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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 02/24/2026 has been entered.
The amendment to claim 1 overcomes the 35 USC 112(b) rejection of record thereto, which is now withdrawn.
The amendment to claim 13 overcomes the 35 USC 112(b) rejection of record thereto, which is now withdrawn.
The amendment to claim 1 overcomes the Objection of record thereto; however, there still appears to be a typographical error as objected to below.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 as instantly amended is objected to because of the following informalities: the second recitation of “x/z” (in line 15 of claim 1) appears to intend to instead recite “y/z” (as supported by original disclosure). Appropriate correction is required. Otherwise, 35 USC 112 issues could arise. Dependent claims are similarly objected to for encompassing limitations of claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant arguments are focused to the alleged deficiencies of the Tobishima reference (alone or in combination) for teaching that the cathode active material and electrolyte material are in solid form. Examiner respectfully disagrees because, as cited in the 10/24/2025 rejection of record and emphasized in the below rejection, Tobishima indeed teaches cathode active material being in powder form that can be pressed (in the absence of any solution form or drying steps, per methods (a) and (b) as listed in Tobishima C3L26-37) and teaches the electrolyte can be in solid form (Tobishima C4L40, and specifically gives the example of sodium β-alumina in C4L44-45 which is the focus of the below rejection). Examiner further points to the teachings cited below to Tobishima C3L44-48 toward mixing cathode material and electrolyte, and to the ChemEurope evidentiary reference for its disclosure regarding sodium β-alumina being a known solid electrolyte material used for Na+ ion conduction. In light of these citations and explanations, Applicant arguments to the contrary are not found to be persuasive. Furthermore, Examiner notes that in the rejection of record and maintained below, Hayashi teaches toward utilizing Na3PS4 instead of sodium β-alumina as a superior solid electrolyte material that is useful at room temperature and for forming a layer between cathode and anode layers in the absence of solvent. Thus, as cited and further explained below, modified Tobishima indeed obviates a NaxByCz type solid electrolyte within a solid-state Na+ ion battery.
Arguments regarding the Ito and Hayashi references are also found unpersuasive. As cited and explained below, Tobishima teaches mixed cathode and electrolyte material (such that the electrolyte is indeed in contact with the cathode), but does not explicitly teach/show that the electrolyte layer between and in contact with each of the cathode and the anode layers; Hayashi is thus relied upon as a secondary reference for teaching such a known structure of a solid electrolyte layer disposed between and placed in contact with each of a cathode layer and an anode layer. Tobishima also teaches toward the quinone substructure in the cathode material (as cited below), but does not explicitly teach/explain the redox behavior of the carbonyl groups therein; Ito is thus relied upon as a secondary reference for teaching such chemistry within a battery containing a quinone-based electrode. In response to applicant's arguments that: "Ito remained entirely silent on the use of any inorganic electrolytes that contain NaxByCz. Rather, Ito only focused on disposing an electrolyte layer between a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer"; "Hayashi remained entirely silent on the disclosure of any methods of mixing electrolytes with cathodes"; and "Tobishima, Ito, and Hayashi cannot be combined to render independent claim 1 as obvious", the test for obviousness is not whether the features of a secondary reference may be bodily incorporated into the structure of the primary reference; nor is it that the claimed invention must be expressly suggested in any one or all of the references. Rather, the test is what the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981). Thus, as cited in the below rejection, the primary reference Tobishima addressed the mixed cathode and electrolyte rejection as well as generally teaching the NaxByCz type solid electrolyte for Na+ ion battery (as further evidenced by ChemEurope) and teaching quinone-based cathode, Ito specifically teaches toward the redox chemistry of quinone-based cathode which meets the claim limitation, and Hayashi specifically teaches toward all-solid NaxByCz type electrolyte layered between/in contact with cathode and anode layers in an all-solid battery as instantly claimed. The resultant combination of references used in modified Tobishima therefore renders obvious the claims per the below rejections and those of record.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim(s) 1, 6, 8, and 10-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tobishima et al. (US 4343871 A) in view of Ito et al. (JP-2015122237-A, with citations below to a machine translation and corresponding foreign publication cited and attached in the 06/18/2024 Office action) and in view of Hayashi et al. (“Superionic glass-ceramic electrolytes for room-temperature rechargeable sodium batteries”, Nature Communications volume 3, Article number: 856 (2012), <https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms1843>; as cited in the previous Office actions, first cited 06/18/2024), as evidenced by ChemEurope ("Beta-alumina Solid Electrolyte", ChemEurope Encyclopedia, <https://www.chemeurope.com/en/encvclopedia/Beta-alumina solid electrolvte.html>, web accessed 20 Oct 2025).
