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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4, 8-9, 13 & 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lin (US 2023/0035720 A1).
Regarding claims 1-2 & 4, Lin teaches a solid electrolyte membrane comprising a substrate comprising pores therein; and a solid electrolyte layer disposed on at least one surface of the substrate and comprising a solid electrolyte and a cured compound derived from a diacrylate-based monomer, wherein at least a portion of the solid electrolyte layer penetrates into the pores of the substrate and the solid electrolyte is filled in the pores of the substrate based on a thickness direction of the substrate to form a conduction path of lithium ions in the substrate ([0023]-[0029] & [0031]).
Regarding claim 8, Lin teaches an all-solid-state battery comprising the solid electrolyte membrane of claim 1; a cathode disposed on one surface of the solid electrolyte membrane; and an anode disposed on another surface of the solid electrolyte membrane ([0040]).
Regarding claims 9, 13 & 16, Lin teaches a manufacturing method comprising: preparing a slurry comprising a solvent, a solid electrolyte and a monomer; forming a coating layer by applying and drying the slurry on at least one surface of a substrate comprising pores therein; curing, via irradiating ultraviolet rays, the coating layer to obtain a solid electrolyte membrane comprising the substrate and a solid electrolyte layer disposed on at least one surface of the substrate wherein the solid electrolyte layer comprises the solid electrolyte and a cured compound ([0023]-[0029] & [0031]); and manufacturing an all-solid state battery comprising the solid electrolyte membrane, a cathode disposed on one surface of the solid electrolyte membrane; and an anode disposed on another surface of the solid electrolyte membrane ([0040]), wherein at least a portion of the solid electrolyte layer penetrates into the pores of the substrate to form a conduction path of lithium ions in a thickness direction of the substrate ([0023]-[0024]).
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 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 2023/0035720 A1).
Regarding claim 18, Lin teaches the solid electrolyte membrane having a thickness in a range of 30 microns to 300 microns ([0024]) which overlaps with the presently claimed range.
Claims 1-4, 6-9, 12-13 & 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (US 2019/0372149 A1) in view of Lin (US 2023/0035720 A1).
Regarding claims 1-4 & 7, Cho teaches a solid electrolyte membrane with a thickness ranging from 10 microns to 700 microns and comprising a substrate comprising pores therein; and a solid electrolyte layer disposed on at least one surface of the substrate and comprising a sulfide-based solid electrolyte and a binder resin, wherein at least a portion of the solid electrolyte layer penetrates into the pores of the substrate and the solid electrolyte is filled in the pores of the substrate based on a thickness direction of the substrate to form a conduction path of lithium ions in the substrate ([0025]-[0039]). Cho is silent as to a cured compound in the solid electrolyte layer. Lin teaches a solid electrolyte membrane comprising a substrate comprising pores therein; and a solid electrolyte layer disposed on at least one surface of the substrate and comprising a solid electrolyte and a cured compound such as PEGDA derived from a diacrylate-based monomer ([0023]-[0029] & [0031]).
Regarding claim 6, Cho as modified by Lin teaches the binder resin making 3 wt% or less of the solid electrolyte membrane, wherein a weight ratio of the solid electrolyte and polymer filaments making up the substrate is about 99:1 to 30:70 ([0037]-[0038]). Thus, when the cured compound of Lin is employed in place of Cho’s binder resin, the resulting configuration would render obvious a weight ratio of about 95:5 to 98:2 for the solid electrolyte and the cured compound for larger loading of the solid electrolyte relative to the content of the substrate.
Regarding claim 8, Cho as modified by Lin teaches an all-solid-state battery comprising the solid electrolyte membrane of claim 1; a cathode disposed on one surface of the solid electrolyte membrane; and an anode disposed on another surface of the solid electrolyte membrane ([0061]).
