DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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 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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11/15/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-10 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (CN 113888983, English translation attached) in a view of Hu et al (CN 108877529, English translation attached).
Regarding Claim 1, Chen teaches a cover plate (abstract; fig. 1),
wherein the cover plate is divided into planar regions and a bending region connected to the planar regions (fig. 1, 52, 54(54a/54b);
the cover plate comprises an intermediate reinforcing layer (fig. 3, 50; ¶[0033], line 1-4; It has a groove opened on the cover plate body made of rigid materials such as glass and filled with flexible material to form a filling part).
the intermediate reinforcing layer has an open recess covering the bending region (fig. 4, 5612);
the cover plate further comprises a flexible filler filled in the open recess (fig. 3, 56, 56(56/58)).
But Chen does not specifically disclose that wherein the cover plate comprises a first flexible planarization layer, an intermediate reinforcing layer and a second flexible planarization layer which are sequentially stacked; the first flexible planarization layer is configured to be arranged close to a display panel, the second flexible planarization layer is configured to be arranged away from the display panel, and a Young's modulus of the intermediate reinforcing layer is greater than a Young's modulus of the first flexible planarization layer and a Young's modulus of the second flexible planarization layer respectively; and a Young's modulus of the flexible filler is less than the Young's modulus of the second flexible planarization layer.
However, Hu teaches a flexible display screen cover plate which is foldable (abstract; figs. 1-7; ¶[0052], line 1-6; during the bending process of the flexible display screen; promoting the bendability of the flexible display screen cover), wherein
the cover plate (fig. 5, 11) comprises a first flexible planarization layer (fig. 5, 112 lower), an intermediate reinforcing layer (fig. 5, 111) and a second flexible planarization layer (fig. 5, 112 upper) which are sequentially stacked (fig. 5, 112, 111, 112); the first flexible planarization layer is configured to be arranged close to a display panel (fig. 14, 2-display device layer; 1-display cover plate (--11in fig. 5)), the second flexible planarization layer is configured to be arranged away from the display panel (fig. 14, 1, 2; fig. 5, 112 upper), the intermediate reinforcing layer has an open recess covering the bending region (figs. 8-12, 111, 14- groove open), and a Young's modulus of the intermediate reinforcing layer is greater than a Young's modulus of the first flexible planarization layer and a Young's modulus of the second flexible planarization layer respectively (¶[0017], line 1-3, the flexible cover layer (112) is made of one or more selected from polyimide (--Young's modulus: 2.5-3.7 GPa), polyethylene (--Young's modulus: 0.11-1.5 GPa), and polymethyl methacrylate (--Young's modulus: 2.4-3.3 GPa). The rigid covering layer (111) is made of glass (--Young's modulus: 50-90 GPa)); and
the cover plate further comprises a flexible filler filled in the open recess (figs. 8-12, 111, 14, 112s in 14s), and a Young's modulus of the flexible filler is less than the Young's modulus of the second flexible planarization layer (figs. 8-12, 112s in 14s, -- the first flexible planarization layer filled in grooves 14s; (¶[0017], line 1-3, the flexible cover layer (112) is made of one or more selected from polyimide (--Young's modulus: 2.5-3.7 GPa), polyethylene (--Young's modulus: 0.11-1.5 GPa), and polymethyl methacrylate (--Young's modulus: 2.4-3.3 GPa, --in case of the second flexible planarization layer formed of polymethyl methacrylate, and the first flexible planarization layer formed of polyethylene).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cover plate of Chen by the cover plate of Hu for the purpose to improve the bendability, impact resistance and stiffness of the flexible display cover (¶[0022], line 1-3).
Regarding Claim 2, Chen – Hu combination teaches that the cover plate according to claim 1, wherein the open recess penetrates through the intermediate reinforcing layer (fig. 3, 56, 50(58/56), as disclosed in Chen; figs. 8-11, 14 of 112, 111, as disclosed in Hu).
Regarding Claim 3, , Chen – Hu combination teaches that the cover plate according to claim 2, wherein side walls of the open recess are in a circular arc transition shape in smooth transition connection with a surface of the intermediate reinforcing layer facing the first flexible planarization layer (fig. 3, 56, 50(58/56), as disclosed in Chen; fig. 9, 14 of 112, 111, as disclosed in Hu).
Regarding Claim 4, , Chen – Hu combination teaches that the cover plate according to claim 1, wherein the open recess is formed in one side of the intermediate reinforcing layer facing the first flexible planarization layer (figs. 8-11, 14 of 112, 111, as disclosed in Hu).
