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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the communication filed on 3/27/26. Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are not found persuasive. Claims 1-21 are pending. This Action is FINAL, as necessitated by amendment.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/25/26 has been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 14-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kato US 2021/0159505 A1.
Kato teaches a secondary battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode current collector, a positive electrode active material layer on a part of a surface of the positive electrode current collector containing a positive electrode active material, and an insulating layer on other parts of the surface of the positive electrode current collector containing an inorganic filler. The negative electrode includes a negative electrode current collector, and a negative electrode active material layer on a part of a surface of the negative electrode current collector containing a negative electrode active material. The insulating layer includes a first insulating layer disposed along an end portion of the positive electrode active material layer, and a second insulating layer formed at a position separated from the first insulating layer and facing an end portion of the negative electrode active material layer (abstract).
See also Figure 3-4 of Kato. The positive electrode 30 includes a positive electrode current collector 32, a positive electrode active material layer 34, and an insulating layer 36 [0026]. In the positive electrode active material layer 34, typically, a powdery positive electrode active material is bonded together with a conductive material by an organic binder (binding agent) and is bonded to the positive electrode current collector 32 [0027]. The insulating layer 36 includes an inorganic filler and an organic binder and has an electrical insulation property. Such an insulating layer 36 is typically formed by binding the inorganic filler to each other and to the positive electrode current collector 32, with the binder [0030].
A method of manufacturing the positive electrode 30 as described above is not limited. In some embodiments, for example, the positive electrode 30 can be produced by a manufacturing method including the following steps:
(S1) preparing positive electrode paste for forming a positive electrode active material layer;
(S2) preparing insulating layer paste for forming an insulating layer;
(S3) coating with the paste and drying the paste; and
(S4) slitting [0048-0053].
Steps (S1) and (S2) are in no particular order, and either step may be performed first or both steps may be performed at the same time. Further, Step (S4) is optional and can be omitted in another embodiment. The paste can be prepared using a stirring or mixing device such as a ball mill, a roll mill, a planetary mixer, a disperser, or a kneader [0055-0056].
Viscosity V1 of the positive electrode active material layer-forming paste may be adjusted to a range of approximately 1,000 to 20,000 mPa-s, typically 5,000 to 10,000 mPa-s. The viscosity V1 can be adjusted by, for example, the kneading time of the paste, and the like. As a result, Step S3 to be described later can be stably and accurately performed. In the present specification, the “viscosity of paste” refers to a value measured at 25° C. with a rheometer at a shear rate of 21.5 s−1 [0057]. The kneading of the paste results in fiberization of the binder, thus, increasing the viscosity.
The viscosity V2 of the insulating layer forming paste may be adjusted to a range of approximately 1000 to 5000 mPa-s, for example 1500 to 4500 mPa-s. The viscosity V2 can be adjusted by, for example, the kneading time of the paste, and the like. As a result, Step S3 to be described later can be stably and accurately performed [0058]. The kneading of the paste results in fiberization of the binder, thus, increasing the viscosity.
The thickness of the insulating layer may be 20 mm or smaller [0039]. The nonaqueous electrolyte is a lithium containing nonaqueous electrolyte [0044].
Kato does not explicitly teach the resistance value of the insulating film is 500 MΩ or more. However, Kato teaches among the materials for the inorganic filler, boehmite, alumina and silica are preferred, with boehmite being more preferred. PVdF is preferred as the binder [0037]. The electrical resistance value of alumina (aluminum oxide) is very high, typically ranging from 1014 to 1016 Ω-cm, making it an excellent electrical insulator. Boehmite is an electrical insulator with a typical electrical resistivity value of approximately 6.2×10¹⁴ Ω·cm. The electrical resistance value of silica is extremely high, making it an excellent insulator, with a volume resistivity greater than 1010 ohm-cm at room temperature. The electrical resistance of PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) is high, with values reaching up to 1018 ohm·cm for volume resistivity and over 1014 ohm sq-1 for surface resistivity. This high resistance, along with its low dielectric loss, makes PVDF an excellent electrical insulator. Thus, the invention as a whole would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made because one of skill would have reasonably expected an insulating layer comprising an inorganic filler of boehmite, alumina or silica (preferably boehmite) and a PVdF binder to have a resistance of 500 ΩM or greater. Boehmite and PVdF are both excellent electrical insulator materials. Kato teaches the insulating layer may be a porous layer that enables charge carriers to pass [0030].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-13 are allowed. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the claims are directed toward a method for manufacturing a dry electrode for an energy storage device comprising dry mixing 30-85% by weight of an insulating particle and 15-70% by weight of a fiberizable organic binder under application of a shearing force to form a dry insulating powder; charging the dry insulating powder between a plurality of rolls and subjecting the dry insulating powder to calender processing to form an insulating film for dry electrode; and laminating the insulating film for dry electrode on a metal current collector.
The prior art does not teach or suggest the claimed method. Specifically, the prior art does not teach charging the dry insulating powder while the dry insulating powder is between a plurality of rolls and forming the insulating film prior to laminating the insulating film on a metal current collector.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/27/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. All previous 35 USC 112 rejections have been withdrawn.
Applicant argues Kato is totally silent as to a “fiberized organic binder” and the Action simply speculated, without support from Kato, that the binder would be fiberized when the slurry is kneaded, so as to increase viscosity. Examiner disagrees. Kato teaches viscosity V1 of the positive electrode active material layer-forming paste may be adjusted to a range of approximately 1,000 to 20,000 mPa-s, typically 5,000 to 10,000 mPa-s. The viscosity V1 can be adjusted by, for example, the kneading time of the paste, and the like. As a result, Step S3 to be described later can be stably and accurately performed. In the present specification, the “viscosity of paste” refers to a value measured at 25° C. with a rheometer at a shear rate of 21.5 s−1 [0057]. The kneading of the paste results in fiberization of the binder, thus, increasing the viscosity. Kato further teaches the viscosity V2 of the insulating layer forming paste may be adjusted to a range of approximately 1000 to 5000 mPa-s, for example 1500 to 4500 mPa-s. The viscosity V2 can be adjusted by, for example, the kneading time of the paste, and the like. As a result, Step S3 to be described later can be stably and accurately performed [0058]. The kneading of the paste results in fiberization of the binder, thus, increasing the viscosity. Furthermore, the claims have been given the broadest reasonable interpretation.
Applicant speculates, without proper support, that [0071] of Kato simply teaches that the inorganic filler and binder are kneaded in NMP solvent, which would evaporate as kneading time increase, and thus increase viscosity. Applicant argues, without proper support, the increase in viscosity in Kato is clearly due to the evaporation of the solvent. Examiner requests Applicant identify the section of Kato that asserted teaches the increase in viscosity is clearly due to the evaporation of the solvent. Examiner emphasizes Kato clearly teaches the viscosity of the paste can be adjusted by varying the kneading time of the paste. Furthermore, the claims have been given the broadest reasonable interpretation. For example, in claim 14 the “first fiberized organic binder” and the “second fiberized organic binder” may be the same.
Applicant argues, without proper support, the wet process of Kato would not achieve such low porosity due to the drying step of the solvent required. However, no evidence is provided to support the argument. No discussion is provided for the porosity the wet process that Kato would assertedly achieve.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/TRACY M DOVE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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