Regarding claims 9, 12-13, 16 & 18, Cho teaches a manufacturing method comprising: preparing a slurry comprising a solvent, a sulfide-based solid electrolyte and a binder resin; forming a coating layer by applying and drying the slurry on at least one surface of a substrate comprising pores therein; wherein the solid electrolyte layer comprises the solid electrolyte and the binder resin ([0025]-[0039] & [0052]-[0057]); and manufacturing an all-solid state battery comprising the solid electrolyte membrane having a thickness of 10 microns to 700 microns, a cathode disposed on one surface of the solid electrolyte membrane; and an anode disposed on another surface of the solid electrolyte membrane ([0039] & [0061]), wherein at least a portion of the solid electrolyte layer penetrates into the pores of the substrate to form a conduction path of lithium ions in a thickness direction of the substrate ([0028]). Cho is silent as to a cured compound in the solid electrolyte layer and curing the coating layer to obtain a solid electrolyte membrane comprising the substrate and a solid electrolyte layer disposed on at least one surface of the substrate. Lin teaches a manufacturing method comprising: preparing a slurry comprising a solvent, a solid electrolyte and a monomer; forming a coating layer by applying and drying the slurry on at least one surface of a substrate comprising pores therein; curing, via irradiating ultraviolet rays, the coating layer to obtain a solid electrolyte membrane comprising the substrate and a solid electrolyte layer disposed on at least one surface of the substrate wherein the solid electrolyte layer comprises the solid electrolyte and a cured compound ([0023]-[0029] & [0031]); and manufacturing an all-solid state battery comprising the solid electrolyte membrane, a cathode disposed on one surface of the solid electrolyte membrane; and an anode disposed on another surface of the solid electrolyte membrane ([0040]), wherein at least a portion of the solid electrolyte layer penetrates into the pores of the substrate to form a conduction path of lithium ions in a thickness direction of the substrate ([0023]-[0024]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to use a cured compound such as PEGDA, formed by irradiating UV rays to cure a precursor monomer in place of Cho’s binder resin in order to establish a polymer network while providing strong interaction with the solid electrolyte as taught by Lin ([0038]).
Regarding claim 17, Cho as modified by Lin teaches the binder resin making 3 wt% or less of the solid electrolyte membrane, wherein a weight ratio of the solid electrolyte and polymer filaments making up the substrate is about 99:1 to 30:70 ([0037]-[0038]). Thus, when the cured compound of Lin is employed in place of Cho’s binder resin, the resulting configuration would overlap with and thus render obvious a weight ratio of about 95:5 to 98:2 for the solid electrolyte and the cured compound for larger loadings of the solid electrolyte relative to the substrate.
Regarding claim 19, Cho as modified by Lin teaches the manufacturing method of claim 9 but is silent as to manufacturing the battery comprising laminating a plurality of solid electrolyte membranes and pressurizing the plurality of solid electrolyte membranes at a pressure or about 50 MPa to 100 MPa to obtain a laminate, wherein the plurality of solid electrolyte membranes comprises the solid electrolyte membrane; and attaching the cathode and the anode to both surfaces of the laminate respectively. However, the step of laminating a plurality of solid electrolyte membranes essentially enables a thicker solid electrolyte membrane to be obtained. Accordingly, when a large thickness for the solid electrolyte membrane is desired (note that Choi contemplates thicknesses up to 700 microns based on the intended battery characteristics [0039]), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to laminate a plurality of solid electrolyte membranes which might be limited by the thickness of the porous substrate (typical porous polyolefin substrates used as battery separators have a thickness less than 100 microns) used to form each solid electrolyte membrane to ensure sufficient thickness for the final solid electrolyte membrane formed by laminating a plurality of said solid electrolyte membranes. Moreover, Cho discloses pressurizing the solid electrolyte membrane at a pressure ranging from 100 MPa to 1000 MPa ([0058]).
Claims 5 & 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (US 2019/0372149 A1) and Lin (US 2023/0035720 A1), as applied to claims 1-4, 6-9, 12-13 & 16-18 above, and further in view of Li (“Nacre-Inspired Composite Electrolytes for Load-Bearing Solid-State Lithium-Metal Batteries”).
