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 Status
Claims 1 and 3-10 are pending.
Claims 1, 3-4, and 10 are under examination.
Claims 5-9 are withdrawn.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by Nagashima et al. (JP2015159089 (A) and using Machine Translation as English version), hereinafter Nagashima.
Regarding claim 1, Nagashima discloses a moisture powder for forming an electrode active material layer on an electrode current collector of either a positive electrode or a negative electrode (i.e., at least as disclosed in [0029] whereby a ternary positive electrode active material nickel manganese cobalt oxide lithium (NMC), a conductive additive, and a binder powder resin polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were mixed with 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), etc., whereby the powder mixture after stirring is in a pendular (dry) or funicular (moist) state, etc., and whereby as disclosed in [0034] the electrode paste obtained as described above contains no undissolved PVDF and is completely dissolved, making it possible to uniformly coat the current collector foil, and furthermore, the adhesive strength was sufficient, no lumps or clumps were observed, and no damage to the active material particles was observed, etc.), such that the skilled artisan would appreciate that said powder mixture in a pendular (dry) or funicular (moist) state at least provides a moisture powder, and uniformly coating the current collector foil at least provides an electrode active material layer on a current collector, lacking any further distinction thereof.
Nagashima further discloses the moisture powder being constituted from aggregated particles that contain a plurality of electrode active material particles (i.e., at least as disclosed in [0029] a ternary positive electrode active material (particle diameter: 5 to 10 µm) nickel manganese cobalt oxide lithium (NMC), etc.), a binder resin (i.e., at least as disclosed in [0029] binder powder resin polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), etc.) and a solvent (i.e., at least as disclosed in [0029] 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), which at least provides a solvent that comprises N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone from the group), and lacking any further distinction thereof.
Furthermore, since Nagashima discloses said powder mixture in a pendular (dry) or funicular (moist) state, further discloses said electrode active material particles, binder resin and solvent as discussed above, and further discloses in [0013] that no undissolved material remains, the binder powder is completely dissolved, and the entire mixture is kneaded uniformly, without the formation of lumps, and a homogeneously kneaded mixture in a hard kneaded state is discharged, etc., this at least provides the moisture powder being constituted from aggregated particles that contain a plurality of electrode active material particles, a binder resin and a solvent, whereby as evidenced by the instant specification in [0023]-[0024] “the manner in which solid components (a solid phase), a solvent (a liquid phase) and voids (a gas phase) are present in aggregated particles that constitute the moisture powder can be classified into four types, namely “a pendular state”, “a funicular state”, etc., such that since Nagashima discloses said powder mixture in a pendular or funicular state, etc. this at least provides said aggregated particles that contain a plurality of electrode active material particles, a binder resin and a solvent so as to provide a homogeneously kneaded mixture in a hard kneaded state, etc., and lacking any further distinction thereof.
Furthermore, since Nagashima discloses said powder mixture in a pendular (dry) or funicular (moist) state, further discloses said electrode active material particles, binder resin and solvent, and said homogeneously kneaded mixture is in a hard kneaded state, etc., as discussed above, the skilled artisan would appreciate that this at least provides, for example, a 100% by number or more of the aggregate particles that at least have a pendular state and/or funicular state, which is a value within the claimed range of 80% by number or more of the aggregated particles that constitute the moisture powder are at least in pendular and/or funicular state, thus a prima facie case of anticipation exists (MPEP 2131.03, I.).
Furthermore, since Nagashima discloses said pendular and/or funicular state of said moisture powder, etc., which is an identical and/substantially identical product to that claimed, said moisture powder would inherently possess a solid phase, a liquid phase and a gas phase so as to constitute said pendular and/or funicular state(s) (i.e., also as evidenced by the instant specification in [0023]-[0024]), (MPEP 2112.01, I., II.), and lacking any further distinction thereof.
Furthermore, since Nagashima discloses said pendular and/or funicular state of said moisture powder, etc., which is an identical and/or substantially identical product to that claimed, properties and/or functions such as a layer of the solvent is not observed at the outer surface of the aggregated particle in electron microscope observations are presumed inherent (i.e., also as evidenced by the instant specification in [0023]-[0024]), (MPEP 2112.01, I., II.), and lacking any further distinction thereof.
