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 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) 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang 2017/0347466 in view of Nam 2015/0223358.
Regarding claim 1, Kang discloses a display device (Title) comprising: a flexible display panel (100 or 110, Fig 1); a rear plate (140C, Fig 12) positioned at a rear of the display panel and to which the display panel is coupled (see Figs 12, 14); a flexible inner plate (120 including 130, Figs 1, 6) disposed between the rear plate and the display panel (Fig 12) and coupled to the rear plate (Fig 12); a drive moule (MU, Fig 19) coupled to a rear of the rear plate (once assembled, Fig 14), the drive module including a slider (150, Fig 13) linearly reciprocating (par 0099); a wing (162 or 164, Fig 14) elongated such that a first end of the wing is coupled to the slider (end connecting 159 as in Fig 15) and a second end of the wing is coupled to the rear of the rear plate (as in Figs 17, 18), the wing including a pivot shaft positioned between the first end and the second end (pivot shaft between H1, H2, not labeled, Figs 16, 17), the pivot shaft being adjacent to the first end (Figs 15, 16); and a wing bracket (140A or 140B, Fig 12) fixed to the rear of the rear plate and being adjacent to the pivot shaft (see Figs 12, 17), the wing bracket coupled to the pivot shaft (Fig 18), wherein the inner plate comprises a plurality of holes positioned between the first end and the second end of the wing (via portion 130, Fig 11, par 0074), the plurality of holes penetrating the inner plate (see Figs 9-10), and wherein the plurality of holes is formed in rows and columns (as in Fig 11) and arranged long in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the wing (see Fig 19).
Kang discloses the claimed invention except for expressly teaching that the rear plate is flexible.
Nam however teaches a similar device (Title) including a rear plate (422, Fig 6) that is flexible (see Fig 7A with respect to Fig 7B).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure of Kang to include a flexible rear plate, as taught by Nam, in order to provide a an coupling surface for the driver that enables innovative form factors adapted to curved display that allows for creative integration with non-flat surfaces, thereby improving versatility of the device that are more resilient than traditional rigid displays.
Regarding claim 2, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 1, Kang teaches wherein the inner plate includes: a left side (near B1 or 120SS2, Fig 11); and a right side (near B2 or 120SS1, Fig 11) opposite the left side (Fig 11), wherein the wing comprises: a first wing (162, Fig 19) having a first end coupled to the slider (Fig 19) and a second end fixed to the rear of the rear plate (Fig 19), the second end of the first wing being adjacent to the left side (Fig 19); and a second wing (164, Fig 19) having a first end coupled to the slider (Fig 19) and a second end fixed to the rear of the rear plate (Fig 19), the second end of the second wing being adjacent to the right side (Fig 19), and wherein the plurality of holes comprises: a first plurality of holes positioned between the second end of the first wing and the slider (H1, H2 on left, Fig 19); and a second plurality of holes (H1, H2 on right, Fig 19) positioned between the second end of the second wing and the slider (Fig 19).
Regarding claim 3, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 2, Kang teaches wherein the first plurality of holes and the second plurality holes are symmetric with respect to the slider (Fig 19).
Regarding claim 4, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 2, Kang wherein each of the plurality of holes is a long hole elongated in the arrangement direction of the plurality of holes (see Fig 15, for example).
Regarding claim 5, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 4, Kang teaches wherein each of the plurality of holes includes a major axis (axis running lengthwise on 159, Fig 15) and a minor axis (axis running width on 159, Fig 15), and wherein a length of the major axis is 2 to 3 times a length of the minor axis (see Fig 15).
Regarding claim 6, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 3, Kang teaches wherein the inner plate has a center line (along/between B3, B4, Fig 3) located in a middle (120LS1, Fig 3) between the left side and the right side of the inner plate (Fig 3), wherein the first plurality of holes is closer to the left side of the inner plate than the center line (Figs 12, 14), and wherein the second plurality of holes is closer to the right side of the inner plate than the center line (Figs 12, 14).
Regarding claim 7, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 2, Kang teaches wherein the inner plate further comprises a center plate (portion between 176, 178, Fig 20) positioned between the first plurality of holes and the second plurality of holes (Figs 20, 21), the center plate being fixed to a front surface of the inner plate (Fig 20).
Regarding claim 8, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 1, Kang teaches wherein the inner plate further comprises a plurality of cut-outs (S1, S2, Fig 11) sequentially formed to be spaced apart from each other the inner plate (Fig 11).
Kang in view of Nam discloses the claimed invention except that the cut-outs are formed along an upper side of the inner plate.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to rearrange the cut-outs to be formed on upper side of the inner plate, in order to route cable/cord/connectors as desired or to optimize weight distribution of the device for certain circuit layout/morphology, thereby improving versatility, and, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Regarding claim 9, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 1, Kang teaches wherein gaps between the columns formed by the plurality of holes are substantially equal to each other (see Fig 11).
Regarding claim 10, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 1, Kang teaches wherein gaps between the columns formed by the plurality of holes are gradually reduced from the first end to the second end of the wing (based on shifting mechanical force of the slider/damper/spring of 150, Figs 13-15).
Regarding claim 11, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 1, Kang teaches wherein the drive module comprises: a front bracket (159, Fig 15) fixed to the rear of the rear plate (Fig 14); a rear bracket (152/154, Fig 13) facing the front bracket (Fig 14); and a lead screw (151, Fig 13) elongated from the front bracket toward the rear bracket (Fig 13), the lead screw being rotatably coupled to the front bracket or the rear bracket (Fig 16), and wherein the slider is screw-coupled with the lead screw and linearly reciprocating (Figs 13, 15, 16).
Regarding claim 12, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 11, Kang teaches wherein the drive module further comprises: a first guide shaft (156, Fig 13) parallel to the lead screw (Fig 13) and fixed to the front bracket or the rear bracket (Fig 15); and a second guide shaft (158, Fig 13) parallel to the lead screw (Fig 13) and fixed to the front bracket or the rear bracket (Fig 15), the second guide shaft being disposed opposite the first guide shaft with respect to the lead screw (Fig 13).
Regarding claim 13, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 12, Kang teaches wherein the drive module further comprises a slider guide (152b/154b) into which the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft are inserted (Fig 13) so that the slider guide is movable on the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft (in bidirectional arrow motion, Fig 13), the slider guide being fixed to the slider (Fig 13).
Regarding claim 14, Kang in view of Nam disclose the display device of claim 1, Kang teaches wherein the wing bracket comprises: an upper bracket (top half of 140A, 140B, Fig 19) positioned at an upper part of the wing (Fig 19); a lower bracket (lower half of 140A, 140B, Fig 19) positioned at a lower part of the wing (Fig 19); and a pin (B1/B2, Fig 23) connecting the upper bracket and the lower bracket (Fig 23), the pin being inserted into the pivot shaft of the wing (Fig 23).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHEN E MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-8852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/ANTHONY M HAUGHTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841