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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of carbon material in claim 6, further porous carbon in claim 7, inorganic material in claim 12, LiF in claim 13 in the reply filed on 8/6/25 are acknowledged. However, after reconsideration, the species are rejoined for examination.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9/29/22, 10/11/23, 1/24/25 are considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings submitted on 9/29/22 has been considered.
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 4 and 17 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. It is unclear which porosity in claim 4, line 2 is referring to satisfy the relationships. Appropriate corrections or further clarification are required.
Claim 4 and 17 recite the limitation "the porosity" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 is 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. It is unclear how there is a porosity of the one or more negative protections layer but also includes 0% porosity in the range of 0%-10%. Appropriate correction or further clarification is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6, 7, 14-16, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kawai et al. (JP 2003077542).
Regarding claims 1, 14, 18, the Kawai et al. reference discloses an electronic apparatus (portable device) with electrochemical apparatus (secondary battery), comprising a negative electrode plate, the negative electrode plate comprises, a current collector, a negative electrode plate comprising a current collector and a negative electrode framework located on the current collector. The negative electrode framework comprises at least a first negative electrode framework layer and a second negative electrode framework layer, and the first negative electrode framework layer is located between the current collector and the second negative electrode framework layer (A2) and a porosity of the first negative electrode framework layer (A1) is higher than a porosity of the second negative electrode framework layer.
Regarding claims 2 and 15, the Kawai et al. reference discloses the porosity of the first negative electrode framework layer ranges from 55% to 90% (specifically, 90%, 70% 60%).
Regarding claims 3 and 16, the Kawai et al. reference discloses wherein the porosity of the second negative electrode framework layer ranges from 10% to 50% (specifically, 14%).
Regarding claims 6 and 7, the Kawai et al. reference discloses wherein the first negative electrode framework layer and the second negative electrode framework layer each independently comprise at least a carbon material of carbon fiber.
Since, claims 6 and 7 recites multiple compounds in an alternative manner. Thus as long as one of the compounds are disclosed by the prior art such as carbon material. It is unnecessary to address the rest of the claimed limitations such as polymer material, metal material or inorganic material.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawai et al. (JP 2003077542) in view of Ogawa et al. (US Publication 2005/0244716).
Regarding claim 5, the Kawai et al. reference discloses the claimed invention above and further incorporated herein. The Kawai et al. reference discloses further the lithium ion battery comprising lithium metal active material and intercalating lithium ion in the negative electrode framework but is silent in disclosing an amount of the lithium metal is 0.001 to 6mg/cm2. However, the Ogawa et al. reference discloses lithium intercalation in lithium ion hatteries. The Ogawa et al. reference discloses a broad teaching of the anode active material in a lithium ion battery, however, the active material must be 2-6 mg/cm2, which is smaller than that conventionally used, the anode becomes much thinner than conventional ones. Therefore, the Li concentration polarization in the anode is less likely to occur than in conventional ones, whereby lithium ions are harder to be inhibited from intercalating with the negative electrode active material even when a large current is supplied to the lithium-ion secondary battery upon rapid charging at 10 C or higher. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of an anode active material in an amount of 2-6 mg/cm2 disclosed by Ogawa et al. for the lithium anode active material the Kawai et al. reference to improve capacity after repeated charging and discharging.
Claim(s) 8 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawai et al. (JP 2003077542) in view of Yamauchi et al. (US 2013/0059201).
Regarding claims 8 and 9, the Kawai et al. reference discloses the claimed invention above and further incorporated herein. The Kawai et al. reference discloses negative active materials can also include Sn, Si, However, the Kawai et al. reference is silent in specifying that precipitate of these materials on the negative electrode framework. However, the Yamauchi et al. reference discloses inorganic material materials such as Sn and Si (Abstract) can be added to the electrode active material in order to prevent cracking of the electrode by large volume changes due to repeated charge and discharge cycles. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate inorganic materials such as Sn and Si in the negative active material disclosed by the Yamauchi et al. reference for the active material that also comprises Sn and Si disclosed by the Kawai reference for crack reduction of the anode due to constant cycling, thus, improving the battery.
As a result, SnO precipitation was observed (Table 2).
Claim(s) 10-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawai et al. (JP 2003077542) in view of Choi et al. (Protective coating of lithium metal electrode for interfacial enhancement with gel polymer electrolyte).
Regarding claims 10, 11, the Kawai et al. reference discloses the claimed invention above and further incorporated herein. The Kawai et al. reference discloses a anode framework that utilizes lithium metal active material for the lithium ion battery. The Kawai et al. reference is silent in specifying further comprising protection layer located on the framework. However, the Choi et al. reference discloses protecting lithium anode by utilizing a protection layer that prohibits lithium dendritic formation during cycling. Lithium dendritic formation comprises the safety of the battery and results in low cycling efficiency. Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate a protection layer on the lithium anode disclosed by the Choi et al. reference for the lithium ion battery that utilizes lithium active materials in the anode framework (or lithium anode) to prevent dendritic formation and compromised safety of the battery with prolonged cycling.
Regarding claims 12 and 13, the Kawai et al. in view of Choi et al. (herein referred to as modified Kawai et al.) discloses protective films of Li2CO3, LiF, LIOH are known (1. Introduction; Choi et al. ). The modified Kawai et al. reference also discloses protective film comprises PVDF (Table 1 Kynar 2801)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HELEN OI CONLEY whose telephone number is (571)272-5162. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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/Helen Oi K CONLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752
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