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 .
Drawings
The drawings were received on December 11, 2023. These drawings are acceptable.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 8 and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhao (US 2024/0063351).
Regarding claim 1, Zhao discloses a display panel (101), comprising a panel body (10,11,20,30) and an encapsulation film (40) disposed on the panel body [Figs. 4 and 12], wherein the panel body comprises:
a substrate (10) [Fig. 12];
a light-emitting device layer (11/20), disposed on the substrate and comprising a plurality of light-emitting elements (20) disposed on the substrate [Fig. 12]; and
an encapsulation layer (30), disposed on the substrate and covering the light-emitting device layer [Fig. 12], and
wherein the encapsulation film (40) comprises a first encapsulation portion (41) covering a peripheral side of the panel body (10,11,20,30), one end of the first encapsulation portion (41) covers a side surface of the substrate (10), another end of the first encapsulation portion (41) extends along a first direction and covers a side surface of the encapsulation layer (30), and the first direction (y-direction, vertical) is a direction in which the substrate (10) points to the encapsulation layer (30) [Fig. 12].
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Regarding claim 2, Zhao discloses wherein the panel body (10,11,20,30) comprises a light-emitting surface (100) located at a side of the encapsulation layer (30) away from the light-emitting device layer (20/11) [Figs. 1 and 4], and the panel body (10,11,20,30) further comprises a first surface (top surface of layer 30) connected to the light-emitting surface (100) and located at the peripheral side of the panel body, and wherein the first encapsulation portion (41) is disposed around the panel body, and continuously covers the first surface [Figs. 1, 4 and 12].
Regarding claim 3, Zhao discloses wherein the panel body further comprises a second surface (bottom surface of substrate 10) disposed opposite to the light-emitting surface (100), and the second surface is a surface of the substrate (10) away from the light-emitting device layer (11/20), and wherein the encapsulation film (40) further comprises a second encapsulation portion (41/42/43), and the second encapsulation portion covers the second surface [Figs. 1, 4 and 12].
Regarding claim 4, Zhao discloses wherein the first encapsulation portion (41-side) is connected to the second encapsulation portion (41-bottom) [Figs. 4 and 12].
Regarding claim 5, Zhao discloses wherein the encapsulation film (40) further comprises a third encapsulation portion (41-top), the third encapsulation portion is connected to the one end of the first encapsulation portion (41-side) that is close to the light-emitting surface (100), one end of the third encapsulation portion (41-top) is connected to the first encapsulation portion (41-side), another end of the third
encapsulation portion (41-top) is disposed away from the first encapsulation portion (41-side) along a second direction (x-direction, horizontal), and the second direction intersects the first direction [Figs. 4 and 13].
Regarding claim 8, Zhao discloses a manufacturing method for a display panel, comprising the following steps:
forming a plurality of light-emitting elements (20) on a substrate (10), to form a light-emitting device layer (11/20) [Fig. 7];
forming, on the substrate (10), an encapsulation layer (30) covering the light-emitting device layer (11/20), to form a panel body (10,11,20,30) [Fig. 8]; and
forming an encapsulation film (40) on the panel body, the encapsulation film (40) comprising a first encapsulation portion (40) covering a peripheral side of the panel body (10,11,20,30), one end of the first encapsulation portion (40) covering a side surface of the substrate (10), another end of the first encapsulation portion extending along a first direction (y-direction, vertical) and covering a side surface of the encapsulation layer (30), and the first direction being a direction in which the substrate (10) points to the encapsulation layer (30) [Fig. 12].
Regarding claim 10, Zhao discloses a display apparatus comprising a display panel (101) [Figs. 4 and 12], wherein the display panel comprises a panel body (10,11,20,30) and an encapsulation film (40) disposed on the panel body [Figs. 4 and 12], and the panel body comprises:
a substrate (10) [Figs. 4 and 12];
a light-emitting device layer (11/20), disposed on the substrate and comprising a plurality of light- emitting elements (20) disposed on the substrate [Figs. 4 and 12]; and
an encapsulation layer (30), disposed on the substrate and covering the light-emitting device layer [Figs. 4 and 12], and
wherein the encapsulation film (40) comprises a first encapsulation portion (41) covering a peripheral side of the panel body (10,11,20,30), one end of the first encapsulation portion (41-side) covers a side surface of the substrate (10), another end of the first encapsulation portion extends along a first direction (y-direction, vertical) and covers a side surface of the encapsulation layer (30), and the first direction is a direction in which the substrate (10) points to the encapsulation layer (30) [Figs. 4 and 12].
Regarding claim 11, Zhao discloses wherein the panel body (10,11,20,30) comprises a light-emitting surface (100) located at a side of the encapsulation layer (30) away from the light-emitting device layer (20/11) [Figs. 1 and 4], and the panel body (10,11,20,30) further comprises a first surface (top surface of layer 30) connected to the light-emitting surface (100) and located at the peripheral side of the panel body, and wherein the first encapsulation portion (41) is disposed around the panel body, and continuously covers the first surface [Figs. 1, 4 and 12].
Regarding claim 12, Zhao discloses wherein the panel body further comprises a second surface (bottom surface of substrate 10) disposed opposite to the light-emitting surface (100), and the second surface is a surface of the substrate (10) away from the light-emitting device layer (11/20), and wherein the encapsulation film (40) further comprises a second encapsulation portion (41/42/43), and the second encapsulation portion covers the second surface [Figs. 1, 4 and 12].
Regarding claim 13, Zhao discloses wherein the first encapsulation portion (41-side) is connected to the second encapsulation portion (41-bottom) [Figs. 4 and 12].
Regarding claim 14, Zhao discloses wherein the encapsulation film (40) further comprises a third encapsulation portion (41-top), the third encapsulation portion is connected to the one end of the first encapsulation portion (41-side) that is close to the light-emitting surface (100), one end of the third encapsulation portion (41-top) is connected to the first encapsulation portion (41-side), another end of the third
encapsulation portion (41-top) is disposed away from the first encapsulation portion (41-side) along a second direction (x-direction, horizontal), and the second direction intersects the first direction [Figs. 4 and 13].
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.
Claims 6-7 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (US 2024/0063351).
Regarding claims 6 and 15, Zhao discloses wherein a length of the third encapsulation portion along the second direction is greater than 0 micrometers prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541F.2d 257,191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Zhao discloses wherein a material of the encapsulation film (40/41) comprises at least one of parylene, polyacrylate, or aluminum oxide ]paragraph 0065], and a thickness of the encapsulation film (40/41) is greater than or equal to 5 micrometers and less than or equal to 50 micrometers [paragraph 0066]. In regards to the claimed range, the court has held that in the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541F.2d 257,191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is 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: the prior art fails to teach, disclose, or suggest, either alone or in combination, the step of removing the protective layer and a portion of the encapsulation material layer on a side surface of the protective layer away from the light-emitting surface, to form the encapsulation film as instantly claimed, and in combination with the additional method steps.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE R DIAZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1727. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/Jose R Diaz/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815
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