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 .
This is a Non-Final office action based on application 18/603,280 filed March 13, 2024.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Korea on August 4, 2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the KR10-2023-0101990 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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) 1-2, 6-8, 10-12, 16-18, 22-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kang (Pre-Grant Publication 2023/0269961).
Regarding claim 1, Kang discloses a display device comprising:
a substrate (Fig. 6, 100);
a circuit layer (PC/TFT) disposed on the substrate;
an element layer (OLED) disposed on the circuit layer; and
a sealing layer (300) disposed on the element layer, wherein the substrate includes a main area and a sub-area protruding from one side of the main area (See Fig. below)
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the main area includes a display area (DA) in which light emitting areas (P) are arranged, and a non-display area (NDA) disposed around the display area,
the non-display area includes a dam area (DM) in which one or more dam portions (Fig. 11, DM1/DM2) surrounding the display area are arranged, and a junction area (ICR) surrounding the dam area,
the sub-area includes a bending area (BA) that is transformed into a bent shape, a first sub-area (above bending area ‘BA’ in Fig. 4) disposed between one side of the bending area and the main area and a second sub-area (below bending area ‘BA’ in Fig. 4) connected to the other side of the bending area,
the circuit layer includes a power supply line (60; Paragraph [0111]) configured to transmit power,
the power supply line includes a main supply portion (Fig. 11, 61) disposed in the non-display area, a sub-connection portion (62) extending from the main supply portion to the sub-area, and a branch portion (62p) disposed in the junction area and protruding from one side of the sub-connection portion, and the branch portion is spaced apart from a bank (Fig. 6, PW) covering a bending hole (IOL-OP) of the bending area (BA).
Regarding claim 2, Kang further discloses:
the branch portion (62P) is spaced apart from the at least one dam portion (DM1/DM2)(Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 6, Kang further discloses:
the branch portion includes one or more branch main portions extending parallel to the sub-connection portion, and a branch sub-portion connecting the sub-connection portion and the one or more branch main portions, and the branch sub-portion is disposed to be adjacent to the sub-area (See Fig. below).
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Regarding claim 7, Kang further discloses:
one edge of a portion of the sub-connection portion (Fig. 7 & 8, 62) overlapping the junction area (ICR) includes irregularities (e1/e2) arranged along an extension direction of the sub-connection portion,
an edge of the branch portion includes irregularities (e1/e2) arranged along an extension direction of the branch portion, and the irregularities are spaced apart from the bank and the at least one dam portion (Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 8, Kang further discloses:
the power supply line (60) further includes protrusions (PP) arranged along an edge of a portion of the sub-connection portion overlapping the junction area (ICR) and an edge of the branch portion, an edge of each of the protrusions has an irregularities (e1/e2), and the protrusions are spaced apart from the bank and the at least one dam portion (Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 10, Kang discloses a display device comprising:
a substrate (Fig. 6, 100);
a circuit layer (PC/TFT) disposed on the substrate;
an element layer (OLED) disposed on the circuit layer; and
a sealing layer (300) disposed on the element layer, wherein the substrate includes a main area and a sub-area protruding from one side of the main area (See Fig. above),
the main area includes a display area (DA) in which light emitting areas (P) are disposed, and a non-display area (NDA) disposed around the display area,
the non-display area includes a dam area (DM) in which one or more dam portions (Fig. 11, DM1/DM2) surrounding the display area are arranged, and a junction area (ICR) surrounding the dam area,
the sub-area includes a bending area (BA) that is transformed into a bent shape, a first sub-area (above bending area ‘BA’ in Fig. 4) disposed between one side of the bending area and the main area, and a second sub-area (below bending area ‘BA’ in Fig. 4) connected to the other side of the bending area,
the element layer includes light emitting elements (Fig. 5, Pr/Pg/Pb) disposed in the light emitting areas, the circuit layer includes light emitting pixel drivers (PC) electrically connected to the light emitting elements, and a power supply line (60) that is configured to transmit power for driving the light emitting elements to the light emitting pixel drivers or the light emitting elements (Paragraph [0111]),
the power supply line includes a main supply portion (61) disposed in the non-display area, a sub-connection portion (62) extending from the main supply portion to the sub-area, and a branch portion (62p) disposed in the junction area and protruding from one side of the sub-connection portion, one edge of a portion of the sub-connection portion overlapping the junction area includes irregularities (Fig. 7-8, e1/e2) arranged along an extension direction of the sub-connection portion, an edge of the branch portion includes irregularities (e1/e2) arranged along an extension direction of the branch portion, and the irregularities are spaced apart from a bank (PW) covering a bending hole (IOL-OP) of the bending area (BA).
Regarding claim 11, Kang further discloses:
wherein the irregularities (e1/e2) are spaced apart from the at least one dam portion (Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 12, Kang further discloses:
the branch portion includes one or more branch main portions extending parallel to the sub-connection portion, a branch sub-portion connecting the sub-connection portion and the one or more branch main portions, and the branch sub-portion is disposed to be adjacent to the sub-area (See Fig. above).
