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
Applicant’s election without traverse of species Fig. 1 in the reply filed on 4/23/26 is acknowledged. Claims 7-12 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 4/23/26.
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) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Hauer (US 20230097926).
Regarding claim 1. Hauer teaches in the drawings a mask assembly (fig. 1ab, the individual rectangular transport assemblies 3ab [44], each formed of multiple components such as 11, 4, covering/masking over the drive coils 6y, x, and stator 2) comprising: a stage (base body 9 fig. 1-17) having a rectangular shape in a plan view (the base/prone/plan view of 9 being rectangular fig. 1ab, [44]), and including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other (fig. 1ab, 9 has at least two pairs of opposing side/edge surfaces of the four sided rectangle, fig. 1-17) and extending in a first direction (either one of the x, y directions/laterally in which each of the sides of each pair extend on 9, fig. 1-17, such as fig. 5), wherein the stage includes a first magnet adjacent to the first surface ([90] since 11a is magnetized, at least any part of 11a adjacent to said 1st surface from which said 11a protrudes is a magnet/magnetic material portion, such as an arbitrary small side portion of 11a, fig. 5-10); a first protrusion (the remainder of said 11a which is a protrusion fig. 5-10)
protruding from the first surface of the stage (fig. 5, 11a protrudes out from said respective side surface of 9) in a second direction crossing the first direction (11a protrudes outward which is normal/perpendicular to said laterally extending direction of the side surface of 9 fig. 5); and a second protrusion (the 11a on the opposite side surface to the one mentioned eg fig. 5, opposing sides of 9 each has a 11a) protruding from the second surface of the stage (as disc, said the other 11a protruding from the opposite side surface of 9 of said pair of side surfaces that includes said first side surface) in a third direction opposite to the second direction (fig. 5, the opposite 11a protrudes out away from the protrusion direction of the said first 11a on the other side of 9 across the opposite 11a), wherein the second protrusion includes a second magnet (as discussed, since all the 11a are magnetized, at least a portion of the second/opposite 11a is considered a magnetic material portion/magnet).
Regarding claim 2. Hauer teaches the mask assembly of claim 1, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet have a same polarity as each other ([90] since 11a and b are opposite poles/differently magnetized to allow attraction, all the 11a have same polarity/same magnetized, hence the said 1st 2nd magnets which are portions of 11a have same polarity).
Regarding claim 3. Hauer teaches the mask assembly of claim 1, wherein a height from a bottom surface of the stage to the first magnet is the same as a height from the bottom surface of the stage to the second magnet (all the 11a are the same, fig. 5, 10, and the 1st, 2nd magnets are considered to be the same part/portion of their respective 11a of the pair of opposing 11a, they must then be at the same height from the bottom of 9).
Regarding claim 4. Hauer teaches the mask assembly of claim 1, wherein a height from a bottom surface of the stage to the first protrusion is greater than a height from the bottom surface of the stage to the second protrusion (we can take the height from bottom of 9 to the top of the first 11a and the second height from bottom of 9 to the bottom of the other/opposite 11a, thus the 1st h is greater than 2nd h, the 11a being equivalent as disc in claim 3).
Regarding claim 5. Hauer teaches the mask assembly of claim 1, wherein the first magnet is embedded in the first surface, and the second magnet is embedded in the second protrusion (as disc in claim 1, since the entire 11a is magnetic, if the 1st, 2nd magnets are conical base portions of all the 11a, at least a portion of each base must be embedded in the adjacent/1st surface to fix the 11a into 9 and the remainder/conical part of the base magnet portion embedded/nestled into the rest of the respective 11a; since this applies for all the 11a, it also applies for the 2nd /opposite 11a having the 2nd magnet).
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) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hauer (US 20230097926) in view of Choi (US 20150179710).
Regarding claim 6. Hauer teaches the mask assembly of claim 1, but does not teach further comprising: a mask frame in which an opening is defined; and a mask fixed to the mask frame. However, Choi teaches in the drawings a mask frame (frame shaped mask tray 611 [79-82] fig. 4) in which an opening is defined (fig. 4, 611 has window like opening); and a mask fixed to the mask frame ([79-82] fig. 4, mask 612 is held to 611 along with the substrate) It would be obvious to those skilled in the art at invention time to modify Hauer to be able to manufacture RGB OLEDs [75-78] with selective color patterns to manufacture desirable consumer products that have wider viewing angles, better contrast characteristics, and faster response speeds than other display devices, and thus, have drawn attention as a next-generation display device [5].
Claim(s) 13-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi (US 20150179710) in view of Hauer (US 20230097926).
