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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oku, et. al. (US2015318555A1), in view of Iwamoto, et. al. (WO2020195032A1) and Yang, et. al. (EP3309867A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Oku teaches an all-solid-state battery (a solid state battery is a battery comprising a solid electrolyte rather than a gel or liquid electrolyte, which is disclosed at [00281]; “[0281] The electrolyte layer may be either of liquid, gel, and solid phases, and the electrolyte layer is preferably a gel polymer electrolyte layer or an all solid electrolyte layer, considering the safety when the battery is broken and the prevention of liquid junction”) having at least one structural unit cell (see below analysis) comprising a positive electrode collector layer (a “current collector” [0000, 54-59]), a positive electrode active material layer (“[0300] positive electrode active material”), a solid electrolyte layer (see above), a negative electrode active material layer (“[0299] negative electrode active material”)and a negative electrode collector layer (see above re: current collector; see below discussion of the multi-layer) stacked in that order (because limitations regarding orientation are not given, a symmetric stack of a positive electrode, solid electrolyte, and negative electrode, meet the claim). Oku at [00281, 295 – 305], Fig. 1-2.
Oku teaches a current collector for a battery which comprises a multi-layer, specifically a polymer material comprising electrically conductive particles 1, polymer material 3, and a metal thin film layer 2. Oku at [0251 – 258], Fig. 1-2. While these collectively describe a current collector, the metal thin film layer 2 reads upon a “current collector,” because as Oku notes, “a current collector is typically formed using a metal foil.” Id. at [0003], whereas the “connecting conductor layer” is the layers (1) and (3) shown together in Fig. 2, which if disposed on both sides of the cell would also read upon “is layered on a surface of the positive electrode collector layer side and/or the negative electrode collector layer side of the structural unit cell.” Id. at Fig. 2. Because the conductive particles : polymer material ratio may be 1:99 to 99:1 in both layers (1) and (3), this at least suggests a conductive layer which is primarily composed of conductive particles with a minimal amount of polymer material.
Regarding the unit cell, Oku describes “[0001] a current collector for a battery, and a battery using the same,” and the battery referred to as a “cell.” Oku at [0001, 303]. Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, a “structural unit cell” is any cell which, via parallel or series connection, could form a unit cell of a cell stack; Oku teaches a unit cell. Id.
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Fig. 1 – 3 of Oku.
While Oku describes a multilayer, this is not explicitly a collector layer and connecting conductive layer.
One of ordinary skill in the art would find it obvious to modify Oku, such that it comprises “a connecting conductor layer layered on a surface of the positive electrode collector layer side and/or the negative electrode collector layer side of the structural unit cell,” because Oku provides a teaching that the current collector is composed of multiple layers, and because making components separable (or in this case, distinct layers flush against each other rather than described as a single multi-layer) is obvious where a teaching, suggestion, or motivation of a benefit indicates an obvious design choice. Here, the layers (1) and (3) are filled with conductive particles which may assist with electrical connection to the neighboring cell, which presents at least a suggestion of a benefit.
Oku is silent as to “and an insulator is disposed so as to surround outer peripheries of the positive electrode collector layer and the positive electrode active material layer.”
Iwamoto teaches an all-solid-state battery frame-shaped insulating material 22, 23, which surrounds an electron conductive material 31 (which forms relevant active material layers). Iwamoto at [p.7-8], Fig. 3B- 4A, 7. Iwamoto also shows insulating material 250, covering the side surfaces of the battery 2100, wherein the solid electrolyte layer is placed between the current collectors 1300c and the current collector 1300d. Id. This reads upon “and an insulator is disposed so as to surround outer peripheries of the positive electrode collector layer and the positive electrode active material layer,” because a frame is a “periphery.” Further, “Since the side surface of the power generation element of the battery manufactured in this manner is also covered with the insulating material, it is possible to prevent the power generation element from coming into contact with other batteries.” Id. at [p. 4, 12].
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Fig. 3B – 4A of Iwamoto.
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Fig. 7 of Iwamoto.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to modify the battery of Oku, such that an insulator is disposed so as to surround outer peripheries of the positive electrode collector layer and the positive electrode active material layer, because this frame provides a benefit to preventing contact with other batteries, and thereby protects against short circuit.
However, modified Oku is silent as to “and the insulator is in direct contact with the outer peripheries of the positive electrode collector layer and the positive electrode active material layer.”
