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 certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/03/2024 was considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirabayshi (20180164923) in view of Kim et al. (12568592). With respect to claim 1, Hirabayshi discloses a display apparatus comprising: a display module (3, 101) configured to display an image; a metal plate (8) disposed behind the display module (101); a cover member (1) disposed in front of the display module (101); and an adhesive member (2, 6) disposed between the display module (101) and the metal plate (8), wherein the adhesive member (2, 6) includes a protective part (6) attached to side surfaces of the display module (3). Hirabayshi fails to teach the protective part having an end attached to the cover member. Kim et al. discloses an adhesive member (530) includes a protective part (side of 530). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill I the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the teachings of Kim et al. into the apparatus of Hirabayshi. One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to integrally form the adhesive member (2, 6) so that the number of parts and steps in an assembling process can be reduced, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to make plural parts unitary as a matter of obvious engineering choice.
With respect to claim 2, Hirabayshi in view of Kim et al. discloses the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective part (6 of Hirabayshi as modified by 530 of Kim et al.) is bent from the side surfaces of the display module (3, 101).
With respect to claim 3, Hirabayshi in view of Kim et al. discloses the display apparatus of claim 1. Hirabayshi in view of Kim et al. fails to expressly teach the adhesive member (6 or 530) being made of an opaque material. One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to select an adhesive that is opaque, since it has been held that such selection of materials are within the general skill of a worker in the art as a matter of obvious engineering choice.
With respect to claim 4, Hirabayshi in view of Kim et al. discloses the display apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an adhesive layer (2, 6 of Hirabayshi as modified by 530 of Kim et al.) disposed between the cover member (1) and the display module (3, 101), wherein the protective part (6 of Hirabayshi as modified by 530 of Kim et al.) is attached to side surfaces of the adhesive layer (2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-17 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: as to claims 12-14, patentability resides, at least in part, in the method of manufacturing a display apparatus, comprising: providing a package including an adhesive member and a metal plate coupled to the adhesive member; coupling the package to a display module; removing an adhesive film that couples a cutting part of the metal plate to the adhesive member; bending the protective part of the adhesive member; and attaching the protective part to side surfaces of the display module as claimed; as to claims 15-17; patentability resides, at least in part, in the display apparatus comprising: a display module configured to display an image; a metal plate disposed behind the display module; a printed circuit board disposed behind the metal plate; a chip on film (COF) having a first side electrically connected to the display module and a second side electrically connected to the printed circuit board; a cover member disposed in front of the display module; and an adhesive member disposed between the display module and the metal plate, wherein the adhesive member includes a protective part attached to side surfaces of the display module, the protective part having one end attached to the cover member as claimed.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claims 5-11 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: as to claims 5 and 6, patentability resides, at least in part, in the display module includes: a back plate disposed in front of the adhesive member; and a display panel disposed in front of the back plate and configured to display the image as claimed and including all of the other limitations of the base claim(s) respectfully; as to claims 7-11, patentability resides, at least in part, in the adhesive member and the metal plate are one package coupled to the display module as claimed and including all of the other limitations of the base claim(s) respectfully.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the invention as claimed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA LEA-EDMONDS whose telephone number is (571)272-2043. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached at 571-272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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LISA LEA-EDMONDS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/LISA LEA-EDMONDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847 2026-03-16