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 .
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) 1-10, 12, 14-17, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (U.S. 2020/0012142) hereafter Kim in view of Lee et al. (U.S. 2021/0037639) hereafter Lee.
As to claim 1, Kim discloses display device (DM or 1000, para-0032) as shown in figures 8-12 comprising:
a display panel (PNL, para-0037);
a plurality of flexible circuit boards (FPCBs, para-0032) connected to the display panel (PNL) and bent and disposed under the display panel, see figures 1-2;
a bottom portion (BT) connected to the flexible circuit boards and disposed under the display panel (PNL);
a first cover (WD-3, figures 10, 12) disposed on the display panel (PNL),
wherein the first cover (WD-3) is bent with a curvature and disposed on a rear surface of the display panel (para-0122+), covering portions of the flexible circuit boards (FPCB) and the bottom portion (BT); and
a second cover (CM) covering parts of the flexible circuit boards (FPCB) which exposed from the first cover (WD-3).
Kim does not specifically disclose a main circuit board connected to the FPCB.
Lee teaches a display apparatus as shown in figures 1A-1C comprising a main circuit board (MPCB) connected to the flexible circuit boards (FPCBs) and disposed under the display panel (DP).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Lee employed in the display device of Kim in order to provide excellent centralize processing, power huh, and directly signals, image data, and power to the display panel via FPCBs.
Regarding claim 2, Kim as modified by Lee disclose the second cover (CM) is bent with a curvature, see figures 8-12, wherein the curvature of the first cover (WD-3) and the curvature of the second cover (CM) are different from each other.
Regarding claim 3, Kim as modified by Lee teaches the flexible circuit boards (FPCBs) include:
a first flexible circuit board (the central FPCB) overlapping a center of an edge of the display panel (DP) in a plan view; and
a second flexible circuit board (adjacent FPCB) spaced apart from the first flexible circuit board in a second direction intersecting the first direction.
Regarding claim 4, Kim as modified by Lee the first cover (WD-3) covers the first flexible circuit board (FPCB) and the main circuit board (MPCB of Lee), wherein the second cover (CM) covers the second flexible circuit board.
Regarding claim 5, Kim as modified by Lee teaches the main circuit board MPCB) includes:
a first board (the thin board) connected to the flexible circuit board; and
a second board (the thick board) extending from the first board in the first direction.
Regarding claim 6, Kim as modified by Lee discloses a length of the first board (the thin board) in a second direction intersecting the first direction is longer than a length of the second board (the thick board) in the second direction.
Regarding claim 7, Kim as modified by Lee discloses the first cover (WD-3) includes:
a first part (the top and bent or curve portions) covering the flexible circuit boards (FPCB-figure 10);
a second part (the middle portion) extending from the first part in the first direction and covering the second board; and a third part (the bottom portion) extending from the second part in the first direction covering the first board.
Regarding claim 8, Kim as modified by Lee discloses in a plan view, a length of the third part (the bottom portion) in a second direction intersecting the first direction is longer than a length of the second part (the middle portion) in the second direction, and the length of the third part (the bottom portion) in the second direction is shorter than a length of the first part (the top and curve portions) in the second direction.
Regarding claim 9, Kim as modified by Lee discloses the second cover (CM) is disposed on the first part and covers the second flexible circuit board (FPCB).
Regarding claim 10, Kim as modified by Lee in a plan view, the second cover is disposed between the first part (the top and curve portions and the third part (the bottom portion).
Regarding claim 12, Kim as modified by Lee each of the first cover (WD-3) and the second cover includes:
a first cover insulating layer (SUB1, POL1);
an intermediate layer (LC, LCM) disposed on the first cover insulating layer and including at least a metal or a conductive fiber; and
a second cover insulating layer (SUB2, POL2) disposed on the intermediate layer.
Regarding claim 14, Kim as modified by Lee teaches a data driver (DC1, DC2) disposed on the display panel (DP), wherein the first cover (the cover WD-3 of Kim) covers the data driver (DC1 or DC2).
As to claim 15, Kim discloses a display device (DM or 1000, para-0032) as shown in figures 8-12 comprising:
a display panel (PNL, para-0037);
a first flexible circuit board (FPCB) connected to and bent from an edge of the display panel (PNL);
a second flexible circuit board (another FPCB) connected to and bent from the edge of the display panel (PNL), spaced apart from the first flexible circuit board (FPCB), and adjacent to one side of the edge of the display panel;
a bottom portion (BT) disposed on a lower surface of the display panel and connected to the first and second flexible circuit boards (FPCBs);
a first cover (WD-3) covering the first flexible circuit board and the bottom portion; and
a second cover (CM) covering the second flexible circuit board.
Kim does not specifically disclose the first FPCB formed at a center of the edge of the display panel and a main circuit board connected to the FPCB.
Lee teaches a display apparatus as shown in figures 1A-1C comprising the first FPCB formed at a center of the edge of the display panel (DP) and a main circuit board (MPCB) connected to the flexible circuit boards (FPCBs) and disposed under the display panel (DP).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Lee employed in the display device of Kim in order to provide excellent centralize processing, power huh, and directly signals, image data, and power to the display panel via FPCBs.
Regarding claim 16, Kim as modified by Lee discloses the first cover (WD-3) includes:
a first part (the top and bent or curve portions) covering the first flexible circuit board (FPCB-figure 10);
a second part (the middle portion) extending from the first part in the first direction and covering the main PCB (of Lee); and a third part (the bottom portion) extending from the second part in the first direction covering the main PCB.
Regarding claim 17, Kim as modified by Lee discloses in a plan view, a length of the third part (the bottom portion) in a second direction intersecting the first direction is longer than a length of the second part (the middle portion) in the second direction, and the length of the third part (the bottom portion) in the second direction is shorter than a length of the first part (the top and curve portions) in the second direction.
Regarding claim 19, Kim as modified by Lee in a plan view, the second cover is disposed between the first part (the top and curve portions and the third part (the bottom portion).
Regarding claim 20, Kim as modified by Lee each of the first cover (WD-3) and the second cover includes:
a first cover insulating layer (SUB1, POL1);
an intermediate layer (LC, LCM) disposed on the first cover insulating layer and including at least a metal or a conductive fiber; and
a second cover insulating layer (SUB2, POL2) disposed on the intermediate layer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11, 13, and 18 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.
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/TUAN T DINH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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