Regarding claim 1, Tobishima teaches a method for forming a rechargeable (provide secondary batteries capable of being discharged and charged over many cycles, C2L14-16; cathode forming process e.g. C3L24-25) all-solid-state (electrolyte of battery in exemplary solid form, C4L38-40; cathode made by methods (a) or (b) have pressed powder cathode active materials which do not necessitate the solution or drying stages of method (c), C3L26-37; anode is metal sheet, C4L25-31) battery (battery manufactured per C4L52), the method comprising:
forming a cathode comprising mixed active materials (any of listed cathode-active materials as powder mixture, C3L26-37) and electrolytes (mix cathode-active material with electrolyte to use as cathode of the battery, C3L44-48),
wherein the active materials are in solid state (powder mixture, C3L26-37) and organic (organic compounds as cathode, C2L39-40 and C3L12) and comprise at least one quinone substructure (quinone examples listed as preferable in C3L16,21 and C4L20), wherein redox-active groups in the active materials (charge/discharge of battery, C2L15-16; charge-discharge capacity/characteristics of cathode-active material, C4L13-15 and C4L52-54; known in chemical art for oxidation-reduction “redox” reaction to occur at the cathode during charge/discharge cycling of battery – see also Ito reference below and corresponding redox explanation) consist of the at least one quinone substructure (quinone selection as cathode material as cited above to C3L16,21 and C4L20);
wherein the electrolytes mixed with the active materials (per C3L44-48 as cited above) are in solid state (per C3L26-37 cited above and C4L40 cited below) and comprise at least one inorganic compound that is ion-conducting (electrolyte permits migration of metal ions, C4L36; see also ChemEurope evidentiary reference disclosing in paragraph 1 that β-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE) is a fast ion conductor, and in paragraphs 2-3 that when complexed with mobile Na+ ion, Sodium beta alumina is a non-stoichiometric sodium aluminate known for its rapid transport of Na+ ions), wherein the electrolytes are entirely inorganic (inorganic electrolytes listed in C4L43-45; electrolyte of battery in solid form per C4L40 does not use the organic solvents – specifically, sodium β-alumina of the formula Na-Al2O3 as cited above and below is entirely inorganic), and wherein the at least one inorganic compound has a formula of NaxByCz (sodium β-alumina, C4L44-45; per ChemEurope evidentiary reference below, sodium β-alumina crystal structure is Na-Al2O3),
wherein B is chosen from … Al … (Al in exemplary sodium β-alumina, C4L44-45; see ChemEurope evidentiary reference below giving formula for sodium β-alumina),
C is chosen from O … (O in exemplary sodium β-alumina, C4L44-45; see ChemEurope evidentiary reference below giving formula for sodium β-alumina),
0.5 ≤ x/z ≤ 1.0 (1/2 = 0.33, calculation based on ChemEurope evidentiary reference formula for sodium β-alumina; 0.33 is close to 0.5 and thus renders obvious the claimed range per MPEP 2144.05 I: “a prima facie case of obviousness exists where the claimed ranges or amounts do not overlap with the prior art but are merely close”), and
0.2 ≤ [y]/z ≤ 0.6 (2/3 = 0.67, calculation based on ChemEurope evidentiary reference formula for sodium β-alumina; 0.67 is close to 0.6 and thus renders obvious the claimed range per MPEP 2144.05 I: “a prima facie case of obviousness exists where the claimed ranges or amounts do not overlap with the prior art but are merely close”); and
forming an electrolyte layer comprising the electrolytes (electrolyte formed, C1L10), wherein the electrolyte layer is entirely inorganic (solid form electrolyte, C4L40; inorganic electrolytes listed C4L44-45 – e.g. sodium β-alumina cited above); and
forming an anode (anode formed of anode-active material sheet or pressed on a metal net, C4L28-31) comprising an alkali metal (anode active material selected from Group I A metals, C4L25-27 – periodic table group I A known in the art to be alkali metals; e.g. lithium per C4L29), wherein … the anode electrically isolated from the cathode (via separator per example 1, C5L31-33), and
wherein all materials making up the cathode, the electrolyte layer, and the anode are solid-state materials (as cited above: electrolyte of battery solid form, C4L40; cathode is powder on metallic film does not require solution/drying, C3L26-37; anode is metal sheet, C4L25-31).
