DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Election/Restrictions
An election without traverse for claims 1-9 entered on 7/1/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 10-20 are withdrawn. Claims 1-20 are pending in the 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 101, 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, 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cha (US 20190072997 A1) in view of Kunii (US 20100283920 A1), Kobata (US 20070071958 A1) and Zhang (ISBN: 978-2-35500-006-5)
Regarding claim 1 Cha discloses (Fig. 2, ¶ [0074]) A display device comprising (Fig. 2): a display panel (200, Fig. 2) including a first region (region where injection molding insert positioned during the molding process, and a second region surrounding the first region (any region besides the first region); and a coating layer disposed (101) under the display panel, and overlapping the first region and the second region (101 overlap the projection of 200 on the substrate), wherein the coating layer includes a base layer (injection molding synthetic resin, ¶ [0074]) including an organic material (synthetic resin).
Cha is silent regarding wherein the coating layer, and a plurality of fillers dispersed in the base layer, the coating layer has a viscosity of about 1000 cps or greater, a lower surface of the coating layer includes a first lower surface overlapping the first region, and a second lower surface overlapping the second region, and a surface roughness of the first lower surface is greater than a surface roughness of the second lower surface.
Kunii, an analogous art, discloses (Fig. 2, ¶ [0042]) a display device having diffuser plate (15a) below the display panel (11) and comprises synthetic resin with scattered light diffusing particles. Artisans in the art would have appreciated that scatting diffusing particles in the synthetic resin in the coating layer below the display panel would allow for light to scattered uniformly, improving visual quality and user comfort. As such, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to substitute the synthetic resin of Cha with the scattered diffusing particles (fillers) for the synthetic resin of Kunii for better visual quality and user comfort.
Though not disclosing the viscosity of the synthetic resin, Cha discloses layer 101 is formed by synthetic-molding process. As such the viscosity must be in a suitable range to ensure the resin is uniformly penetrated the mold cavity. Examples of the suitable ranges are disclosed by Kobata (¶ [0018]) when a liquid synthetic resin having initial viscosity of 800 cps to 1500 cps, uniform miscibility can easily be attained.
Artisans in art would have selected a viscosity value of 1000 cps and expected reasonable results, achieving the same miscibility of the synthetic resin by routine optimization. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to select a viscosity value of 1000 cps from the disclosed range of Kobata to apply to the injection molding synthetic resin of Cha to achieve the uniform miscibility, improving better display quality.
Though disclosing the synthetic resin in layer 101 is injection molded, Cha does not disclose in detail the molding process as it is well known in the art. One example of the injection molding is disclosed by Zhang (Fig. 1) a micro mold insert with micro blind holes to inject material into a base layer. Advantages of using micro mold inserts are proved to have improved the surface roughness of the finished product. Though Zhang not disclosing the surface of the finished product are different between the surface portions where the holes are located during injection versus of surface portion around the holes, Artisan in the art would have appreciated the micro mold blind holes do not extend thru the part but serve as a controlled passage for injecting resin into a base layer and terminating at a specific point. The surface of the injected resin on the base layer is always left with residue from where the holes are positioned; as such, grinding down or cutting the excess left by the holes is a common practice. Thus, it is reasonably expected to have the cutting portions to be rougher than the non-cutting portions. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adopt a micro mold insert as taught by Zhang to the injection molding process of Cha for optimal applications. Doing so would result for the surface of the synthetic resin of coating layer 101 to have varying surface, some rougher (first region) and some smoother (second region) its surface will conform to the underlying resin’s topography, which could influence optical quality. The display panel fully is projected on the resin layer underneath as such its surface area may conform to the varying surface roughness area.
Regarding claim 4, Cha in view of Kunii, Kobata and Zhang discloses the display device of claim 1. Kunii further discloses the plurality of fillers each comprise a light-transmissive material (Kunii: ¶ [0042]).
Regarding claim 7, Cha in view of Kunii, Kobata and Zhang discloses the display device of claim 1. Cha further discloses (¶ [0119]) a circuit board (181) electrically connected to the display panel, wherein the lower surface of the coating layer (101) is in contact with at least a portion of the circuit board.
Regarding claim 8, Cha in view of Kunii, Kobata and Zhang discloses the display device of claim 1. Cha further discloses (Fig. 1C) an electronic module (152b, 121b) disposed under the coating layer, wherein the display panel includes a signal transmission region (152a, 121a, Fig. 1B), and a non-transmission region (region surrounding 152a, 121a, Fig. 1B) adjacent to the signal transmission region, and the electronic module overlaps the signal transmission region, and the coating layer overlaps the non-transmission region.
