DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/6/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restriction
Applicant’s election without traverse of species I, claims 1-20 in the reply filed on 12/23/2025 is acknowledged.
Title
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.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore,
“a moving case which is disposed between the supporting plate and the main case” in claim 1,
“a moving case disposed between the main case and the supporting plate” in claim 12
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 17 recites “a second direction”, which should have been “the second direction” instead.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “a moving case which is disposed between the supporting plate and the main case”. However, Figs. 1A, 1B and 2 show supporting plate MTP (the support plate MTP is below display module DM) are between the moving case MVS and the main case MCS. Note the roller part RU is also inside the MVS. In Fig. 13B, MTP show to contact the roller ROL, which would mean that supporting plate MTP should also be inside the MVS in order to contact roller ROL. In order to examine will assume the limitation is “a moving case, wherein the supporting plate is disposed between the main case and the moving case”.
Claims 2-11 depends on claim 1.
Claim 12 has similar issue as claim 1 above.
Claims 13-20 depends on claim 12.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-2 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jo et al. (US 10,871,797; hereinafter “Jo”) in view of Ahn (US 2021/0405696).
Regarding claim 1 as best understood, Jo teaches a display device (Figs. 2-9) comprising:
a display module (151, Fig. 7);
a supporting plate (103, 104 and the unreferenced plate under 1511 in Fig. 7) disposed under the display module, the supporting plate including:
a plate (left unreferenced plate under 1511 in Fig. 7); and
a plurality of supporting bars (103, 104, 1041, Fig. 7) arranged in a first direction (main sliding direction in Figs. 5-6, 8) along with the plate, and extending in a second direction (direction at the roller 1028 in Fig. 5, which cross the first direction) crossing the first direction;
a main case (101, Figs. 5-7) disposed under the supporting plate;
a moving case (102, Figs. 5-7) , wherein the supporting plate is disposed between the main case and the moving case (as shown in Figs. 5(a)-6(b)), and moves in the first direction with respect to the main case (sliding direction as shown in 5(a)-6(b)).
Jo does not teach an elastic member disposed on an upper surface of the moving case, and coupled to the supporting plate, wherein in a state in which an overlapping area of the moving case and the main case is at a minimum, the elastic member is stretched and applies elastic force to the supporting plate. However, Ahn teaches an elastic member (SR, Figs. 2A-3B) disposed on an upper surface of the moving case (upper surface of CS2, Figs. 2A-3B; [0079]: “…elastic member SR may be fixed to the second case CS2…”), and coupled to a supporting portion of display module (one end portion of SR is attached to the support portion of display module DM), wherein in a state in which an overlapping area of the moving case (state shown in Fig. 2B and 3B) and the main case is at a minimum, the elastic member is stretched and applies elastic force to the supporting plate (SR stretched as shown in Figs. 2B and 3B). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have an elastic member disposed on an upper surface of the moving case, and coupled to the supporting plate, wherein in a state in which an overlapping area of the moving case and the main case is at a minimum, the elastic member is stretched and applies elastic force to the supporting plate in Jo, as taught by Ahn, in order to help provide an elastic force to assist sliding between different states of the display device.
Regarding claim 2, Jo in view of Ahn teaches the display device of claim 1. Jo does not teach wherein the elastic member is provided in plural, first side portions of a plurality of elastic members are coupled onto the upper surface of the moving case, and second side portions of the plurality of elastic members, opposed to the first side portions, are rotatably coupled to the supporting plate. However, Anh further teaches the elastic member is provided in plural (two SR shown in Figs. 2A-3B), first side portions of a plurality of elastic members are coupled onto the upper surface of the moving case (as shown in Figs. 2A-3B), and second side portions of the plurality of elastic members, opposed to the first side portions, are rotatably coupled to the supporting portion (supporting portions of display module DM). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the elastic member is provided in plural, first side portions of a plurality of elastic members are coupled onto the upper surface of the moving case, and second side portions of the plurality of elastic members, opposed to the first side portions, are rotatably coupled to the supporting plate in Jo in view of Ahn, as taught by Ahn, in order to utilize more than one elastic member to assist sliding between different states of the display device.
Regarding claim 10, Jo in view of Ahn teaches the display device of claim 1, and Anh further teaches wherein the elastic member includes a tension spring (SR, established in above claim 1 by Anh, is a tension spring as shown in Figs. 2A-3B of Ahn; [0088]: “…tension by the elastic force of the elastic member SR…”).
Regarding claim 11, Jo in view of Ahn teaches the display device of claim 10, and Anh further teaches wherein the elastic member (SR, Figs. 2A-3B) comprises: a first fixation portion such as (left end of SR in Fig. 3B) coupled to the moving case; and a second fixation portion (right end of SR in Fig. 3B) coupled to the supporting plate, and the tension spring is disposed between the first fixation portion and the second fixation portion (as shown in Fig. 3B; also see [0088]).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jo in view of Ahn, and further in view of Park (US 2012/0154999).
