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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 06/25/2024 and 04/24/2025 were considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 16, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jung et al. (2020211530). With respect to claim 1, Jung et al. discloses an electronic device (100) comprising: a display (110) comprising a first area (101), a second area (102), and a folding area (103) between the first area (101) and the second area (102); a first housing (510) supporting the first area (101); a second housing (520) supporting the second area (102); a hinge unit (300) which is connected to the first housing (510) and the second housing (520), and operates between a folded state in which the first area (101) and the second area (102) face each other and an unfolded state in which the first area (101) and the second area (102) are open; a hinge housing (300) in which the hinge unit (300, see paragraph [0042]) is disposed and in which a fixing groove (311) is defined; a cap (710) connected to the hinge housing (300) and covering a side of the folding area (103); and a fixing member (410) which is inserted and fixed into the fixing groove (311) and fixes the cap (710) to the hinge housing (300), the fixing member (410) comprising: a fixing part (411) to which the cap (710) is connected and fixed; and a wing part (412, 413) protruding from the fixing part(411) and including an end contacting the fixing groove (311) and limiting a movement of the fixing member (410). With respect to claim 2, Jung et al. discloses the electronic device (100) of claim 1, wherein the wing part (412, 413) is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to a bottom surface of the fixing part (411). With respect to claim 3, Jung et al. discloses the electronic device (100) of claim 1, wherein the wing part (412, 413) extends from the fixing part (411), inclined and facing a direction opposite a direction in which the fixing member (410) is inserted into the fixing groove (311). With respect to claim 4, Jung et al. discloses the electronic device (100) of claim 1, wherein the wing part (412, 413) comprises: a first wing part (412) protruding in a direction from the fixing part (411) toward the first area (101) based on the unfolded state; and a second wing part (413) protruding in a direction from the fixing part (411) toward the second area (520) based on the unfolded state. With respect to claim 5, Jung et al. discloses the electronic device (100) of claim 4, wherein the fixing member (410) has a first length, which is a length from an end of the first wing part (412) to an end of the second wing part (413), based on a separated state from the fixing groove (311), and the fixing groove (311) has a second length, which is a length from one side contacting the end of the first wing part (412) to another side contacting the end of the second wing part (413), wherein the first length is longer than the second length. With respect to claim 6, Jung et al. discloses the electronic device (100) of claim 1, wherein the wing part (412, 413) includes substantially a same material as a material of the fixing part (411), and forms a single body with the fixing part (411). With respect to claim 16, Jung et al. discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the fixing member (410) is a stacked structure which includes a plurality of plates disposed between the cap (710) and in which the fixing groove (311) is defined, wherein the plates form the fixing part (410) as one side facing the cap (710) is fixed to the cap (710), and form the wing part (412, 413) as another side facing the fixing groove (311) protrudes at least partially into the fixing groove (311). With respect to claim 17, Jung et al. discloses the electronic device of claim 16, wherein the plates are each provided in a structure including an increasing cross-sectional area in a stacking direction.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: as to claims 18-20, patentability resides, at least I part, in the interconnection and interrelationship between the electronic device; the display comprising a first area, a second area, and a folding area between the first area and the second area; the first housing supporting the first area; the second housing supporting the second area; the hinge unit which is connected to the first housing and the second housing; the hinge housing in which the hinge unit is disposed and in which a fixing groove is defined; the cap connected to the hinge housing and covering a side of the folding area; and the fixing member which is inserted and fixed into the fixing groove and fixes the cap to the hinge housing, the fixing member comprising: a fixing part to which the cap is connected and fixed; a wing part comprising: a plurality of sub-wings spaced apart at predetermined intervals in an insertion direction in which the fixing member is inserted into the fixing groove, the plurality of sub-wings comprising: an end of the plurality of sub-wings protruding from the fixing part, contacting the fixing groove, and limiting a movement of the fixing member; and an elastic member disposed between the plurality of sub-wings as claimed.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claims 7-15 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: as to claims 7-15, patentability resides in each and every limitation as presently claimed and including each and every limitation in the base claim(s) respectfully.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA LEA-EDMONDS whose telephone number is (571)272-2043. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached at 571-272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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LISA LEA-EDMONDS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/LISA LEA-EDMONDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847 2026-01-27