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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I (reads on claims 1-10) in the reply filed on 06/06/2024 is acknowledged.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 5 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Shin et al. (US Pub No. 2021/0373604 A1 and Shin hereinafter)
Regarding Claim 1, Shin discloses (see annotated fig below) a display device comprising: a display panel (100) having a first non-folding region (NFA1), a folding region (FA), and a second non-folding region (NFA2) arranged in a first direction (Y), wherein the folding region is adjacent to the first and second non-folding regions and is foldable about a folding axis (fig.9); and a lower substrate (200) disposed under the display panel, wherein the lower substrate includes a spacing portion and a pattern portion, the spacing portion overlaps the folding region on a plane (fig.9), and the pattern portion is spaced apart from the display panel by the spacing portion in a thickness direction (Z) of the display device, the pattern portion including a plurality of holes.
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Regarding Claim 3, Shin discloses (see annotated fig below) the display device of claim 1, wherein the lower substrate includes a first region overlapping the first non-folding region, a second region overlapping the second non-folding region, and a third region overlapping the folding region, the third region including the spacing portion and the pattern portion, and wherein the first region, the second region, and the third region include a same material as each other (metal).
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Regarding Claim 5, Shin discloses (see annotated fig below) the display device of claim 1, wherein the spacing portion has a height that is less than or equal to one-third of a thickness of the lower substrate.
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Regarding Claim 7, Shin discloses (see annotated fig below) the display device of claim 1, wherein the spacing portion has a greater width (WS) in the first direction than a width (WF) of the folding region in the first direction.
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Regarding Claim 8, Shin discloses (see annotated fig below) the display device of claim 1, wherein the spacing portion has a greater width (WS) in the first direction than a width (WP) of the pattern portion in the first direction.
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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.
Claims 2 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al in view of Lee et al (US Pub No. 2022/0058991 A1 and Lee hereinafter)
Regarding Claim 2, Shin discloses the display device of claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein a width of the pattern portion in the first direction increases as a distance from the display panel increases in the thickness direction of the display device. However, Lee teaches (see annotated fig below) wherein a width of the pattern portion in the first
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direction increases as a distance from the display panel increases in the thickness direction (Z) of the display device. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine a width of the pattern portion increasing towards thickness direction of Lee to device of Shin in order to improve flexibility and the support member may have improved durability by including a coating layer coated thereon (Lee, [0009])
Regarding Claim 9, Shin discloses the display device of claim 1, but fails to disclose a resin material filling the spacing portion. However, Lee teaches (see annotated fig.7) a resin material (500) filling the spacing portion. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine a resin material filling the spacing portion of Lee to device of Shin in order to improve flexibility and the support member may have improved durability by including a coating layer coated thereon (Lee, [0009])
Regarding Claim 10, Shin discloses the display device of claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein: the plurality of holes extends in a second direction crossing the first direction, the plurality of holes including a first hole group and a second hole group spaced apart from each other in the first direction; and the first hole group and the second hole group are staggered with respect to each other. However, Lee teaches (see annotated fig.6) the plurality of holes extends in a second direction crossing the first direction, the
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plurality of holes including a first hole group and a second hole group spaced apart from each other in the first direction; and the first hole group and the second hole group are staggered with respect to each other. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the plurality of holes extends in a second direction crossing the first direction, the plurality of holes including a first hole group and a second hole group spaced apart of Lee to device of Shin in order to improve flexibility and the support member may have improved durability by including a coating layer coated thereon (Lee, [0009])
Claims 4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al in view of Park et al (US Pub No. 2021/0118337 A1 and Park hereinafter)
Regarding Claim 4, Shin discloses the display device of claim 1, but fails to disclose a wherein the lower substrate is a glass substrate. However, Park teaches (fig.5A) wherein the lower substrate (210 and 220) is a glass substrate. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the plurality of holes extends in a second direction crossing the first direction, the plurality of holes including a first hole group and a second hole group spaced apart of Park to device of Shin in order to provide rigidity and flatness of the display panel (Park, [0067])
Regarding Claim 6, Shin discloses the display device of claim 1, but fails to disclose a wherein the lower substrate is a glass substrate. However, Park teaches (fig.3) wherein the spacing portion (230) has a height in a range of about 10 micrometers to about 100 micrometers ([0064]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine a glass substrate of Park to device of Shin in order to provide rigidity and flatness of the display panel (Park, [0067])
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)272-1602. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8 AM - 4:30 PM ET.
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/ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841