Regarding claim 3, Jo in view of Ahn teaches the display device of claim 2, and Jo further teaches wherein a supporting bar spaced farthest apart from the plate, among the plurality of supporting bars, is defined as a coupling supporting bar (103, Fig. 7), a guide groove (end of 103 shown an elongated groove in Fig. 7) extending in the second direction is defined in an upper surface (on upper surface of 103 as shown in Fig. 7) of the coupling supporting bar.
Jo teaches a guide groove but does not teach a plurality of guide grooves; second side portions of the plurality of elastic members are rotatably coupled to the plurality of guide grooves. However, Park teaches a plurality of guide grooves (35a, Fig. 5); second side portions of a plurality of elastic members (33 shown in Fig. 5) are rotatably coupled to the plurality of guide grooves (33 rotates as shown in Figs. 4 and 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a plurality of guide grooves; second side portions of the plurality of elastic members are rotatably coupled to the plurality of guide grooves in Jo in view of Ahn, as taught by Park, in order to provide smoother sliding motions.
Claims 12, 16, 17, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn in view of Park.
Regarding claim 12 as best understood, Ahn teaches a display device (Figs. 1-4B) comprising:
a display module (DM, Figs. 1A-1B);
a supporting portion (edge side on DM that support connecting SR shown in Figs. 2A-3B);
a main case (CS1, Figs. 1A-4B) disposed under the supporting plate;
a moving case (CS2, Figs. 1A-4B), wherein the supporting portion is disposed between the main case and the moving case, and slidably coupled to the main case; and
a plurality of elastic members (SR, Figs. 2A-3B) disposed on an upper surface of the moving case (upper surface of CS2, Figs. 2A-3B; [0079]: “…elastic member SR may be fixed to the second case CS2…”),
wherein in a state in which the moving case moves in a first direction (DR1, Figs. 1A-4B) with respect to the main case, portions of the plurality of elastic members, which are coupled to the supporting portion (one end portion of SR is attached to the support portion of display module DM), become close to each other or away from each other (two end portions of SR away from each other as shown from Figs. 3A to 3B), and
in a state in which a distance between the portions of the plurality of elastic members is at a maximum, the plurality of elastic members is stretched and applies elastic force to the supporting portion (SR stretched as shown in Figs. 2B and 3B).
Ahn teaches the support portion, but does not explicitly teach a supporting plate which is disposed under the display module, and in which a plurality of guide grooves is defined; the plurality of elastic members coupled to the plurality of guide grooves; the portions of the plurality of elastic members are coupled to the coupled to the plurality of guide grooves. However, Park teaches a supporting plate (22, 23, 32, 35, 34, Fig. 5) which is disposed under a display module (21, Fig. 1), and in which a plurality of guide grooves (35a, Fig. 5) is defined; a plurality of elastic members (33, Fig. 5) coupled to the plurality of guide grooves (as shown in Figs. 4, 6); portions (33c, Fig. 5) of the plurality of elastic members are coupled to the coupled to the plurality of guide grooves (33c coupled to 35a through 36 as shown in Figs. 4-6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a supporting plate which is disposed under the display module, and in which a plurality of guide grooves is defined; the plurality of elastic members coupled to the plurality of guide grooves; the portions of the plurality of elastic members are coupled to the coupled to the plurality of guide grooves in Ahn, as taught by Park, in order to support the display module and provide smoother sliding motions by using the guide grooves.
Regarding claims 16-17, Ahn in view of Park teaches the display device of claim 12. Ahn does not explicitly teach a plurality of coupling units disposed on the plurality of guide grooves to connect the supporting plate and the plurality of elastic members to each other, wherein first side portions of the plurality of elastic members are coupled onto the upper surface of the moving case, and second side portions of the plurality of elastic members, disposed to be opposed to the first side portions, are rotatably coupled to the plurality of guide grooves by the plurality of coupling units; wherein in a state in which second side portions of the plurality of elastic members rotate, the plurality of coupling units moves along the plurality of guide grooves in the second direction crossing the first direction. However, Park further teaches a plurality of coupling units (36, Fig. 5) disposed on the plurality of guide grooves to connect the supporting plate (35, Fig. 5) and the plurality of elastic members (33, Fig. 5) to each other, wherein first side portions of the plurality of elastic members are coupled onto the upper surface of the moving case (20, Figs. 2, 4, 6), and second side portions of the plurality of elastic members, disposed to be opposed to the first side portions, are rotatably coupled to the plurality of guide grooves (35a, Fig. 5) by the plurality of coupling units (33 rotates as shown in Figs. 4, 6); wherein in a state in which second side portions of the plurality of elastic members rotate, the plurality of coupling units moves along the plurality of guide grooves in the second direction (direction of the elongated guide grooves 35a) crossing the first direction (sliding direction shown in Figs. 4 and 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a plurality of coupling units disposed on the plurality of guide grooves to connect the supporting plate and the plurality of elastic members to each other, wherein first side portions of the plurality of elastic members are coupled onto the upper surface of the moving case, and second side portions of the plurality of elastic members, disposed to be opposed to the first side portions, are rotatably coupled to the plurality of guide grooves by the plurality of coupling units; wherein in a state in which second side portions of the plurality of elastic members rotate, the plurality of coupling units moves along the plurality of guide grooves in the second direction crossing the first direction in Ahn in view of Park, as taught by Park, in order to secure the plurality of elastic members and provide stable elastic force for sliding.
