is “Having the same overall direction”, see OneLook.com.
Furthermore, this portion of the claim does not specified which side of the overlapped coupling portion and which side of any of the tension portions is to be compared for being parallel. This is considered as broad but not as indefinite, therefore, 112(b) is not applied to this portion of claim 1. This portion will be examined inclusive comparing any side of the overlapped coupling portion to any side of any of the tension portions.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-3 and 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
The newly added limitations “a plurality of first tension portions protruding from the first body part toward the frame and spaced apart from each other“ and “a plurality of second tension portions protruding from the second body part toward the frame and spaced apart from each other” do not have support in Applicants’ Specification.
Various Figures (Fig. 2A or Figs. 13A-B) show that the first body part MM1 overlaps with the mask frame MF and the first tension portions are parallel to the mask frame MF, not protruding toward the frame. Applicants’ Specification also describes “the first tension portions U1-1, U1-2, B1-1, B1-2, RS1-1, RS1-2 and RS1-3 and the second tension portions U2-1, U2-2, B2-1, B2-2, RS2-1, RS2-2 and RS2-3, which protrude to the outside of the frame MF” ([00105]).
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-3 and 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The newly added limitation “a plurality of first tension portions protruding from the first body part toward the frame and spaced apart from each other“ and “a plurality of second tension portions protruding from the second body part toward the frame and spaced apart from each other” are not clear.
Various Figures (Fig. 2A or Figs. 13A-B) show that the first body part MM1 overlaps with the mask frame MF and the first tension portions are parallel to the mask frame MF, not protruding toward the frame (in the DR3 direction, see Fig. 2A). Applicants’ Specification also describes “the first tension portions U1-1, U1-2, B1-1, B1-2, RS1-1, RS1-2 and RS1-3 and the second tension portions U2-1, U2-2, B2-1, B2-2, RS2-1, RS2-2 and RS2-3, which protrude to the outside of the frame MF” ([00105]).
Claim 1 will be examined inclusive protrude in the DR3 direction and/or protrude to the outside of the frame.
Dependent claims 2-3 and 7-11 are also rejected under USC 112(a) and 112(b) at least due to dependency to rejected claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3, 7-8, and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IKEHARA (JP 2010090415, from IDS, hereafter ‘415), in view of Kim et al. (US 6611089, hereafter ‘089) and NAKAMURA et al. (US 20190378984, hereafter ‘984).
‘415 teaches some limitations of:
Claim: As shown in FIG. 1A, the vapor deposition mask 1 includes a frame body 10 and a plurality of mask pieces 11 … The welded portion 13 is a portion where the mask piece 11 and the frame-like body 10 are joined by spot welding. The mask piece 11 has a plurality of opening areas 12, and a large number of mask openings 121 are provided in the opening area 12 (English translation, middle of P4, includes the claimed “A mask assembly, comprising: a frame extending in a first direction and a second direction intersecting each other, the frame including a frame opening; and a mask sheet coupled to the frame,” and as shown in Figs. 1a-1b. Note Figs. 1(a), note labels “12” and “13” were mistakenly exchanged, and Fig. 1(b) labels “13” and “131” should be “12” and “121”, see Figs. 3, 5-6 for openings “121”);
The mask pieces 11A and 11B of the present embodiment are thinned by removing a predetermined thickness by etching (half etching) at a portion that becomes the peripheral portion 112 in the base metal thin plate (P5, last complete paragraph), a large number of mask openings 121 are provided in the opening area 12 (middle of P4), As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the peripheral edge 112 of one mask piece 11A of the pair of mask pieces is thinned from the back surface 115 side of the contact surface 111. In the other mask piece 11B of the pair of mask pieces, the peripheral edge 112 is thinned from the contact surface 111 side (P5, 2nd last complete paragraph, includes the claimed “the mask sheet including: a first mask that includes: a first body part having: at least one first deposition opening corresponding to the frame opening; and at least one first coupling portion, each of which protrudes from at least one first side of the first body part, which overlaps the frame opening; and a second mask that includes: a second body part having: at least one second deposition opening corresponding to the frame opening; and at least one second coupling portion, each of which protrudes from at least one first side of the second body part, which overlaps the frame opening, wherein
