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 .
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.
Claims 1-2, 5, 7, 9, 14-15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al (US Patent No. 11656655 B2 and Shin hereinafter) in view of Park et al (US Patent No. 12093082 B2 and Park hereinafter)
Regarding claim 1, Shin discloses (figs. 1-11) a display device comprising: a system middle frame (SUP2) configured to fold relative to a folding axis; and a foldable display module (DM) having a folding area that is bonded to the system middle frame and configured to fold relative to the folding axis, and a plurality of flat areas (NFA1-NFA2) connected through the folding area (FA), wherein the foldable display module comprises: a display panel (DP) including the plurality of flat areas and the folding area, and a bottom plate (SUP1) that is bonded between the display panel and the system middle frame, the bottom plate including a plurality of folding patterns (PP3) in the folding area and a plurality of aperture patterns (PP1) in the plurality of flat areas. Shin does not explicitly disclose wherein each of the plurality of aperture patterns (OA2-1 and
OA2-2) comprises an outer hole pattern and an inner hole pattern (OA2-1) associated with the outer hole pattern (OA2-1).
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However, Park further teaches (figs. 1-23) wherein each of the plurality of aperture patterns comprises an outer hole pattern and an inner hole pattern associated with the outer hole pattern. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the plurality of aperture patterns as claimed of Park to device of Shin in order to prevent the curl phenomenon of the substrate from occurring in the unfolding region (Park and col 3, lines 15-20)
Regarding claim 2, Shin/Park discloses the display device according to claim 1. Park further teaches (see annotated fig above) wherein the inner hole pattern has a width that is greater than a width of the outer hole pattern in the plurality of aperture patterns. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the widths of the inner/outer hole patterns as claimed of Park to device of Shin in order to prevent the curl phenomenon of the substrate from occurring in the unfolding region (Park and col 3, lines 15-20)
Regarding claim 5, Shin/Park discloses the display device according to claim 1. Shin further teaches (figs. 1-11) wherein the bottom plate overlaps with the plurality of flat areas and is bonded to a top surface of the system middle frame via a plurality of adhesives in the folding area.
Regarding claim 7, Shin/Park discloses the display device according to claim 1. Shin further teaches (figs. 1-11)wherein the plurality of aperture patterns include stripes extending in at least one direction of a first direction parallel to the folding axis, a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and a diagonal direction between the first direction and the second direction, or connected in a matrix form (shows in fig.3).
Regarding claim 9, Shin/Park discloses the display device according to claim 1. Shin further teaches (figs. 1-11) wherein the foldable display module further comprises a driving circuit associated with the display panel and on a back surface of the system middle frame (fig.5).
Regarding claim 14, Shin discloses (figs. 1-11) a display device comprising: a display panel comprising a plurality of flat areas (NFA1-NFA2), and a folding area that is between the plurality of flat areas and configured to fold relative to a folding axis (FA); a bottom plate bonded to a back surface of the display panel, the bottom plate including a plurality of folding patterns (PP3) corresponding to the folding area and a plurality of aperture patterns (PP1) corresponding to the plurality of flat areas, and a system middle frame (SUP2) bonded to the bottom plate by a plurality of adhesives (AL1-AL5) disposed separately on a back surface of the bottom plate corresponding to the plurality of flat areas, the system middle frame configured to fold relative to the folding axis (fig.4). Shin does not explicitly disclose the plurality of aperture patterns comprising an outer hole pattern and an inner hole pattern having a size that is different from a size of the outer hole pattern. However, Park further teaches (figs. 1-23) the plurality of aperture patterns comprising an outer hole pattern and an inner hole pattern having a size that is different from a size of the outer hole pattern.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the plurality of aperture patterns as claimed of Park to device of Shin in order to prevent the curl phenomenon of the substrate from occurring in the unfolding region (Park and col 3, lines 15-20).