Yang teaches “[0005] The present invention is to provide an electrical insulator and its related battery, which can improve the structural strength of the peripheral of the separation region via the supporting region of the electrical insulator, so that the electrical insulator will not [be] easily curled under high temperature operations.” Yang at [0005]. Yang teaches “[0020] Moreover, please refer to the Fig.8 and Fig.9 , the battery 2 comprises two electrodes 22, 24, an electrical insulator 1 and a sealing frame. Similar with the above embodiment, the separation region 12 is disposed between two active material layers 222 and 242 orthographically, and contacts the active material layers 222 and 242 at the same time. The supporting region 14 is disposed between two active material layers 222 and 242, and contacts the active material layers 222 and 242 partly, that is, the supporting region 14 covers the active material layers 222 and 242 directly. Different to the above embodiment, the sealing frame 28 is adhered to the current collector layers 224, 244, and between a part of the supporting region 14. The active material layers 222 and 242, and electrical insulator 12 are completely sealed by the sealing frame 28, the current collector layer 224 and 244, and parts of the supporting region 14. In these embodiments, the battery 2 can be a pouched battery or a flexible battery.” Id. at [0020]. Further, within Claim 19 of Yang, this insulator is recited as “an electrical insulator, disposed and contacts the active material layers, makes the active material layers insulated from each other, the electrical insulator comprising: a separation region, having two surface and a lateral surface, the separation region is orthographically disposed between the active material layers and contacts the active material layers; and a supporting region, disposed and covers the peripheral of at least one of the surface, the supporting region is orthographically disposed between the active material layers, at least parts of the supporting region contact the active material layers; and a sealing frame, adhered to the current collectors and at least parts of the supporting area, sealing the active materials and the separation region.” Id. at Claim 19.
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Fig. 7 – 9 of Yang.
Taken together with Fig. 7-9, the insulator “contacts the active material layers,” and has a supporting region which contacts both current collectors; because both active material layers and both current collectors include the positive electrode collector layer and the positive electrode active material layer, this teaches “the insulator is in direct contact with the outer peripheries of the positive electrode collector layer and the positive electrode active material layer,” because “outer peripheries” includes a side or edge of each respective layer. Critically, as claimed within Yang this sealing frame is a sub-component of the overall insulator. This overall insulator of Yang contacts both the active material layer and the current collectors at least along certain outer peripheral areas. Further, Claim 1 does not require the insulator to only contact the positive electrode collector layer and the positive electrode active material layer.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to further modify the battery of Oku, such that the insulator is in direct contact with the outer peripheries of the positive electrode collector layer and the positive electrode active material layer, because Yang teaches this configuration provides a benefit to “improv[ing] the structural strength of the peripheral of the separation region via the supporting region of the electrical insulator, so that the electrical insulator will not [be] easily curled under high temperature operations”
Claim 1 is obvious over Oku, in view of Iwamoto and Yang.
Regarding Claim 2, Claim 2 relies upon Claim 1. Claim 1 is obvious over modified Oku.
Regarding the resistance of the current collector (layer 2) and the connecting conductor layer (layers 1 and 3 of Fig. 2), Oku teaches a beneficial property of the current collector 10 (i.e., all three layers) is a “[0050] low electric resistance” such that the battery obtains “long-term reliability”; in this same aspect, the electrical resistance per unit area in a thickness direction is 10 Ω ∙ cm2 (0.14 Ω ∙ m2) or less, and has a surface resistivity of 100 Ohm / □ or less. Further, Oku teaches “[0049] in a preferable embodiment, the metal thin film of the layer 2 . . . is brought into contact with the negative electrode active material layer.” Id. at [0049]. Finally, Oku notes that “[0213] electrical conductivity in the plane direction of the current collector surface” is desirable. Id. at [0213]. This indicates at least a suggestion that it would be beneficial for the connecting conductor layer (layers 1 and 2) to have a low resistivity compared to that of the current collector, considering that electricity travels along the path of least resistance. See id. Further, because low resistance contributes to the reliability of the cell, this indicates both the resistance of the contact surface (i.e., layer 2), and the resistance of the entire connecting conductor layer are result effective variables.
One of ordinary skill in the art would find it obvious to modify the battery of Oku, such that an electric resistivity of the connecting conductor layer is lower than the electric resistivity of the positive electrode collector layer or negative electrode collector layer on which the connecting conductor layer is layered as a matter of routine optimization, because the resistance of the three layers are taught to be result effective, and because Oku provides at least a suggestion of a benefit to a lower resistance gradient from layer 2 to layers 1 and 3.
Claim 2 is obvious over Oku, in view of Iwamoto and Yang.
Regarding Claim 3, Claim 3 relies upon Claim 1. Claim 1 is obvious over modified Oku.
