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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office action regarding Application No. 17/397,233 to Nanda et al., assigned to UT- Battelle, LLC, USA, filed 08/09/2021 and published as U.S. PG Publication 2022/0045359 on 02/10/2022 is in response to applicant's arguments/remarks and claim amendment filed 02/13/2026. Applicant's response has been fully considered.
Status of the Claims
In the response filed 02/13/2026 none of the claims of the application has been filed. The status of the claims stands as previously presented on 10/23/2025.
Claims 1-3, 5-15, 17-32 are currently pending in this application. Claims 24-28 have been withdrawn for being non-elected claims. Claims 1-3, 5-15, 17-23, 29-32 are under consideration.
Claim Rejection -35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35 U.S. Code not included in this section can be found in the prior Office Action
The following rejection was presented in the previous non-final Office action dated 11/14/2025, and is maintained in this Office action.
Claim 1-2, 5-7, 11-14, 17-19, 23, 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Visco et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2013/0344397) in view of Le et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2003/0094599)
Regarding Claim 1 and 13 Visco discloses a composite solid electrolyte composition (Visco Abstract, paragraph 0012, 0013) comprising a crosslinked polyethylene oxide polymer (Visco paragraph 0027, 0073, claim 16), representative of the claimed polyalkylene oxide. Visco, however, is silent about the ethylene oxide polymer, equivalent to the polyalkylene oxide, contains amine functional group.
Le discloses a solid polymer electrolyte includes a crosslinked solid ionically conductive polymer, inorganic oxide particles covalently bonded to the polymer or to each other (Le Abstract, paragraph 0004-0008). Le discloses the crosslinked polymer derived from a poly (alkylene oxide) having secondary amine functionality (Le paragraph 0008, 0022), and examples of useful amine functional poly(alkylene oxide) polymers included, but are not limited to those commercially available under trade designation JEFFAMINE poly (alkylene oxide) copolymers (Le paragraph 0053).
Le discloses the solid electrolyte of crosslinked polymer polyalkylene oxide with an amine functional group is typically capable of conducting ions at sufficient rate (Le paragraph 0022) and provides a solid electrolyte with a good ion conductivity (Le paragraph 0023), and batteries used at elevated temperature (Le paragraph 0024).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the poly (ethylene oxide) polymer of Visco by incorporating a secondary amine or a tertiary amine functionality as disclosed by Le (Le paragraph 0004-0008, 0022, 0053) for the benefit of providing a solid electrolyte with a good ion conductivity and batteries used at elevated temperature as taught by Le (Le paragraph 0023,0024). According to the MPEP such a modification is considered the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 I C).
The cross-linked polyethylene polymer of Visco as modified by the JEFFAMINE as disclosed by Le (Le paragraph 000004-0008, 0053) contains an amine functional group that is a tertiary amine where the polyethylene and the JEFFAMINE are bonded; thus, meeting the limitation a crosslinked polyalkylene oxide polymer containing tertiary amine functional groups.
The composite solid electrolyte containing a base component and an inorganic filler material (Visco paragraph 0012, 0028), the base component is an oxide-based glass (Visco paragraph 0018, 0019), and suitable inorganic filler material include metal oxides such as Al2O₃, ZrO₂, SiO₂, CeO₂, Al₂TiO₅ and combinations thereof (Visco paragraph 0028). The inorganic filler component may be present as fibers (Visco paragraph 0074). The base component being an oxide- based glass and having oxygen atoms will inherently interact by hydrogen bonding with the cross-linked polymer that contains hydrogen atoms. The composite solid electrolyte also containing a metal ion such as lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and zinc (Visco paragraph 0013, 0090). Visco discloses the composite solid electrolyte is used in electrochemical cell structure (Visco paragraph 0013), considered equivalent to the solid-state battery. The battery comprising an anode and a cathode and the composite solid electrolyte (Visco paragraph 0013, 0039). Visco discloses the thickness of the composite solid electrolyte is preferably in the range of 10 to 50 microns (Visco paragraph 0059). This range is included in the claimed rage of up to 200 micron of claim 13.
Regarding claim 2 and 14 Visco discloses the protective membrane incorporating the composite solid electrolyte (Visco Abstract, paragraph 0032) include a high boiling point solvent acting as a plasticizer such as EC (ethylene carbonate, cyclo-(CH₂O)₂CO, boiling point 243 °C), PC (propylene carbonate, cyclo-(CH₃CHO-CH₂O)CO. boiling point 242 °C), DEC (diethyl carbonate, (CH₃CH₂O)₂CO, boiling point 125.9 °C) (Visco paragraph 0171) all disclosed three carbonate compounds comprising oxygen. Further, the disclosed carbonate compounds, equivalent to the plasticizers/solvents, have boiling point of at least 120 °C.
Regarding claim 5 and 17 Visco discloses the crosslinked organic polymer is polyethylene oxide (PEO) (Visco paragraph 0027).