Although Nagashima discloses a method of manufacturing lithium ion battery including a moisture powder for forming an electrode active material layer, etc., this at least necessitates said moisture powder, electrode active material layer, solvent, etc., are provided so as to perform said method.
Regarding claim 10, Nagashima discloses the moisture powder for forming an electrode active material layer as discussed above in claim 1. Nagashima further discloses in [0029] a ternary positive electrode active material (particle diameter: 5 to 10 µm) nickel manganese cobalt oxide lithium (NMC), etc.), a binder resin (i.e., at least as disclosed in [0029] binder powder resin polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), etc.) and a solvent (i.e., at least as disclosed in [0029] 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), which at least provides a solvent consists of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone from the group.
Although Nagashima discloses a method of manufacturing lithium ion battery including a moisture powder for forming an electrode active material layer, etc., this at least necessitates said moisture powder, electrode active material layer, solvent, etc., are provided so as to perform said method.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagashima as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Takuya et al. (WO2018/194163 A1 and using Machine Translation as English version), hereinafter Takuya, or in the alternative, and further in view of Nakashima et al. (U.S. PGPub US 2022/0263064 A1 with Foreign Application Priority Date of August 6th, 2019), hereinafter Nakashima.
Regarding claim 3, Nagashima discloses the moisture powder for forming an electrode active material layer as discussed above in claim 1.
However, Nagashima does not explicitly disclose a coating film having a thickness of 300 µm or more to 1000 µm or less is formed from the moisture powder on the current collector and then pressed at a pressure of 60 MPa, a residual gas rate in the coating film after the coating film is pressed is 10 vol% or less.
Takuya teaches a method for manufacturing electrode active material molding for lithium-ion battery and method for manufacturing lithium-ion battery (Title). Takuya further teaches in [0026] as a method for molding the composition filled in the mold, for example, as shown in Figures 4(d) and 4(e), there is a method in which the composition ref. 110 filled in the mold ref. 200 is compressed using a compression jig ref. 204 from the side opposite to the mold ref. 203 that forms the bottom surface, etc., whereby the composition ref. 110 filled in the space ref. V2 is compressed using a compression jig ref. 204 to form the composition ref. 110 into the electrode active material molded body ref. 15 shown in Figure 4(d), and is further compressed to form the electrode active material molded body ref. 11 shown in Figure 4(e), etc., (also see [0027], [0029], [0031]-[0032]). Takuya further teaches in [0043] as method for obtaining an electrode active material molded body by calendar molding, a method using a known roll press machine can be mentioned, whereby a mixture is fed from a continuous mixer such as a kneader, and the mixture of active material and electrolyte solution is spread to a certain thickness on a smooth surface such as a film using a doctor blade or the like, and then subjected to a roll press treatment, whereby a sheet-like electrode active material molded body can be obtained, etc.
Since Takuya teaches a mixture is fed from a continuous mixer such as a kneader, and the mixture of active material and electrolyte solution is spread to a certain thickness on a smooth surface such as a film using a doctor blade or the like, and then subjected to a roll press treatment as discussed above, and further discloses in [0141] at least negative electrode active material molded body (AE-3) obtained in Example 10 was placed on a copper foil of the battery exterior material, etc., and the positive electrode active material molded body (CE-1) obtained in Example 1 was stacked opposite the negative electrode active material body (AE-3) via a separator, etc., Takuya recognizes a thickness of the coating film is an optimizable variable through routine experimentation so as to achieve a required thickness without undue experimentation (MPEP 2144.05, II.), thus a prima facie case of obviousness exists.
Takuya further teaches in [0037] the strength with which the compression jig is pressed against the composition (also referred to as press strength) is not particularly limited, but is more preferably 50 to 1000 MPa, which is a range of pressures that overlaps and/or encompasses the claimed range of pressed at a pressure of 60 MPa, thus a prima facie case of obviousness exists (MPEP 2144.05, I., II.), lacking any further distinction thereof (also see [0043]-[0045]).