the at least one first side of the first mask and the at least one first side of the second mask face each other in the frame opening, the at least one first coupling portion overlap the at least one second coupling portion, in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, respectively”),
the peripheral portion 112 of the mask pieces 11A and 11B is thinned to a plate thickness of about 25 μm by removing a thickness portion of about 25 μm from a thin metal plate having a plate thickness of about 50 μm. That is, the plate thicknesses at the peripheral portions 112 of the mask pieces 11A and 11B are substantially the same, and the total thickness (about 50 μm) at the peripheral portions 112 of the mask pieces 11A and 11B is the plate at the central portion of the mask pieces 11A and 11B (P5, bottom paragraph, includes the claimed “and a sum of respective thicknesses of the at least one first coupling portion and the at least one second coupling portion, which overlap each other, is equal to at least one of the thickness of the first body part and the thickness of the second body part“ and “wherein a pair of the at least one first coupling portion and the at least one second coupling portion which overlap each other“ and as shown in Fig. 2(b)).
‘415 does not expressly teach the other limitations of:
Claim 1: (1A) a plurality of first tension portions protruding from the first body part toward the frame and spaced apart from each other;
a plurality of second tension portions protruding from the second body part toward the frame and spaced apart from each other,
(1B) wherein each of the at least one first coupling portion and the at least one second coupling portion is provided in plurality, and
(1C) (wherein a pair of the at least one first coupling portion and the at least one second coupling portion which overlap each other) is parallel to any one of the plurality of first tension portions and the plurality of second tension portions.
Claim 8: wherein the first mask further comprises first sub-tension portions which protrude from the at least one second side of the first body part opposite to or perpendicular to the at least one first side, each of which is disposed between two of the first tension portions, and
the second mask further comprises second sub-tension portions which protrude from the at least one second side of the second body part opposite to or perpendicular to the at least one first side, each of which is disposed between two of the second tension portions.
‘415 also teaches that A plurality of welds 114 are provided on the peripheral edge 112 of the mask pieces 11A and 11B. The welded portion 114 is a portion where the peripheral portions 112 of the mask pieces 11A and 11B are spot-welded to each other (2nd complete paragraph, P6).
It would have been obvious to re-arrange each of the welded portion 114/112 with a plurality of welding points into a plurality of coupling portions each has one welding point is merely a separation of parts. It has been held that rearranging parts of an invention only involves routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Furthermore, ‘089 is analogous art in the field of Tension Mask Assembly For Color CRT Having At Least Two Divided Portions (title). ’089 teaches that Referring to the FIG. 6A, the divided portions 60a and 60b are overlapped with each other such that bridges 65a and 65b extending from each of separation short side portions 64a and 64b of the divided portions 60a and 60b at both sides can form slots 67. Here, the bridges 65a and 65b extending from the separation short side portions 64a and 64b can be freely extended within a range of not covering other slots 68. Further, the contact between the divided portions 60a and 60b must be formed such that the width of slot 67 made by the separation short side portions 64a and 64b can be the same as the width of the slot 68 of the non separation portion (col. 7, lines 22-35).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have welded portion 114/112 of ‘415 with a plurality of bridges/welded portions, as taught by ‘089 (the limitation of 1B), for its suitability with predictable results. The selection of something based on its known suitability for its intended use has been held to support a prima facie case of obviousness. MPEP 2144.07.