As referenced above, ChemEurope is relied upon to provide evidence that: sodium beta-alumina is a solid electrolyte (Title) known for Na+ ion transport within the crystal structure of Na-Al2O3 (2nd paragraphs).
Tobishima fails to explicitly teach:
in the charge/discharge redox reaction in the cathode quinone substructure: carbonyl groups (C=O) are reduced into C-OM groups (M = Li or Na) during discharge, and the C-OM groups oxidized into carbonyl groups during charge;
the electrolyte layer is placed in contact with the cathode, and wherein the anode is placed in contact with the electrolyte layer.
Tobishima does teach π-electron conjugated systems of the organic compounds – including quinones – which are able to form complex compounds with a metal (C3L12-14). It is known in the art that π-electron are involved in double bonds (i.e., C=O as claimed), and that M as claimed in C-OM would represent a metal complex compound. Tobishima (at C4L35-38) teaches that ions migrate from the anode metal to the cathode during electrochemical reaction with the cathode active material. However, Tobishima does not explicitly state such as “oxidation” and “reduction”.
Ito is analogous in the art rechargeable all-solid-state batteries having quinone-based cathodes and teaches:
forming a cathode (Formation of Positive Electrode Layer, Ito translation para. 42) comprising active materials (positive electrode active material examples in Ito translation paras. 15-20, see also formulas (1)-(3) under [0010] in Ito foreign publication) … wherein the active materials are organic (positive electrode active material used in the present invention is an organic compound, Ito translation para. 15) and comprise at least one quinone substructure (dicyanoquinone methide structure as organic compound of positive electrode active material, Ito translation para. 15; specific examples listed in Ito translation para. 23),
wherein the redox-active groups (see the following citations regarding reduction-oxidation “redox” reaction chemistry) in the active materials (“In an organic compound having a dicyanoquinone methide structure, multiple electron reactions occur in the oxidation reaction and the reduction reaction”, Ito translation para. 16)* consist of the at least one quinone substructure (Ito translation paras. 15-20; see also citations above and below regarding quinone C=O and C-OM groups participating in reduction-oxidation reaction),
where carbonyl groups (C=O) of the at least one quinone substructure (quinones containing carbonyl groups shown in compounds formulas (1)-(3) shown below [0010] in the Ito foreign publication) are reduced (redox reaction noted in Ito translation paras. 11 and 16; “red” of “red-ox” is known in the chemical arts to mean “reduction”; carbonyl group involvement in redox reaction explained in Ito translation para. 16) into C-OM groups (M = Li or Na) (alkali metal examples of lithium(Li) and sodium(Na) are given for negative electrode material in Ito translation para. 33; negative and positive electrodes are known to react ionically with one another during battery redox reaction) during discharge (“The positive electrode active material of the present invention is an organic compound having a dicyanoquinone methide structure, and causes a redox reaction in charge and discharge of an organic secondary battery to be a multiple electron reaction”, Ito translation para. 11 – electron reaction indeed reduces the double bond C=O into single bond between the C and O, see the electron transfer reactions (4)-(5) shown in [0016-0017] of the Ito foreign publication),
and the C-OM groups oxidized into carbonyl groups during charge (redox reaction noted in Ito translation paras. 11 and 16; “ox” of “red-ox” is known in the chemical arts to mean “oxidation”, wherein the opposite reaction happens – i.e., the two-electron reaction of Ito translation para. 11 – in charge vs. discharge of the battery; see also Ito translation para. 44; note that Ito translation para. 20 also explains interaction of site R1-R16 of the dicyanoquinone methide structure affecting the redox potential).
Since Ito teaches the above C=O reduction and C-OM oxidation during [dis]charge cycling of a secondary battery using a quinone-based cathode, a person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to ensure the same red-ox reaction occurred in the quinone-based cathode active material of Tobishima, with the motivation to utilize the redox potential taught toward in Ito (Ito para. 20) to achieve desired charge-discharge cycle characteristics of said cathode active material as taught toward in Tobishima (C3L12-14, C4L13-14).
Therefore, the claimed limitations “in the charge/discharge redox reaction in the cathode quinone substructure: carbonyl groups (C=O) are reduced into C-OM groups (M = Li or Na) during discharge, and the C-OM groups oxidized into carbonyl groups during charge” are rendered obvious.
