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 Amendment
The amendment filed October 27, 2025 has been entered. Claims 1, 7-8, 10, and 12-14 have been amended. Claims 6 and 15-16 have been canceled, and new claim 21 has been added. Applicant has incorporated the subject matter of now canceled claim 6 into independent claim 1. Claims 1-5, 7-14, and 17-21 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendment to the Specification has overcome the objection previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed August 1, 2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed October 27, 2025, with respect to the rejection of claim 1 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made in view of the combined teachings of Hu (CN 115116336 A) and Kim et al. (US 2024/0206305 A1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claim 18 depends on now canceled claim 15. Applicant may cancel the claim, amend the claim to place the claim in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim complies with the statutory requirements. For the purpose of substantive examination, Examiner will assume that claim 18 depends on claim 1.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-5, 7, 12, 14 and 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu (CN 115116336 A) in view of Kim et al. (US 2024/0206305 A1), hereinafter Kim.
Regarding claim 1, Hu teaches a display device comprising:
a display panel (display module 2) and a composite adhesive tape (first sub-supporting module 7 and second sub-supporting module 8; each sub-supporting module includes at least one adhesive layer; 7 includes first adhesive layer 10 and second adhesive layer 13, and 8 includes third adhesive layer 18),
wherein the display panel (2) comprises a display part (display part 4), a bendable part (bending part 5) and a binding part (binding part 6), wherein the display part (4) comprises a first surface (surface of display part 4 adjacent to optical adhesive layer 21 or polarizer 23; hereinafter, top surface) and a second surface (surface of display part 4 adjacent to third adhesive layer 18 or second back plate 26; hereinafter, bottom surface) opposite to the first surface, the first surface (top surface) is a surface from which the display panel (2) emits light (see pg. 8, paragraph 9),
the bendable part (5) is located between the display part (4) and the binding part (6; see Figs. 2-4), the binding part (6) is flipped over to face the second surface (bottom surface) through the bendable part (5; see Figs. 2-4), a surface of the binding part (6) facing away from the display part (4) is bound with a control chip (flexible circuit module 24; see pg. 7 paragraph 4, stating that flexible circuit module 24 may include an integrated circuit), the second surface (bottom surface) comprises a first region (right portion as shown in Figs. 2-4) and a second region (left portion as shown in Figs. 2-4), a vertical projection of the binding part (6) on the second surface (bottom surface) is located in the first region (right portion as shown in Figs. 2-4),
at least a part of the composite adhesive tape (7 and 8) is located between the display part (4) and the binding part (6; see Figs. 2-4), the composite tape (7 and 8) comprises a first film structure (8) and a second film structure (7), the first film structure (8) is bonded with the second surface (bottom surface), the second film structure (7) comprises at least a first part (right portion of 7 as shown in Figs. 2-4), a vertical projection of the first part (right portion of 7 as shown in Figs. 2-4) on the second surface (bottom surface) is located in the first region (right portion as shown in Figs. 2-4), and the first part (right portion of 7 as shown in Figs. 2-4) is bonded with the first film structure (8) and the binding part (6; see Figs. 2-4).
Hu lacks the teaching that the second film structure further comprises a second part and a
third part, two ends of the second part are integrally connected with the first part and the third part, respectively, and the third part is flipped over to a side of the binding part facing away from the display part by bending the second part to cover the control chip.
Kim teaches a display device including a film structure (cover tape CT) bonded to a surface of a display panel (display substrate AP). The film structure (CT) comprises first, second, and third parts that are integrally connected (see annotated Fig. 11A below). The third part is flipped over to a side the device facing away from the display panel (AP) by bending the second part. The film structure (CT) covers the top and side surfaces of a control chip (control chip C-IC). An end of its third part facing away from the second part straddles the control chip (C-IC) and is bonded to a surface of a circuit board (MPCB) (see annotated Fig. 11A below).
Hu and Kim are both considered to be analogous art because they are in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the present application, to incorporate the teachings of Kim into the device taught by Hu. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that they could cover flexible circuit module 24 by simply extending first sub-supporting module 7 to include second and third parts, and flip the third part over to a side of binding part 6 facing away from display part 5. Covering flexible circuit module 24 in this manner would serve to protect it from external impact and dissipate heat generated therefrom (see Kim, paragraph 0104).
