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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 - 7, 15 - 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shin (US 20220061168).
Regarding claim 1, Shin discloses a display module (the display module in Figure 6), wherein the display module comprises a display panel (DP) and a composite functional layer (a lower member LM), and the display panel comprises:
a display portion (AA1);
a binding portion (AA2) provided on a side of the display unit; and
a bending portion (BA), wherein an end of the bending portion is connected to the display portion, and another end of the bending portion is bent toward a side of the display portion close to the binding portion and is connected to the binding portion;
wherein the composite functional layer comprises a buffer sublayer (SCV layer) attached to the side of the display portion close to the binding portion, and a support sublayer (RHL or CUL layer) attached to a side of the buffer sublayer away from the display portion;
the binding portion (AA2) is attached to a side of the support sublayer (CUL or RHL) away from the buffer sublayer (SCV); and
the buffer sublayer comprises a polyurethane rubber material containing silicon (the SCV layer may include but not limited to polyurethan, rubber or silicon; paragraph 135).
Regarding claim 2, Shin discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 1. Shin further suggests a distance between the binding portion and the display portion in a thickness direction of the composite functional layer is less than 260 μm (the thickness of each individual layer between the binding portion and the display portion is way less than 260 μm such as layer AL6 is about 16 μm, paragraph 132; the thickness of these layer may add up to less than 260 μm).
Regarding claim 3, Shin discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 1. Shin further suggests a distance between the binding portion and the display portion in a thickness direction of the composite functional layer is greater than or equal to 128 μm, and less than or equal to 248 μm (the thickness of each individual layer between the binding portion and the display portion is way less than 260 μm such as layer CUL is about is about 75 μm, paragraph 142; the thickness of these layer may add up to less than 260 μm).
Regarding claim 4, Shin discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 1. Shin further suggests a thickness of the buffer sublayer is greater than or equal to 40 μm, and less than or equal to 150 μm (if we consider the buffer layer comprising several layers including SCV, AL7, PLT, AL6 then the thickness may fall into this range); and elastic modulus (the elastic modulus of layer SCV is less than that of layer PLT, paragraph 135, which is less than 60 GPa, paragraph 123) of the buffer sublayer is greater than or equal to 50 kPa, and less than or equal to 500 kPa.
Regarding claim 5, Shin discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 1. Shin further suggests elastic modulus of the support sublayer is greater than or equal to 50 GPa, and less than or equal to 250 GPa (the elastic modulus of CUL layer is less than 60 GPa which may fall in this range; paragraph 142).
Regarding claim 6, Shin discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 1. Shin further suggests the support sublayer has a thickness greater than or equal to 30 μm, and less than or equal to 150 μm (the thickness of CUL layer is about 75 μm; paragraph 142).
Regarding claim 7, Shin discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 1. Shin further suggests the composite functional layer further comprises a first adhesive layer (adhesive layers AL1 – AL9) disposed between the buffer sublayer and the display portion, and a second adhesive layer (adhesive layers AL1 – AL9) disposed between the buffer sublayer and the support sublayer; wherein a thickness of the first adhesive layer is greater than or equal to 13 μm, and less than or equal to 50 μm; and a thickness of the second adhesive layer is greater than or equal to 35 μm, and less than or equal to 50 μm (the thickness of the adhesive layers are about 16 μm to 25 μm; paragraph 107 and 132).
Regarding claim 15, Shin discloses a display device, wherein the display device comprises a display module (display module in Figure 6) with a display panel (DP) and a composite functional layer (layer LM), and the display panel comprises:
a display portion (AA1);
a binding portion (AA2) provided on a side of the display unit; and
a bending portion (BA), wherein an end of the bending portion is connected to the display portion, and another end of the bending portion is bent toward a side of the display portion close to the binding portion and is connected to the binding portion (Fig. 6);
wherein the composite functional layer comprises a buffer sublayer (layer SCV) attached to the side of the display portion close to the binding portion, and a support sublayer (layer RHL or CUL or the combination of these layers) attached to a side of the buffer sublayer away from the display portion;
the binding portion (AA2) is attached to a side of the support sublayer (RHL and/or CUL) away from the buffer sublayer (Fig. 6); and
the buffer sublayer comprises a polyurethane rubber material containing silicon (the SCV layer may include but not limited to polyurethan, rubber or silicon; paragraph 135).
Regarding claim 16, Shin discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 15. Shin further suggests a distance between the binding portion and the display portion in a thickness direction of the composite functional layer is less than 260 μm (the thickness of each individual layer between the binding portion and the display portion is way less than 260 μm such as layer AL6 is about 16 μm, paragraph 132; the thickness of these layer may add up to less than 260 μm).
Regarding claim 17, Shin discloses the claimed invention as set forth in claim 15. Shin further suggests the composite functional layer further comprises a first adhesive layer (adhesive layers AL1 – AL9) disposed between the buffer sublayer and the display portion, and a second adhesive layer (adhesive layers AL1 – AL9) disposed between the buffer sublayer and the support sublayer; wherein a thickness of the first adhesive layer is greater than or equal to 13 μm, and less than or equal to 50 μm; and a thickness of the second adhesive layer is greater than or equal to 35 μm, and less than or equal to 50 μm (the thickness of the adhesive layers are about 16 μm to 25 μm; paragraph 107 and 132).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 – 14, 18 - 20 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.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 8, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claims 1 and 7, a combination of limitations that at least one of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer comprises a black adhesive material, and at least one of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer is doped with carbon powder particles. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that the support sublayer comprises a first sub-portion, and a second sub-portion disposed on a side of the first sub-portion close to the bending portion; the second sub-portion has a thickness less than the first sub-portion; a distance from a side surface of the second sub-portion away from the display portion to the display portion is less than a distance from a side surface of the first sub-portion away from the display portion to the display portion; wherein the binding portion is attached to a side of the second sub-portion away from the display portion. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 15 and 17, a combination of limitations that at least one of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer comprises a black adhesive material, and at least one of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer is doped with carbon powder particles. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 19, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 15, a combination of limitations that the support sublayer comprises a first sub-portion, and a second sub-portion disposed on a side of the first sub-portion close to the bending portion; the second sub-portion has a thickness less than the first sub-portion; a distance from a side surface of the second sub-portion away from the display portion to the display portion is less than a distance from a side surface of the first sub-portion away from the display portion to the display portion; wherein the binding portion is attached to a side of the second sub-portion away from the display portion. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yang (US 20230195173) discloses a flexible display having several layers stacking together, Fig. 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BINH B TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-9289. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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/BINH B TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848