Hayashi is analogous to in the art of secondary batteries with inorganic electrolytes in solid-state form and teaches that beneficially, all-solid-state batteries are the safest batteries, because they do not suffer from leakage, volatilization, or flammability, as they employ solid inorganic electrolytes rather than liquid organic electrolytes (Hayashi pg. 2, col. 1, para. 1). Hayashi teaches that all-solid-state batteries with inorganic solid electrolytes and electrodes are promising power sources for a wide range of applications because of their safety, long-cycle lives and versatile geometries (Hayashi abstract on pg. 1), and specifically that rechargeable sodium batteries are more suitable than lithium-ion batteries, because they use abundant and ubiquitous sodium sources (Hayashi abstract). Hayashi teaches the use of cubic Na3PS4 crystal with superionic conductivity for use as sulphide-based electrolyte in an all-solid-state sodium battery which functioned as a rechargeable battery at room temperature (Hayashi abstract and pg. 2, col. 1, paras. 3-4). Na3PS4 meets the instantly claimed formula NaxByCz wherein B = P, C = S, x = 3, y = 1, and z = 4 (see also instant claim 1: where P is indeed in the list of “B” elements, x/z = 3/4 = 0.75 satisfies the range 0.5 to 1, and y/z = 1/4 = 0.25 satisfies the range of 0.2 to 0.6). Further, Hayashi teaches that superior solid electrolytes close contact with electrode active materials are indispensable given this state of the art (Hayashi Introduction first paragraph, pg. 2 col. 1). Hayashi teaches that using Na3PS4 – which exhibits low grain boundary resistance – is advantageous to achieve the electrode-electrolyte contact as desired in the all-solid-state battery (Hayashi Discussion second paragraph, pg. 4 col. 1). Hayashi teaches that typical Na+ ion conductors including β-alumina (i.e., the electrolyte cited from Tobishima above) generally require high-temperature sintering to reduce grain-boundary resistance (pg. 4, col. 1, para. 2) but that Na3PS4 can simply be cold-pressed against the electrodes at room temperature to achieve desirably low contact resistance (pg. 3, col. 2, para. 1 and pg. 4, col. 2, para. 3) so that ions are conducted between electrodes through the solid-state electrolyte (conductivity shown in Hayashi Fig. 3).
Tobishima does teach e.g. in Example 1 (C5L27-33 and Fig. 1) electrolyte material between and contacting the anode and cathode layers, but the example additionally uses solvent within an electrolyte solution (C1L34-39), to achieve the goal of conducting metal ions between anode and cathode (ion conducting species of electrolyte permits migration of ions of anode metal to cathode, C4L34-42).
From the above-cited teachings of Hayashi, a person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to ensure the selection of a solid-state inorganic electrolyte within Tobishima by substituting Na3PS4 for the electrolyte options listed in Tobishima (including sodium β-alumina), since Hayashi teaches that Na3PS4 is a solid electrolyte which has imparts low grain-boundary resistance and thus good conductivity, and is simpler to implement for desirable contact to electrodes via cold-pressing versus using β-alumina electrolyte, to form a safe and versatile all-solid-state battery utilizing abundant sodium (see Hayashi abstract as cited above). Further, within modified Tobishima, it would have also been obvious to ensure close-contact between the Na3PS4 electrolyte and the electrodes as taught toward by Hayashi to achieve desired conduction of Na+ ions between the electrodes. Thus, “the electrolyte layer is placed in contact with the cathode, and wherein the anode is placed in contact with the electrolyte layer” is rendered obvious. Also, as shown in above calculations, Na3PS4 formula data points lie within and obviate the claimed x/z and y/z ranges.
Thereby, all limitations of claim 1 are rendered obvious.
Regarding claim 6, modified Tobishima teaches the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches a carbonyl group of the at least one quinone substructure is reduced into a phenolate (C=O bond reduces to C-O- as shown in reaction schemes (4) and (5) in [0016, 0017] of the Ito foreign publication, and carbonyl group involvement in redox reaction explained in Ito translation para. 16, as applied to modified Tobishima above) and coordinated to an alkali metal ion during discharge (Organic Compounds forming Complex Compound with a Metal, Tobishima C3L12-14; see also: redox reactions occur between positive and negative active materials upon charge and discharge of the battery per Ito translation paras. 16-7 and 44; the positive active material forms phenolate ion per citations above, and the negative active material contains an alkali metal per Ito translation para. 33 – thus, the phenolate is coordinated to the alkali metal ion during the redox reactions; see also Ito translation para. 30 explaining oxidation of the metal ions; agrees with Tobishima C4L36-38 anode metal ions reacting with cathode active material).
