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) 1-2, 4 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang 2021/0080794 in view of Shin 11,798,928.
Regarding claim 1, A flexible display assembly (100, Figs 1A-1B) comprising: a support member (108, Fig 1B); a flexible display panel (106, Fig 1B) on a side of the support member (on lower side thereof, Fig 1B), a first end of the support member protruding out of the flexible display panel (end of 108 protruding out to the left, Fig 1B); a cover layer group (layers encompassed by T1, Fig 1B) on a side (lower side, Fig 1B), away from the support member (away from 108, Fig 1B), of the flexible display panel (Fig 1B), the width of the flexible display panel being less than a width of the cover layer group (see Fig 1B), a first end of the cover layer group protruding out of the flexible display panel (end protruding out to left, Fig 1B), the cover layer group, the flexible display panel and the first end of the support member forming a structure (formed at T2, Fig 1B) with two protruding sides (at T1 and T2, Fig 1B) and a depressed middle (formed between 112 and 106, Fig 1B); and a bonding portion (112, Fig 1B) bonded between the first end of the support member and the first end of the cover layer group (see Fig 1B); wherein the cover layer group comprises: a cover layer (104, Fig 1B), a first end of the cover layer (end of 104 that contacts 108, Fig 1B) protruding out of the flexible display panel (Fig 1B) and being bonded to the bonding portion (see Fig 1B).
Wang discloses the claimed invention except for expressly teaching a width of the flexible display panel being less than a width of the support member, the width of the flexible display panel being less than a width of the cover layer.
Shin however teaches a similar assembly (Title) wherein a width of a flexible display panel (width of 110, Fig 9) being less than a width of a support member (width of 101a or 145, Fig 9), the width of the flexible display panel being less than a width of a cover layer (width of cover layer 164, Fig 9).
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 width of the flexible display of Wang to be less than the support member and cover layer, as taught by Shin, in order to have option to make the display slightly smaller which creates a tolerance gap that ensures even if the support member or the cover layer is on the lower bound of its size tolerance and the display is on the upper bound, the display will still fit seamlessly during assembly, thereby improving reliability and optimal fitment.
Regarding claim 2, Wang in view of Shin disclose the flexible display assembly according to claim 1, Wang teaches wherein a gap is provided between the bonding portion and the flexible display panel (see gap adjacent 106, Fig 1B).
Regarding claim 4, Wang in view of Shin disclose the flexible display assembly according to claim 1, Wang teaches the assembly further comprising: an Optically Clear Adhesive (OCA) layer (adhesive 112, Fig 1B) between the cover layer group and the flexible display panel (Fig 1B).
Regarding claim 18, Wang discloses a flexible display device (Figs 1A-3), comprising: a flexible display assembly (100, Fig 1B) comprising: a support member (108, Fig 1B); a flexible display panel (106, Fig 1B) on a side of the support member (on lower side thereof, Fig 1B), a first end of the support member protruding out of the flexible display panel (end of 108 protruding out to the left, Fig 1B); a cover layer group (layers encompassed by T1, Fig 1B) on a side (lower side, Fig 1B), away from the support member (away from 108, Fig 1B), of the flexible display panel (Fig 1B), the width of the flexible display panel being less than a width of the cover layer group (see Fig 1B), a first end of the cover layer group protruding out of the flexible display panel (end protruding out to left, Fig 1B), the cover layer group, the flexible display panel and the first end of the support member forming a structure (formed at T2, Fig 1B) with two protruding sides (at T1 and T2, Fig 1B) and a depressed middle (formed between 112 and 106, Fig 1B); and a bonding portion (112, Fig 1B) bonded between the first end of the support member and the first end of the cover layer group (see Fig 1B); wherein the cover layer group comprises: a cover layer (104, Fig 1B), a first end of the cover layer (end of 104 that contacts 108, Fig 1B) protruding out of the flexible display panel and being bonded to the bonding portion (see Fig 1B); and a reel (102, Fig 1A) connected to a side of the first end (Fig 1B), away from the flexible display panel (Fig 1B), of the support member (Fig 1B).
Wang discloses the claimed invention except for expressly teaching a width of the flexible display panel being less than a width of the support member, the width of the flexible display panel being less than a width of the cover layer.
Shin however teaches a similar assembly (Title) wherein a width of a flexible display panel (width of 110, Fig 9) being less than a width of a support member (width of 101a or 145, Fig 9), the width of the flexible display panel being less than a width of a cover layer (width of cover layer 164, Fig 9).
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 width of the flexible display of Wang to be less than the support member and cover layer, as taught by Shin, in order to have option to make the display slightly smaller which creates a tolerance gap that ensures even if the support member or the cover layer is on the lower bound of its size tolerance and the display is on the upper bound, the display will still fit seamlessly during assembly, thereby improving reliability and optimal fitment.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5-6, 8 and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 3. The flexible display assembly according to claim 2, wherein a width of the gap is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm.
Claim 5. The flexible display assembly according to claim 4, wherein an elastic modulus of the bonding portion is greater than or equal to 90% of an elastic modulus of the OCA layer, and is less than or equal to 110% of the elastic modulus of the OCA layer.
Claim 6. The flexible display assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support member comprises: a metal supporting plate on which a plurality of strip through holes are provided. *Claim 7 depends either indirectly or directly from claim 6 and is therefore allowable for at least the same reason.
Claim 8. The flexible display assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: a second spacer layer on a side, away from the flexible display panel, of the support member, an orthographic projection of the second spacer layer on the support member being within the support member, the first end of the support member protruding out of the second spacer layer.
Claim 20. A method for preparing the flexible display device according to claim 19, wherein the method comprises: providing the reel to which the barrier plate is rotatably coupled; providing the flexible display assembly, the flexible display assembly comprising the support member, the flexible display panel and the cover layer that are stacked in sequence; rotating the barrier plate to form an included angle between the barrier plate and the reel; bonding the side of the first end, away from the flexible display panel, of the support member to the reel; and coating the bonding portion on a side of the first end, away from the reel, of the support member, and rotating the barrier plate so that the barrier plate is bonded to the bonding portion and lapped on a side, away from the support member, of the cover layer.
Claims 9-17 and 19 are allowed. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter – claim 9 includes or adequately recites the allowable subject matter, i.e., “A flexible display assembly, comprising: a support member; a flexible display panel on a side of the support member, a width of the flexible display panel being less than a width of the support member, a first end of the support member protruding out of the flexible display panel; a cover layer group on a side, away from the support member, of the flexible display panel, the width of the flexible display panel being less than a width of the cover layer group, a first end of the cover layer group protruding out of the flexible display panel, the cover layer group, the flexible display panel and the first end of the support member forming a structure with two protruding sides and a depressed middle; and a bonding portion bonded between the first end of the support member and the first end of the cover layer group; wherein the cover layer group comprises: a cover layer on the side, away from the support member, of the flexible display panel, a width of the cover layer being less than the width of the support member; and a barrier plate on a side, away from the support member, of the cover layer, a first end of the barrier plate being bonded to the bonding portion, and a second end opposite to the first end being lapped on the side, away from the support member, of the cover layer.” These limitations, in combination with the remaining elements, are not taught or adequately suggested in the prior art of record, nor would it have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to further modify the prior art to address said deficiencies. *Claims 10-17 and 19 depend either directly or indirectly from claim 9 and are therefore allowed for at least the same reason.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Liu – 2023/0124365, Figs 3-4. Teaches similar device/structure.
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/RASHEN E MORRISON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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