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
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) 1-4, 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al., US 2011/0187957 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses “A lighting device comprising:
a chassis (70, Fig. 1-3) that is opened toward a front side and inside which a sheet-like optical component (50 and 60, Fig. 2) is disposed; and
a frame (30, Fig. 1-3) that covers the chassis from the front side;
wherein the chassis includes a bottom plate portion (72, Fig. 1-3) and a chassis side wall portion (74 and 76, Fig. 1-3) rising from an outer peripheral end portion of the bottom plate portion toward the front side (seen in Fig. 1-3),
wherein the frame includes a main body frame portion (32, Fig. 1-3) and a frame side wall portion (34, Fig. 1-3) falling from an outer peripheral end portion of the main body frame portion toward a back side (seen in Fig. 1-3), and covers the chassis from the front side (seen in Fig. 2-3), the frame side wall portion being disposed outside the chassis side wall portion in a state where the main body frame portion overlaps at least part of the optical component (seen in Fig. 1-3),
wherein the lighting device further comprises a fixing portion (80, Fig. 2-3) that is formed in part or a whole of a gap formed between the chassis side wall portion and the frame side wall portion and that fixes the chassis and the frame (seen in Fig. 2-3), and wherein
the fixing portion is formed of a hot melt resin (¶ [0052]).”
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above and further discloses “the gap between the chassis side wall portion and the frame side wall portion widens from the front side to the back side (seen in Fig. 3, there are portions where the gap widens from the front to the back side).”
Regarding claim 3, Kim discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above and further discloses “a first recess (the recess of 80 that is close to 54 and (I), Fig. 3) that is recessed toward the front side is formed in a portion of the main body frame portion, the portion being close to a front side end portion of the chassis side wall portion (seen in Fig. 3).”
Regarding claim 4, Kim discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above and further discloses “a display panel (50, Fig. 1-3) that displays an image using light emitted from the lighting device.”
Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses “A method of manufacturing a lighting device, the method comprising:
a chassis preparation step of disposing a sheet-like optical component (60, Fig. 1-3) inside a chassis (70, Fig. 1-3) that is opened toward a front side, the chassis including a bottom plate portion (72, Fig. 1-3) and a chassis side wall portion (74 and 76, Fig. 1-3) rising from an outer peripheral end portion of the bottom plate portion toward the front side (seen in Fig. 1-3);
a frame preparation step of preparing a frame (30, Fig. 1-3) including a main body frame portion (32, Fig. 1-3) and a frame side wall portion (34 and 36, Fig. 1-3) falling from an outer peripheral end portion of the main body frame portion toward a back side (seen in Fig. 1-3);
a lighting device assembling step of covering the chassis with the frame from the front side so that the frame side wall portion is disposed outside the chassis side wall portion in a state where the main body frame portion overlaps at least part of the optical component (seen in Fig. 1-3); and
a hot melt resin (80, Fig. 1-3), disposing step of disposing a hot melt resin in part or a whole of a gap formed at least between the chassis side wall portion and the frame side wall portion (seen in Fig. 1-3).”
Regarding claim 9, Kim discloses the invention of claim 8, as cited above, and further discloses “the frame preparation step includes performing forming so that a frame inner face that is an inner face of the frame side wall portion is inclined with respect to the main body frame portion, or the chassis preparation step includes performing forming so that a chassis outer face that is an outer face of the chassis side wall portion is inclined with respect to the bottom plate portion, and wherein the lighting device assembling step includes performing forming so that the gap between the chassis side wall portion and the frame side wall portion widens from the front side toward the back side when the frame covers the chassis from the front side (seen in Fig. 3, there are portions where the gap widens from the front to the back side due to the inclined surfaces of the frame and chassis).”
