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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment to the claims has overcome the objections to the specification previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed 5/6/2025.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The amendment filed 7/28/2025 has been entered. Claims 1-20 remain pending in this application. The examiner acknowledges no new matter has been added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 7-9, 14, and 15 have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection using Choi et al. (US 2022/0223868 A1) that was necessitated by amendment.
Additionally, applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 7-9, 12, 14, and 15 have been considered but are moot because of the additional new ground of rejection addressing the newly added limitations.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 7-9, 14, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (US 2022/0223868 A1). Choi et al. was cited in the non-final rejection filed 5/6/2025.
Regarding claim 7, Choi et al. teaches an electrochemical cell by the solid-state lithium battery in the abstract comprising:
a current collector comprising a conductive material by the conductiveness of the current collector 102 in [0029] and one or more elemental metals of a group 6 metal in contact with the conductive material by the interlayer 104 in [0031] that may comprise of metal particles of molybdenum, an elemental group 6 metal;
Choi et al. teaches a cathode adjacent to the current collector as seen by the cathode 120 in [0027] and Fig. 1 vertically adjacent or across from the current collector 102; and an alkali metal-based electrolyte between the current collector and the cathode by the solid-state electrolyte (SSE) 110 between the cathode 120 and current collector 102 in Fig. 1 and [0034] notes the SSE may be the source of Li-ions, an alkali metal,
the cathode separated from the one or more elemental metals of the group 6 metal by the alkali metal- based electrolyte by the alkali metal-based electrolyte as seen in Fig. 1 in which the solid-state electrolyte 110 is between the cathode 120 and the interlayer 104 which may contain molybdenum metal particles, an elemental group 6 metal in [0031], and the solid-state electrolyte 110 may contain lithium, an alkali metal, in [0034].
Regarding claim 8, Choi et al. teaches wherein the elemental metal of the group 6 metal are on a side of the electrochemical cell opposite the cathode as seen in Fig. 1 in which the molybdenum metal particles in interlayer 104 in [0031] is on the anode replacement structure side or lower side of the electrochemical cell relative to the solid-state electrolyte 110 and the cathode 120 is on the cathode side or upper side of the electrochemical cell relative to the solid-state electrolyte 110 in Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 9, Choi et al. teaches wherein the one elemental metal of the group 6 metal comprise a continuous material on the conductive material by the interlayer 104 that may include molybdenum metal particles that may be disposed between the 2D TMD layers 106 that is coated in [0030] and the current collector 102 in [0031]. [0031] also notes that may be a layer or a thin film and based upon interlayer 104 in Fig. 1, it inherently would be continuous upon the conductive material of the current collector 102 that has conductive properties as noted in [0029].
Regarding claim 14, Choi et al. teaches wherein the electrochemical cell is anode-free by “anode-less” in the abstract and [0026].
Regarding claim 15, Choi et al. teaches wherein the electrochemical cell is configured as an alkali metal ion battery by the “anode-less” solid state lithium battery in the abstract and the lithium, an alkali metal, allows the battery to operate by the li-ion movement throughout the battery in [0009] via the li-ion uniform deposition that originates from the pre-lithiated solid-state electrolyte.
Claims 7-9, 12, 14, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kawakami et al. (US 6051340 A). Kawakami et al. was cited in the non-final rejection filed 5/6/2025.
Kawakami et al. teaches an electrochemical cell by the lithium battery in [0042] and Fig. 5 comprising:
a current collector comprising a conductive material by the layer 201 comprising a material containing a metal capable of being alloyed with lithium and therefore inherently conductive in [0042] and Fig. 5. Kawakami et al. teaches one or more elemental metals of a group 6 metal in contact with the conductive material by the collector portion 200 comprising a metallic material incapable of being alloyed with lithium in [0042] in the configuration in Fig. 5 that is in contact with layer 201. [0042] explains the anode may be like the anodes in Fig. 4(a)-4(g) which establish that the metallic material incapable of being alloyed with lithium may be chromium, tungsten, and molybdenum in [0031] and [0056]. These are described as individual metals and therefore are elemental metals of group 6 metals. Because the anode 202 of the lithium battery in [0042] requires lithium to be deposited during charging and discharging cycles in [0025-0027], the battery may be considered “anode-less” or “anode-free” and therefore the anode 202 as labeled in [0042] as a whole can be considered a current collector, not just the collector 200.