Takuya further teaches in [0007] according to the method for manufacturing an electrode active material molded body for a lithium ion battery of the present invention and the method for manufacturing a lithium battery of the present invention, it is not necessary to apply an active material slurry to the surface of a current collector, and it is possible to reduce the time, labor, equipment, etc., required for manufacturing a lithium ion battery.
Although Takuya teaches a method of manufacturing lithium ion battery including a moisture powder for forming an electrode active material layer, etc., this at least necessitates said moisture powder, electrode active material layer, etc., are provided so as to perform said method.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have modified the combined teachings of Nagashima with the teachings of Takuya, whereby the moisture powder including the coating film, current collector, pressing pressure, etc., as disclosed by Nagashima further includes a coating film is formed from the moisture powder on the current collector and then pressed at a pressure of 50 to 1000 MPa, etc., thereby providing a method whereby it is not necessary to apply an active material slurry to the surface of a current collector, and it is possible to reduce the time, labor, equipment, etc., required for manufacturing a lithium ion battery.
Since the combined teachings of Nagashima and Takuya teaches the coating film formed from the moisture powder as discussed above and pressed at a pressure that at least overlaps and/or encompasses a pressure of 60 MPa, this provides a product that is identical and/or substantially identical to that claimed, such that properties and/or functions such as a residual gas rate in the coating film after the coating film is pressed is 10 vol% or less, are presumed inherent (MPEP 2112.01, I., II.).
In the alternative, Nakashima teaches a method of manufacturing lithium ion battery (Title). Nakashima further teaches in [0167]-[0168] the electrode active material layer ref. 4 becomes a positive electrode active material layer in the case where the above-mentioned positive electrode active material composition is compressed by the compressor ref. 5, and becomes a negative electrode active material layer in the case where the above-mentioned negative electrode active material composition is compressed by the compressor ref. 5. Nakashima further teaches in [0169] the thickness of the electrode of the electrode active material layer ref. 4 is not particularly limited, and is preferably 150 to 600 µm, etc., which is a range of thicknesses that overlap the claimed range of the coating film having a thickness of 300 µm or more to 1000 µm or less, thus a prima facie case of obviousness exists (MPEP 2144.05, I.).
Nakashima further teaches in [0170]-[0172] the compressor ref. 5 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a roll press machine, a vacuum press machine, a hydraulic press machine, etc. Nakashima further teaches in [0318] in the method of manufacturing the electrode material for a lithium ion battery, the electrode composition is preferably a wet powder containing an electrode active material and an electrolytic solution, whereby as taught in [0319] it is more desirable that wet powder is in a pendular state or a funicular state, etc. (Also see [0320]). Nakashima further teaches in [0345] the method of manufacturing the electrode for a lithium ion battery includes a compression molding step of compression-molding an electrode composition, etc., whereby in [0347]-[0348] in the compression molding step, an electrode composition containing an aprotic solvent and electrode active material particles is compression-molded, etc. Nakashima further discloses in [0352] by changing the shape of the pressurizing jig, a compression molded body having an arbitrary shape can be obtained, etc., whereby as disclosed in [0353] regarding the shape of the compression molded body to be prepared, the thickness is preferably 250 to 2000 µm, etc., such that the compression molding step may be performed on the current collector as disclosed in [0375], and which at least provides range that overlaps and/or encompasses the claimed range of a coating film having a thickness of 300 µm or more to 1000 µm or less is formed from the moisture powder on the current collector (MPEP 2144.05, I.), thus a prima facie case of obviousness exists.
Nakashima further teaches in [0011] the method of manufacturing a lithium ion battery of the present invention is capable of improving the manufacturing speed of a lithium ion battery having a set of a positive electrode current collector, a positive electrode
active material layer, a separator, a negative electrode active material layer, and a negative electrode current collector laminated in this order, etc.
