DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 08/06/2026 has been entered.
Claim Status
Claim 2 has been canceled.
Claim 1 has been amended; support for the amendment can be found in Fig. 1 and 2 and [0026] of the specification.
Claims 1 and 3-15 have been examined on the merits.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 08/06/2026, with respect to the U.S.C. § 102 and §103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of claims 1 and 3-15 has been withdrawn.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 5, line 2 “0.2 mA/cm2” should read “0.2
m
A
/
c
m
2
”
In claim 5, line 2 “10 mA/cm2” should read “10
m
A
/
c
m
2
”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 and 3-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the other side" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination, this limitation has been interpreted as an other side. Claims 3-15 are rejected for dependence on claim 1.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the alternately electrochemically charging" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination, this limitation is interpreted as “the alternately operating”.
Claim 3 is indefinite because it is not clear if the recitation “each cycle” in line 5 refers to the previously recited two or more cycles or to other cycles. For examination, this limitation is interpreted as “each cycle of the two or more cycles”.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the alternately electrochemically charging" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination, this limitation is interpreted as “the alternately operating”.
Claim 6 is indefinite because it is not clear if the recitation “then negative electrode structure” refers to the negative electrode structure or the impregnated negative electrode structure of claim 1. For examination, the latter interpretation is used.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 3-15 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The closest prior art of record is Di (CN110335992A, machine translation used below), Abe (US20190356014A1) and Grant (US 20130327648 A1). Di discloses a method ([0010]) of manufacturing a negative electrode (“pre-lithiated electrode pole piece”; [0024]), comprising:
providing a negative electrode roll (Fig. 1; electrode on R3) on which a negative electrode structure (Fig. 2; E0-E2) including a negative electrode current collector (“conductive foil”; [0011]; Fig. 2; E0), a first negative electrode active material layer (“E1’; [0011]; Fig. 2; E1) formed on one side ([0011]; Fig. 2; side of E0 at E1) of the negative electrode current collector (EO), and a second negative electrode active material layer (“E2”; [0011]) formed on the other side ([0011]; Fig. 2; side of E0 at E2) of the negative electrode current collector (E0) is wound;
preparing a pre-lithiation bath (Fig. 1; A2 and A3) including an impregnation section (Fig. 1; A2) and a pre-lithiation section (Fig. 1; A3 from R1 to R2) and containing a pre-lithiation solution (“electrolyte solution”; [0074]), wherein the impregnation section (A2) and the pre-lithiation section (R1 to R2) are partitioned (Fig. 1) and sequentially provided (Fig. 1);
unwinding (Fig. 1) the negative electrode structure (E0-E2) from the negative electrode roll (electrode on R3), and moving (Fig. 1) the negative electrode structure (E0-E2) to the impregnation section (A2) and impregnating ([0020]) the negative electrode structure (E0-E2) with the pre-lithiation solution ([0074]) to provide an impregnated negative electrode structure (wetted electrode of [0020]; Fig. 1; electrode after V1); and
pre-lithiating ([0016]; Fig. 1; R1 to R2) the impregnated negative electrode structure (Fig. 1; electrode after V1) by moving the impregnated negative electrode structure (Fig. 1; electrode after V1) from the impregnation section (A2) to the pre-lithiation section (R1 to R3) to provide a pre-lithiated negative electrode structure (Fig. 1; electrode after R2),
wherein the pre-lithiating ([0016]) of the impregnated negative electrode structure (Fig.1) is carried out by disposing a first lithium metal counter electrode (Fig. 3; L12; [0013]) facing (Fig. 3) and spaced apart (Fig. 3) from the first negative electrode active material layer (E1) and a second lithium metal counter electrode (Fig. 3; L22; [0013]) facing (Fig. 3) and spaced apart (Fig. 3) from the second negative electrode active material layer (E2) in the pre-lithiation section (A3); connecting the first negative electrode active material layer (E1) and the first lithium metal counter electrode (L12) through a first electrochemical charger/discharger (Fig. 5; C1; “first current voltage control device C1”; [0017]) and connecting the second negative electrode active material layer (E2) and the second lithium metal counter electrode (L22) through a second electrochemical charger/discharger (Fig. 5; C2; “second current voltage control device C1”; [0017]),
alternately operating (electrons entering E1 per [0016]; electrons entering E2 per [0016]) the first electrochemical charger/discharger (C1) and the second electrochemical charger/discharger (C2) to electrochemically charge the first negative electrode active material layer (E1) and the second negative electrode active material layer (E2) in the pre-lithiation section (A3) such that one (Fig. 3; E1) of the first negative electrode active material layer (E1) and the second negative electrode active material layer (E2) is being electrochemically charged ([0016]) while another (Fig. 3; E2) of the first negative electrode active material layer (E1) and the second negative electrode active material layer (E2) is not being electrochemically charged ([0016]). Di fails to disclose the first and second counter electrodes overlapping in a vertical direction, nor would it have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Di according to this limitation because no motivation to do so could be found in the prior art.
Abe discloses wherein pre-lithiating ([0145]) of a negative electrode structure (Fig. 6; 2a) is carried out by:
disposing a first lithium metal counter electrode (Fig. 6; top 202) facing and spaced apart (Fig. 6) from a first negative electrode active material layer ([0145]) and a second lithium metal counter electrode (Fig. 6; bottom 202) facing and spaced apart from a second negative electrode active material layer ([0145]) in the pre-lithiation section (1B), the first lithium metal counter electrode (top 202) and the second lithium metal counter electrode (bottom 202) overlapping in a vertical direction (Fig. 6; up-down direction);
connecting ([0143]) the first negative electrode active material layer ([0145]) and the first lithium metal counter electrode (top 202) through a first electrochemical charger/discharger (Fig. 6; top 203; [0143]) and connecting the second negative electrode active material layer ([0145]) and the second lithium metal counter electrode (bottom 202) through a second electrochemical charger/discharger (Fig. 6; bottom 203; [0143]). Abe fails to disclose alternately operating the first electrochemical charger/discharger and the second electrochemical charger/discharger to electrochemically charge the first negative electrode active material layer and the second negative electrode active material layer in the pre- lithiation section such that one of the first negative electrode active material layer and the second negative electrode active material layer is being electrochemically charged while another of the first negative electrode active material layer and the second negative electrode active material layer is not being electrochemically charged. Further, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Abe according to this limitation because no motivation to do so could be found in the prior art.
Grant discloses counter electrodes operated as a single entity at a single controlled voltage or current density, or counter electrodes implemented that allow for independent control of voltage or current density over multiple zones (“The field plates can be operated as a single entity at a single controlled voltage or current density, or multiple plates can be implemented that allow for independent control of voltage or current density over multiple zones”; [0045]) but does not particularly disclose “overlapping in a vertical direction” or “and alternately operating the first electrochemical charger/discharger and the second electrochemical charger/discharger to electrochemically charge the first negative electrode active material layer and the second negative electrode active material layer in the pre- lithiation section such that one of the first negative electrode active material layer and the second negative electrode active material layer is being electrochemically charged while another of the first negative electrode active material layer and the second negative electrode active material layer is not being electrochemically charged”. Further, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Grant according to this limitation because no motivation to do so could be found in the prior art.
Conclusion
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/G.A.K./Examiner, Art Unit 1723 /TIFFANY LEGETTE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723
