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
This is a non-final Office action in response to Applicant’s remarks and amendments filed on 04/27/2026. Claims 1 and 15 are amended. Claims 3 and 6 are canceled. Claims 14 – 20 remain withdrawn. Claims 1 – 2, 4 – 5, and 7– 13 are pending in the current Office action.
In light of applicant’s arguments, The 35 U.S.C. 103 rejections set forth in the previous Office action are withdrawn. Claims 1 – 2, 4 – 5, and 7– 13 are rejected under a new grounds of rejection neither necessitated by an amendment of the claims nor based on information submitted in a newly filed IDS, as such this Office action is not made final (MPEP 706.07a).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to the combination of references used in the current rejection. Specifically, in the new grounds of rejection below, a newly cited primary reference: Pascaly (US PG pub. 2014/0127546 A1) is relied upon.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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(s) 1 – 2 and 4 – 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pascaly (US PG pub. 2014/0127546 A1) in view of Nishikawa (JP6058159B2, cited in previous Office action mailed 01/30/2026), Lee (KR20080066309A, cited in 03/23/2023 IDS – annotated Machine translation provided), and Adams (US PG Pub. 2020/0343510 A1, cited in previous Office action mailed 01/30/2026). {Examiner Note: For citations of the instant specification the examiner utilizes the US PG Pub. version: US20230344080A1 of the instant application}.
Regarding Claims 1 – 2 and 4 – 5, Pascaly discloses a separator for a lithium secondary battery ([0008];[0010]), comprising a porous polymer substrate ([0021 – 0025];[0035]); and a modification layer disposed inside the porous polymer substrate and one at least one surface of the porous polymer substrate, that is the inorganic/ceramic coating provided on and in the substrate of Pascaly reads on being a modification layer because it necessarily modifies the surfaces of the substrate by reducing the number of defects per unit area which improves wettability and further provides the separator with increases stability against heat ([0005 – 0009];[0012];[0029];[0033]).
Pascaly further discloses the modification layer comprising a polymer compound represented by Chemical Formula 1, that is Pascaly teaches the ceramic coating layer including a sugar, specifically a cyclodextrin having 6 – 8 glucose units ([0016];[0040]), which one with ordinary skill in the art would recognize to be within the claimed scope of claimed Chemical Formula 1. Pascaly further discloses an embodiment of the separator particularly including beta-cyclodextrin ([0068]), which is within the scope of the claimed Chemical formula 1 and further within the claimed selection of Chemical Formula 1 compounds including alpha-cyclodextrins, beta-cyclodextrins, and gamma-cyclodextrin, or two or more thereof (Claim 2).
Pascaly further teaches forming a suspension to produce the inorganic/ceramic coating of the separator ([0009];[0045]). The suspension is further taught to include a sol containing oxide particles dispersed in the sol, at least one silane, at least one dispersion medium and at least one sugar ([0009];[0063];[0068]). Pascaly further teaches adding other solvent mixtures to the sol or suspension in order to control the wetting behavior of the sol or suspension of the coating ([0051]).
Pascaly does not explicitly disclose the inorganic/ceramic coating layer to be a hydrophilic modification layer that further comprises a surfactant.
Nishikawa teaches a separator for a nonaqueous secondary battery including a fluorine-containing nonionic surfactant in a coating layer on the separator ([0013 – 0015]). The coating layer in Nisihikawa is further taught to include at least one type of filler containing inorganic or organic fillers ([0019];[0053]). Nishikawa further teaches that non-fluorine-based nonionic surfactants using alkyl chains as the hydrophobic moiety and ionic surfactants that contain salts tend to increase the internal resistance of batteries and that the use of nonionic fluorine-containing surfactants in a coating layer on the separator achieves the effect of reducing internal resistance and improving wettability ([0020];[0024];[0098]). Nishikawa particularly exemplifies using fluorine-containing nonionic surfactants including Surflon S-242, S-243, and S-420 (all manufactured by AGC Seimi Chemical Co., Ltd.; hydrophobic structural unit = perfluoroalkyl group), Megafac F-444 (manufactured by DIC Corporation; hydrophobic structural unit = perfluoroalkyl group), Novec FC-4430 and FC-4432 (all manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Limited; hydrophobic structural unit = perfluoroalkyl group), and Ftergent 251, 212M, 215M, 250, 222F, 245F, 208G, 240G, 228P, and FTX-218 (all manufactured by Neos Corporation; hydrophobic structural unit = perfluoroalkenyl group) ([0031]).