Although Nakashima teaches a method of manufacturing lithium ion battery including a moisture powder for forming an electrode active material layer, etc., this at least necessitates said moisture powder, electrode active material layer, etc., are provided so as to perform said method.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have modified the combined teachings of Nagashima and Takuya with the teachings of Nakashima, whereby the moisture powder including the coating film, current collector, pressing pressure, etc., as disclosed by the combined teachings of Nagashima and Takuya further includes the coating film thickness formed from the moisture powder on the current collector, etc., as taught by Nakashima so as to provide a method of manufacturing a lithium ion battery that is capable of improving the manufacturing speed of a lithium ion battery having a set of a positive electrode current collector, a positive electrode active material layer, a separator, a negative electrode active material layer. and a negative electrode current collector laminated in this order, etc.
Since the combined teachings of Nagashima and Takuya and Nakashima discloses the coating film formed from the moisture powder as discussed above and pressed at a pressure that at least overlaps and/or encompasses a pressure of 60 MPa, this provides a product that is identical and/or substantially identical to that claimed, such that properties and/or functions such as a residual gas rate in the coating film after the coating film is pressed is 10 vol% or less, are presumed inherent (MPEP 2112.01, I., II.).
Regarding claim 4, The combined teachings of Nagashima and Takuya discloses the moisture powder for forming an electrode active material layer as discussed above in claim 3.
Although the combined teachings of Nagashima and Takuya are silent as to wherein in a void distribution of the pressed coating film based on void observations determined using a Synchrotron X-Ray laminography method, the ratio of voids having volumes of 2000 µm3 or more relative to the total volume (100 vol%) is 30 vol% or less, since the combined teachings of Nagashima and Takuya discloses the moisture powder for forming an electrode active material layer as discussed above in claims 1 and 3, which is identical and/or substantially identical to that claimed, the skilled artisan would appreciate that said moisture powder would inherently provide a void distribution of the pressed coating film based on void observations determined using a Synchrotron X-Ray laminography method, the ratio of voids having volumes of 2000 µm3 or more relative to the total volume (100 vol%) is 30 vol% or less, lacking any further distinction thereof as to said product as claimed (MPEP 2112.01, I., II.).
In the alternative, since the combined teachings of Nagashima and Takuya and Nakashima discloses the moisture powder as discussed above in claim 3, which is an identical and/or substantially identical product to that claimed, and Nakashima further discloses in in [0352] by changing the shape of the pressurizing jig, a compression molded body having an arbitrary shape can be obtained, etc., whereby as disclosed in [0353] regarding the shape of the compression molded body to be prepared, the thickness is preferably 250 to 2000 µm, etc., such that the compression molding step may be performed on the current collector as disclosed in [0375], etc., and as discussed above in claim 3, the skilled artisan would appreciate that applying said compression molding step as disclosed by the combined teachings of Nagashima and Takuya and Nakashima would at least provide a void distribution of the pressed coating film based on void observations determined using a Synchrotron X-Ray laminography method, the ratio of voids having volumes of 2000 µm3 or more relative to the total volume (100 vol%) is 30 vol% or less so as to provide a method of manufacturing a lithium ion battery that is capable of improving the manufacturing speed of a lithium ion battery having a set of a positive electrode current collector, a positive electrode active material layer, a separator, a negative electrode active material layer. and a negative electrode current collector laminated in this order, etc., and absent evidence to the contrary or criticality for the claimed range.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) in view of Takuya 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. Therefore, a new ground(s) of rejection 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) is made for claims 1 and 10 in view of Nagashima, and a new ground(s) of rejection 35 U.S.C. 103 is made for claims 3-4 in view of Nagashima and Takuya (or in the alternative Nakashima).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Piao et al. (U.S. PGPub US 2022/0376250 A1) discloses a globular carbon-based anode active material, method for manufacturing the same, and anode and lithium secondary battery comprising the same (Title), whereby as disclosed in [0060] the pressure of the press molding is not particularly limited, but may be 40-150 MPa, or 50-120 MPa, and when the pressure satisfies the above-defined range, it is possible to reduce the internal pores in the graphite particles most effectively and to reduce the alignability of the graphite particles and electrode.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
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/JOSHUA P MCCLURE/Examiner, Art Unit 1723
/BARBARA L GILLIAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1727