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses the invention of claim 8, as cited above, and further discloses “the frame preparation step includes forming a first recess (the recess of 80 that is close to 54 and (I), Fig. 3) recessed toward the front side in a portion of the main body frame portion, the portion being close to a front side end portion of the chassis side wall portion (seen in Fig. 2-3).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses the invention of claim 8, as cited above, and further discloses “a display device, the method comprising a step of mounting a lighting device manufactured by the method according to claim 8 on a display panel (50, Fig. 1-3) that displays an image using light emitted from the lighting device.”
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) 5-7, 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong et al., US 2024/0192536 A1 in view of Kim.
Regarding claim 5, Hong discloses “A display device comprising:
a display panel (10, Fig. 5);
a bezel (200, Fig. 5) covering the display panel from a front side (seen in Fig. 5); and
a lighting device (30 and 40, Fig. 5) disposed on a back side of the display panel (seen in Fig. 5), wherein the bezel includes an edge portion (211, Fig. 5) surrounding a display region of the display panel on the front side of the display panel (seen in Fig. 5), and a bezel side wall portion (right outer side of 200, Fig. 5) falling from an outer peripheral end portion of the edge portion toward the back side, wherein
the lighting device includes a chassis (120, Fig. 5) that is opened toward the front side and inside which a sheet-like optical component is disposed (seen in Fig. 5), and
a frame (110/111, Fig. 5) that covers the chassis from the front side (seen in Fig. 5), wherein the frame includes a main body frame portion and a frame side wall portion (112, Fig. 5) falling from an outer peripheral end portion of the main body frame portion toward the back side (seen in Fig. 5), and covers the chassis from the front side (seen in Fig. 5), the frame side wall portion being disposed outside the chassis side wall portion in a state where the main body frame portion overlaps at least part of the optical component (seen in Fig. 5), wherein the bezel side wall portion is disposed outside the frame side wall portion (seen in Fig. 5), wherein the lighting device further includes a fixing portion (220, Fig. 5) that is formed in part or a whole of a gap formed between the bezel side wall portion and the frame side wall portion and fixes the bezel and the frame (seen in Fig. 5),
However, Hong does not explicitly disclose “the fixing portion is formed of a hot melt resin.”
Kim discloses a display device with two outer housing members where a hot melt resin is used to fix the housing members together (80, Fig. 2; ¶ [0052]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to have the fixing member, as taught by Hong, be a hot melt resin, such as taught by Kim. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to use a hot melt resin for forming a sealing portion and preventing impurities such as dust or water from entering (Hong, ¶ [0023]).
Regarding claim 6, Hong in view of Kim discloses the invention of claim 5, as cited above, and further discloses “a frame outer face that is an outer face of the frame side wall portion and a bezel inner face that is an inner face of the bezel side wall portion face each other in an inclined manner (bottom of frame 112, Fig. 5, is curved so it is facing the bezel side wall portion in an inclined manner).”
Regarding claim 7, Hong in view of Kim discloses the invention of claim 5, as cited above, except “the bezel side wall portion includes an opening formed so as to penetrate the bezel side wall portion in a portion disposed outside the frame side wall portion, wherein in a state in which the display panel and the lighting device covered with the bezel are assembled, a second recess that is recessed inward is formed at a position at which the second recess overlaps the opening of the bezel side wall portion in a portion, of the frame side wall portion, disposed inside the bezel side wall portion, and wherein the fixing portion is formed so as to close the second recess and the opening.”
Kim discloses a display device with two housing members (30 and 70, Fig. 2) each with an opening/recess (75 and 35, Fig. 2) that overlap, and the fixing portion resin is formed as to close the second recess and opening (seen in Fig. 2, resin 80 fills the space).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to modify the bezel and frame, as taught by Hong, to have openings and recesses for the resin to fill, such as taught by Kim. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to include openings and recesses for introducing the resin to other parts of the gap, so as to form the sealing member to prevent impurities (Kim, ¶ [0065]).
