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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4-7 and 10-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Moon et al. (US 2020/0295310 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Moon discloses a display device comprising: a first substrate (100); a lower electrode (310) arranged above the first substrate, in a display area including a pixel; a rib (119) including a pixel aperture overlapping with the lower electrode; a partition (119S) arranged on the rib in the display area; an organic layer (320) which covers the lower electrode through the pixel aperture and which emits light in accordance with application of a voltage; an upper electrode (330) covering the organic layer; a first sealing layer (410) formed of an inorganic material (¶[0110]) to continuously cover a thin film including the organic layer and the upper electrode, and the partition; a resin layer (420, ¶[0111]) covering the first sealing layer; a second sealing layer (520) formed of an inorganic material (¶[0171]) to cover the resin layer; a second substrate (200) facing the second sealing layer, and an adhesive layer (610) adhering the second sealing layer and the second substrate.
Regarding claim 4, Moon discloses a display device wherein a thickness of the resin layer (420) is five or less times as large as a height of the partition (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 5, Moon discloses a display device wherein the thickness of the resin layer is larger than the height of the partition (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 6, Moon discloses a display device wherein an end portion of the resin layer (420) is located in a surrounding area (PA) around the display area (DA) and is covered with the second sealing layer (520, Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 7, Moon discloses a display device wherein an end portion of the second sealing layer (520) is located in the surrounding area and covered with the adhesive layer (610, Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 10, Moon discloses a display device further comprising: a conductive pad (33) arranged in a surrounding area around the display area, and located between the first substrate (100) and the second sealing layer (200) in a thickness direction of the first substrate, wherein the second sealing layer (520) includes an aperture overlapping with the pad (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 11, Moon discloses a display device wherein the pad is exposed from the adhesive layer (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 12, Moon discloses a display device further comprising: a dam structure (120) including a plurality of protruding portions arranged in a surrounding area around the display area, wherein the second sealing layer (520) covers at least a part of the dam structure (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 13, Moon discloses a display device wherein a portion of the second sealing layer (520) which covers the dam structure (120) is covered with the adhesive layer (610).
Regarding claim 14, Moon discloses a display device wherein the dam structure surrounds the display area (Fig. 9).
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(s) 1, 4-7 and 10-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al. (US 2019/0363146) in view of Yamanaka et al. (US 2021/0271336 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Takahashi discloses a display device comprising: a first substrate (2); a lower electrode (21) arranged above the first substrate, in a display area including a pixel; a rib (BK1b1) including a pixel aperture overlapping with the lower electrode; a partition (BK1b2) arranged on the rib in the display area; an organic layer (22) which covers the lower electrode through the pixel aperture and which emits light in accordance with application of a voltage; an upper electrode (23) covering the organic layer; a first sealing layer (31) formed of an inorganic material (¶[0089]) to continuously cover a thin film including the organic layer and the upper electrode, and the partition; a resin layer (32, ¶[0090]) covering the first sealing layer; a second sealing layer (33) formed of an inorganic material (¶[0089]) to cover the resin layer; a second substrate facing the second sealing layer (¶[0144]). Takahashi fails to state an adhesive layer adhering the second sealing layer and the second substrate.
Yamanaka discloses a display device comprising: a first substrate (50); a lower electrode (22) arranged above the first substrate, in a display area including a pixel; a rib (23c) including a pixel aperture overlapping with the lower electrode; an organic layer (24) which covers the lower electrode through the pixel aperture and which emits light in accordance with application of a voltage; an upper electrode (25) covering the organic layer; a first sealing layer (26) formed of an inorganic material (¶[0045]) to continuously cover a thin film including the organic layer and the upper electrode, and the partition; a resin layer (27, ¶[0046]) covering the first sealing layer; a second sealing layer (28) formed of an inorganic material (¶[0045]) to cover the resin layer; a second substrate (9) facing the second sealing layer, and an adhesive layer (8) adhering the second sealing layer and the second substrate. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filling of the claimed invention to incorporate an adhesive layer as disclosed by Yamanaka in the display device of Takahashi for adhering the second sealing layer and the second substrate.
Regarding claim 4, Takahashi discloses a display device wherein a thickness of the resin layer (32) is five or less times as large as a height of the partition (Fig. 13A).
Regarding claim 5, Takahashi discloses a display device wherein the thickness of the resin layer is larger than the height of the partition (fig. 13A).
Regarding claim 6, Takahashi discloses a display device wherein an end portion of the resin layer (32) is located in a surrounding area (6) around the display area (5) and is covered with the second sealing layer (33, Fig. 13B).
Regarding claim 7, Takahashi in view of Yamanaka discloses a display device wherein an end portion of the second sealing layer (28) is located in the surrounding area and covered with the adhesive layer (8, Fig. 2 of Yamanaka).
Regarding claim 10, Takahashi discloses a display device further comprising: a conductive pad (TL) arranged in a surrounding area around the display area, and located between the first substrate (2) and the second sealing layer (33) in a thickness direction of the first substrate, wherein the second sealing layer (33) includes an aperture overlapping with the pad (Fig. 11B).