‘984 is analogous art in the field of DEPOSITION MASK DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DEPOSITION MASK DEVICE (title). ’984 teaches that A joint piece 44 is formed between two adjacent notches 42. In other words, the joint piece 44 is located between the two adjacent notches 42. The vapor deposition mask 20 is joined to the frame 15 at the joint piece 44. That is, the joint piece 44 and the frame 15 are fixed to each other via the joint portion 60 (Fig. 3, [0084], see also Fig. 1), for the purpose of suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles and deformation in the vapor deposition mask ([0014]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have added joint pieces 44 of ‘984 to the mask pieces 11A and 11B that overlaps with frame 10 of ‘415, and then combined with ‘089 (the limitations of 1A, 1C, and 8), for the purpose of suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles and deformation in the vapor deposition mask, as taught by ‘984 ([0014]). Note the joint pieces 44 is parallel to the plurality of bridges/welded portions of the divided peripheral edge 112 of ‘415 in many different ways, see claim interpretation above.
‘415 further teaches the limitations of:
Claim 2: the peripheral portion 112 of the mask pieces 11A and 11B is thinned to a plate thickness of about 25 μm by removing a thickness portion of about 25 μm from a thin metal plate having a plate thickness of about 50 μm. That is, the plate thicknesses at the peripheral portions 112 of the mask pieces 11A and 11B are substantially the same, and the total thickness (about 50 μm) at the peripheral portions 112 of the mask pieces 11A and 11B is the plate at the central portion of the mask pieces 11A and 11B (P5, bottom paragraph, includes the claimed “wherein a thickness of the at least one first coupling portion is less than a thickness of the first body part, a thickness of the at least one second coupling portion is less than a thickness of the second body part”, note claim 2 is tighter than the previously amended portion of claim 1).
Claim 3: Fig. 2(b) shows the claimed “wherein the at least one first coupling portion are each in contact with the at least one first side of the second body part, and the at least one second coupling portion are each in contact with the at least one first side of the first body part”).
Claim 7: Fig. 1(a) and 2(a) show the claimed “wherein the first tension portions and the first coupling portions do not overlap the at least one first deposition opening in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and
the second tension portions and the second coupling portions do not overlap the at least one second deposition opening, in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction”.
Claims 10 and 11: Fig. 1(a) shows the claimed “wherein the at least one first deposition opening includes a plurality of first deposition openings, the at least one second deposition opening includes a plurality of second deposition openings, and the plurality of first deposition openings are disposed in the same shape as the plurality of second deposition openings” of claim 10 and “wherein the plurality of first deposition openings are disposed apart from each other in the first direction” of claim 11).
Alternatively, claims 1-3, 7-8, and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘415, in view of ‘089 and Yu et al. (CN 211367702, from IDS, hereafter ‘702).
In case Applicants argue that “wherein a pair of the at least one first coupling portion and the at least one second coupling portion which overlap each other is parallel to any one of the plurality of first tension portions and the plurality of second tension portions“, parallel means being at the same line.
‘415 teaches some limitations of claim 1 and does not teach the other limitations of claim 1 as discussed above.
It would have been obvious to re-arrange each of the welded portion 114/112 with a plurality of welding points into a plurality of coupling portions each has one welding point is merely a separation of parts. It has been held that rearranging parts of an invention only involves routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Furthermore, ‘089 is analogous art as discussed above.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have welded portion 114/112 of ‘415 with a plurality of bridges/welded portions, as taught by ‘089, for its suitability with predictable results. The selection of something based on its known suitability for its intended use has been held to support a prima facie case of obviousness. MPEP 2144.07.
‘702 is analogous art in the field of Mask Substrate And Mask Plate (title), used for light emitting material evaporation (English translation, abstract). ’702 teaches that as shown in FIG. 3, comprising: the opening machine 6 clamps the structure 3 to be clamped around the edge of the adjusting fixing area 2 of the mask substrate 4, and the mask substrate 4 is stretched by the centre of the effective use area 1 of the mask substrate 4 to the position where the structure 3 is to be clamped, so that the effective use area 1 is overlapped with the effective evaporation area of the substrate to be plated (P6, 3rd paragraph), for the purpose of process precision (middle of P2). Figs. 2 and 3 shows the structure 3, as tension portion protruding from the mask body, is very broad.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have added the broad protruding structure 3 of ‘702 to the mask pieces 11A and 11B that overlaps with frame 10 of ‘415, and then combined with ‘089 (the limitations of 1A, 1C and 8), for the purpose of process precision, as taught by ‘702 (middle of P2). Note as the protruding structure 3 is very broad, it is likely to be at the same line as the overlapped coupling portion divided peripheral edge 112 of ‘415 from the teaching of ‘089.
