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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 04-08-2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Upon consideration, the previous rejection of record was withdrawn in light of new amendments. However new rejection is applied to the amended claims. All changes made in the rejection are necessitated by the amendment.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-9 and 11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 04-08-2026 and 05-21-2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-9 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP 3509150 A1 [English equivalent US 2019/0214672] hereinafter Chang in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2015/0004481 hereinafter Iwahori.
Regarding Claim 1, Chang teaches an anodeless lithium metal battery comprising: a cathode (positive electrode) that includes a cathode current collector and a cathode active material layer; an anode current collector; and a composite electrolyte including a first liquid electrolyte (paragraph 31).
Chang further teaches that the liquid electrolyte comprises a lithium salt and an organic solvent (paragraph 38), wherein the organic solvent is a fluorinated ether compound such as 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl ether (paragraphs 66-67).
Chang teaches that the liquid electrolyte comprises a chain-like ether compound such as 1,2-dimethoxyethane (paragraph 67) but does not specify that the chain-like ether is free of a fluorine atom and has a branched chain.
However, Iwahori teaches a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising a negative electrode (anode), a positive electrode (cathode), and an electrolyte solution (paragraphs 110-111), wherein the electrolyte solution comprises a compound such as 1,2-dimethoxypropane, 1,2-diethoxypropane, or 1,2-dimethoxybutane for improving the high-temperature continuous charging properties (paragraph 29). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use such ether compound in the electrolyte solution before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because Iwahori discloses that such modification can form an electrolyte solution for a battery having improved storage and cycle characteristics (paragraphs 29-30). In addition, the simple substitution of one known element for another is likely to be obvious when predictable results are achieved. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S._,_, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 - 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, B.). Iwahori specifies that the amount of the compound (1,2-diethoxypropane) is at least 0.25 ppm (paragraph 30).
Regarding Claims 2-5, the combination teaches that the chain-like ether compound is 1,2-dimethoxypropane, 1,2-diethoxypropane, or 1,2-dimethoxybutane for improving the high-temperature continuous charging properties (paragraph 29 of Iwahori as described above).
Regarding Claim 6, the combination teaches that LiN(SO2F)2 is include as the lithium salt (paragraph 76 of Chang).
Regarding Claims 7-9, the combination teaches that the electrolyte solution comprises a linear ether compound as claimed (paragraphs 66-67 of Chang).
Regarding Claim 11, the combination teaches that the amount of the fluorine compound is 50 vol % based on a total amount of the first organic solvent (paragraph 72 of Chang). In addition, choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with a reasonable expectation for success, is likely to be obvious to a person if ordinary skill in the art. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. _,_, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 -97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, E.).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. “Enabling High-Voltage Lithium-Metal Batteries under Practical Conditions”, (Xiaodi Ren et al., Joule, Vol. 3, pp. 1662-1676, July 17, 2019) hereinafter Ren [cited in IDS filed 03-08-2023]. Ren teaches a lithium battery (cf. Pp. 1662-1676) comprising an electrolyte that is LiFSI-1,2DME-3TTE, a negative electrode that is copper and a positive electrode that is NMC811.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSEI K AMPONSAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3446. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NICHOLAS A SMITH can be reached at (571)272-8760. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/OSEI K AMPONSAH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752
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