Regarding claim 19, Ahn in view of Park teaches the display device of claim 12, and Ahn further teaches wherein an elastic member (SR, Figs. 2A-3B) of the plurality of elastic members further comprises a tension spring (SR is a tension spring as shown in Figs. 2A-3B of Ahn; [0088]: “…tension by the elastic force of the elastic member SR…”).
Regarding claim 20, Ahn in view of Park teaches the display device of claim 19, and Ahn further teaches wherein the elastic member (SR, Figs. 2A-3B) further comprises: a first fixation portion (left end of SR in Fig. 3B) coupled onto an upper surface of the moving case; and a second fixation portion (right end of SR in Fig. 3B) coupled to each of the plurality of guide grooves, and the tension spring is disposed between the first fixation portion and the second fixation portion (as shown in Fig. 3B; also see [0088]).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn in view of Park, and further in view of Jo.
Regarding claim 13, Anh in view of Park teaches the display device of claim 12. Anh does not teach wherein the supporting plate comprises: a plate including a flat surface defined by the first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction; and a plurality of supporting bars arranged in the first direction along with the plate, and extending in the second direction, and the plurality of guide grooves is defined in a coupling supporting bar which is defined as a supporting bar, among the plurality of supporting bars, spaced farthest apart from the plate. However, Jo teaches a supporting plate (103, 104, 1041, Fig. 7) comprises: a plate (left unreferenced plate under 1511 in Fig. 7) including a flat surface defined by a first direction (main sliding direction in Figs. 5-6, 8) and a second direction (direction at the roller 1028 in Fig. 5, which is crossing the first direction) crossing the first direction; and a plurality of supporting bars (103, 104, 1041, Fig. 7) arranged in the first direction along with the plate, and extending in the second direction (as shown in Fig. 7), and a guide groove (end of 103 shown an elongated groove in Fig. 7) is defined in a coupling supporting bar (same as 103, Fig. 7) which is defined as a supporting bar, among the plurality of supporting bars, spaced farthest apart from the plate (103 farther from plurality of 1041, Fig. 7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the supporting plate comprises: a plate including a flat surface defined by the first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction; and a plurality of supporting bars arranged in the first direction along with the plate, and extending in the second direction, and the plurality of guide grooves (note plurality of guide grooves was taught by Park in claim 12 above) is defined in a coupling supporting bar which is defined as a supporting bar, among the plurality of supporting bars, spaced farthest apart from the plate in Ahn in view of Park, as taught by Jo, in order to stably support and slide the display module in different states.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-9, 14-15 and 18 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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:
Re claims 4-5, prior arts do not teach or suggest the combination of the display device of claim 4, in particular, wherein in a state in which the overlapping area of the moving case and the main case increases, the display module operates in a reduced mode in which the display module shrinks into the moving case, in a state in which the overlapping area of the moving case and the main case decreases, the display module operates in an extended mode in which the display module extends out of the moving case, and in a state in which the reduced mode is switched to the extended mode, a distance between second side portions of the plurality of elastic members increases.
Re claims 6-9, prior arts do not teach or suggest the combination of the display device of claim 6, in particular, a pressing part disposed on the moving case, and including a plurality of sidewall portions facing each other in the second direction,
wherein a plurality of sliding grooves is defined in mutually facing surfaces of the plurality of sidewall portions, and opposite sides of each of the plurality of supporting bars, opposed to each other in the second direction, are disposed on the plurality of sliding grooves.
Re claims 14-15, prior arts do not teach or suggest the combination of the display device of claim 14, in particular, a pressing part coupled to the moving case, and including a plurality of sidewall portions facing each other in the second direction,
wherein a plurality of sliding grooves is defined in mutually facing surfaces of the plurality of sidewall portions, and opposite sides of each of the plurality of supporting bars, opposed to each other in the second direction, are disposed on the plurality of sliding grooves.
Re claim 18, prior arts do not teach or suggest the combination of the display device of claim 18, in particular, wherein in a state in which an overlapping area of the moving case and the main case increases, the display module operates in a reduced mode in which the display module shrinks into the main case, in a state in which the overlapping area of the moving case and the main case decreases, the display module operates in an extended mode in which the display module extends out of the main case, and a distance between second side portions of the plurality of elastic members in the reduced mode is smaller than a distance between second side portions of the plurality of elastic members in the extended mode.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES WU whose telephone number is (571)270-7974. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00AM - 5:00PM.
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/JAMES WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841