Regarding Claim 5, , Chen – Hu combination teaches that the cover plate according to claim 4, wherein a thickness of a portion of the intermediate reinforcing layer located at the bending region in a first direction is less than or equal to a thickness of the first flexible planarization layer and a thickness of the second flexible planarization layer in the first direction respectively, and the first direction is an arrangement direction of the first flexible planarization layer and the second flexible planarization layer (fig, 5, 112/111/112, as disclosed in Hu).
Regarding Claim 6, , Chen – Hu combination teaches that the cover plate according to claim 1, wherein a distance between two opposite side walls of the open recess is gradually reduced in a direction from a recess opening of the open recess to a recess bottom of the open recess (fig. 3, 56, 50(58/56), as disclosed in Chen; figs 9 and 11, 14, as disclosed in Hu).
Regarding Claim 7, , Chen – Hu combination teaches that the cover plate according to claim 1, wherein a recess body of the open recess extends to the planar region (fig. 3, 56, 50(58/56), as disclosed in Chen; figs. 8-11, 14, as disclosed in Hu)
Regarding Claim 8, , Chen – Hu combination teaches that the cover plate according to claim 1,wherein a refraction index of the flexible filler is same as a refraction index of the intermediate reinforcing layer (figs. 8-11, 112 in 14;layers ¶[0017], line 1-3, the flexible cover layer (112) is made of one or more selected from polyimide (--n = 1.50-1.89), polyethylene (--n = 1.50-1.54), and polymethyl methacrylate (--n = 1.49-1.492). The rigid covering layer (111) is made of glass (-- n = 1.5-1.6), as disclosed in Hu, -- layers of 111and 112 may have refractive indexes close to equal);
Regarding Claim 9, , Chen – Hu combination teaches that the cover plate according to claim 1,wherein the flexible filler and the first flexible planarization layer are made of a same material (figs. 8-11, 112 in 14, as disclosed in Hu).
Regarding Claim 10, , Chen – Hu combination teaches that the cover plate according to claim 1,wherein the first flexible planarization layer and the second flexible planarization layer are made of a same material (fig. 5, 112/111/112; ¶[0017], line 1-3, the flexible cover layer (112) is made of one or more selected from polyimide, polyethylene, and polymethyl methacrylate, as disclosed in Hu).
Regarding Claim 14, , Chen – Hu combination teaches that the a display module, comprising a display panel and the cover plate according to claim 1 (fig. 14, 2-display device layer; 1-display cover plate (--11in fig. 5), as disclosed in Hu), wherein the first flexible planarization layer of the cover plate is arranged close to the display panel (fig. 5, 112 lower, as disclosed in Hu), and the second flexible planarization layer of the cover plate is arranged away from the display panel (fig. 5, 112 upper, as disclosed in Hu).
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (CN 113888983) in a view of Hu et al (CN 108877529), further in a view of Asakura et al (US 8066390).
Regarding Claim 11, Chen – Hu combination discloses as set forth above but does not specifically disclose that the cover plate according to claim 1,wherein the cover plate further comprises an anti-reflective film on one side of the second flexible planarization layer away from the intermediate reinforcing layer.
However, Asakura teaches an antiglare film and antireflection film for display (Title; abstract; and figs. 5-12), wherein the cover plate further comprises an anti-reflective film on one side of the second flexible planarization layer away from the intermediate reinforcing layer (figs. 8-9, 7- Antiglare film or antireflection film, 8- Polarizing film (PVA), 9- Protective film, 10- Image display device; see col. 4, line 30-50; and fig. 12, 5- Low refractive index layer, d- Hollow silica particle).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cover plate of Chen – Hu combination by the antireflection film of Asakura for the purpose to give high display contrast and little glaring as an antiglare antireflection film (col. 35, line 65-67).
Regarding Claim 12, , Chen – Hu - Asakura combination teaches that the cover plate according to claim 11, wherein the anti-reflective film is internally doped with refractive particles, and a refraction index of the refractive particles is greater than a refraction index of the anti-reflective film (fig. 12, 5- Low refractive index layer, d- Hollow silica particle (--n = 1.42-1.48); col. 17, line 16-26, Low Refractive Index Layer; The refractive index of the low refractive index layer is preferably from 1.20 to 1.46, more preferably from 1.25 to 1.46, still more preferably from 1.30 to 1 .40, as disclosed in Asakura).
Regarding Claim 13, , Chen – Hu - Asakura combination teaches that the cover plate according to claim 11, wherein a concave-convex structure configured to be anti-reflective is arranged on a side of the anti-reflective film close to the second flexible planarization layer (fig. 12, 5, as disclosed in Asakura).
Examiner’s Note
Regarding the references, the Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the reference(s), as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the reference(s) or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Jie Lei whose telephone number is (571) 272 7231. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon.-Thurs. 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by the telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Thomas Pham can be reached on (571) 272 3689.The Fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is (571) 273 8300.
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/JIE LEI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872