Regarding claim 8, modified Tobishima teaches the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches the cathode is cold-pressed (cathode-active material mixture pressed into a pellet at room temperature, Tobishima C3L53-54) to the electrolyte layer (Na3PS4 can simply be cold-pressed against the electrodes at room temperature per Hayashi [pg. 3, col. 2, para. 1 and pg. 4, col. 2, para. 3] as applied to modified Tobishima in the rejection of claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 10, modified Tobishima teaches the limitations of claim 1 above but fails to explicitly teach electrolyte layer has high ionic conductivity of 10-3 to 10-2 S cm-1 at room temperature.
When modified to use the Na3PS4 electrolyte of Hayashi, the benefits of room-temperature processing to achieve close-contact between the electrolyte and electrodes was achieved (in modified Tobishima per claim 1 above). However, Na3PS4 electrolyte exhibits ionic conductivity 2×10−4 S cm−1 at room temperature (per Hayashi pg. 3, col. 2, para. 1). However, Hayashi also teaches that sintered β-alumina is an electrolyte known in the art for use in sodium batteries and that such exhibits higher ionic conductivity of 10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature (Hayashi pg. 3, col. 2, para. 1) but requires sintering at a high temperature of 1,800 °C to reduce the grain-boundary resistance (Hayashi pg. 3, col. 2, para. 1).
The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supports a prima facie obviousness per MPEP 2144.07, and selecting from among known solid inorganic electrolytes for use in the battery of modified Tobishima would have been an obvious design choice for a person having ordinary skill in the art. As such, if design requirements gave preference to higher ionic conductivity instead of simple cold-processing, a person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious from the teachings of Tobishima and Hayashi to keep the sodium β-alumina option listed in Tobishima to achieve Na+ ion conductivity of 10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature as taught possible by Hayashi, thus rendering obvious the claimed range.
Thereby, claim 10 is rendered obvious.
Regarding claim 11, modified Tobishima teaches the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches the electrolyte layer is crystalline, semi-crystalline, or amorphous (stabilization of a high-temperature phase by crystallization from the glassy state dramatically enhances the Na+ ion conductivity … cubic Na3PS4 crystal, Hayashi abstract pg. 1).
Regarding claim 12, modified Tobishima teaches the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches the anode comprises Na (anode active material selected from Group I A metals, Tobishima C4L25-27 – periodic table group I A known in the art to be alkali metals … sodium anodes taught toward by Hayashi pg. 2 col. 1 para. 1 as cited above).
Regarding claim 13, modified Tobishima teaches the limitations of claim 12 above and further teaches the anode is capable of (de)alloying/ deposition-stripping/storing-releasing (migration of anode metal ions, Tobishima C4L36) Na (Na metal anode taught toward by Hayashi Abstract [pg. 2, col. 2, para. 1] as cited above for use with Na3PS4 electrolyte as applied to modified Tobishima) during charge-discharge of the battery (Charge-discharge, Tobishima C4L13: electrolyte conducts ion of anode metal per C4L40-42; during electrochemical reaction of anode with cathode per C4L36-37; see also Hayashi pg. 4 col. 1 para. 3: all-solid-state Na+ ion batteries when Na anode and Na-based electrolyte, as applied to modified Tobishima).
Additionally, sodium beta-alumina (as cited above to Tobishima) is a solid electrolyte known for Na+ ion transport within the crystal structure of Na-Al2O3 (per ChemEurope evidence as cited above).
Regarding claim 14, modified Tobishima teaches the limitations of claim 12 above and further teaches the electrolytes are formed entirely from solid state materials (electrolyte in solid form, Tobishima C4L38-40; additionally, after modification above in view of Hayashi [pg.3,col.2,para.3] to have Na3PS4 solid glass-ceramic electrolyte, the solid Na3PS4 electrolyte is applied in close-contact with the electrodes in the all-solid-state battery, which enhances safety as taught by Hayashi [pg.1,col.1,para.1; pg.4,col.1,paras.2-3] as applied in above rejections).