Since Pascaly is concerned with improving the wettability of the separator and further already suggests adding other components to the sol or suspension of the coating to control the wetting behavior of the sol or suspension ([0005];[0050]), it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include a nonionic fluorine-containing surfactant in the coating sol/suspension of Pascaly, with a reasonable expectation of success in achieving a coating sol/suspension with enhanced wetting behavior in addition to a reduction in the internal resistance of Pascaly’s battery.
Furthermore, by further including a nonionic fluorine-containing surfactant that improves wettability and includes hydrophilic structural unit (Nishikawa: [0019 – 0020]), modified Pascaly’s coating reads on being a hydrophilic modification layer that further comprises a surfactant and further a surfactant within the scope of claim 4 {i.e. is a fluorine-based surfactant/nonionic surfactant}.
In the instant specification, the applicant teaches using fluorine-based surfactants containing 5 – 25 fluorine atoms per molecule, and further particularly exemplifies using 2 -[methyl[(nonafluorobutyl) sulfonyl]amino]ethyl acrylate {i.e. FC4430, 3M Co.} ([0063 – 0065]) . In working Example 1, the applicant discloses the surfactant FC4430, when tested by the method recited in claim 5, providing a permeability of 45% even after high-temperature storage ([0125]).
Selection of a surfactant for modified Pascaly’s coating sol/suspension that has an electrolyte permeability of 30% or more even after high temperature (Claim 5) from Nishikawa’s list of surfactants {i.e. Novec FC-4430}, would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, because Nishikawa teaches a finite list of surfactants including Novec FC-4430 and further because such a selection would have a reasonable expectation of success in providing the desired separator wettability enhancement. Additionally, one with ordinary skill in the art would reasonably expect the surfactant Novec FC-4430 to provide, when tested as claimed, a permeability within the claimed range, since it is the same surfactant tested in [0125] of the instant specification.
The coating of Pascaly is taught to be included on and within the substrate of the separator ([0008 – 0009];[0038]), as such, because the coating composition of modified Pascaly includes both the cyclodextrin sugar that is within the scope of claim 1 and the surfactant, modified Pascaly necessarily provides the claimed structure of wherein the polymer compound and surfactant are infiltrated into the porous polymer substrate.
Modified Pascaly does not particularly disclose wherein the content of polymer compound is 1 part by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the porous substrate and the content of surfactant is 1.0 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the polymer compound.
Lee teaches separator for a battery including a coating containing a cyclodextrin derivative and teaches a preference for using beta-cyclodextrin (Refer to highlighted text on pgs. 3 – 4). Lee further teaches having the cyclodextrin to be coated in an amount 0.1 g/m2 to 10 g/m2 to order to ensure the effect of the cyclodextrin derivative {i.e. internal short circuit prevention} while preventing the thickness of the separator from becoming too large and hindering lithium ion movement (Refer to highlighted text on pgs. 3 – 4).
Since Pascaly is also concerned with preventing internal short circuiting though their separator coating and exemplifies a coating including beta-cyclodextrin ([0033];[0036];[0068]), it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to control the amount of cyclodextrin in Pascaly in the amount taught by Lee, with a reasonable expectation of success in ensuring the desired effect of the prevention of internal short circuiting without causing a reduction in lithium ion mobility.
