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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: The claim reads (lines 11-12): “a plurality of barriers disposed on an one end of each of the plurality of supporting bars.” This language is confusing. Examiner suggests amending the claim to read “a plurality of barriers disposed on a first end of each of the plurality of supporting bars.”
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: Please correct line 20 to read: “wherein when ….”
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informalities:
From line 16: “a display including a first region disposed on an one surface of the second housing.” Examiner suggests amending the claim to read “a display including a first region disposed on a first surface of the second housing.”
From lines 20-21: “extending in a direction parallel to an one surface of the display on the one surface of the display.” Examiner suggests amending the claim to read “extending in a direction parallel to a first surface of the display on the first surface of the display.” Lines 24 and 29 also refer to “the one surface of the display.”
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 the limitation “the side surfaces of the plurality of barriers facing each other” in line 16. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 2-15 are rejected based on their dependence to claim 1.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “the shape” in line 20. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Examiner will interpret this as “a shape.”
Claim 16 recites the limitation “the supporting bar” in line 23. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Examiner believes that Applicant meant to refer to “the first supporting bar.”
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 and 7-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Song et al. (US 2023/0231943 A1), hereinafter Song.
Regarding claim 1, Song teaches an electronic device (mobile terminal 100) comprising:
a first housing (second frame 102);
a second housing (first frame 101) coupled to the first housing (102) to be slidable with respect to the first housing (see Figs. 2-3, 6-8, and 11; from paragraph 0093: “[F]rames 101 and 102 move relative to each other.”);
a flexible display (flexible display unit 151; see paragraph 0077) disposed on a surface of the second housing (from paragraph 0095: “[T]he first frame 101 may include a first front portion 1011 disposed at a front portion of the mobile terminal 100 and supporting the front face of the display unit 151.”) and configured to be slidable into the first housing (102) or slidable out from the first housing (102) by a movement of the second housing (101; see Fig. 8);
a plurality of supporting bars (support bars 1041) disposed on a surface of the flexible display (bottom surface of 151), and spaced apart from each other (see Figs. 9 and 13; from paragraph 0139: “The multiple support bars 1041 may be arranged side by side in the first direction and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.”);
a plurality of barriers (expanded side portion 1042) disposed on a first end of each of the plurality of supporting bars (1041), extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the flexible display (151), and facing a side surface of the flexible display (151; see Fig. 12); and
a plurality of guiding protrusions (slide hooks 1043) extending from each of the plurality of supporting bars (1041) in a direction opposite to the extending direction of the plurality of barriers (see Figs. 9 and 12-13);
wherein a gap between
Regarding claim 2, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Song
further teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein when a
Regarding claim 3, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Song further teaches the electronic device of claim 1,
wherein the second housing (101) is configured to be movable between a first state inserted into the first housing (102; see Figs. 2a, 3a, 6a, 7a, 8a, and 11a showing a first state) and a second state pulled out from the first housing (see Figs. 2b, 3b, 6b, 7b, 8b, and 11b showing a second state),
wherein each of the plurality of barriers (1042) is disposed between the first housing (102; specifically horizontal portions 1027a-b) and the side surface of the flexible display (151) in the second state to block an inflow of foreign materials into an inner space defined by the first housing and the second housing (see Fig 12).
Regarding claim 7, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Song
further teaches the electronic device of claim 1,
wherein each of the plurality of barriers (1042) includes:
a first extending portion (first expanded side portion 1042a) facing the side surface of the flexible display (151) and extending in a direction parallel to a moving direction of the flexible display (see Fig. 9 and annotated Fig. 13 below); and
a second extending portion (second expanded side portion 1042b) extending from one point of the first extending portion (1042a) spaced apart from both ends of the first extending portion (1042a) among points of the first extending portion (see Fig. 9 and annotated Fig. 13 below);
wherein the second extending portion (1042b) of a barrier among the plurality of barriers (1042) overlaps at least a part of the first extending portion (1042a) of another barrier among the plurality of barriers (1042) when the flexible display (151) is viewed from the side surface (see Fig. 9).
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Regarding claim 8, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Song
further teaches the electronic device of claim 1, further including a guide rail (slide rail 1027) including a guide path (see Fig. 12) configured to guide each of the plurality of guiding protrusions (1043) and disposed in the first housing (102; from paragraph 0148: “[T]he second side portion 1023 of the second frame 102 may include a slide rail 1027 into which the slide hook 1043 is movably inserted.”).
Regarding claim 9, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 8 as stated above. Song
further teaches the electronic device of claim 8,
wherein each of the plurality of guiding protrusions (1043) includes:
a connecting portion extending from another surface of each of the plurality of supporting bars in a direction facing the surface of the flexible display, wherein the other surface of each of the plurality of supporting bars is opposite to one surface of each of the plurality of supporting bars contacting the surface (see annotated Fig. 12b below); and
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a protruding portion vertically connected to the connecting portion, wherein at least a part of the protruding portion is inserted into the guide path (see annotated Fig. 12b below).