Regarding claim 16, Kang discloses a display device comprising:
a substrate (Fig. 6, 100);
a circuit layer (PC/TFT) disposed on the substrate;
an element layer (OLED) disposed on the circuit layer; and
a sealing layer (300) disposed on the element layer, wherein the substrate includes a main area and a sub-area protruding from one side of the main area (See Fig. above),
the main area includes a display area (DA) in which light emitting areas (P) are disposed, and a non-display area (NDA) disposed around the display area,
the non-display area includes a dam area (DM) in which one or more dam portions (Fig. 11, DM1/DM2) surrounding the display area are arranged, and a junction area (ICR) surrounding the dam area,
the sub-area includes a bending area (BA) that is transformed into a bent shape, a first sub-area (above bending area ‘BA’ in Fig. 4) disposed between one side of the bending area and the main area, and a second sub-area (below bending area ‘BA’ in Fig. 4) connected to the other side of the bending area,
the element layer includes light emitting elements (Fig. 5, Pr/Pg/Pb) disposed in the light emitting areas, the circuit layer includes light emitting pixel drivers (PC) electrically connected to the light emitting elements, and a power supply line (60) that is configured to transmit power for driving the light emitting elements to the light emitting pixel drivers or the light emitting elements (Paragraph [0111]),
the power supply line includes a main supply portion (61) disposed in the non-display area, a sub-connection portion (62) extending from the main supply portion to the sub-area, and a branch portion (62p) disposed in the junction area and protruding from one side of the sub-connection portion, and protrusions (PP) arranged along an edge of a portion of the sub-connection portion overlapping the junction area and edge of the branch portions, an edge of each of the protrusions has irregularities (e1/e2).
The protrusions are spaced apart from the bank (PW) and the at least one dam portion (Fig. 6 & 11).
Regarding claim 17, Kang further discloses:
the irregularities are spaced apart from the at least one dam portion (Fig. 11)
Regarding claim 18, Kang further discloses:
the branch portion includes one or more branch main portions extending parallel to the sub-connection portion, a branch sub-portion connecting the sub-connection portion and the one or more branch main portions, and the branch sub-portion is disposed to be adjacent to the sub-area (See Fig. above).
Regarding claim 22, Kang discloses a display device comprising:
a power supply line (60) in a non-display area (NDA) and including a sub-connection portion (62);
at least one dam (DM) in a circuit layer and surrounding a display area (DA) adjacent to the non-display area; and
a junction area (Fig. 6, ICR) between the at least one dam and a bending area (BA), wherein the at least one dam limits a sealing layer from passing into the junction area (Paragraph [0116]), and
wherein the power supply line includes one or more branch portions (62p) located in the junction area and protruding from one side of the sub-connection portion, the one or more branch portions increasing a circumference length of the sub-connection portion of the power supply line (Paragraph [0188]).
Regarding claim 23, Kang further discloses:
a bank (PW) covering a bending hole (IOL-OP) in the bending area (BA), wherein the one or more branch portions are spaced from the bank (Fig. 6 & 11).
Regarding claim 24, Kang further discloses:
the one or more branch portions are spaced from the at least one dam (Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 25, Kang further discloses:
the sub-connection portion includes irregularities (Fig. 7-8, e1/e2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 9, 13-15, & 19-21 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: Claim 3 is considered allowable because none of the prior art either alone or in combination discloses wherein the bank includes: a first extension portion extending to a portion of the junction area adjacent to the sub-area; and a first groove portion facing the branch portion, spaced apart from the branch portion, and concavely recessed in a direction spaced apart from the branch portion compared to the first extension portion, and one dam portion adjacent to the junction area among the one or more dam portions includes: a second extension portion extending to another portion of the junction area adjacent to the dam area; and a second groove portion facing the branch portion, spaced apart from the branch portion, and concavely recessed in a direction spaced apart from the branch portion compared to the second extension portion. Claims 4-5 are also allowable based on their dependency from claim 3.
Claim 9 is considered allowable because none of the prior art either alone or in combination discloses the power supply line includes a first power supply line and a second power supply line that are configured to respectively transmit first power and second power having different voltage levels.
Claim 13 is considered allowable because none of the prior art either alone or in combination discloses wherein the bank includes: a first extension portion extending to a portion of the junction area adjacent to the sub-area; and a first groove portion facing the branch portion, spaced apart from the branch portion, and concavely recessed in a direction spaced apart from the branch portion compared to the first extension portion, and one dam portion adjacent to the junction area among the one or more dam portions includes: a second extension portion extending to another portion of the junction area adjacent to the dam area; and a second groove portion facing the branch portion, spaced apart from the branch portion, and concavely recessed in a direction spaced apart from the branch portion compared to the second extension portion. Claim 14-15 are also allowable based on their dependency from claim 13.
Claim 19 is considered allowable because none of the prior art either alone or in combination discloses wherein the bank includes: a first extension portion extending to a portion of the junction area adjacent to the sub-area; and a first groove portion facing the branch portion, spaced apart from the branch portion, and concavely recessed in a direction spaced apart from the branch portion compared to the first extension portion, and one dam portion adjacent to the junction area among the one or more dam portions includes: a second extension portion extending to another portion of the junction area adjacent to the dam area; and a second groove portion facing the branch portion, spaced apart from the branch portion, and concavely recessed in a direction spaced apart from the branch portion compared to the second extension portion. Claims 20-21 are also allowable based on their dependency from claim 19.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDON C FOX whose telephone number is (571)270-5016. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00AM-6:00PM.
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/BRANDON C FOX/Examiner, Art Unit 2818
/DAVID VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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