Claim(s) 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tobishima et al. (US 4343871 A) in view of Ito et al. (JP-2015122237-A, with citations below to a machine translation and corresponding foreign publication cited and attached in the 06/18/2024 Office action) and in view of Hayashi et al. (“Superionic glass-ceramic electrolytes for room-temperature rechargeable sodium batteries”, Nature Communications volume 3, Article number: 856 (2012), <https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms1843>; as cited in the previous Office actions, first cited 06/18/2024), as evidenced by ChemEurope ("Beta-alumina Solid Electrolyte", ChemEurope Encyclopedia, <https://www.chemeurope.com/en/encvclopedia/Beta-alumina solid electrolvte.html>, web accessed 20 Oct 2025), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Gottis et al. ("Voltage Gain in Lithiated Enolate-Based Organic Cathode Materials by Isomeric Effect", ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2014, 6, 14, 10870–10876, <https://doi.org/10.1021/am405470p>, as cited in the previous Office actions, first cited and attached in the 06/18/2024 Office action).
Regarding claim 4 and claim 5, modified Tobishima teaches the limitations of claim 1 above (including that the cathode active material is quinone-based) but fails to specifically teach that the at least one quinone substructure comprises 1,2-benzoquinone, nor that the at least one quinone substructure comprises 1,4-benzoquinone.
Gottis, which is analogous in the art of Li-ion batteries with organic cathode materials (Gottis title and abstract), teaches that both 1,2-benzoquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone are organic materials which are useful as cathode active materials due to their ability to partake in redox reactions with alkali metal ions (Gottis Table 1 on pg. 10871 and Scheme 3 on pg. 10875). On page 10875 in reaction Scheme 3, Gottis teaches that both 1,2-benzoquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone undergo two-electron reduction/oxidation reactions.
The simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results supports a conclusion of obviousness per MPEP 2143 I (B). Since modified Tobishima also teaches the two π-electron reaction between quinone-based cathode material and metal ions of the anode material in the charging/discharging of the secondary battery (Tobishima in view of Ito as cited in the rejection of claim 1 above), a person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to substitute 1,2-benzoquinone or 1,4-benzoquinone organic cathode material as taught by Gottis for that within modified Tobishima and still predict functionality in the redox reaction with the alkali metal ions and thus useful the secondary battery charging and discharging. Furthermore, the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supports a prima facie obviousness determination per MPEP 2144.07, such that selecting the 1,2-benzoquinone or 1,4-benzoquinone as taught by Gottis would have been obvious due to its suitability as organic quinone cathode material which participates in redox reaction within the secondary battery during charging/discharging.
Thereby, claims 4 and 5 are rendered obvious in further view of Gottis.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tobishima et al. (US 4343871 A) in view of Ito et al. (JP-2015122237-A, with citations below to a machine translation and corresponding foreign publication cited and attached in the 06/18/2024 Office action) and in view of Hayashi et al. (“Superionic glass-ceramic electrolytes for room-temperature rechargeable sodium batteries”, Nature Communications volume 3, Article number: 856 (2012), <https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms1843>; as cited in the previous Office actions, first cited 06/18/2024), as evidenced by ChemEurope ("Beta-alumina Solid Electrolyte", ChemEurope Encyclopedia, <https://www.chemeurope.com/en/encvclopedia/Beta-alumina solid electrolvte.html>, web accessed 20 Oct 2025), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Harada et al. (US 2004/0110062 A1, as cited in the previous Office actions).
Regarding claim 7, modified Tobishima teaches the limitations of claim 1 above and further teaches the cathode is formed by slurry (cathode powders mixed into solution or emulsion, Tobishima C3L38-40; cathode active material and electrolyte mixed into a “pasty mass”, Tobishima C3L47-48) … coating process (spreading onto nickel or stainless steel support before drying, Tobishima C3L38-43), but fails to teach such process in a roll-to-roll fashion.
Harada, which is analogous in the art of batteries with improved active material (Harada title), teaches a positive electrode including organic active material (Harada [0047-0048]) and teaches such active material being formed into a slurry and then coated onto a current collector by use of a doctor-blade and then dried to form the electrode (Harada [0050]). Harada further teaches in [0052] that the resultant electrode can be used alongside a solid-state electrolyte.
A person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to select a known method for coating an organic active material slurry onto a current collector – i.e., by use of the doctor-blade method as taught by Harada – in the process of forming the cathode layer, and expect a sufficient resultant cathode layer for use alongside the solid-state electrolyte layer within solid-state battery of modified Tobishima.
In instant Specification [0042] as filed 03/03/2023, Applicant discloses that “a roll-to-roll fashion” is met “by doctor-blade method”.
Thereby, claim 7 is rendered obvious in view of Harada.
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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/JESSIE WALLS-MURRAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1728
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