Regarding claim 6, 18 Visco discloses the composite solid electrolyte containing an inorganic material, which is metal oxide (Visco paragraph 0028), equivalent to the inorganic component has a metal oxide composition.
Regarding claim 7 and 19 Visco discloses suitable inorganic material include metal oxides such as SiO₂ (Visco paragraph 0028).
Regarding claim 11 and 23 Visco discloses the composite solid electrolyte also containing a metal ion such as lithium (Visco paragraph 0013, 0090).
Regarding claim 12 Visco discloses the thickness of the composite solid electrolyte is preferably in the range of 10 to 50 microns (Visco paragraph 0059), This range is included in the claimed rage of up to 200 microns.
Regarding claim 32 Le discloses a crosslinked solid ionically conductive polymer prepared from a polymer of the formula A-(alkylene oxide)n -A, wherein A is -OH (Le paragraph 0008), wherein a terminal end of the polyalkylene polymer will contain a hydroxyl group -OH.
Claims 3 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Visco et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2013/0344397) in view of Le et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2003/0094599) as applied to claim 2 and 14, and further in view of Tu et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2021/0020944)
The discussion of Visco and Le as applied to claim 2 and 14 is fully incorporated here and is relied upon for the limitation of the claims in this section.
Regarding claim 3 and 15 Visco discloses the protective membrane incorporating the composite solid electrolyte (Visco Abstract, paragraph 0032) include a high-boiling solvent acting as a plasticizer such as EC (ethylene carbonate, boiling point 243 °C), PC (propylene carbonate, boiling point 242 °C), DEC (diethyl carbonate, boiling point 125.9 °C) (Visco paragraph 0171). Visco, however, is silent the plasticizer is a high-boiling ether.
Tu discloses an electrochemical device comprising a solid electrolyte (Tu paragraph 0007), the electrolyte comprising a crosslinkable oligomer, a plasticizer and a lithium salt (Tu paragraph 0018). Tu discloses the solid electrolyte include a plasticizer which may be useful to improve processability of the polymer solid electrolyte, and/or controlling the ionic conductivity and mechanical strength (Tu paragraph 0075). Tu discloses the plasticizer may be an oligoether e.g., triglyme (Tu paragraph 0075), which is also disclosed by the instant application and recognized as a high-boiling ether (Instant Specification as filed paragraph 0035).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the plasticizer of Visco by the disclosure of Tu and to have used high -boiling ether such as diglyme disclosed by Tu (Tu paragraph 0075), in order to improve processability of the polymer solid electrolyte, and/or controlling the ionic conductivity and mechanical strength (Tu paragraph 0075). Such a modification is considered the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 I).
Claim 8-10, 20- 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Visco et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2013/0344397) in view of Le et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2003/0094599) as applied to claim 18 and further in view of Shibata et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2021/0135283)
The discussion of Visco and Le regarding the composite solid electrolyte as applied to claim 6 and 18 is fully incorporated here and is relied upon for the limitation of the claims in this section.
Regarding claim 8, 9, 10, 20, 21, 22 Visco discloses the composite solid electrolyte containing a base component and an inorganic filler material (Visco paragraph 0012 0028), the base component is an oxide-based glass comprise a ceramic or glass-ceramic (Visco paragraph 0018, 0019, 0020). Visco discloses it is advantageous to also incorporate an inorganic material into the filler component, such as aceramic, glass or glass-ceramic, which can improve mechanical strength and thermal properties of the composite (Visco paragraph 0028) considered equivalent to the inorganic component oxide. Visco, however, is silent that the glass is glass fiber, a woven glass fiber or a non-woven glass fiber.
Shibata discloses an electrolyte composition (Shibata paragraph 0009), the electrolyte comprising an alkali metal, and a polymer (Shibata paragraph 0012, 0013), the electrolyte composition contains a crosslinkable functional group-containing polymer which is crosslinked (Shibata paragraph 0127), and an electrolyte membrane including the electrolyte composition (Shibata paragraph 0021). The electrolyte composition may be used in combination with a polymer solid electrolyte (Shibata paragraph 0141). The electrolyte membrane further includes a separator (Shibata paragraph 0022, 0113); thus, the separator is considered to be a part of the electrolyte. The examples of the separator include woven fabric and non-woven fabric (Shibata paragraphO1 14), and the fabric may be formed from glass fiber (Shibata paragraph 0115). Shibata discloses the electrolyte composition disclosed provides better charging/discharging performance when used in a cell than a conventional electrolyte composition (Shibata paragraph 0009).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the solid electrolyte composition of Visco by the teaching of Shibata and to have used glass fiber, woven or non-woven in the electrolyte composition to provide electrolyte composition that provides better charging/discharging performance when used in a cell than a conventional electrolyte composition (Shibata paragraph 0009). Such a modification is considered the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 I).
Claim 29-31 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Visco et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2013/0344397) in view of Le et al. (U.S. PG Publication2003/0094599) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Huang et al. (U.S. PG Publication 2020/0144665)
The discussion of Visco and Leas applied to claim 1 is fully incorporated here and is relied upon for the limitations of the claims in this section.
