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 .
The pending claims are claims 1-14.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected method, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 10/27/2025.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-14) in the reply filed on 10/27/2025 is acknowledged.
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) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al., US 20220311095.
Regarding claim 1, Choi et al., teaches a lithium-ion battery cell (abstract) comprising: a positive electrode (0017) including a positive electrode active material (0125); a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material (0111); a polymer-containing layer interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode (0017), the polymer-containing layer including a polymeric composition having a melting point from about 80 0C to about 170 °C (100 deg C to 130 deg C; 0032); and an electrolyte (0137-0138) contacting the positive electrode and the negative electrode (0137-0138), the electrolyte including lithium ions that are transported between the negative electrode and the positive electrode (0111; 0143).
In claim 1, the statement, “lithium ion transport is stopped upon melting of the polymeric composition” is a product-by-process limitation.
"[E]ven though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process." In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
Regarding claim 2, Choi et al., teaches wherein the polymer-containing layer is coated onto the negative electrode (0111; 0139).
Regarding claim 3, Choi et al., teaches wherein the lithium-ion battery cell does not include a separator (“reduction of the separator area”; (0092)).
Regarding claim 4, Choi et al., teaches further comprising a separator interposed between the polymer-containing layer and the positive electrode (0092; 0143).
Regarding claim 5, Choi et al., teaches wherein the melting point of the polymeric composition is from about 110 0C to about 130 C (100 deg C to 130 deg C; abstract; 0012).
Regarding claim 6, Choi et al., teaches wherein the polymer-containing layer has a thickness from 0.1 microns to 30 microns (0.1 microns to 5 microns; 0094; 0101).
Regarding claim 7, Choi et al., teaches wherein the polymer-containing layer includes polymeric microspheres (spherical particles; 0030; 0058) (plate-shaped; 0045; 0058).
Regarding claim 8, Choi et al., teaches wherein the polymeric composition includes a polyolefin (0102-0104).
Regarding claim 9, Choi et al., teaches wherein the polymer-containing layer further includes ceramic particles (0029; 0040).
Regarding claim 10, Choi et al., teaches wherein the ceramic particles have an average particle size from 0.1 micron to 2 micron (1 um to 20 um; 0040).
Regarding claim 11, Choi et al., teaches wherein the ceramic particles include a component selected from the group consisting of alumina (0031; 0037), boehmite (0012; 0029-0031) and combinations thereof.
Regarding claim 12, Choi et al., teaches wherein the polymer-containing layer further includes a binder (0029; 0051-0052).
Regarding claim 13, Choi et al., teaches wherein the binder includes a component selected from the group consisting of carboxymethyl cellulose (0096; 0159), styrene- butadiene rubber (0096), poly(vinyl alcohol) (0096), polyvinylpyrrolidone (0096), acrylics (0070-0072), and combinations thereof.
Regarding claim 14, Choi et al., teaches lithium-ion battery cell (0143) of claim 1, wherein the positive electrode comprises a positive electrode current collector (0125) and a positive electrode active layer (0125-0127) disposed over the positive electrode current collector (0125) and the negative electrode (0111) comprises a negative electrode current collector (0111) and a negative electrode active layer disposed over the negative electrode current collector (0159).
Conclusion
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ANGELA J. MARTIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/ANGELA J MARTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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