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 .
This communication is in response to the claims dated 1/9/2025.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “…a curled display portion (603) disposed between the first planar display portion (601) and the second planar display portion (602)” (in claim 1) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Note: Figure 25 shows the second planar display portion 602 positioned between the first planar display portion 601 and the curled display portion 603.
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Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 21 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN116052541 (hereinafter D1) in view of HE et al. U.S. Pub. 2021/0044683 (hereinafter D2).
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Regarding claim 1, D1 teaches a display device, comprising:
a support shell, wherein the support shell comprises a first shell (100; figures 1-2) and a second shell (101; figures 1-2), the first shell and the second shell are connected (see figures 1-2) to each other, and an angle (see above annotated figure 2) between the first shell (100) and the second shell (101) is less than (see above annotated figure 2) 180 degree;
a roller (107; figure 1), wherein the roller is disposed between (see above figure 1) the first shell and the second shell, and the roller is rotatably (see above figures 1-2) connected to the support shell;
a first support plate (412; figure 1) slidably connected to the first shell (100);
a second support plate (102; figure 1) slidably connected to the second shell;
a flexible display panel (200; figures 1, 2 and 9), wherein the flexible display panel (200) comprises a first planar display portion (see above annotated figure 1) and a second planar display portion (see above annotated figure 1), and a curled display portion (see above annotated figure 1) disposed between (see above annotated figure 1) the first planar display portion and the second planar display portion, the first planar display portion is fixedly connected (see above annotated figure 1) to the first support plate (412), the second planar display portion is fixedly connected to the second support plate (102).
However, D1 does not specifically teach at least one group of track support assemblies, wherein each of track support assemblies comprises a plurality of support bars arranged in an array between the first support plate and the second support plate, the plurality of support bars are movably connected in sequence, two outermost support bars of the plurality of support bars are fixedly connected to the first support plate and the second support plate respectively, and at least part of the plurality of support bars are disposed on a side of the roller away from of the support shell; and
the curled display portion is in contact with at least part of the plurality of support bars but is not connected to the at least part of the plurality of support bars.
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D2, teaches a similar structure, which comprises at least one group of track support assemblies (see above annotated figure 170, wherein each of track support assemblies comprises a plurality of support bars (30; figures 17-20) arranged in an array (see figures 17-20) between a first support plate (1; figures 19-20) and a second support plate (see above annotated figure 20 of D2), the plurality of support bars (30; figures 17-20) are movably connected in sequence (see figures 17-20), two outermost support bars (see figures 19-20) of the plurality of support bars are fixedly connected to the first support plate (1; figures 19-20) and the second support plate (see above annotated figure 20 of D2) respectively, and at least part of the plurality of support bars (30) are disposed on a side of the roller (42; figure 20) away from of the support shell (see above annotated figure 19); and
a curled display portion (see above annotated figure 19) is in contact with at least part of the plurality of support bars (30) but is not connected (see figure 17-20) to the at least part of the plurality of support bars.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to provide the display device of D1 with at least one group of track support assemblies, wherein each of track support assemblies comprises a plurality of support bars arranged in an array between the first support plate and the second support plate, the plurality of support bars are movably connected in sequence, two outermost support bars of the plurality of support bars are fixedly connected to the first support plate and the second support plate respectively, and at least part of the plurality of support bars are disposed on a side of the roller away from of the support shell; and the curled display portion would be in contact with at least part of the plurality of support bars but is not connected to the at least part of the plurality of support bars, as suggested by D2, to assist said flex display panel slide onto said support shell.
Regarding claim 2, the modification of D1/D2 would result in the display device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of support bars (30; figures 17-20) comprises a support bar body (body of 30; see figure 18), and a first connecting member (implicitly taught in figure 19) fixedly connected to each end portion of the support bar body; and wherein two adjacent first connecting members (implicitly taught in figure 19) in two adjacent support bars are movably connected.
Regarding claim 21, the medication of D1/D2 would result in the display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device comprises a plurality of groups of track support assemblies (432; figure 19 of D2), and the plurality of groups of the track support assemblies are disposed in a length direction (see figures 19-20 of D2) of the roller in sequence.
Regarding claim 24, the modification of D1/D2 would result in: a vehicle (intended use), comprising: a display device (see figure 1 of D1) fixed in a cabin of the vehicle (intended use), wherein the display device is the display device as defined in claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9, 11-18 and 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 of record fails to teach, disclose or fairly suggest the display device according to claim 2, wherein the first connecting member comprises a first arc-shaped slide groove, and a first slider matching a shape of the first arc-shaped slide groove; and wherein, for the two adjacent first connecting members, at least part of the first slider of one first connecting member is disposed within the first arc-shaped slide groove of the other first connecting member.
Claims 4-9 are dependent from claim 3, and therefore, are objected-but-allowable for at least the same reason.
Regarding claim 11, the prior art of record fails to teach, disclose or fairly suggest the display device according to claim 2, wherein the support bar body comprises at least two sub-bar bodies arranged in sequence along a length direction of the support bar body, and a second connecting member disposed between the at least two adjacent sub-bar bodies, and the second connecting member is fixedly connected to an end portion of each of the at least two adjacent sub-bar bodies; and wherein two adjacent second connecting members in the two adjacent support bars are movably connected.
Claims 12-18 are dependent from claim 11, and therefore, are objected-but-allowable for at least the same reason.
Regarding claim 22, the prior art of record fails to teach, disclose or fairly suggest the display device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible display panel comprises a driving backplane, a planarization layer disposed on a side of the driving backplane, and a plurality of light-emitting devices disposed on a side of the planarization layer away from the driving backplane, and the plurality of light-emitting devices are electrically connected to the driving backplane; and wherein, in two adjacent support bars, one support bar is rotatable relative to the other support bar, and in a case that one support bar rotates relative to the other support bar, a rotation axis of the support bar is within a surface of the planarization layer away from the driving backplane.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUNG Q DANG whose telephone number is (571)272-3069. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6PM..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HUNG Q DANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/ANTHONY M HAUGHTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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