Regarding claim 15, Shin/Park discloses the display device according to claim 14. wherein the inner hole pattern has a width that is greater than a width of the outer hole pattern. Park further teaches (see annotated fig above) wherein the inner hole pattern has a width that is greater than a width of the outer hole pattern. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the widths of the inner/outer hole patterns as claimed of Park to device of Shin in order to prevent the curl phenomenon of the substrate from occurring in the unfolding region (Park and col 3, lines 15-20)
Regarding claim 17, Shin/Park discloses the display device according to claim 14. Shin further teaches wherein the plurality of aperture patterns include stripes extending in at least one direction of a first direction parallel to the folding axis, a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and a diagonal direction between the first direction and the second direction, or connected in a matrix form (shows in fig.3).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al in view of Park et al and further in view of Fu et al (US Pub No. 2023/0354533 A1 and Fu hereinafter)
Regarding claim 18, Shin/Park discloses the display device according to claim 17. Shin further teaches (figs. 1-11) wherein the plurality of folding patterns of the bottom plate include a plurality of slits penetrating the bottom plate and extending in the first direction (fig.3), but fails to disclose wherein a spacing between the plurality of folding patterns decreases as the plurality of folding patterns approach the folding axis of the folding area from the plurality of flat areas. However, Fu teaches (figs.1-3) wherein a spacing between the plurality of folding patterns (121) decreases as the plurality of folding patterns (12) approach the folding axis of the folding area from the plurality of flat areas (11). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the widths of the inner/outer hole patterns as claimed of Park to device of Shin in order to prevent the curl phenomenon of the substrate from occurring in the unfolding region (Park and col 3, lines 15-20)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 6, 8, 10-13, 16 and 19-22 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.
Regarding claim 3, the prior art fails to disclose, “wherein the bottom plate comprises a plurality of metal layers (RFP) that are stacked, and wherein the outer hole pattern is in an outer metal layer of the plurality of metal layers that is closest to the system middle frame, and the inner hole pattern is in an inner metal layer of the plurality of metal layers located in an interior of the outer metal layer.”
Claim 8 is objected being depend on claim 3.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art fails to disclose, “ wherein the bottom plate comprises a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and a third metal layer that are stacked, and wherein the outer hole pattern is in the first metal layer closest to the system middle frame, and the inner hole pattern is in the second metal layer located in an interior of the first metal layer.”
Regarding claim 6, the prior art fails to disclose, “ wherein the plurality of flat areas of the bottom plate comprise a bonding area where the plurality of adhesives are bonded, and a nonbonding area where the plurality of adhesives are not bonded by the outer hole pattern, and wherein an area of the bonding area is greater than an area of the nonbonding area.”
Regarding claim 10, the prior art fails to disclose, “wherein the plurality of aperture patterns in the bottom plate comprise: a plurality of first aperture patterns in a first region of the plurality of flat areas overlapping the driving circuit; and a plurality of second aperture patterns in a second region of the plurality of flat areas non-overlapping the driving circuit, the plurality of second aperture patterns having a size that is different from a size of the plurality of first aperture patterns.”
Claims 11-13 are objected being depend on claim 10.
Regarding claim 16, the prior art fails to disclose, “ wherein the bottom plate comprises a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and a third metal layer that are stacked, and wherein the outer hole pattern is in the first metal layer bonded to the system middle frame by the plurality of adhesives, and the inner hole pattern is in the second metal layer located in an interior of the first metal layer.”
Regarding claim 19, the prior art fails to disclose, “ a driving circuit associated with the display panel and disposed on a back surface of the system middle frame, wherein the plurality of aperture patterns in the bottom plate comprise: a plurality of first aperture patterns in a first region of the plurality of flat areas overlapping the driving circuit; and a plurality of second aperture patterns in a second region of the plurality of flat areas non-overlapping the driving circuit, the plurality of second aperture patterns having a size that is different from a size of the plurality of first aperture patterns.”
Claims 20-22 are objected being depend on claim 19.
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