Regarding claim 9, Cha in view of Kunii, Kobata and Zhang discloses the display device of claim 8. Cha further discloses wherein the electronic module is a sensor module or a camera module (121b, Fig. 1C, ¶ [0073]).
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cha (US 20190072997 A1) in view of Kunii (US 20100283920 A1), Kobata (US 20070071958 A1), Zhang (ISBN: 978-2-35500-006-5) and Seo (US 20080007159 A1)
Regarding claim 2, Cha in view of Kunii, Kobata and Zhang discloses the display device of claim 1. Cha does not disclose the coating layer is disposed directly on a lower surface of the display panel, instead there is a waterproof/adhesive layer (201, Fig. 1) in between.
Seo discloses (Fig. 1, ¶ [0035]) using foam injection molding layer including a synthetic polymer, a polyurethane foam, (300) directing under display panel (110) to serve as a heat dissipation layer. Kunii discloses (Fig. 2, ¶ [0042]) a display device having diffuser plate (15a) below the display panel (11) and comprises synthetic resin with scattered light diffusing particles. Artisans in the art would have appreciated a foam injection molding layer with resin and diffusing particles can be placed directly under a panel though the feasibility depends on several factors. Thus, it would be predictable to adapt the foaming injection molding layer with polymer of Seo to include diffusing particles and placed directly under a panel to serve both structural and functional purposes, provided the materials and process are compatible. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to substitute the injection molding layer with synthetic resin of Cha with the modified foaming injection molding layer with resin and diffusing particle of Seo and Kunii to streamline production processes and simplify component parts. Doing so would cut assembly time and potential failure points.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cha (US 20190072997 A1) in view of Kunii (US 20100283920 A1), Kobata (US 20070071958 A1), Zhang (ISBN: 978-2-35500-006-5) and Burnell-Jones (US 20030085383 A1)
Regarding claim 3, Cha in view of Kunii, Kobata and Zhang discloses the display device of claim 1. Cha discloses (¶ [0027]) the injection molding synthetic resin layer but is silent regarding the base layer comprises a photocurable resin. Burnell-jones discloses photocurable base resin can be easily adapted for various molding applications such as injection or blow molding to avoid overheating during cure and fracture due to heat buildup. Artisans in the art would have been motivated to adapt photocurable resin for injection molding by modifying their resin-hardeners and formulation to control the curing process. As such it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to substitute the synthetic resin of Cha with the photocurable resin to optimize the curing process. Doing so would avoid the risk of heat damage to delicate features or substrates.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cha (US 20190072997 A1) in view of Kunii (US 20100283920 A1), Kobata (US 20070071958 A1), Zhang (ISBN: 978-2-35500-006-5) and Noguchi (US 20050255320 A1)
Regarding claim 5, Cha in view of Kunii, Kobata and Zhang discloses the display device of claim 1. Cha is silent regarding the plurality of fillers have an average diameter in a range of about 1 µm to about 70 µm. Noguchi discloses (¶ [0115]) light diffusible molded particles to promote precise image display having an average diameter of preferably between 3-30 µm. Artisans in the art would have appreciated adding the diffusing particles in the diameter range of 1-70 µm would yield reasonably expected results to enhance precise image display. Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to select the diameter range of 1-70 µm for the diffusing particle in the modified coating layer of Cha and Kunii to achieve the display image quality. Doing so would allow required satisfactions for a liquid crystal display or a projection television.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cha (US 20190072997 A1) in view of Kunii (US 20100283920 A1), Kobata (US 20070071958 A1), Zhang (ISBN: 978-2-35500-006-5) and Nishizawa (US 20020006505 A1)
Regarding claim 6, Cha in view of Kunii, Kobata and Zhang discloses the display device of claim 1. Cha is silent regarding the coating layer has a thickness in a range of about 30 µm to about 300 µm.
Nishizawa discloses (¶ [0054]) a synthetic resin used in injection molding having a preferred thickness of above 100 µm. Artisans in the art would have appreciated selecting a range of thickness for the synthetic resin from 30µm -300µm would yield reasonably expected results. As such one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have selected a thickness range of 30-300 µm for the synthetic resin of Cha to optimize application needs and designs.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ha (US 20090257181 A1) and Fan (US 20100177031 A1) disclose display device having a layer below a display panel formed by injection molding.
Conclusion
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/DTH/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/Leonard Chang/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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