Regarding claim 13. Choi teaches in the figures a deposition apparatus (deposition unit 100 [44-47]) comprising: a chamber (chamber 101 [48 49]); a transfer roller ([55] roller 410/420 for transferring the mask assembly) disposed inside the chamber (fig. 2 410/420 in 101); a first mask assembly (eg 610 and its components 611-613 500, figs. 4-7) disposed on the transfer roller (they are conveyed through said 101, fig. 4-7 on 410 420/roller in 101, fig. 2) and transferred along the transfer roller (as discussed, fig. 2, both forward and reverse on the 410/420); and a second mask assembly (fig. 4-7, there are multiple mask assemblies) disposed on the transfer roller (as discussed, they are all transported through the 100/101 on the roller inside), adjacent to the first mask assembly in a first direction (fig. 4-7, the multiple mask assemblies are next to each other and move in direction A), and transferred along the transfer roller (as discussed), but does not teach wherein each of the first mask assembly and the second mask assembly includes: a stage having a rectangular shape in a plan view, and including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, wherein the stage includes a first magnet adjacent to the first surface; a first protrusion protruding from the first surface of the stage in a third direction opposite to the first direction; and a second protrusion protruding from the second surface of the stage in the first direction, wherein the second protrusion includes a second magnet.
However, Hauer teaches in the drawings a mask assembly (fig. 1ab, the individual rectangular transport assemblies 3ab [44], each formed of multiple components such as 11, 4, covering/masking over the drive coils 6y, x, and stator 2) comprising: a stage (base body 9 fig. 1-17) having a rectangular shape in a plan view (the base/prone/plan view of 9 being rectangular fig. 1ab, [44]), and including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other (fig. 1ab, 9 has at least two pairs of opposing side/edge surfaces of the four sided rectangle, fig. 1-17) and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction (either one of the x, y directions/laterally in which each of the sides of each pair extend on 9, fig. 1-17, such as fig. 5, which crosses the direction of motion/longitudinal), wherein the stage includes a first magnet adjacent to the first surface ([90] since 11a is magnetized, at least any part of 11a adjacent to said 1st surface from which said 11a protrudes is a magnet/magnetic material portion, such as an arbitrary small side portion of 11a, fig. 5-10);
a first protrusion (the remainder of said 11a which is a protrusion fig. 5-10) protruding from the first surface of the stage (fig. 5, 11a protrudes out from said respective side surface of 9) in a third direction opposite to the first direction (one of the 11a protrudes outward in a backwards direction which is opposite to the direction of travel); and a second protrusion (the 11a on the opposite side surface to the one mentioned eg fig. 5, opposing sides of 9 each has a 11a) protruding from the second surface of the stage (as disc, said the other 11a protruding from the opposite side surface of 9 of said pair of side surfaces that includes said first side surface) in the first direction (fig. 5, the opposite 11a protrudes out away from the protrusion direction of the said backward protruding first 11a on the other side of 9 across the opposite 11a thus protrudes in the forward direction/direction of travel), wherein the second protrusion includes a second magnet (as discussed, since all the 11a are magnetized, at least a portion of the second/opposite 11a is considered a magnetic material portion/magnet). It would be obvious to those skilled in the art at the time of invention to modify Choi to provide the mask assembly that can carry larger loads, where different object carriers can be exchanged in a simple manner and the assembly is not released undesirably [Hauer 10 11].
Regarding claim 14. Choi in view of Hauer teaches the deposition apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet have a same polarity as each other (see claim 2).
Regarding claim 15. Choi in view of Hauer teaches the deposition apparatus of claim 13, wherein a height from a bottom surface of the stage to the first magnet is the same as a height from the bottom surface of the stage to the second magnet (see claim 3).
Regarding claim 16. Choi in view of Hauer teaches the deposition apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first magnet of the second mask assembly is adjacent to the second magnet of the first mask assembly in the first direction (when the Hauer based mask assembly is next to each other, fig. 5, the forward facing side/magnet/11a portion of one assembly carrier is opposite/adjacent to the reverse facing magnet/11a portion of the adjacent carrier/mask assembly in the travel direction and vice versa).
Regarding clam 17. Choi in view of Hauer teaches the deposition apparatus of claim 13, wherein a height from a bottom surface of the stage to the first protrusion is greater than a height from the bottom surface of the stage to the second protrusion (claim 4).
Regarding claim 18. Choi in view of Hauer teaches the deposition apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first protrusion of the second mask assembly is adjacent to the second protrusion of the first mask assembly in a fourth direction crossing each of the first, second and third directions (as disc, similar to claim 16, the 11a of one assembly is next to the opposing 11a of the adjacent assembly and is in the 3d dimension, which includes z direction, hence crossing forward/back directions and the lateral/crossing direction, which also are directions of the cartesian plane, eg +/-x and y and vice versa).
Regarding claim 19. Choi in view of Hauer teaches the deposition apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first magnet is embedded in the first surface, and the second magnet is embedded in the second protrusion (see claim 5).
Regarding claim 20. Choi in view of Hauer teaches the deposition apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: a plurality of deposition sources disposed inside the chamber under the first mask assembly and the second mask assembly (fig. 2-7 showing the many dep sources 100-1 to n in 101 and under the conveyed mask assemblies).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YUECHUAN YU whose telephone number is (571)272-7190. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/YUECHUAN YU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718
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