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 § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1 and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee US 20230118440.
Regarding claim 1, Lee US 20230118440 discloses (in Fig. 6-7) a flexible display panel support apparatus, comprising:
a foldable housing (housing of Fig. 6) comprising a first portion (610), a second portion (612), and a third portion (614),
wherein the second portion (612) and the third portion (614) are connected to two opposite sides of the first portion (610) respectively (as depicted in Fig. 6-7); and
a support mechanism (620) disposed at an internal folding side of the housing and comprising a support assembly (620/622/624) and a drive assembly (616/618/626/628) that is connected to the support assembly (620/622/624),
an orthographic projection of the support assembly (620/622/624) on the housing being located within the first portion (610),
wherein the drive assembly (616/618/626/628) is configured to drive the support assembly to switch to a support state (in Fig. 6) in response to an unfolding motion of the housing (as depicted in Fig. 7-6) or drive the support assembly (620/622/624) to switch to a nonsupport state (in Fig. 7) in response to a folding motion of the housing (as depicted in Fig.6-7).
Regarding claim 11, Lee discloses the flexible display panel support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive assembly (616/618/626/628) comprises a draw cord (626);
one end (632) of the draw cord (626) is connected to the second portion (612);
the other end (630) of the draw cord (626) is connected to the support assembly (620/622/644 through 616); and
the draw cord (626) is configured to drive the support assembly (620/622/644) to switch to the support state (in Fig. 6) in response to the unfolding motion of the housing (as depicted in Fig. 7-6).
Regarding claim 12, Lee discloses the flexible display panel support apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the drive assembly (616/618/626/628) further comprises a guide wheel (616) disposed on the first portion (610), and the draw cord (626) is tensely disposed on the guide wheel (616 as depicted in Fig. 6-7).
Claim(s) 1 and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sun US 20240259487.
Regarding claim 1, Sun US 20240259487 discloses a flexible display panel support apparatus (23 in Fig. 7), comprising:
a foldable housing (housing of Fig. 1) comprising a first portion (231 in Fig. 7), a second portion (21 in Fig. 7), and a third portion (22 in Fig. 7),
wherein the second portion (21) and the third portion (22) are connected to two opposite sides of the first portion (231 as depicted in Fig. 7) respectively; and
a support mechanism (in Fig. 7) disposed at an internal folding side of the housing (as depicted in Fig. 7) and comprising a support assembly (M3 in Fig. 7) and a drive assembly (232/233/237 in Fig. 7) that is connected to the support assembly (M3 as depicted in Fig. 7),
an orthographic projection of the support assembly (M3) on the housing being located within the first portion (231 as would be depicted in Fig. 7),
wherein the drive assembly (232/233/237) is configured to drive the support assembly (M3) to switch to a support state (of in Fig. 16b) in response to an unfolding motion of the housing or drive the support assembly (M3) to switch to a nonsupport state (of in Fig. 16a) in response to a folding motion of the housing.
Regarding claim 13, Sun discloses the flexible display panel support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive assembly (232/233/237) comprises an elastic piece (237) and is configured to drive the support assembly (M3) to switch to the nonsupport state (of Fig. 16b) in response to the folding motion of the housing (as depicted in Fig. 16b).
Regarding claim 14, Sun discloses the flexible display panel support apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the elastic piece (237) is a torsion spring (237), one end (2371c) of the torsion spring (237) is connected to the support assembly (M3 as depicted in Fig. 12), and the other end (A in Fig. 15) of the torsion spring (237) is connected to the first portion (231 as depicted in Fig. 15).
Claim(s) 1 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen US 20180146560.