Regarding claim 11, Takahashi in view of Yamanaka discloses a display device wherein the pad is exposed for external connection (¶s[0053, 0065]) for connection to the external circuit such as a FCP. One skilled in the art would reasonable contemplate exposing the terminal pad from the adhesive layer as well in order to provide external access to the terminal connection. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filling of the claimed invention to exposed the pad from the adhesive layer as disclosed by Takahashi in order to provide external access to the terminal connection.
Regarding claim 12, Takahashi in view of Yamanaka discloses a display device further comprising: a dam structure (DM2, DM3 of Takahashi; 23b, 23a of Yamanaka) including a plurality of protruding portions arranged in a surrounding area around the display area, wherein the second sealing layer (33 of Takahashi; 28 of Yamanaka) covers at least a part of the dam structure.
Regarding claim 13, Takahashi in view of Yamanaka discloses a display device wherein a portion of the second sealing layer (28 of Yamanaka) which covers the dam structure (13b, 23a) is covered with the adhesive layer (8, Fig. 2 of Yamanaka).
Regarding claim 14, Takahashi discloses a display device wherein the dam structure surrounds the display area (Figs.2 and 13B).
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon et al. (US 2020/0295310 A1) in view of Choung et al. (US 2022/0077257 A1).
Regarding claims 2-3, Moon fails to exemplify wherein end portions of the thin film and the first sealing layer are located above the partition and covered with the resin layer, and wherein the partition includes a conductive lower portion and an upper portion which protrudes from a side surface of the lower portion, and the resin layer is in contact with the upper portion. Choung discloses a display device comprising: a first substrate (102); a lower electrode (104) arranged above the first substrate, in a display area including a pixel; a rib (126) including a pixel aperture overlapping with the lower electrode; a partition (110) arranged on the rib in the display area; an organic layer (112) which covers the lower electrode through the pixel aperture and which emits light in accordance with application of a voltage; an upper electrode (114) covering the organic layer; a first sealing layer (116) formed of an inorganic material (¶[0034]) to continuously cover a thin film including the organic layer and the upper electrode, and the partition; a resin layer (118, ¶[0036]) covering the first sealing layer; a second sealing layer (120) covering the resin layer; wherein end portions (Fig. 1A) of the thin film and the first sealing layer are located above the partition (110) and covered with the resin layer, and wherein the partition (110) includes a conductive lower portion (110A, ¶0030]) and an upper portion (110B, ¶[0030]) which protrudes from a side surface of the lower portion (Fig. 1B), and the resin layer (118) is in contact with the upper portion (115, Fig. 1B). The disclosed partition configuration provides shadowing for evaporation deposition of each of the OLED material and cathode (¶[0032]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filling of the claimed invention to incorporate the partition as disclosed by Choung in the display device of Moon in order to provide shadowing for evaporation deposition of the OLED material and cathode layers.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9, 15-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim(s) 8, the references of the Prior Art of record fails to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in claim(s) 8, and specifically comprising the limitation of a conductive layer arranged in a surrounding area around the display area, connected to the partition, and covered with the thin film, wherein each of the partition and the conductive layer includes a conductive lower portion and an upper portion which protrudes from a side surface of the lower portion.
Regarding claim(s) 9, claims(s) 9 is/are allowable for the reasons given in claim(s) 8 because of its/their dependency status from claim(s) 8.
Regarding claim(s) 15, the references of the Prior Art of record fails to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in claim(s) 15, and specifically comprising the limitation of a conductive layer arranged in the surrounding area, connected to the partition, and covered with the thin film, wherein each of the partition and the conductive layer includes a conductive lower portion and an upper portion which protrudes from a side surface of the lower portion, and the dam structure surrounds the conductive layer.
Regarding claim(s) 16, the references of the Prior Art of record fails to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in claim(s) 16, and specifically comprising the limitation of a conductive pad arranged in the surrounding area, wherein the dam structure includes a first protruding portion located between the pad and the display area, and a second protruding portion located between the pad and the first protruding portion, the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion are covered with the second sealing layer, the adhesive layer covers a portion of the second sealing layer, which covers the first protruding portion, and the adhesive layer does not cover a portion of the second sealing layer, which covers the second protruding portion.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lhee et al. (US 10,720,486 B2) discloses a display apparatus including a substrate, a display unit disposed on the substrate, an insulating layer disposed on the substrate, a power supply wire disposed on the insulating layer outside the display unit, and a cladding layer.
Hanari (US 2024/0090300 A1) discloses a display device including a lower electrode, a rib including a pixel aperture, a partition including a conductive lower portion on the rib and an upper portion protruding from a side surface of the lower portion, an organic layer covering the lower electrode, an upper electrode which is in contact with the side surface of the lower portion, a first sealing layer which is formed of an inorganic material and covers a display element, a first resin layer located above the first sealing layer, and a color filter located between the first sealing layer and the first resin layer.
The rejections above rely on the references for all the teachings expressed in the text of the references and/or one of ordinary skill in the art would have reasonably understood or implied from the texts of the references. To emphasize certain aspects of the prior art, only specific portions of the texts have been pointed out. Each reference as a whole should be reviewed in responding to the rejection, since other sections of the same reference and/or various combinations of the cited references may be relied on in future rejections in view of amendments.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mariceli Santiago whose telephone number is (571) 272-2464. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han, can be reached on (571) 272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mariceli Santiago/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2879