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Regarding claim 2, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated
above. Hu in view of Kim further teaches the display device according to claim 1, wherein the first film structure (Hu: 8) comprises a first adhesive layer (Hu: third adhesive layer 18), a first support and protection layer (Hu: second support layer 16 and second buffer layer 17) and a first metal layer (Hu: radiating layer 11; radiating layer 11 includes metal heat dissipation layer 19 and graphite layer 20), in a direction from the first surface (Hu: top surface) to the second surface (Hu: bottom surface), and the first film structure (Hu: 8) is bonded to the second surface (Hu: bottom surface) through the first adhesive layer (Hu: 18; Figs. 2-3).
Regarding claim 3, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 2 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim further teaches the display device according to claim 2, wherein a part of the first adhesive layer (Hu: 18) on the first region (Hu: right portion as shown in Figs. 2-4) and a part of the first adhesive layer (Hu: 18) on the second region (Hu: left portion as shown in Figs. 2-4) form an integral structure (Hu: see Figs. 2-4), and a part of the first support and protection layer (Hu: 16 and 17) on the first region (Hu: right portion as shown in Figs. 2-4) and a part of the first support and protection layer (Hu: 16 and 17) on the second region (Hu: left portion as shown in Figs. 2-4) form an integral structure (Hu: see Figs. 2-4).
Regarding claim 4, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 3 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim further teaches the display device according to claim 3, wherein a part of the first metal layer (Hu: 11) on the first region (Hu: right portion as shown in Figs. 2-4) and a part of the first metal layer (Hu: 11) on the second region (Hu: left portion as shown in Figs. 2-4) form an integral structure (Hu: see Figs. 2-4).
Regarding claim 5, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 2 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim further teaches the display device according to claim 2, wherein the first metal layer (Hu: 11) comprises a gap (Hu: see Figs. 4 and 8), and the gap is located outside a bonding region of the second film structure (Hu: 7) and the first film structure (Hu: 8; see annotated Fig. 4 below).
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Regarding claim 7, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim is silent as to whether an elastic modulus of the second part is smaller than an elastic modulus of the first part and an elastic modulus of the third part.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the present application, to make an elastic modulus of the second part smaller than an elastic modulus of the first and third parts since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 05 USPQ 233. Hu in view of Kim teaches a film structure comprising first, second, and third parts wherein the second part bends. It would be obvious to make the second part have a smaller elastic modulus than the first and third parts in order to facilitate the bending.
Regarding claim 12, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim further teaches the display device according to claim 1 wherein an end of the third part away from the second part straddles the control chip and is bonded with the binding part (see Kim annotated Fig. 11A above showing an end of the third part facing away from the second part straddling the control chip and bonded to a surface of circuit board MPCB), and a bonding position of the end and the binding part does not overlap with the bendable part (as modified in the above-described manner, the end of the third part would be bonded to Hu’s binding part 6 at a position not overlapping with bending part 5).
Regarding claim 14, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim further teaches the display device according to claim 1 wherein an end of the binding part (Hu: 6) away from the bendable part (Hu: 5) is connected with a flexible circuit board (Hu: 24; see pg. 7 paragraph 4 stating that flexible circuit module 24 may include an integrated circuit and a flexible circuit board), and a surface of the flexible circuit board (Hu: 24) facing away from the display part (Hu: 4) is bonded to the third part (as modified in the above-described manner, the surface flexible circuit module 24 facing away from display part 4 would be bonded to the third part).
Regarding claim 18, as best understood in light of the above-mentioned 112(d) issue, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim further teaches the display device according to claim 1, wherein the second film structure (Hu: 7) is an adhesive layer (Hu: first sub-supporting module 7 includes first adhesive layer 10 and second adhesive layer 13).
Regarding claim 19, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim further teaches the display device according to claim 1, wherein in a part of the composite tape (Hu: 7 and 8) between the binding part (Hu: 6) and the display part (Hu: 4), ends of the first film structure (Hu: 8) and the second film structure (Hu: 7), facing the bendable part (Hu: 5), are flush with each other (Hu: see Figs. 2-3); or a part of the composite tape (Hu: 7 and 8) between the binding part (Hu: 6) and the display part (Hu: 4) has no overlapping region with the bendable part (Hu: see Figs. 2-3 showing that first 7 and second 8 sub-supporting modules are flush and neither protrudes into bending part 5).
Regarding claim 20, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim further teaches the display device according to claim 1, wherein a protective layer (Hu: first back plate 25 and second back plate 26) is provided on a side of the display panel (Hu: 2) facing away from a display surface (Hu: surface of 4 adjacent to polarizer 23), wherein the protective layer (Hu: 25 and 26) is located between the display part (Hu: 4) and the composite tape (Hu: 7 and 8), and between the binding part (Hu: 6) and the composite tape (Hu: 7 and 8), and the bendable part (Hu: 5) is exposed from the protective layer (Hu: 25 and 26).