The rejection of claims 2-3, 7, and 10-11 are discussed above.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘415, ‘089, and ‘984 (or ‘702), as being applied to claim 1 rejection above, in view of White et al. (US 20160043319, hereafter ‘319).
‘415 teaches some limitations of:
Claim 9: The mask piece 11 of the present embodiment is made of a thin metal plate having a thickness of about 50 μm, and the material of the thin metal plate is preferably a material having a small thermal expansion coefficient such as invar, super invar, or stainless invar (top of page 5, includes the claimed “wherein the first mask, and the second mask each comprise at least one of invar and stainless steel”).
The combination of ‘415, ‘089, and ‘984 (or ‘702) does not teach the limitations of:
Claim 9: wherein the frame, (the first mask, and the second mask) each comprise at least one of invar and stainless steel.
‘319 is analogous art in the field of FINE METAL MASK (title). ’319 teaches that the frame 112 is composed of INVAR (Fig. 1A-1B, [0028], 2nd last sentence), Suitable materials for the fine metal mask 106 or components thereof include, but are not limited to INVAR (64FeNi), ASTM Grade 5 titanium (Ti-6Al-4V), titanium, aluminum, molybdenum, copper, 440 stainless steel, HASTELLOY® alloy C-276, nickel, chrome-molybdenum steel, 304 stainless steel, other iron containing compositions, or combinations thereof (2nd half of [0027]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have adopted invar as the material for mask frame of ‘415, as taught by ‘319, for the purpose of matching thermal expansion.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/15/2026, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicants argue that none of Ikehara ‘415, Kim ‘089, and Nakamura ‘984 teaches “wherein a pair of the at least one first coupling portion and the at least one second coupling portion which overlap each other is parallel to any one of the plurality of first tension portions and the plurality of second tension portions” because the joint pieces 44 of ‘984 are not parallel to overlapping coupling portions, see pages 8-10.
This argument is found not persuasive.
As explained in the claim interpretation section, parallel means “Having the same overall direction” and the joint pieces 44 of is extending in the horizontal direction from the top view and so does the peripheral edge 112 of ‘415 divided by the teaching of ‘089. Furthermore, which side of the overlapped coupling portion and which side of any of the tension portions is to be compared for being parallel has not been defined.
From Applicants’ showing of Fig. 3a, it appears application meant these portions are aligned in a same line, which is not as claimed. The examiner provides alternative rejection based on ‘702 to reject this narrow interpretations. Note another IDS, US 12168823 also teaches a big tension portions (Fig. 6).
Note also even by amending one of the tension portion having the same width and in the same line with the overlapping portions, the examiner notices that the overlapping portion is merely at the cross-bar support of the first body part (and the second body part) of the masks MS1 and MS2 aligned with the welding point WB. It is obvious to attach the tension device at such location.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20130040047 is cited for multiple support members 601 that falls into depressions 603 of mask 103 (Fig. 7).
US 20140069331 is cited for “a sum of respective thicknesses of the at least one first coupling portion and the at least one second coupling portion, which overlap each other, is equal to at least one of the thickness of the first body part and the thickness of the second body part” (Fig. 2) and “each of the at least one first coupling portion and the at least one second coupling portion is provided in plurality” (Fig. 4).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEATH T CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1870. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am-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, Parviz Hassanzadeh can be reached at 571-272-1435. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEATH T CHEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716
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