Regarding claim 12, Hong discloses “A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:
a chassis preparation step of preparing a chassis (120, Fig. 5) that is opened toward a front side and inside which a sheet-like optical component (30 and 40, Fig. 5) is disposed;
a frame preparation step of preparing a frame (110, Fig. 5) including a main body frame portion (111, Fig. 5) and a frame side wall portion (112, Fig. 5) falling from an outer peripheral end portion of the main body frame portion toward a back side (seen in Fig. 5);
a lighting device assembling step of assembling a lighting device by covering the chassis with the frame from the front side so that the frame side wall portion is disposed outside the chassis side wall portion in a state where the main body frame portion overlaps at least part of the optical component (seen in Fig. 5);
a bezel preparation step of preparing a bezel (200, Fig. 5) including an edge portion (211, Fig. 5) surrounding a display region of a display panel and a bezel side wall portion (side wall of 200, Fig. 5) falling from an outer peripheral end portion of the edge portion toward the back side;
a display device assembling step of disposing the front side of the lighting device on the back side of the display panel, and assembling the display panel to the lighting device so that the bezel side wall portion is disposed outside the frame side wall portion in a state where the edge portion of the bezel overlaps a portion surrounding the display region of the display panel (seen in Fig. 5)”
However, Hong does not disclose “a hot melt resin disposing step of disposing a hot melt resin in part or a whole of a gap formed at least between the bezel side wall portion and the frame side wall portion.
Kim discloses a display device with two outer housing members where a hot melt resin is used to fix the housing members together (80, Fig. 2; ¶ [0052]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to have the fixing member, as taught by Hong, be a hot melt resin, such as taught by Kim. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to use a hot melt resin for forming a sealing portion and preventing impurities such as dust or water from entering (Hong, ¶ [0023]).
Regarding claim 13, Hong in view of Kim discloses the invention of claim 12, as cited above, and further discloses “in the frame preparation step, a frame outer surface that is an outer surface of the frame side wall portion is formed to be inclined with respect to the main body frame portion (Hong, bottom of frame 112, Fig. 5, is curved so it is facing the bezel side wall portion in an inclined manner), or in the bezel preparation step, a bezel inner surface that is an inner surface of the bezel side wall portion is formed to be inclined with respect to the edge portion.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong in view of Kim and further in view of Mori, US 2013/0242609 A1.
Regarding claim 14, Hong in view of Kim discloses the invention of claim 12, as cited above, in particular Kim discloses “the bezel preparation step includes forming an opening (75, Fig. 2) penetrating the bezel side wall portion in the bezel side wall portion, wherein the frame preparation step includes forming a second recess (35, Fig. 2) recessed inward at a position at which the second recess overlaps the opening of the bezel side wall portion in a portion, of the frame side wall portion, disposed inside the bezel side wall portion when the display panel is assembled to the lighting device in the display device assembling step (seen in Fig. 2, resin 80 fills the space).”
The reason for combining is the same as claim 12 above.
However, Hong in view of Kim does not explicitly disclose “injecting a hot melt resin through the opening toward the second recess.”
Further regarding claim 14, Mori discloses a display device with an opening in the side bezel (48, Fig. 11) where the resin is injected through (45, Fig. 11) for the purpose of disposing the hot melt resin.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to have the opening and recess, as taught by Hong in view of Kim, receive an injection of hot resin, such as taught by Mori. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to have the side opening receive resin for avoiding extra steps that could damage the front of the device while ensuring the openings are sealed from impurities (Mori, ¶ [0052]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hong et al., US 2025/0291385 A1 discloses a display device with a gap next to the frame for adhesive to be added (610, Fig. 7B, 8AB).
Uchiyama et al., US 11906831 B2 discloses a display device where adhesive members are added next to the frame with an opening to insert adhesive (Fig. 9)
Yang et al., US 2024/0012288 A1 discloses a display device with a flowing adhesive channel
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL CHIANG whose telephone number is (571)270-3811. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 9am-6pm.
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/MICHAEL CHIANG/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
/JOSEPH L WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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