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 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 1-2 and 4-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US Patent No. 12346153 B2 and Kim hereinafter)
Regarding Claim 1, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) a foldable display structure comprising: a glass layer (WM, fig. 5B) having a top face and an opposing bottom face, the glass layer positioned as the topmost layer of the foldable display structure, the glass layer comprising: a first groove (see annotated fig below) on the top face of the glass layer along a first plane (see annotated fig below); and a second groove (see annotated fig below) on the bottom face of the glass layer along the first plane, the first groove and the second groove forming a variable thickness (t1 to t2) in the glass layer along a dimension of the glass layer perpendicular to the first plane sufficient to define a foldable region; a first resin (FL1, fig.5B) deposited within the first groove, the first resin contiguous with the top face of the glass layer; and a second resin (FL2) deposited within the second groove.
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Regarding Claim 2, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, wherein the first plane is normal to the top face of the glass layer.
Regarding Claim 4, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, wherein: the first groove comprises a first depth (t1) shallower than or equal to a second depth of the second groove; and the first groove comprises a first width narrower than or equal to a second width of the second groove.
Regarding Claim 5, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, wherein the first resin comprises a compression-cyclable resin, the compression-cyclable resin comprising a compression-survivable index matched resin (col 12, lines 20-25).
Regarding Claim 6, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, wherein the second resin comprises a tension-cyclable resin, the tension-cyclable resin comprising a tensile-survivable index matched resin (col 12, lines 20-25).
Regarding Claim 7, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, wherein the first resin and the second resin comprise the same resin (col 12, lines 20-25).
Regarding Claim 8, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, wherein the foldable region of the foldable display structure is defined by at least portions of the first groove and the second groove (shows in fig.5B).
Regarding Claim 9, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, wherein: the first groove and the second groove are manufactured into the glass layer in a two-sided etching process (product by process claim and col 9, lines 10-15); or the first groove and the second groove are manufactured into the glass layer in separate single-sided etching processes.
Regarding Claim 10, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, further comprising a hard-coating (PL) applied to the top face of the glass layer.
Regarding Claim 11, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, wherein the glass layer comprises a non-uniform chemical strengthening depth (having protective layer PL).
Regarding Claim 12, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, wherein the foldable display structure is integrated within an electronic device (DD, fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 13, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 12, wherein: the electronic device comprises a display module; and an optically clear adhesive (AF1) adheres the foldable display structure to the display module (fig.5B).
Regarding Claim 14, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, wherein the top face of the glass layer comprises at least one of a rectangular shape or an elliptical shape (see annotated fig.5B above).
Regarding Claim 15, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, further comprising: a third groove on the top face of the glass layer along a second plane; and a fourth groove on the bottom face of the glass layer along the second plane, the third and fourth grooves sufficient to produce a variable thickness in the glass layer along a second dimension of the glass layer perpendicular to the second plane; a third resin deposited within the third groove, the third resin contiguous with the top face of the glass layer; and a fourth resin deposited within the fourth groove (see annotated fig below) .
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Regarding Claim 16, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 15, wherein the second plane is normal to the top face of the glass layer.
Regarding Claim 17, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 715, further comprising: a first foldable region defined by at least portions of the first groove and the second groove; and a second foldable region defined by at least portions of the third groove and the fourth groove.
Regarding Claim 18, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 15, wherein: the third groove comprises a third depth shallower than or equal to a fourth depth of the fourth groove; and the third groove comprises a third width narrower than or equal to a fourth width of the fourth groove (see annotated fig below).
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Regarding Claim 19, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 1, further comprising: a permanent protective layer (RPL, fig.5B), the permanent protective layer positioned underneath the glass layer and the second resin.
Regarding Claim 20, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 19, wherein the second resin extends beyond the second groove, the second resin disposed between all portions of the permanent protective layer and the glass layer (see annotated fig below).
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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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al
Regarding Claim 3, Kim discloses (figs. 1-17B) the foldable display structure of claim 2, wherein the first groove and the second groove forming the variable thickness in the glass layer along the dimension of the glass layer perpendicular to the first plane define a thick region(C1”) and a thin region (C”) in the glass layer, and wherein the variable thickness between the thick region and the thin region comprise a ratio of at least six-to-one (see claim 18),which encompasses the interval C″ is in a range of about 10 μm to about 300 μm, and the interval C1″ is in a range of about 5 μm to about 300 μm.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to optimized the ratio of the thick region and the thin region at least six-to-one to reduce stress during folding and improve impact resistance. (col25, lines 60-65 of Kim).
MPEP § 2144.05-II (A) states “[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” In reAller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955) (Claimed process which was performed at a temperature between 40°C and 80°C and an acid concentration between 25% and 70% was held to be prima facie obvious over a reference process which differed from the claims only in that the reference process was performed at a temperature of 100°C and an acid concentration of 10%.).
Furthermore, MPEP § 2144.05-II (B) describes that it is considered to be prima facie obvious when there is a motivation to optimize result-effective variables, i.e. a variable which achieves a recognized result.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)272-1602. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8 AM - 4:30 PM ET.
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/ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841