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 .
Summary
Since the Office Action mailed on 20 February 2025, claim 1 has been amended to include claimed subject matter previously claimed in claims 2-3, which have been cancelled along with claims 6-9.
The examiner finds applicant remarks persuasive, and necessitates this second non-final Office Action, which serves to address the claimed subject matter through prior art more accurately.
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, 4-5, 10-13 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Asano et al (US 2016/0087249 A1). This prior art reference cited as Asano hereinafter.
Regarding claim 1, Asano discloses a solid-state battery (“a thin battery 1” [0038]) comprising:
a solid-state battery laminate (“electrode assembly 2” [0039]) having a positive electrode layer (“a positive electrode 6” [0039]), a negative electrode layer (“a negative electrode 9” [0039]), and a solid electrolyte layer interposed between the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer (“an electrolyte layer 12 interposed therebetween” [0039]);
a positive electrode external terminal connected to the positive electrode layer (“The positive electrode 6 includes a positive electrode current collector 7 … The positive electrode current collector 7 has a main portion and an extending portion 7a extending from a part of the main portion. Moreover, the main portion has a formed portion 7b on which the positive electrode active material layer 8 is formed and a non-formed portion 7c on which the positive electrode active material layer 8 is not formed” [0040] and “A first end portion 4a of the positive electrode lead terminal 4 is disposed astride the non-formed portion 7c and the extending portion 7a.” [0041]); and
a negative electrode external terminal connected to the negative electrode layer (“the negative electrode 9 also includes a negative electrode current collector 10 … The negative electrode current collector 10 has a main portion and an extending portion 10a extending from a part of the main portion. Moreover, the main portion has a formed portion 10b on which the negative electrode active material layer 11 is formed and a non-formed portion 10c on which the negative electrode active material layer 11 is not formed; and the extending portion 10a extends from a part of the non-formed portion 10c. The negative electrode lead terminal 5 is disposed astride the non-formed portion 10c and the extending portion 10a” [0043]),
wherein both of the positive electrode external terminal and the negative electrode external terminal are on a same surface of the solid-state battery laminate (Fig. 1E shows the positive and negative electrode lead terminals 4 and 5 extend from the same/right side of the thin battery),
the positive electrode external terminal and the negative electrode external terminal extend in a same direction on the same surface (Fig. 1E shows the positive and negative electrode lead terminals 4 and 5 extend in the same direction, or the direction going away from the right side of the thin battery),
the positive electrode layer has a positive electrode narrowed portion in which a positive electrode active material region (8 Fig. 3A; “positive electrode active material layer” [0054]) is narrowed toward the same surface (“the non-formed portion 7c … may be formed to be along only a part of the side thereof” [0056] where Fig. 3A shows that a portion of the positive electrode active material layer 8 shown has a narrower width along the planar view of the electrode), and
the negative electrode layer has a negative electrode narrowed portion in which a negative electrode active material region (“negative electrode active material layer 11” [0054]) is narrowed toward the same surface (“This likewise applies to the non-formed portion 10c of the negative electrode current collector 10.” [0056] as in the limitations directly above this limitation that addresses positive electrode active material layer 8).
Regarding claim 4, Asano discloses the solid-state battery with all the features set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein the positive electrode active material region extends to a plan-view contour of the solid-state battery laminate in at least one side other than a side on which the positive electrode narrowed portion is positioned among sides forming the plan-view contour (Fig. 3A shows positive electrode active material layer 8 extending to the bottom side edge of the positive electrode 6 of the electrode assembly stack 2 of the thin battery 1, relative to the plan-view perspective of the positive electrode 6 shown, which is a side that is not the side on which the portion of the positive electrode active material layer 8 that has a narrower width is disposed).
Regarding claim 5, Asano discloses the solid-state battery with all the features set forth in claim 4 above, and wherein the negative electrode active material region extends to a plan-view contour of the solid-state battery laminate in at least one side other than a side on which the negative electrode narrowed portion is positioned among sides forming the plan-view contour (“This likewise applies to the non-formed portion 10c of the negative electrode current collector 10.” [0056] as in the limitations above regarding the positive electrode active material layer 8, which implies that negative electrode active material layer 11 extends to the bottom side edge of the positive electrode 9 of the electrode assembly stack 2 of the thin battery 1, relative to the plan-view perspective shown in Fig. 3A, which is a side that is not the side on which the portion of the negative electrode active material layer 11 that has a narrower width is disposed).
Regarding claim 10, Asano discloses the solid-state battery with all the features set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein the negative electrode active material region extends to the plan-view contour in all sides other than a side on which the negative electrode narrowed portion is positioned (Fig. 3A shows positive electrode active material layer 8 extending to the bottom and a portion of the left side edges of the positive electrode 6 of the electrode assembly stack 2 of the thin battery 1, relative to the plan-view perspective of the positive electrode 6 shown, which are all sides that is not the side on which the portion of the positive electrode active material layer 8 that has a narrower width is disposed, and “This likewise applies to the non-formed portion 10c of the negative electrode current collector 10.” [0056] on which negative electrode active material layer 11 is formed).
Regarding claim 11, Asano discloses the solid-state battery with all the features set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein surfaces of the solid-state battery laminate other than the same surface are not constrained by external terminals of the positive electrode external terminal and the negative electrode external terminal (Fig. 6A shows that all sides of the thin battery 101 other than the same surface, which terminals 106 and 109 extend from, are not constrained by terminals 106 and 109).