The separator of modified Pascaly includes 0.001 g/m2 to 1 g/m2 of fluorine-containing nonionic surfactant (Nishikawa: [0032]). Additionally, the separator substrates of modified Pascaly have a weight per unit area of preferably 5 – 15 g/m2 (Pascaly: [0024]). As such, when implementing an amount of cyclodextrin as taught by Lee, modified Pascaly has content of polymer compound {i.e. cyclodextrin compound} of about 0.6 – 200 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the porous polymer substrate {i.e. the amount of cyclodextrin taught by Lee divided by the weight per unit area of the separator taught by Pascaly}, which overlaps the claimed range of 1 part by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the porous substrate; and a content of surfactant of about 0.01 to 1000 parts based on 100 parts by weight of the polymer compound {i.e. the weight of surfactant per unit area of separator taught by Nishikawa divided by the weight of cyclodextrin per unit area of the separator taught by Lee}, which overlaps the claimed range of 1.0 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the polymer compound. To further render obvious the claimed ranges, the examiner relies on the following additional teachings:
In a working embodiment, Pascaly exemplifies using a little as 2% by weight of beta-cyclodextrin in the coating suspension and teaches that thinner separators allow for increased packing density in a battery stack ([0032];[0068]).
Nishikawa further teaches controlling the content of fluorine-containing nonionic surfactant in the separator to achieve the effect of reduced internal resistance without increasing the moisture content of the separator which can deteriorate the durability and reliability of the separator ([0032 – 0033]).
Adams, directed to surfactant or material coated, treated or containing microporous battery separator membranes or separators and lithium batteries including such separator membranes or separators, teaches that fluorosurfactants or fluorocarbon-based surfactants are effective at enhancing separator wettability even when used at extremely low concentrations (0.001% to 0.1%) ([0002];[0057]).
Therefore, absent a showing of criticality, selection of an amount of cyclodextrin compound and surfactant in modified Pascaly within the overlapping portion of the claimed range and the range suggested by the prior art would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, in order to optimize/reduce the thickness of the separator while ensuring the effect of the cyclodextrin compound {i.e. corresponds to claimed polymer compound} and in order to effectively enhance wettability without deteriorating the durability and reliability of the separator, with a reasonable expectation of success and without undue experimentation [See MPEP 2144.05(II)].
Claim(s) 7, 10, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pascaly (US PG pub. 2014/0127546 A1), Lee (KR20080066309A), Nishikawa (JP6058159B2) and Adams (US PG Pub. 2020/0343510 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Liu (CN107492620A, cited in previous Office action mailed 01/30/2026).
Regarding Claim 7, modified Pascaly discloses all limitations as set forth above. Pascaly appears to at least suggest including additional layers on the separator ([0057]), but does not explicitly disclose or teach an embodiment demonstrating such a configuration. Therefore modified Pascaly does not explicitly disclose the separator further comprising a porous coating layer on at least one surface of the separator, the porous coating layer containing inorganic particles and a binder polymer for fixing an interconnecting the inorganic particles.
Liu teaches a lithium battery separator {i.e. film} including a base material that is a polymer microporous film and a coating {i.e. barrier film} comprising modified alkaline metal oxide and polymeric binder ([34];[37]). The coating is taught to provide the separator with increased heat resistance and dimensional stability and have a porosity of 30 – 90% ([25];[36]).
Since the separator of modified Pascaly is of a porous structure applied in a battery and since Pascaly is concerned with achieving a separator with improved stability against heat ([0029]), it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further modify the separator of Pascaly by coating it with the barrier film as taught by Liu, and thus obtain the claimed porous coating layer, with a reasonable expectation of success in achieving a battery separator with enhanced heat resistance and dimensional stability.
Liu further teaches that there is strong adhesive force between the modified alkaline metal oxide particles and the polymeric binder due to their compatibility ([35]). Furthermore, in Fig. 5, Liu shows the modified alkaline metal oxide particles and polymeric binder forming a network by crosslinking ([46]); therefore, in the porous coating of modified Pascaly, one would reasonably expect the polymeric binder to be fixing and interconnecting the inorganic particles.