Kawakami et al. teaches a cathode adjacent to the current collector by the cathode 203 in [0042] and Fig. 5; and an alkali metal-based electrolyte between the current collector and the cathode by the electrolyte solution 204 in [0042] and Fig. 5 in which the electrolyte may contain lithium salts in [108] which is an alkali metal, the cathode separated from the one or more elemental metals of the group 6 metal by the alkali metal- based electrolyte as seen by the cathode 203 separated by the electrolyte 204 that may contain lithium in [108] from the anode 202 that comprises a metallic material incapable of being alloyed with lithium in [0042] that may be chromium, tungsten, and molybdenum in [0031] and [0056].
Regarding claim 8, Kawakami et al. teaches wherein the elemental metal of the group 6 metal are on a side of the electrochemical cell opposite the cathode as seen in Fig. 5 in which the cathode is separated from the one or more elemental metals of the group 6 metal as seen by the cathode 203 separated on opposite sides of the battery horizontally from the anode 202 that comprises a metallic material incapable of being alloyed with lithium in [0042] that may be chromium, tungsten, and molybdenum in [0031] and [0056].
Regarding claim 9, Kawakami et al. teaches wherein the one or more elemental metals of the group 6 metal comprise a continuous material on the conductive material by the metallic material incapable of being alloyed with lithium in [0042] that may be chromium, tungsten, and molybdenum in [0031] and [0056] is a collector portion in [0042] and therefore inherently, and as also shown in Fig. 5, is a continuous metal sheet. This feature contacts the layer 201 of a metallic material incapable of being alloyed with lithium in Fig. 5. Because layer 201 contains metal, it is therefore inherently conductive.
Regarding claim 12, Kawakami et al. teaches wherein the alkali metal-based electrolyte directly contacts at least a portion of the one or more elemental metals of the group 6 metal by how the electrolyte 204 in [0042] and shown in Fig. 5 surrounds in Fig. 5 the anode 202 including the collector portion 200 that comprises a metallic material incapable of being alloyed with lithium that may be chromium, tungsten, and molybdenum in [0031] and [0056], elemental metals of group 6 metals. The electrolyte 204 may contain lithium in [108] which is an alkali metal.
Regarding claim 14, Kawakami et al. teaches wherein the electrochemical cell is anode-free by the lithium battery in [0042] of which the anode undergoes the process of being “lithiated” by how the active lithium material is deposited from the cathode during initial charging as noted in [0026]. The cell is technically anode-free because the process of “pre-lithiation” or lithium deposition of a collector occurs when the lithium, an alkali metal, allows the battery to operate by the li-ion movement throughout the battery in [0026] via the li-ion deposition that originates from the cathode. The “anode” 202 or current collector does not contain active material until the charge and discharging cycles occur in [0025-0027].
Regarding claim 15, Kawakami et al. teaches wherein the electrochemical cell is configured as an alkali metal ion battery by the lithium battery in [0042], of which lithium is an alkali metal.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20230246188 A1 teaches a porous layer may comprise molybdenum on an anodic member which lithium is deposited. This was cited in the non-final rejection filed 5/6/2025.
US 20210043966 A1 teaches an anode free coating layer and layers containing chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten. This was cited in the non-final rejection filed 5/6/2025.
US 20240204251 A1 teaches anode free lithium metal cell and nanoparticles that can be Cr, Mo, or W. This was cited in the non-final rejection filed 5/6/2025.
US 20200381701 A1 teaches a coating layer that may contain chromium on a negative electrode collector layer. This was cited in the non-final rejection filed 5/6/2025.
US 20230022140 A1 teaches anode-free battery in which the positive electrode active material contains Mo or W. This was cited in the non-final rejection filed 5/6/2025.
Features Books NPL by MRS Bulletin: Volume 42 in November 2017 containing summaries of reviewed literature. This was cited in the non-final rejection filed 5/6/2025.
UD 2005/0191547 teaches an anode current collector that may have chromium and lithium insertion via lithium deposition.
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 KATHERINE J METZGER whose telephone number is (571)272-0170. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday (1st week) or Monday - Friday (2nd week) 7:30am-5:00am - 9-day biweekly schedule.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Milton Cano can be reached at (313) 446-4937. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/KATHERINE J METZGER/Examiner, Art Unit 1723
/MILTON I CANO/Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 1723