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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/28/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2 and claims dependent thereupon and claim 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 2, applicant recites "the folding mechanism comprises…", however, in claim 1 applicant recites "two folding mechanisms" therefore the office raises the question that should claim 2 not be "each of the folding mechanisms comprises…."? For purpose of interpretation, the office will give the interpretation of "each of the folding mechanisms comprises…".
Regarding claim 17, applicant recites "end surface of first ends of swing arms of the two folding mechanism", however, this lacks antecedent since "swing arms" are not being recited in claim 1, first introduction of "swing arm" is in claim 4. The office believe this could be a typo and claim 17 should therefore dependent from claim 4. For purpose of examination, claim 17 will dependent from claim 4. Furthermore, in claim 4, applicant only recited "swing arm" which is singular, in claim 17 applicant recites plural swing arms, thus appropriate correction is needed. To resolve this, one option is the amendment under claim 2 above which would then resolve claim 17, if dependency is changed as mentioned here.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cao US Pub 2023/0247782.
Regarding claim 1, Cao teaches,
A display apparatus (figures 1-4), comprising a folding bracket (figures 3-4, element 40, 11 and 12 and hinge not shown) and a flexible display panel (30 and 20 combined) wherein, the folding bracket comprises a base (element 40) and two folding mechanisms (element 11 and 12), and the two folding mechanisms are rotatably connected to the base respectively (as seen between figure 3-4) and are capable of being unfolded (figure 3) and folded (figure 4) relative to each other;
the flexible display panel comprises a support layer (element 20, which comprises 21 and 22) and a panel body (30) that are separated from each other, the support layer is disposed on a back surface of the panel body (as seen in at least figure 3-4), the back surface is a surface opposite to a display surface (front of element 30, where element 30 is pointed in figure 3) of the panel body, and each of the support layer and the panel body is connected to the two folding mechanisms (as seen across figure 2-4 the support layer and panel body are connected to the folding mechanism 11/12); and
each of the two folding mechanisms is configured to drive the panel body and the support layer to move in staggered directions (as seen in figures 3-4, such that in figure 4 shows staggered configuration), in a case that the two folding mechanisms are unfolded relative to each other (as seen in figure 3), a moving direction of the panel body relative to the support layer points to the base (as seen between two configuration in between figure 3 and 4, the rotation moves the panel body, similar to present application's figure 4, such that the panel body and the support layer are aligned in unfolded configuration), and in a case that the two folding mechanisms are folded relative to each other, the moving direction of the panel body relative to the support layer points away from the base (from figure 3 configuration to figure 4 configuration such that when the display apparatus is folded, staggered configuration is shown such that the panel body 30 is moved away from base (i.e. center) and staggered, similar to figure 5 of present application).
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) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cao US Pub 2023/0247782 in view of Choi US Pub 2021/0389809.
Regarding claim 13,
Cao teaches a hinge (paragraph 36) used to rotatably connected element 11 and 12.
Cao does not teach wherein the base comprises a two sub-bases which are spaced from each other, and each of the two sub-bases is connected with the two folding mechanism.
Choi in similar field of a flexible display device (figure 1-2, title) teaches the base comprises a two sub-bases (element 160, which comprises 160a-b spaced apart) which are spaced from each other, and each of the two sub-bases is connected with the two folding mechanism (hinge 160a-b connecting 110/120).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to use the hinge structure (i.e. the two sub-bases) as taught by Choi such that the base comprises a two sub-bases which are spaced from each other, and each of the two sub-bases is connected with the two folding mechanism is provided in Cao such modification will provide dual rotational member without taking up significant space in the middle of the display apparatus, thus providing lighter and compact apparatus.
Claim(s) 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cao US Pub 2023/0247782 in view of Wu et al. US Pub 2019/0361494.
Regarding claim 18,
Cao teaches the panel body as described in claim 1. Furthermore, Cao teaches the display panel is an OLED device (paragraph 31).
Cao does not teach wherein the panel body comprises a bottom film, a display function layer, a polarizer, and a cover plate that are laminated sequentially, and the display function layer comprises a substrate and an organic light-emitting diode disposed on the substrate.
Wu in similar field of flexible display apparatus teaches panel body (figure 4 and 12, entire figure 4, furthermore figure 12 provides details of layer 102 of fig 4) comprising a bottom film (figure 12, element 202), a display function layer (Figure 4 and 12, element 102/204), a polarizer (element 112, figure 4), and a cover plate (figure 4, element 104) that are laminated sequentially (figure 4 and 12 in sequential order), and the display function layer comprises a substrate (the layer of element 204s in figure 12; alternatively element 2022 is the substrate of display function layer and element 2021 is the bottom film) and an organic light-emitting diode (elements 2042) disposed on the substrate.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to use the panel body as taught by Wu such that specific structure of bottom film, a display function layer, a polarizer, and a cover plate that are laminated sequentially, and the display function layer comprises a substrate and an organic light-emitting diode disposed on the substrate is taught as the panel body of Cao, such modification will provide the desired display device of OLED display.
Regarding claim 19, Cao as modified by Wu teaches,
Wherein orthographic projections of the bottom film, the display function layer and the polarizer on a surface of the cover plate are within the cover plate (figure 4 of Wu, similar to figure 2 of present application).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cao US Pub 2023/0247782 in view of Han et al. US Pub 2020/0022267.
Regarding claim 20,
Cao teaches wherein the support layer comprises a support layer main body (elements 21 and 22) proximal to the panel body (figure 3-4).
Cao does not teach the support layer comprises a flexible layer, and the flexible layer is disposed on a surface of the support layer main body proximal to the panel body. However, providing a flexible layer disposed on a surface of the support layer main body proximal to the panel body is not new.
Han in similar field of flexible display device (figures 1-2) teaches support layer comprises a support layer main body (elements 501/502, figure 2) and a flexible layer (element 100, figure 2, functional layer paragraph 59) and the flexible layer is disposed on a surface of the support layer main body (as seen in figure 2, 100 on surface of the support layer main body 501/502) proximal to the panel body (element 200).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to use the support layer comprising support layer main body and the flexible layer as taught by Han such that the flexible layer as taught by Han is provided in the apparatus of Cao such that the flexible layer, and the flexible layer is disposed on a surface of the support layer main body proximal to the panel body, such modification will enable the display apparatus to having function such as heat radiating function or electromagnetic shielding function (paragraph 59, Han).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 and claims dependent thereupon and claim 17 (with the interpretation given under 35USC112 above) would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABHISHEK M RATHOD whose telephone number is (571)270-3947. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30AM-5:00PM ET.
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ABHISHEK M. RATHOD
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2841
/ABHISHEK M RATHOD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841