Regarding claim 21, Hu teaches a display device comprising:
a display panel (2) and a composite adhesive tape (7 and 8),
wherein the display panel (2) comprises a display part (4), a bendable part (5) and a binding part (6), wherein the display part (4) comprises a first surface (top surface) and a second surface (bottom surface) opposite to the first surface, the first surface (top surface) is a surface from which the display panel (2) emits light (see pg. 8, paragraph 9),
the bendable part (5) is located between the display part (4) and the binding part (6; see Figs. 2-4), the binding part (6) is flipped over to face the second surface (bottom surface) through the bendable part (5; see Figs. 2-4), a surface of the binding part (6) facing away from the display part (4) is bound with a control chip (24; see pg. 7 paragraph 4, stating that flexible circuit module 24 may include an integrated circuit), the second surface (bottom surface) comprises a first region (right portion as shown in Figs. 2-4) and a second region (left portion as shown in Figs. 2-4), a vertical projection of the binding part (6) on the second surface (bottom surface) is located in the first region (right portion as shown in Figs. 2-4),
at least a part of the composite adhesive tape (7 and 8) is located between the display part (4) and the binding part (6; see Figs. 2-4), the composite tape (7 and 8) comprises a first film structure (8) and a second film structure (7), the first film structure (8) is bonded with the second surface (bottom surface), the second film structure (7) comprises at least a first part (the entirety of 7 constitutes a first part), a vertical projection of the first part (7) on the second surface (bottom surface) is located in the first region (right portion as shown in Figs. 2-4), and the first part (7) is bonded with the first film structure (8) and the binding part (6; see Figs. 2-4),
wherein the second film structure (7) has a first area (length of 7), and a bonding region of the first part (7) and the first film structure (8) has a second area (length of where 7 and 8 are attached),
wherein the first area is equal to the second area (the entire length of 7 is attached to 8, so the two lengths are equal), wherein an end of the binding part (6) away from the bendable part (5) is connected with a flexible circuit board (24; see pg. 7 paragraph 4 stating that flexible circuit module 24 may include an integrated circuit and a flexible circuit board);
in a direction perpendicular to the second surface (up/down direction in Fig. 2), the first part (7) is located between the flexible circuit board (24) and the first film structure (8), and bonds the flexible circuit board (24) and the first film structure (8).
Hu fails to disclose that the first part is in direct contact with the flexible circuit board.
Kim (see Fig. 11A) teaches a film structure (CT) in direct contact with a flexible circuit board (first circuit board FPCB; from paragraph 0053: “[T]he first circuit board FPCB may be a flexible printed circuit board.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the present application, to modify the device disclosed in Hu by slightly extending the first part so that it may wrap around to cover at least a portion of the flexible circuit board. Doing so would serve to protect the flexible circuit board from external impact (see Kim, paragraph 0104).
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu in view of Kim as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chun (US 2017/0263890 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim lacks the specific teaching that the second part comprises an adjustment structure for increasing a bending capability of the second part.
Chun teaches a display device (1000) protective film (first protection film 200) that comprises an adjustment structure for increasing the protective film’s bending capability (from paragraph 0074: “[T]he first protection film 200 has a mesh shape in a plane view formed by the openings 210 and the rib part 220.”)
Chun is considered to be analogous art because it is in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the present application, to include an adjustment structure on the second part in order to make the second part easier to bend.
Regarding claim 9, Hu in view of Kim and Chun teaches all of the limitations of claim 8 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim and Chun further teaches the display device according to claim 8, wherein the second film structure comprises a second metal layer, and the second metal layer comprises a hollow region as the adjustment structure in the second part; and/or, a thickness of the second part is smaller than a thickness of the third part and a thickness of the first part (Chun: see Fig. 6 showing the second film part FA2 having a smaller thickness than the first film part FA1). It would have been obvious to incorporate this teaching by making the thickness of the second part smaller than the thickness of the first and third parts so that the second part is easier to bend.
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu in view of Kim as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Cai et al. (US 2024/0404907 A1), hereinafter Cai.
Regarding claim 10, Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim lacks the specific teaching that a side wall of the control chip is provided with a fixing adhesive, the fixing adhesive comprises a slope, the slope extends from a top surface of the control chip to the surface of the binding part facing away from the display part, and the third part comprises a slope region bonded to the slope.