Regarding claim 29 and 30 Visco discloses the protective membrane incorporating the composite solid electrolyte (Visco Abstract, paragraph 0032) include a high boiling point solvent acting as a plasticizer such as EC (ethylene carbonate, boiling point 243 °C), PC (propylene carbonate, boiling point 242 °C), DEC (diethyl carbonate, boiling point 125.9 °C) (Visco paragraph 0171). The disclosed plasticizers/solvents have boiling point of at least 120 °C. But Visco is silent that the disclosed EC, PC, DEC (Visco paragraph 0171) are fluorinated.
Huang discloses a polymer solid electrolyte comprising a product of a crossing reaction (Huang paragraph 0004-0006); thus, it is a crosslinked polymer. Huang discloses in one set of embodiments the crosslinked polymer solid electrolyte may include a plasticizer, which may be useful for improve processability of the polymer solid electrolyte, and/or controlling the ionic conductivity and mechanical strength (Huang paragraph 0035), and the plasticizer can be fluoroethylene carbonate (Huang paragraph 0035), which is representative of fluorinated carbonate.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the crosslinked polymer solid electrolyte of Visco as modified by Le by the disclosure of Huang and included a fluorinated carbonate plasticizer in the crosslinked polymer solid electrolyte of Visco, as modified by Le, for the benefit of improving processability of the polymer solid electrolyte, and/or controlling the ionic conductivity and mechanical strength as taught by Huang (Huang paragraph 0035). According to the MPEP such a modification is considered the use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way (MPEP 2143 I).
Regarding claim 31 Huang discloses the crosslinked polymer solid electrolyte may contain oligoether (e.g. triglyme) (Huang paragraph 0035), which belong to a class of ether.
Response to Argument
In the response filed on 02/13/2026 none of the claims of the application has been amended. The status of the claims stands as preciously presented in the response of 10/23/2025. Examiner notes that in view of this the previously presented rejection is still considered valid and proper, and is maintained in this Office action.
Applicant traverses the rejection of the claims and elaborates on previously presented arguments and that Le does not disclose a crosslinked polymer. Examiner notes that this was presented in the non-final dated 11/14/2025 in the “response to argument section, paragraph 39”. The following was included and repeated here for the sake of ease of reference and completeness. “Examiner notes that Le discloses a crosslinked polymer at several instances. Le discloses that in certain embodiments, the crosslinked polymer is derived from a poly(alkylene oxide) having hydroxyl, amine, and/or thiol functionality, typically a polymer of the formula A-(alkylene oxide) n-A, wherein A is -OH, -NH₂, or -SH, (Le paragraph 0008, 0038). The cross linking will occur though the reaction of the functional group A by losing the one hydrogen atom in the case of -OH and -SH producing [-O-] or producing [-S-] inks, and in the case of the amine -NH2 losing one or both hydrogen atoms of the amine group -NH2, wherein when it loses one of the two hydrogen atom it will produce a secondary amine [-NH-] and when it loses both hydrogen atoms it will produce a tertiary amine [ >N-]; thus, when the functional group A is N, after crosslinking of the polymer it will contain a secondary or tertiary amine group at the linking bond (Le paragraph 0008, 0038, 0042), and thus, meeting the limitation of the amended claim 1 and 13.
Examiner also notes that this was discussed in the interview conducted on 01/20/2026 and elaboration was provided by the examiner. Examiner notes that in the rejection of the claims under 103 over Visco et al (U.S. PG Pub. 2013/ 0344397) in view of Le et al. (U.S.PG Publication 2003-0094599) also maintained in this Office action relies on the fact that while Visco discloses the crosslinked polyalkylene oxide polymer, Visco is silent that it contains a secondary or tertiary amine, and it is therefore modified by Le who teaches the Jeffamine, and after crosslinking the polyalkylene oxide of Visco by the Jeffamine of Le it will include a secondary amine or a tertiary amine because the Jeffamine will lose one hydrogen or both hydrogen atoms to form the secondary or tertiary amine functional group in the crosslinked polymer.
Examiner notes that the claim does not include any specific structural limitation and recites a very broad class of crosslinked polyalkylene oxide polymer containing secondary or tertiary amine, which is met by the combined teaching of the applied references of Visco and Le as presented in the previous Office action and in this Office action.
Examiner again repeats here the suggestion forwarded during the interview that including specific structural limitation in the claim language that distinguish the claimed crosslinked polyalkylene oxide containing the secondary or tertiary amine from the applied reference of Visco and Le would help in moving the persecution of the case forward.
Examiner notes that the previously presented rejection is still considered proper and valid and is maintained in this Office action. The action is made final.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OMAR M KEKIA whose telephone number is (571)270-5918. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00 pm,.
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/OMAR M KEKIA/Examiner, Art Unit 1722
/ANCA EOFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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