Regarding claims 5 & 14, Cho as modified Lin teaches the solid electrolyte membrane of claim 1 and the manufacturing method of claim 9, respectively, but is silent as to the cured compound being derived from a monomer having a viscosity of about 20 cP to 100 cP. Li teaches a solid electrolyte layer for an all-solid battery comprising a solid electrolyte and a cured compound derived from a monomer such as ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate (ETPTA) (Abstract & Experimental Section) which has a known viscosity of about 20 cP to 100 cP. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to a monomer such as ETPTA for forming the cured compound in the soldi electrolyte membrane of Cho in view of its suitability as a crosslinkable monomer for forming a solid electrolyte membrane of an all solid battery as taught by Li above. “The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945)”. See MEPP 2144.07.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (US 2019/0372149 A1) and Lin (US 2023/0035720 A1), as applied to claims 1-4, 6-9, 12-13 & 16-18 above, and further in view of Lee (US 2022/0013809 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Cho as modified Lin teaches the manufacturing method of claim 9 as noted above but is silent as to the solvent having a vapor pressure of about 1 hPa or less. Lee teaches a solid electrolyte membrane comprising a substrate comprising pores therein; and a solid electrolyte layer disposed on at least one surface of the substrate by applying and drying a slurry comprising a solid electrolyte such as a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, a polymer and a solvent such as NMP ([0030]-[0036], [0039], [0041] & [0049]-[0055]) having a vapor pressure less than about 1 hPa. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to employ a solvent such as NMP having a vapor pressure of less than about 1 hPa as a suitable solvent for a coating a slurry comprising a solid electrolyte on a porous substrate to form a solid electrolyte membrane. “The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945)”. See MEPP 2144.07.
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (US 2019/0372149 A1) and Lin (US 2023/0035720 A1), as applied to claims 1-4, 6-9, 12-13 & 16-18 above, and further in view of Matsuo (US 2025/0038210 A1).
Regarding claims 10-11, Cho as modified Lin teaches the manufacturing method of claim 9 as noted above but is silent as to the solvent comprising hexyl butyrate and having a vapor pressure of about 1 hPa or less. Matsuo teaches a solid electrolyte layer for an all-solid battery formed by applying and drying a slurry comprising a solid electrolyte such as a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, a polymer formed from acrylate-based monomers and a solvent such as hexyl butyrate ([0033]-[0060], [0067]-[0070], [0073]-[0074] & [0086]-[0099]) which has a vapor pressure of less than 1 hPa . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to employ a solvent such as hexyl butyrate as a suitable solvent for dissolving a solid electrolyte and acrylate-based monomers. “The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945)”. See MEPP 2144.07.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (US 2019/0372149 A1) and Lin (US 2023/0035720 A1), as applied to claims 1-4, 6-9, 12-13 & 16-18 above, and further in view of Okuda (US 2020/0075995 A1).
Regarding claim 15, Cho as modified Lin teaches the manufacturing method of claim 9 as noted above but is silent as to the slurry comprising an amount of about 40% to 55% by weight of the solid electrolyte and the monomer, and an amount of about 45% to 60% by weight of the solvent. Okuda teaches a solid electrolyte layer for an all-solid battery formed by applying and drying a slurry comprising a solid electrolyte such as a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, a polymer and a solvent on a porous substrate, wherein the slurry comprises a solids content (i.e solid electrolyte + polymer) of 50% by weight with a corresponding amount of the solvent being 50% by weight ([0056]-[0098] & [0114]; Example 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to use a slurry composition comprising 50% by weight solids content (i.e solid electrolyte and monomer) in view of its suitability for a coating composition for forming a solid electrolyte membrane for an all solid battery as taught by Okuda above. “The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945)”. See MEPP 2144.07.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (US 2019/0372149 A1) and Lin (US 2023/0035720 A1), as applied to claims 1-4, 6-9, 12-13 & 16-18 above, and further in view of Sharafi (US 2023/0063636 A1).
Regarding claim 20, Cho as modified Lin teaches the manufacturing method of claim 9 as noted above but is silent as to the all-solid battery being configured to be charged and discharged in a pressurized state at a pressure of about 200 MPa to 400 MPa. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to charge and discharge the all-solid battery in a pressurized state at a pressure of about 35 MPa to 400 MPa in order to enhance the cycle performance of the battery by buffering the volume change of the battery during cycling so that the electrode integrity and electronic contact between active material and solid state electrolyte particle is maintained as taught by Sharafi ([0020]).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANAEL T ZEMUI whose telephone number is (571)272-4894. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm (EST).
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/NATHANAEL T ZEMUI/Examiner, Art Unit 1727