Cai teaches a display device (see paragraph 0004) comprising a control chip (component group 2; from paragraph 0061: “[T]he component group 2 may include on or more components. The components may include, for example, a control chip IC, a capacitor C and/or a resistor R, etc.”) and a film structure (adhesive tape 3). A side wall of the control chip (2) is provided with a fixing adhesive (adhesive layer 332). The fixing adhesive (332) comprises a slope (lapping portion 322) extending from a top surface of the control chip (2) to a surface of a binding part of a substrate (1). The film structure (3) comprises a slope region bonded to the slope (322).
Cai is considered to be analogous art because it is in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the present application, to modify the teachings of Hu in view of Kim by fixing the control chip with an adhesive comprising a slope that extends from a top surface of the control chip to the surface of the binding part facing away from the display part and to bond part of the second film structure's third part to the slope. Doing so would secure the control chip and the third part to the binding part. The slope would permit the second film structure to smoothly transition from the top surface of the control chip to the binding part.
Regarding claim 11, Hu in view of Kim and Cai teaches all of the limitations of claim 10 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim and Cai further teaches the display device according to claim 10, wherein the third part (Cai: 3) comprises a first sub-region (covering portion 31 and first lapping portion 321) for forming the slope region, the first sub-region (31 and 321) comprises a first end (Cai: 31) and a second end (Cai: 321) in a lengthwise direction of the third part (Cai: 3), the first end (Cai: 31) is close to a top of the control chip (Cai: 2), and the second end (Cai: 321) is close to a bottom of the control chip (Cai: 2), wherein a thickness of the third part at the second end (Cai: 321) is smaller than a thickness of the rest of the third part (Cai: 3) (see Fig. 3B); and/or, the third part is a laminated structure of a plurality of films, and at least one of the plurality of films comprises a hollow region at the first end and the second end.
Hu in view of Kim and Cai lacks a specific teaching that a thickness of the third part at the first end is smaller than a thickness of the rest of the third part. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date the present application, to make the thickness at the first end smaller than the thickness of the rest of the third part since Cai already teaches that a thickness at the second end has a smaller thickness. Doing so would help facilitate bonding of the second film structure.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu in view of Kim as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Izawa et al. (US 8,853,562 B2), hereinafter Izawa.
Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim further teaches that the second film structure (Hu: 7) comprises a second adhesive layer (Hu: 13) bonded to a surface of the binding part (Hu: 6), facing the display part (Hu: 4), in the first part of the second film structure (Hu: 7; see Fig. 2).
Hu in view of Kim lacks the teaching of a second metal layer stacked with the second adhesive layer and bonded to the first film structure in the first part, and bonded to the surface of the binding part facing away from the display part, through the second adhesive layer, in the third part.
Izawa teaches a film structure (electromagnetic shielding film 10) for shielding an electronic component (30). The film structure (10) comprises a metal layer (conductive metal layer 11) and an adhesive layer (conductive adhesive layer 12 and insulating resin layer 13). The film structure (10) covers the sides and top surface of the electronic component (30). The metal layer (11) is bonded to a surface of a printed wiring board (20) through the adhesive layer (12 and 13).
Izawa is considered to be analogous art because it is pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor of shielding a control chip. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the present application, to modify Hu in view of Kim by adding a second metal layer between Hu’s second adhesive layer 13 and first buffer layer 14. With this modification to Hu in view of Kim, the newly added second metal layer (Izawa: 11) would be bonded to the first film structure (through layers 10, 14, and 15 of Hu) in the first part. In the second part, the second metal layer (Izawa: 11) would be bonded to the surface of the binding part (Hu: 6) facing away from the display part (Hu: 4) through the second adhesive layer (Hu: 13). This modification would provide electromagnetic shielding for the control chip.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu in view of Kim as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wu et al. (US 2025/0201152 A1), hereinafter Wu.
Hu in view of Kim teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Hu in view of Kim teaches the first film structure (8) comprises a first metal layer (11), but lacks the specific teaching that the first metal layer has a first thickness in a bonding region of the first film structure and the first part, and has a second thickness outside the bonding region of the first film structure and the first part, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.
Wu teaches a display device (display device 100) that comprises a film structure with a metal layer (heat dissipation sheet 140) having a first thickness and a second thickness wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness (see Figs. 3, 7, and 12-14).
Wu is considered to be analogous art because it is in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the present application, to make the first metal layer have thickness outside the bonding region of the first film structure greater than thickness in a bonding region of the first film structure and the first part. Doing so would provide increased heat dissipation outside of the bonding region.
Conclusion
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/R.T.M./Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841