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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 8/19/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
This Office Action is responsive to the amendment filed on 8/19/2025. Claims 1-8, 11-18 are pending. Claims 3, 4, 11-18 are withdrawn from further consideration as being drawn to a non-elected invention, in accordance with 37 CFR 1.142(b). Applicant’s arguments have been considered. Claims 1, 2, 5-8 are non-finally rejected for reasons below.
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, 2, 5, 7, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Zhang (US 2019/0148775) in view of Kim (US 2016/0028115) and Ji (US 2019/0181502).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses an energy storage device comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a Si-based electrode [0138];
a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode; and
an electrolyte composition; wherein said electrolyte composition comprises:
at least one carbonate solvent,
at least one further solvent as a co-solvent, wherein said co-solvent is selected from the group consisting of a carbonate solvent, a fluorinated aromatic compound solvent, an aromatic compound solvent, a fluorinated ester solvent, a fluorinated ether solvent, a fluorinated phosphorous-containing compound solvent and a fluorinated sulfur-containing compound solvent;
at least one Li salt; and
at least one electrolyte additive compound.
Regarding claim 2, the second electrode is a Si- dominant electrode [0138].
Regarding claim 5, the carbonate solvent is one or more of cyclic carbonates, linear carbonates, fluorine-containing cyclic carbonates and/or fluorine-containing linear carbonates.
Regarding claim 7, the carbonate solvent is ethylene carbonate (EC) [0133].
Regarding claim 8, said co-solvent is 1,1,2,2- tetrafluoroethyl 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl ether (TTE) [0133].
Regarding claim 1, Zhang does not disclose the electrolyte additive as claimed. Kim teaches a non-aqueous battery comprising an electrolyte solution having a non-aqueous organic solvent, an imide-based lithium salt, and an additive lithium difluoro bis(oxalate)phosphate (LiDFOP) [0010]. The electrolyte solution additive may improve output characteristics at high and low temperatures and may prevent a swelling phenomenon by suppressing the decomposition of PF6− on the surface of a cathode, which may occur during a high-temperature cycle of a lithium secondary battery including the electrolyte solution additive, and preventing an oxidation reaction of an electrolyte solution [0013].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to add an additive, such as lithium difluoro bis(oxalate)phosphate (LiDFOP), to the electrolyte of Zhang, as taught by Kim, for the benefit of improving output characteristics at high and low temperatures, and prevent swelling.
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses a Si-based anode, but does not disclose wherein said Si-based electrode comprises silicon particles having an average largest dimension between about 0.5 um and about 25 um. Ji teaches a lithium rechargeable battery comprising several types of silicon materials, e.g., silicon nanopowders, silicon nanofibers, porous silicon, and ball-milled silicon, have also been reported as viable candidates as active materials for the negative or positive electrodes. Small particle sizes (for example, sizes in the nanometer range) generally can increase cycle life performance. They also can display very high initial irreversible capacity. However, small particle sizes also can result in very low volumetric energy density (for example, for the overall cell stack) due to the difficulty of packing the active material. Larger particle sizes, (for example, sizes in the micron range) generally can result in higher density anode material. However, the expansion of the silicon active material can result in poor cycle life due to particle cracking. For example, silicon can swell in excess of 300% upon lithium insertion. Because of this expansion, anodes including silicon should be allowed to expand while maintaining electrical contact between the silicon particles [0041]. It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skilled in the art at the time the invention was made to use silicon particles and adjust the particle sizes, as taught by Ji, for the benefit of optimizing their capacity and energy density, as well as to prevent particle cracking.
Claims 1, 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over O’Neill (Us 2015/0214577) in view of Kim (US 2016/0028115) and Ji (US 2019/0181502).
Regarding claim 1, an energy storage device comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode,
a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode; and
an electrolyte composition; wherein said electrolyte composition comprises:
at least one carbonate solvent,
at least one further solvent as a co-solvent, wherein said co-solvent is selected from the group consisting of a carbonate solvent, a fluorinated aromatic compound solvent, an aromatic compound solvent, a fluorinated ester solvent, a fluorinated ether solvent, a fluorinated phosphorous-containing compound solvent and a fluorinated sulfur-containing compound solvent;
at least one Li salt; and
at least one electrolyte additive compound.
Regarding claim 6, said electrolyte composition comprises at least two further solvents as co-solvents, wherein said further solvents are selected from the group consisting of one or more carbonate solvents, fluorinated aromatic compound solvents, aromatic compound solvents, fluorinated ester solvents, fluorinated ether solvents, fluorinated phosphorous-containing compound solvents and/or fluorinated sulfur-containing compound solvents. Refer to Table 1, Example 27.
Regarding claim 1, Zhang does not disclose the electrolyte additive as claimed. Kim teaches a non-aqueous battery comprising an electrolyte solution having a non-aqueous organic solvent, an imide-based lithium salt, and an additive lithium difluoro bis(oxalate)phosphate (LiDFOP) [0010]. The electrolyte solution additive may improve output characteristics at high and low temperatures and may prevent a swelling phenomenon by suppressing the decomposition of PF6− on the surface of a cathode, which may occur during a high-temperature cycle of a lithium secondary battery including the electrolyte solution additive, and preventing an oxidation reaction of an electrolyte solution [0013].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to add an additive, such as lithium difluoro bis(oxalate)phosphate (LiDFOP), to the electrolyte of Zhang, as taught by Kim, for the benefit of improving output characteristics at high and low temperatures, and prevent swelling.
Regarding claim 1, O’Neill discloses a carbon anode, but does not disclose wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a Si-based electrode, wherein said Si-based electrode comprises silicon particles having an average largest dimension between about 0.5 um and about 25 um. Ji teaches a lithium rechargeable battery comprising several types of silicon materials, e.g., silicon nanopowders, silicon nanofibers, porous silicon, and ball-milled silicon, have also been reported as viable candidates as active materials for the negative or positive electrodes. Small particle sizes (for example, sizes in the nanometer range) generally can increase cycle life performance. They also can display very high initial irreversible capacity. However, small particle sizes also can result in very low volumetric energy density (for example, for the overall cell stack) due to the difficulty of packing the active material. Larger particle sizes, (for example, sizes in the micron range) generally can result in higher density anode material. However, the expansion of the silicon active material can result in poor cycle life due to particle cracking. For example, silicon can swell in excess of 300% upon lithium insertion. Because of this expansion, anodes including silicon should be allowed to expand while maintaining electrical contact between the silicon particles [0041]. It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skilled in the art at the time the invention was made to use silicon particles as O’Neill’s anode active material instead of carbon, and to adjust their particle sizes, as taught by Ji, for the benefit of optimizing their capacity and energy density, as well as to prevent particle cracking.
Response to Arguments
Arguments filed 8/19/2025 are moot in view of the new grounds of rejections.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CYNTHIA KYUNG SOO WALLS whose telephone number is (571)272-8699. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F until 5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Miriam Stagg can be reached at 571-270-5256. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CYNTHIA K WALLS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1751