Regarding claim 1, Chen US 20180146560 discloses a flexible display panel support apparatus (112/122/124/130/142 in Fig. 3), comprising:
a foldable housing (112 in Fig. 3) comprising a first portion (115 in Fig. 3), a second portion (113 in Fig. 3), and a third portion (114 in Fig. 3),
wherein the second portion (113) and the third portion (114) are connected to two opposite sides of the first portion (115 as depicted in Fig. 3) respectively; and
a support mechanism (130/142/122/124 in Fig. 3) disposed at an internal folding side of the housing (112 as depicted in Fig. 3) and comprising a support assembly (130 in Fig. 3) and a drive assembly (142/122/124 in Fig. 3) that is connected to the support assembly (130 as depicted in Fig. 3),
an orthographic projection of the support assembly (130) on the housing (112) being located within the first portion (115 as would be depicted in Fig. 3),
wherein the drive assembly (142/122/124) is configured to drive the support assembly (130) to switch to a support state (of in Fig. 3) in response to an unfolding motion of the housing (112 as depicted in Fig. 3) or drive the support assembly (130) to switch to a nonsupport state (of in Fig. 4) in response to a folding motion of the housing (112 as depicted in Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 16, Chen US 20180146560 discloses a display apparatus, comprising:
a flexible display panel (150 in Fig. 3); and
a flexible display panel support apparatus (112/122/124/130/142 in Fig. 3) comprising:
a foldable housing (112 in Fig. 3) comprising a first portion (115 in Fig. 3), a second portion (113 in Fig. 3), and a third portion (114 in Fig. 3),
wherein the second portion (113) and the third portion (114) are connected to two opposite sides of the first portion (115 as depicted in Fig. 3) respectively; and
a support mechanism (130/142/122/124 in Fig. 3) disposed at an internal folding side of the housing (112 as depicted in Fig. 3) and comprising a support assembly (130 in Fig. 3) and a drive assembly (142/122/124 in Fig. 3) that is connected to the support assembly (130 as depicted in Fig. 3),
an orthographic projection of the support assembly (130) on the housing (112) being located within the first portion (115 as would be depicted in Fig. 3),
wherein the drive assembly (142/122/124) is configured to drive the support assembly (130) to switch to a support state (of in Fig. 3) in response to an unfolding motion of the housing (112 as depicted in Fig. 3) or drive the support assembly (130) to switch to a nonsupport state (of in Fig. 4) in response to a folding motion of the housing (112 as depicted in Fig. 4),
wherein the flexible display panel (150) is disposed on a side of the support mechanism (130/142/122/124) away from the housing (112), the flexible display panel (150) comprises a bent portion (portion of 150 at 115 as depicted in Fig. 4), and the support assembly (130) is disposed between the bent portion (portion of 150 at 115) and the first portion (115 as depicted in Fig. 3-4).
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) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Myeong US 20210109566.
Regarding claim 15, Sun discloses the flexible display panel support apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an elastic film layer, wherein the elastic film layer is wrapped on a side of the support mechanism away from the housing.
Sun does not explicitly disclose an elastic film layer, wherein the elastic film layer is wrapped on a side of the support mechanism away from the housing.
However, Myeong US 20210109566 discloses (in Fig. 5) an elastic film layer (102 see [0059]), wherein the elastic film layer (102) is wrapped on a side of a support mechanism (212) away from a housing (as depicted in Fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have an elastic film layer, wherein the elastic film layer is wrapped on a side of the support mechanism of Sun away from the housing, as taught by Myeong, in order to provide further support.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-10 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:
Regarding claim 2, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that “wherein the support assembly comprises: a fixed shaft fixed at a folding side of the first portion; and a support piece rotatably disposed on the fixed shaft, wherein in a rotary periphery of the support piece, and the support piece is provided with a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter, the first outer diameter being larger than the second outer diameter; under a condition that the support assembly is in the support state, a direction in which the first outer diameter is located is parallel to a thickness direction of the housing; and under a condition that the support assembly is in the nonsupport state, a direction in which the second outer diameter is located is parallel to the thickness direction of the housing”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claims 3-10 depending from claim 2 would therefore also be allowable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Jeon US 20190174645 Fig. 3-6; Mok US 20170264723 Fig. 5-7 disclose a flexible display panel support apparatus with a support mechanism and a drive assembly.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7659. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 3 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen L Parker can be reached at 303-297-4722. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALLEN L PARKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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