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 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 statement (IDS) submitted on 06/26/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 12-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 09/04/2026. Claims 1-11 are now pending and office action n merits follows.
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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1,3-5, and 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 20200004077 A1) (Lee, hereafter).
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses (Figures 1-15 and corresponding text) a display device(Figures 1-6)(1)comprising: a display panel (100) comprising a first area (A1) comprising a display area (DA), a second area (A2) spaced apart from the first area(A1), and a bendable third area(A3) located between the first area (A1)and the second area(A2); a bonding layer (430) disposed in the second area(A2) and located on a first surface(101, bottom surface) of the display panel (100); a panel bottom cover disposed in the first area (A1)of the display panel (100) and located on the first surface(101) of the display panel (100); a first support film( 330)disposed in the second area (A2)of the display panel(100) and bonded to the bonding layer(430)(π46) and a gap(G)provided in the third area(A3) to separate the first support film (330) and the second support film(310)from each other. Lee fails to explicitly disclose wherein a bonding layer in third area of display located on the first surface the display panel ; a second support film disposed in the third area of the display panel and bonded to the bonding layer.
However, Lee discloses in (figures 1-6) (Figure 6)in A1, first a bonding layer( 410) coupling first support film (310) to the first surface (101) of display panel (100); in A2, a bonding layer( 430) coupling second support film (330) to the first surface (101) of display panel (100);gap (G)in A3 without any bonding or supporting layers to arrive at the same solution as the instant application.
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date to modify the display device of Lee as disclosed by Lee wherein a bonding layer in third area of display located on the first surface the display panel ; a second support film disposed in the third area of the display panel and bonded to the bonding layer, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70
Regarding claim 3, Lee discloses (Figure 6)wherein the first support film (310)further comprises a burr pattern protruding downward from a first surface of the first support film(310) along an inner surface adjacent to the gap (G) (π68)
Regarding claim 4, Lee fails to explicitly disclose wherein an angle formed by the inner surface on which the burr pattern is formed and a first surface of the bonding layer which contacts the first support film is 70 degrees or less.
However, Lee does disclose first support film (310), bonding layer (400)on which the burr pattern is formed contacts the first support film (310).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date to modify the display device of Lee as disclosed by Lee wherein an angle formed by the inner surface on which the burr pattern is formed and a first surface of the bonding layer which contacts the first support film is 70 degrees or less, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding claim 5, Lee discloses (Figure 6) a driving chip (IC) disposed in the second area(A2) of the display panel(100) and located on a second surface3 of the display panel opposite the first surface of the display panel.
Regarding claim 10, Lee discloses(Figure 6) wherein the first surface (101)of the display panel (10) is exposed to the gap (G) in the third area (A3), and the bonding layer comprises a first bonding layer (430)disposed in the second area(A2) and a second bonding layer(400) spaced apart from the first bonding layer(430) with the gap (G) interposed therebetween in the third area (A3).
Regarding claims 8-9,and 11, the limitations wherein a protective layer formed on the second surface of the display panel opposite the first surface of the display panel in the third area(claim 8);a support film connection portion formed on the first surface of the bonding layer exposed to the gap and connecting the first support film and the second support film(claim 9);wherein the bonding layer and the second support film extend to a part of the first area to additionally lie in the first area, a side surface of the bonding layer and a side further comprises a support film connection portion formed on the first surface of the bonding layer in the gap and connecting the first support film and the second support film (Claim 11) etc do not appear to contain any additional features which define more than slight constructional changes which come within the scope of the customary (design) practice followed by persons skilled in the art, especially as the advantages thus achieved can be readily contemplated in advance. Alternatively, these limitations are not deemed patentable since the applicant’s disclosure fails to show such limitations to solve any problems or to yield any unobvious advantage that is not within the scope of the teachings applied. Therefore, such limitations would be a matter of design alternative.
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date to further modify the display device of Lee as disclosed by LEE to derive wherein a protective layer formed on the second surface of the display panel opposite the first surface of the display panel in the third area; a support film connection portion formed on the first surface of the bonding layer exposed to the gap and connecting the first support film and the second support film; wherein the bonding layer and the second support film extend to a part of the first area to additionally lie in the first area, a side surface of the bonding layer and a side further comprises a support film connection portion formed on the first surface of the bonding layer in the gap and connecting the first support film and the second support film the motivation being to provide a bendable display that is mechanically sound and has luminous efficiency, and since design alternative requires routine skill.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 20200004077 A1) (Lee, hereafter) in view of Aritsuka et al. (JP 2018107419 A, machine translation, 07-2018).
Lee discloses the display device above (see rejection claim 1);Lee fails to explicitly disclose, wherein the bonding layer comprises a light-peelable adhesive of a type having an adhesive strength of 100 gf/inch or less after light irradiation.
Aritsuka discloses as shown in FIG. 6, the second surface support (71) is bonded to the second surface (14) side of the substrate (12) provided with the through-holes (20) via the second surface bonding layer (72). The second surface support (71) is a plate-shaped member having rigidity. As a material constituting the second surface support (71), an inorganic material having an insulating property such as glass, silicon carbide, or silicon can be used. By bonding the second surface supporting body (71) to the substrate (12), it is possible to suppress deformation or damage of the substrate (12) when the substrate (12) is transported in the manufacturing process of the through electrode substrate (10).
The second surface support (71) is separated from the second surface (14) side of the substrate (12) after the first wiring structure( 30) is formed on the first surface (13) of the substrate (12). A material that adheres to the substrate (12) during the step of forming the first wiring structure 30 and is easily removed from the substrate (12) after the step of forming the first wiring structure 30 is used as a material constituting the second surface bonding layer (72) that bonds the second surface support (71) to the substrate (12). The second surface bonding layer (72) include is a photo-releasable adhesive. It is an adhesive of a type in which the adhesive force to the substrate (12) is reduced by irradiation with light such as laser light or ultraviolet light. Examples of the photo-releasable adhesive include WSS manufactured by 3M (force in medium low relief zone) (π67-π70).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date to modify the display device of Lee as disclosed by Aritsuka wherein the bonding layer comprises a light-peelable adhesive of a type having an adhesive strength of 100 gf/inch or less after light irradiation the motivation being to ensure that the light emitting elements are attached during the manufacturing process, a since its been held that where the general conditions are disclosed (LEE as modified by Aritsuka) of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is 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 7 is objected to due to its dependence on claim 6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in the 892 provided with this office action or below:
US 20260255815 A1-General state of the art- a display apparatus and a terminal device
US 20260173678 A1-General State of the art- a display module and a display device, which enable an improvement in the reliability and stability of the display module.
US 20220059430 A1-General state of the art- a bendable display device
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRACIE Y GREEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3104. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thursday, 10am-8pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James R Greece can be reached at (571)272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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TRACIE Y. GREEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/TRACIE Y GREEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