Regarding the resistance of the current collector (layer 2) and the connecting conductor layer (layers 1 and 3 of Fig. 2), Oku teaches a beneficial property of the current collector 10 (i.e., all three layers) is lower overall resistivity; in this same aspect, the electrical resistance per unit area in a thickness direction is 10 Ω ∙ cm2 (0.14 Ω ∙ m2) or less, and has a surface resistivity of 100 Ohm / □ or less. Because the resistance is measured in a thickness direction, and because “or less,” is specified, this indicates the range of electrical resistivity of layers 1 and 3 is at least suggested to be 1 x 10-6 Ω ∙ m or lower. An overlapping range presents a prima facie case of obviousness. MPEP 2144.05 (I).
Claim 3 is obvious over Oku, in view of Iwamoto and Yang.
Regarding Claim 4, Claim 4 relies upon Claim 1. Claim 1 is obvious over modified Oku.
Oku teaches a current collector for a battery which comprises a multi-layer, specifically a polymer material comprising electrically conductive particles 1, polymer material 3, and a metal thin film layer 2. Oku at [0251 – 258], Fig. 1-2. While these collectively describe a current collector, the metal thin film layer 2 reads upon a “current collector,” because as Oku notes, “a current collector is typically formed using a metal foil.” Id. at [0003], whereas the “connecting conductor layer” is the layers (1) and (3) shown together in Fig. 2, which if disposed on both sides of the cell would also read upon “is layered on a surface of the positive electrode collector layer side and/or the negative electrode collector layer side of the structural unit cell.” Id. at Fig. 2. Because the conductive particles : polymer material ratio may be 1:99 to 99:1 in both layers (1) and (3), this at least suggests a conductive layer which is primarily composed of conductive particles with a minimal amount of polymer material. The metal thin film layer of layer 2 may be formed from copper. Id. at [0033]. “The conductive particles including a metal element” may comprise copper. Id. at [0121-22]. However, the examples provided within Table 1 indicate that while the particles of layer (1) may be copper (such that layer 1 may be 99:1 copper / polymer material), the provided embodiments show the electrically conductive particles of layer 3 are conductive carbon. Id. at [0339 – 340], Table 1. The rationale for this is given in paragraph [0116], wherein Oku teaches “the electrically conductive carbon particles are often used as a conductive assistant for an electrode, and thus the contact resistance becomes very low even if it is brought into contact with a conductive assistant, because they are the same material.” This indicates that materials having the same material will, generally, have a lower contact resistance. As noted previously, Oku teaches a beneficial property of the current collector 10 (i.e., all three layers) is a “[0050] low electric resistance” such that the battery obtains “long-term reliability”. Id at [0050]. This indicates lower resistance between the connecting conductor and copper metal film 2 would provide a benefit of better reliability.
However, Oku does not teach a connecting conductor wholly composed of copper and/or aluminum.
One of ordinary skill in the art would find it obvious to further modify Oku, such that it comprises a connecting conductor made of copper, because Oku teaches identical materials have lower contact resistance between each other, improving reliability by reducing electric resistance.
Claim 4 is obvious over Oku, in view of Iwamoto and Yang.
Regarding Claim 8, Claim 8 relies upon Claim 1. Claim 1 is obvious over modified Oku.
Iwamoto teaches at least a portion of the insulator 28 is positioned adjacent to the solid electrolyte layer 530 in a stacking direction of the structural unit cell. Iwamoto at Fig. 9.
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Fig. 9 of Iwamoto.
Claim 8 is obvious over Oku, in view of Iwamoto and Yang.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oku, in view of Iwamoto and Yang, and further in view of Tatsumisago, et. al. (EP2403046B1).
Regarding Claim 5, Claim 5 relies upon Claim 1. Claim 1 is obvious over modified Oku.
Oku is silent as to a sulfide based solid electrolyte and negative electrode collector layer composed of stainless steel or nickel.
Tatsumisago teaches a sulfide solid electrolyte material which provides a benefit to “[0004] higher output of a battery,” and that its composition “[0028] allow[s] the generation of hydrogen sulfide to be restrained even in a case where a sulfide solid electrolyte material contacts with water.” Id. at [0004, 28]. For an appropriate current collector, Tatsumisago teaches “[0060] examples of a material for the cathode current collector include SUS, aluminum, nickel, iron, titanium and carbon, preferably SUS among them. On the other hand, examples of a material for the anode current collector include SUS, copper, nickel and carbon, preferably SUS among them.” Id. at [0060].
One of ordinary skill in the art would find it obvious to modify the battery of Oku, such that the negative electrode active material layer comprises a sulfide-based solid electrolyte of Tatsumisago, and the negative electrode collector layer is made of stainless steel or nickel as in Tatsumisago, because of Tatsumisago teaches a benefit to output.
Claim 5 is obvious over Oku, in view of Iwamoto and Yang, and further in view of Tatsumisago.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oku, in view of Iwamoto and Yang, and further in view of Imai, et. al. (US2020227757A1).