Regarding Claim 10, modified Pascaly discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Pascaly’s separator includes the barrier film taught in Liu, as such, modified Pascaly further includes the claimed structure of wherein the binder polymer is a particle-type binder (Refer to Liu: Fig. 1; [38]).
Regarding Claim 13, modified Pascaly discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Pascaly’s separator includes the barrier film taught in Liu, as such, modified Pascaly further includes the claimed structure of wherein inorganic particles have a silane group grafted to the surfaces of the inorganic particles (Refer to Liu: Fig. 4; [41];[44 – 45]).
Claim(s) 8 – 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pascaly (US PG pub. 2014/0127546 A1), Nishikawa (JP6058159B2), Lee (KR20080066309A), Adams (US PG Pub. 2020/0343510 A1) and Liu (CN107492620A), as applied to claims 1 and 7 above, and further in view of Lin (CN107611326A, cited in previous Office action mailed 01/30/2026).
Regarding Claims 8 – 9, modified Pascaly discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Pascaly’s separator includes the barrier film taught in Liu . The barrier film is taught to provide the separator with increased heat resistance and dimensional stability (Liu: [25]).
Modified Pascaly does not explicitly disclose the porous coating layer further comprising a polymer compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 (Claim 8).
Lin teaches a cyclodextrin-based ceramic diaphragm coating slurry for a lithium ion battery separator and the inclusion of the cyclodextrin compound reduces the water absorption of water-based ceramic powder coated membranes and improves the heat resistance and high-rate charge-discharge efficiency of lithium-ion batteries ([0009];[0028]). The cyclodextrin compound in Lin is one or more of α-cyclodextrin, hydroxypropyl-α-cyclodextrin, oxidized-α-cyclodextrin, sulfonic acid-α-cyclodextrin, amino-α-cyclodextrin, phosphate-α-cyclodextrin, carboxyl-α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin, hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, oxidized-β-cyclodextrin, sulfonic acid-β-cyclodextrin, amino-β-cyclodextrin, phosphate-β-cyclodextrin, carboxyl-β-cyclodextrin, γ-cyclodextrin, hydroxypropyl-γ-cyclodextrin, oxidized-γ-cyclodextrin, sulfonic acid-γ-cyclodextrin, amino-γ-cyclodextrin, phosphate-γ-cyclodextrin, and carboxyl-γ-cyclodextrin ([0012]).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add a cyclodextrin compound as taught by Liu to the barrier film of modified Pascaly, with a reasonable expectation of success in furthering the heat resistance capability of the barrier film as well as reducing the water absorption of the separator.
By including a cyclodextrin compound taught in Lin, modified Pascaly teaches cyclodextrin compounds that overlap in scope with the claimed Chemical Formula 1 {i.e. α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin, and γ-cyclodextrin are represented by Chemical Formula 1}.
Selection of a cyclodextrin compound represented by claimed Chemical Formula 1 {i.e. α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin, and γ-cyclodextrin} would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, because Lin teaches a finite list of cyclodextrin compounds and such a selection would have a reasonable expectation of success in being a cyclodextrin compound suitable for the separator coating and further capable of providing the desired heat resistance effect.
Lin further teaches the amount of cyclodextrin compound most preferably being 1 wt% to 3 wt% of the coating slurry and the amount ceramic powder {i.e. corresponds to inorganic particles} most preferably being 20 wt% to 40 wt% of the coating slurry ([0020];[0022]), which provides a content of cyclodextrin compound 2.5 – 15 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the inorganic particles. As such, the barrier film of modified Pascaly includes a content of polymer compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 that overlaps the claimed range of 10 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the inorganic particles (Claim 9).
Lee teaches, with respect to a battery separator organic/inorganic composite porous coating layer, including inorganic particles ([0009 – 0010];[0054 – 0055]). The inorganic particles are taught to increase ionic conductivity, and Lee teaches inorganic particles also taught in modified Pascaly (Lee: [0054] and Liu: [39]).
