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 .
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.
Domestic Benefit
No claim to an application for domestic benefit.
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers (i.e., application number 202410141739.8 filed in China on 01/30/2024) required by 37 CFR 1.55 electronically retrieved on 07/19/2024.
Three Information Disclosure Statements
The three information disclosure statements respectively submitted on 04/18/2023, 07/22/2025 and 04/21/2026 were filed before first Office action. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the three information disclosure statements have been considered.
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.
The following title is suggested:
-- DISPLAY PANEL WITH IMPROVED ENCAPSULATION AND DISPLAY APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME --.
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, 14, 20) and (15-17) are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 107808896 A to DI.
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Regarding independent claim 1, DI teaches of a display panel (see title), comprising a display region AA (“display area”; see Figure 1 and Figure 3) and a non-display region NA (“non-display region”; see Figure and Figure 3) surrounding at least a part of the display region AA, and the display panel (as defined herein) comprising:
a base plate 110 (“base plate”; Figure 1 and Figure 3);
a pixel definition layer 150/172 (“pixel definition layer” and “second retaining wall layer”; English translation: “Optionally, the retaining wall 170 has multiple-layer structure comprising layers are laminated along the first retaining wall 110 the direction away from the base plate 171 and the second retaining wall layer 172, first retaining wall layer 171 and the planarization layer 130, the same material, the second retaining wall layer 172 and the pixel definition layer 150 material. to simplify, to avoid introducing a new film layer and improve the utilization rate of the material.” Given the above quote along with Figure 3: 172 is same material and same level as 150 – as such, 150 is the claimed pixel definition layer in AA that is the “pixel definition portion” while 172 is the claimed pixel definition layer in NA that is the “definition portion”) provided on the base plate 110, wherein the pixel definition layer 150 comprises a pixel definition portion 150 located in the display region AA and a definition portion 172 located in the non-display region NA, and the pixel definition portion 150 is provided with a plurality of pixel openings 151 (openings; see Figure 3);
a light-emitting layer 142 (“organic light emitting layer”; see Figure 3) comprising light-emitting units 140 (“light emitting function layer”; see Figure 3) each located in the pixel opening 151; and
an encapsulation layer 161/163 (“first inorganic encapsulating layer”/ “second inorganic encapsulating layer”; Figure 3) located on a side (i.e., above) of the light-emitting layer 142 away from the base plate 110, wherein the encapsulation layer 161/163 comprises a first encapsulation layer 161 and a second encapsulation layer 163 located on a side of the first encapsulation layer 161 away (i.e., above) from the light-emitting layer 142, the first encapsulation layer 161 is located (see Figure 3) in the display region AA and encapsulates (see Figure 3) the light-emitting units 140, and at least a part of the second encapsulation layer 163 extends (see Figure 3) to the non-display region NA and is connected (i.e., directly connected in Figure 3, touching) to the definition portion 172.
Regarding claim 14, DI teaches wherein the non-display region NA is a frame region (see Figure 5) of the display panel 100 (“display panel”; see Figure 5).
Regarding claim 20, DI teaches of a display apparatus (see title: “Display Device”), comprising the display panel (see title: A Display Panel, Manufacturing Method And Display Device Of The Panel Display) according to claim 1 (see claim 1 rejection supra).
Regarding independent claim 15, DI teaches in Figure 5 with Figure 3 of a display panel 100, comprising a display region AA and a non-display region NA surrounding at least a part of the display region AA, and the display panel 100 comprising:
a base plate 110;
a light-emitting layer 142 comprising a plurality of light-emitting units 144; and
an encapsulation layer 161/163 located on a side of the light-emitting layer 142 away (i.e., above) from the base plate 110, wherein the encapsulation layer 161/163 comprises a first encapsulation layer 161 and a second encapsulation layer 163 located on a side (i.e., above) of the first encapsulation layer 163 away from the light-emitting layer 142, the first encapsulation layer 161 is located in the display region AA and comprises a plurality of encapsulation portions(i.e., inside holes 151) respectively covering the plurality of light-emitting units 140, and the second encapsulation layer 163 covers the plurality of encapsulation portions (see Figure 3: 163 covers 161 directly over the 151 holes).
Regarding claim 16, DI teaches wherein orthographic projections (see Figure 3) of the plurality of encapsulation portions (location of 161 directly above 140 in holes 151) on the base plate 110 are located within an orthographic projection (see Figure 3) of the second encapsulation layer 163 (i.e., part of 163 is directly above 151 holes) on the base plate 110; and
the second encapsulation layer 162 extends (see Figure 3) from the display region AA to the non-display region NA.
Regarding claim 17, DI teaches wherein the display panel comprises a dam 170 (“retaining wall”; Figure 5 with Figure 3) located in the non-display region NA, and the second encapsulation layer 163 is located on a side of the dam 170 facing the display region, or at least a part of the second encapsulation layer 162 extends (see Figure 3: 163 extends from AA to NA at 170 wherein the titled/angled portion of 163 lands atop 170) from the display region AA to a side of the dam 170 away from the display region AA.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-13 and 18-19 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.
Claim 2 contains allowable subject matter, because the closest prior art of record, singularly or in combination, fails to disclose or suggest, in combination with the other elements of claim 2, wherein a material of the pixel definition layer comprises an inorganic material; a material of the second encapsulation layer comprises an organic material; a material of the first encapsulation layer comprises an inorganic material;
the material of the pixel definition layer comprises at least one of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride; and the pixel definition layer is a single film layer, or the pixel definition layer comprises a plurality of stacked film layers.
Claim 3 contains allowable subject matter, because the closest prior art of record, singularly or in combination, fails to disclose or suggest, in combination with the other elements of claim 3, wherein the encapsulation layer further comprises a third encapsulation layer located on a side of the second encapsulation layer away from the base plate, and a part of the third encapsulation layer in the non-display region extends out from the second encapsulation layer and is connected to the definition portion.
Dependent claims 4-9 contain allowable subject matter, because they depend on allowed claim 3.
Claim 10 contains allowable subject matter, because the closest prior art of record, singularly or in combination, fails to disclose or suggest, in combination with the other elements of claim 10, wherein the display panel further comprises:
an isolation structure provided on the base plate, wherein the isolation structure encloses and forms isolation openings, an orthographic projection of the isolation opening on the base plate at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the pixel opening on the base plate the orthographic projection of the isolation opening on the base plate is located within the orthographic projection of the pixel opening on the base plate; the first encapsulation layer comprises a plurality of encapsulation portions, and each of the encapsulation portions encapsulates the light-emitting unit located in a corresponding isolation opening.
Dependent claims 11-13 contain allowable subject matter, because they depend on allowed claim 10.
Claim 18 contains allowable subject matter, because the closest prior art of record, singularly or in combination, fails to disclose or suggest, in combination with the other elements of claim 18, wherein the display panel further comprises a pixel definition layer provided on the base plate, the pixel definition layer comprises a pixel definition portion located in the display region and a definition portion located in the non-display region, the pixel definition portion is provided with a plurality of pixel openings, the light-emitting unit is located in the pixel opening, and the definition portion and the second encapsulation layer are connected on a side of the dam facing the display region; the definition portion extends to a side of the dam away from the display region;
the dam comprises an organic layer connected to the definition portion, the definition portion is provided with a first hole, and an orthographic projection of the first hole on the base plate is located within an orthographic projection of the organic layer on the base plate.
Dependent claim 19 contains allowable subject matter, because it depends on the allowable subject matter of claim 18.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN P DULKA whose telephone number is (571)270-7398. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, EST.
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26 June 2026
/John P. Dulka/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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