Regarding claim 10, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 8 as stated above. Song
further teaches the electronic device of claim 8,
wherein the first housing (102) includes a frame cover (second rear portion 1022) surrounded by at least a part of the flexible display (151; see Fig. 12a), and
wherein the guide rail (1027) is disposed on a periphery of the frame cover (1022) facing a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the second housing (see Fig. 12a).
Regarding claim 11, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Song
further teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein a surface facing the surface of the flexible display of at least one of the plurality of the supporting bars has a curvature (see Fig. 8b; from paragraph 0143: “[A]s shown in FIG. 8(b), the support bars 1041 may be formed in a shape having a predetermined curvature.”).
Regarding claim 12, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Song further teaches the electronic device of claim 1,
wherein a surface of each of the plurality of supporting bars (1041) facing the surface of the flexible display (151) includes:
a plane surface in contact with the surface of the flexible display (see Fig. 8b; see also paragraph 0143); and
a curved surface connected to the plane surface and bent with respect to the plane surface to have a curvature (see Fig. 8b; see also paragraph 0143).
Regarding claim 13, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Song
further teaches the electronic device of claim 1,
wherein the second housing includes a front cover (slide curtain 260) in contact with at least a part of the surface of the flexible display (see Figs. 16-17),
wherein the front cover includes a rib surrounding the side surface of the flexible display (see Figs. 16-17).
Regarding claim 14, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Song
further teaches the electronic device of claim 1,
wherein the surface of the flexible display (bottom surface of 151) faces an inner space of the electronic device formed by the first housing (102) and the second housing (101; see Fig. 8),
wherein the flexible display is configured to be inserted into the inner space or is pulled out from the inner space by the movement of the second housing (see Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 15, Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Song
further teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein a part of the flexible display (151) is configured to be pulled out from an inside of the first housing (102) as the second housing (101) moves along a first direction (as 101 is moved to the left relative to 102 as shown in Fig. 8), and inserted into the inside of the first housing (102) as the second housing (101) moves along a second direction opposite to the first direction (as 101 is moved to the right relative to 102 as shown in Fig. 8).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of KR 10-2021-0141185 A, hereinafter KR.
Song teaches all of the limitations of claim 1 as stated above. Song lacks a specific teaching that:
at least one of the plurality of barriers has a height longer than a thickness of the flexible display,
wherein a size of a space between at least one of the plurality of barriers and the first housing is smaller than a size of a gap between another surface of the flexible display facing the surface of the flexible display and the first housing.
KR teaches an electronic device (electronic device 100) including a barrier (side part
152) having a height longer than a thickness of a flexible display (display 130; see Fig. 4). A space between the barrier (152) and a first housing (second sidewall 112 of first frame 110) is smaller than a gap between a top surface of the flexible display (outermost layer 135) and the first housing (112; see Fig. 4).
Song and KR are considered to be analogous arts because they are in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the present application, to modify the electronic device taught by Song by configuring at least of its barriers to have a height longer than the thickness of the flexible display so that a size of a space between the barrier and the first housing is smaller than a gap between another surface of the flexible display facing the surface of the flexible display and the first housing. Doing so would help to prevent foreign material from entering the interior of the device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 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:
Regarding claim 5, the prior art neither teaches nor suggests “a first barrier disposed on an end of the first supporting bar and a second barrier disposed on an end of the second supporting bar, wherein the first barrier includes: a first extending portion facing the side surface of the flexible display and extending in a direction parallel to a moving direction of the flexible display; and a second extending portion parallel to the first extending portion and extending longer than the first extending portion; wherein the second barrier includes: a third extending portion facing the side surface of the flexible display and extending in the direction parallel to the moving direction of the flexible display; and a fourth extending portion parallel to the third extending portion and extending shorter than the third extending portion; and wherein at least a part of the second extending portion overlaps at least a part of the third extending portion when the flexible display is viewed from the side surface.”
Claim 6 depends on claim 5 and would therefore be allowable for at least the reasons stated above.
Claim 16-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
Regarding claim 16, the prior art neither teaches nor suggests “a first barrier extending from at least one of both ends of the supporting bar in a direction perpendicular to the one surface of the display, the first barrier includes a first extending portion facing the second region and extending in a direction parallel to a moving direction of the display, and a second extending portion parallel to the first barrier and extending longer than the first extending portion; and a second barrier extending from at least one of both ends of the second supporting bar in the direction perpendicular to the one surface of the display, the second barrier includes a third extending portion facing the second region and extending in the direction parallel to the moving direction of the display, and a fourth extending portion parallel to the third extending portion and extending shorter than the third extending portion.”
Claims 17-20 depend on claim 16 and would therefore be allowable for at least the reasons stated above.
Conclusion
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/R.T.M./Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841