DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 8/15/25 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1 and 6-11 are currently pending. Claims 2-5 are cancelled. The amended claim 1 does overcome the previously stated 103 rejection. However, upon further consideration, claims 1 and 6-11 are rejected under the following new 103 rejection.
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.
Claims 1 and 6-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (US 2006/0257738, previously cited) in view of Ichikawa et al (US 2014/0045053, previously cited), and further in view of Ryu et al (KR 20150025665 A, machine translation).
Regarding claims 1 and 6-11, Kim et al discloses a lithium secondary cell (secondary battery) comprising a cathode (positive electrode), an anode (negative electrode), and a separator; wherein the anode comprises a copper foil (current collector), and an anode active material slurry (negative electrode slurry composition / negative electrode active material layer) formed on a side of the copper foil, wherein the anode active material slurry comprises an anode active material (negative electrode active material), a conductive agent, a dispersant comprising a polymer backbone and a side-chain (hydrophobically modified alkali-swellable emulsion) dispersed in water (solvent), and a binder that is styrene-butadiene-based polymer resin; wherein examples of the polymer backbone include an acrylic polymer; wherein the anode active material slurry (negative electrode slurry composition) comprises: 90 wt% to 97 wt% of the anode active material (negative electrode active material), 0.1 wt% to 1 wt% of the dispersant (hydrophobically modified alkali-swellable emulsion), 0.5 wt% to 10 wt% of the binder ([0011]-[0024],[0048],[0074]).
However, Kim et al does not expressly teach an acrylic polymer in which a hydrophobic function group is bonded as a pendant group to a polymer electrolyte main having an acid functional group, wherein the hydrophobic functional group is an alkyl group of 5 to 20 carbon atoms (claim 1).
Ichikawa et al discloses a dispersant comprising a [copolymer of a first monomer and a second monomer] (acrylic polymer), wherein the first monomer is a (meth)acrylate having a straight chained alkyl group of at least 8 carbon atoms at a side chain (pendant group), wherein the second monomer is at least one kind selected from (meth)acrylate, …, styrene, acrylic acid (acid functional group), methacrylic acid (acid functional group), vinyl acetate, …; wherein the combination of the first monomer and the second monomer is construed as a polymer electrolyte main chain ([0128]-[0147]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the Kim dispersant to include a copolymer of a (meth)acrylate having a straight chained alkyl group of 8 carbon atoms at a side chain and a second monomer in order to utilize a dispersant that reduces the viscosity of the anode active material slurry, thereby facilitating a coating in an uniform thickness or in thin film ([0102]). In addition, the invention as a whole would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made because the disclosure of Ichikawa indicates that acrylic acid or methacrylic acid is a suitable material for use as a second monomer. The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use has generally been held to be prima facie obvious (MPEP §2144.07). As such, it would be obvious to use acrylic acid or methacrylic acid.
However, Kim et al as modified by Ichikawa et al does not expressly teach a negative electrode slurry that does not include a viscosity increasing agent, wherein the viscosity increasing agent is carboxymethyl cellulose (claim 1); wherein negative electrode slurry composition further comprises a filler (claim 7).
Ryu et al teaches the concept of adding a dispersant of specific structure to an electrode slurry, wherein the electrode slurry does not include a thickener (viscosity increasing agent) such as carboxymethyl cellulose, wherein the electrode slurry using an SBR-based binder (styrene-butadiene rubber-based binder) and a thickener has difficulty in dispersion due to the difference in specific gravity with the electrode active material, which causes problem in controlling and maintaining viscosity over time, and uniform dispersion of the active material over the entire electrode surface cannot be expected, which causes difficulty in coating ([0008]-[0012],[0059]); wherein a negative electrode slurry contains a negative electrode active material, conductive material, binder, and filler ([0042]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the Kim/Ichikawa anode to include an anode active material slurry that does not include a viscosity increasing agent that is carboxymethyl cellulose, wherein the anode active material slurry further comprises a filler in order to prevent difficulty in dispersion due to difference in specific gravity with the electrode active material, thereby improving battery capacity, rate characteristics, and cycle characteristics of the battery ([0009],[0071]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 6-11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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/T.S.C/Examiner, Art Unit 1751
/JONATHAN G LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 8/28/2025