Regarding claim 12, Asano discloses the solid-state battery with all the features set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein the solid-state battery laminate has a rectangular parallelpiped shape as a whole (Fig. 6A shows that thin battery has a rectangular parallelpiped shape), and the same surface corresponds to a side surface of the rectangular parallelpiped shape (Fig. 6A shows that terminals 106 and 109 extend from one side of the rectangular parallelpiped shape of the thin battery).
Regarding claim 13, Asano discloses the solid-state battery with all the features set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein each of the positive electrode external terminal and the negative electrode external terminal are positioned only on the same surface (Fig. 6A shows that terminals 106 and 109 extend only from the right side surface relative to the perspective of the thin battery shown, which corresponds to the claimed same surface as set forth in rejection of claim 1 above) and do not extend to surfaces of the solid-state battery laminate other than the same surface (Fig. 6A shows that terminals 106 and 109 extend only from one side in which is the corresponding same surface, and does not extend to any of the other surfaces of the thin battery).
Regarding claim 16, Asano discloses the solid-state battery with all the features set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer are layers capable of occluding and releasing lithium ions (“lithium-containing composite oxide” [0065], regarding the positive electrode active material layer, and “The negative electrode active material is not particularly limited, and can be arbitrarily selected from known materials and compositions. Examples include lithium metal, lithium alloy, a carbon material ( e.g., natural graphite, artificial graphite), a silicide (silicon alloy), a silicon oxide, and a lithium-containing titanium compound ( e.g., lithium titanate).” [0072], regarding the negative electrode active material layer, which are known in the art to be capable of storing and releasing, respectively, lithium ions in lithium-ion batteries).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asano (US 2016/0087249 A1) in view of Nishide et al (WO 2020031424 A1 where US 2021/0167471 A1 is included in its patent family and is cited hereinafter as its English translation equivalent). The latter prior art reference cited as Nishide hereinafter.
Regarding claim 14, Asano discloses the solid-state battery with all the features set forth in claim 1 above, but does not disclose wherein the solid-state battery is a surface-mounted battery, and the same surface corresponds to a mounting-side surface.
However, Nishide discloses a solid-state battery (“battery package 200” [0057]) comprising a solid-state battery laminate (“solid-state battery 100” [0057] where “solid-state battery 100 is formed to include a solid-state battery laminate having battery constituent units formed of a positive electrode layer 110, a negative electrode layer 120, and a solid electrolyte 130 at least interposed between the positive electrode layer 110 and the negative electrode layer 120” [0038]), a positive electrode external terminal (150 A Fig. 1; “a positive electrode-side end surface electrode 150A connected to the positive electrode layer 110” [0054]), a negative electrode external terminal (150 B Fig. 1; “a negative electrode-side end surface electrode 150B connected to the negative electrode layer 120” [0054]), and wherein both the positive electrode external terminal and the negative electrode external terminal are on a same surface of the solid-state battery laminate (“The terminal substrate having such a conductive portion enables the extension position of the external terminal of the battery package to be set at any lower portion of the package.” [0072]). Nishide teaches wherein the solid-state battery is a surface-mounted battery (“The solid-state battery provided with the supporting substrate as a terminal substrate can be mounted on a different secondary substrate such as a printed wiring board, in a form of interposing the substrate between the solid-state battery and the different secondary substrate.” [0069] where “conductive portions of the supporting substrate and the end surface electrodes of the solid-state battery are electrically connected to each other” [0074]), and the same surface corresponds to a mounting-side surface (“any lower portion of the package provided as a smooth flat surface in plane with the mounting package” [0072]). Nishide further teaches that these features enables extension of a terminal from the battery to the exterior of the package in the shortest distance and therefore a loss-reduced battery package can be produced, and the solid-state battery is considered to enable disposition of the terminals at a position optimal to a peripheral circuit or a housing in which the battery is to be used ([0072]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the filed application to add that the solid-state battery of Asano is a surface-mounted battery, and the same surface corresponds to a mounting-side surface, in view of Nishide in order to achieve extension of a terminal from the battery to the exterior of the package in the shortest distance and therefore the production of loss-reduced battery package, as well as the solid-state battery enabling disposition of the terminals at a position optimal to a peripheral circuit or a housing in which the battery is to be used.
Regarding claim 15, Asano discloses the solid-state battery with all the features set forth in claim 1 above, and discloses the solid-state battery laminate may be formed through pressure bonding ([0054]), but does not disclose wherein the solid-state battery laminate is made of a sintered body.
However, Nishide discloses the solid-battery with all the features set forth in the rejection of claim 14 above, and teaches wherein the solid-state battery laminate is made of a sintered body ([0039]). Nishide further teaches that this feature reduces manufacturing costs by integral firing producing a current collector layer-free solid-state battery, reduces the internal resistance of the solid-state battery ([0052]), and enables the same surface to be sealed where a possible entry of water vapor from the external environment is more certainly prevented because the external terminals can sometimes have a pore, a defect, or the like generated depending on the material, the form, or the manufacturing process, and can possibly be insufficient against the transmission of water vapor in an air atmosphere without the sintering manufacturing step ([0082]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the filed application to add that the solid-state battery laminate of Asano is made of a sintered body in view of Nishide in order to achieve reduced manufacturing costs by integral firing that essentially produced a current collector layer-free solid-state battery, reduced internal resistance of the solid-state battery ([0052]), and a sealed same surface of the solid-state battery where a possible entry of water vapor from the external environment is more certainly prevented.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 has 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLENE BERMUDEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0610. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesdays and Thursdays generally from 10 AM to 7 PM EST.
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/CHARLENE BERMUDEZ/Examiner, Art Unit 1721
/DUSTIN Q DAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721