Regarding Claim 6, Claim 6 relies upon Claim 1. Claim 1 is obvious over modified Oku.
Oku is silent as to a method of layer cell stacks.
Imai teaches an electrode laminate for an all-solid state laminated secondary battery 1 [0046], wherein “[0049] The electrode laminate according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the negative electrode collector having one surface on which a negative electrode active material can be deposited, and the positive electrode active material layer or the unevenness forming particle layer, which is laminated on the other surface. The electrode laminate includes the negative electrode collector having a surface on which the negative electrode active material can be deposited, and the positive electrode active material layer or the unevenness forming particle layer, which is laminated on a rear surface (the other surface with respect to the above surface) of the negative electrode collector. The positive electrode active material layer or the unevenness forming particle layer may be laminated adjacent to the other surface, or may be laminated with another layer interposed therebetween, for example, the auxiliary collector described later.” Imai at [0046-49]. While this “unevenness forming layer” is not the connecting conductor layer of modified Oku, it is conducting layer which serves the purpose of connecting a collector to another collector within a stack. Id. Imai teaches “[0141] Each of the all-solid state laminated secondary battery 1 A and 1 B includes three electrode laminates 30 A to 30 C, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and one, two, or four or more electrode laminates may be included. The upper limit of the number of electrode laminates included in the all-solid state laminated secondary battery is appropriately set according to a use, an energy density, or the like, and may be, for example, eleven electrode laminates can be used.”
Accordingly, Imai teaches a method for producing an all-solid-state battery (all-solid-state laminated secondary battery 1), wherein the method comprises the following steps in order: a step of alternately layering the structural unit cell (electrode laminate) and another layer (“laminated with another layer therebetween”), or layering subunits (noting the upper limit of unit cells is selected according to use) of the layered structural unit cell and other layer to form a stack, a step of connecting a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal to the connecting conductor layers of the obtained stack (see Fig. 1, disclosing the positive electrode collector 35 and the negative electrode collector, described as “the cell unit 5 A includes the negative electrode 2 or the negative electrode collector”) Imai at [0046-49]. However, Imai does not teach this alternative layer is the connecting conductor layer of Oku.
One of ordinary skill in the art would find it obvious to utilize the method of Imai to form a cell stack utilizing the unit cell of Oku and the connecting conductor layer of modified Oku, because Imai teaches that an increase in cells within the stack increases energy density.
Claim 6 is obvious over Oku, in view of Iwamoto and Yang, and further in view of Imai.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oku, in view of Iwamoto and Yang, and further in view of Yang, et. al. (EP3772121A1; because a separate reference now includes the same author, Yang II is hereinafter used as shorthand to distinguish the two references, given that this is the later reference chronologically).
Regarding Claim 6, Claim 6 relies upon Claim 1. Claim 1 is obvious over modified Oku.
Oku is silent as to “wherein the insulator is disposed so as to surround only the outer peripheries of the positive electrode collector layer and the positive electrode active material layer.”
Yang II recites a package structure for a solid state battery, wherein “[0036] The electricity supply unit 32 mentioned above includes at least two electrode layers 321 and 322 and at least one separator layer 323. The two electrode layers 321 and 322 are disposed to directly contact to the sealing frame 313 (as shown in FIG. 2B ). In other embodiment, one of the two electrode layers 321,322 is disposed to directly contact to the sealing frame 313(as shown in FIG. 8 ), usually an anode electrode layer. In FIG.8 , the electrode layer 321 which does not directly contact to the sealing frame 313 is usually a cathode electrode layer. Also, a part of the first conductive surface 311a is exposed between the sealing frame 313 and the electrode layer 321 because the electrode layer 321 does not directly contact to the sealing frame 313. The electricity supply unit 32 is a lithium-ion conductive function layer for a lithium cell.” Yang II at [0036]. This provides the benefit of “[0011] It is an objective of this invention to provide a package structure and its related electricity supply system. The package structure can be integrated with the electricity supply unit so that the materials used are reduced and the production cost of the electronics can be reduced as well.” Id. at [0011].
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would find it obvious to further modify the battery of modified Oku, such that “the insulator is disposed so as to surround only the outer peripheries of the positive electrode collector layer and the positive electrode active material layer,” as in Yang II, because the materials used are reduced and the production cost of the electronics can be reduced as well.
Claim 7 is obvious over Oku, in view of Iwamoto and Yang, further in view of Yang II.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-8 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRISHNA RAJAN HAMMOND whose telephone number is (571)272-9997. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 - 6:30 PM M-F.
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/K.R.H./Examiner , Art Unit 1725
/NICOLE M. BUIE-HATCHER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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