One with ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the amount of each component included in the coating of modified Pascaly would affect the effects provided by each component. That is, for instance, the bonding between the polymeric binder and inorganic particles would be affected by the amount of polymeric binder used, the ionic conductivity effect of inorganic particles would be affected by the amount of inorganic particles, and the heat resistance/reduced water absorption effect of the cyclodextrin compound would be affected by the amount of cyclodextrin compound.
Therefore, selection a content of polymer compound, within the significantly overlapping portion of the claimed range and taught range, would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to optimize the effects of cyclodextrin compound in light of the effects of inorganic particles {i.e. ensure ion conductivity improvement and capability of inorganic particles and polymeric binder to form desired bonded framework} within the coating, with a reasonable expectation of success and without undue experimentation [See MPEP 2144.05(II)].
Claim(s) 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pascaly (US PG pub. 2014/0127546 A1), Nishikawa (JP6058159B2), Lee (KR20080066309A), Adams (US PG Pub. 2020/0343510 A1) and Liu (CN107492620A), as applied to claims 1 and 7 above, and further in view of Henninge (US PG Pub. 2005/0255769 A1, cited in previous Office action mailed 01/30/2026).
Regarding Claim 11, modified Pascaly discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Pascaly’s separator includes the barrier film taught in Liu, as such, the inorganic particles of modified Pascaly are at least one of aluminum oxide, silica, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, and zinc oxide (Refer to Liu: [39]).
Modified Pascaly does not explicitly disclose the inorganic particles being hydrophilic.
Henninge is directed to a separator that is prepared by coating hydrophilic ceramic nanoparticles (such as aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, and zirconium oxide) on a sheet-like flexible substrate such as nonwoven polyethylene terephthalate ([0014];[0016];[0029];[0043]). The hydrophilic ceramic coating is taught to allow for improved electrolyte wetting and thus improved conductivity ([0029]).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the inorganic particles of modified Pascaly be hydrophilic, as taught by Henninge, with a reasonable expectation of success in improving the wettability, and thus conductivity, of the separator.
Claim(s) 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pascaly (US PG pub. 2014/0127546 A1), Nishikawa (JP6058159B2), Lee (KR20080066309A), Adams (US PG Pub. 2020/0343510 A1) and Liu (CN107492620A), as applied to claims 1 and 7 above, and further in view of Lee (US PG Pub. 2017/0331094 A1, cited in previous Office action mailed 01/30/2026).
Regarding Claim 12, modified Pascaly discloses all limitations as set forth above. Modified Pascaly’s separator includes the barrier film taught in Liu, as such, the inorganic particles of modified Pascaly are at least one of aluminum oxide, silica, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, and zinc oxide (Refer to Liu: [39]).
Modified Pascaly does not explicitly disclose the inorganic particles having a dielectric constant of 5 or more.
Lee teaches, with respect to a battery separator organic/inorganic composite porous coating layer, including inorganic particles having a dielectric constant of 5 or higher ([0009 – 0010];[0054 – 0055]). Aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, and zinc oxide are included within Lee’s taught list of example inorganic particles having a dielectric constant of 5 or higher ([0055]). Such inorganic particles are taught to increase ionic conductivity by increasing the dissolution rate of electrolyte salts in liquid electrolyte ([0054]).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to select as the inorganic particles of modified Pascaly’s barrier film {i.e. porous coating layer} a inorganic particle material within the overlapping portion of Liu’s taught list and Lee’s taught list, and thus obtain the claimed inorganic particle having a dielectric constant of 5 or higher, with a reasonable expectation of success that such a material would be suitable for the barrier film and further provide a battery with increase ionic conductivity.
Conclusion
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/A.Y.O./Examiner, Art Unit 1751
/JONATHAN G LEONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1751 7/16/2026
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