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 and Other Notes
Claims 1–10, 12, and 13 are pending.
Claim 11 is canceled.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The paragraph numbers cited in this Office Action in reference to the instant application are referring to the paragraph numbering of the PG-Pub of the instant application. See US 2023/0361330 A1.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 26 January 2026. These drawings are unacceptable.
The drawings are objected to because:
The numbers, letters, and/or reference characters of FIG. 13 are not at least 0.32 cm (1/8 inch) in height. Numbers, letters, and reference characters must measure at least 0.32 cm. (1/8 inch) in height. See 37 CFR 1.84 (p)(3).
FIGS. 3, 7, 9–11, 14, and 15 do not have satisfactory reproduction characteristics. The photographs or microphotographs are not of sufficient quality so that all details in the photographs are reproducible in the printed patent. See 37 CFR 1.84 (b).
FIGS. 7 and 11 use shading that reduces legibility or solid black shading that is not used to represent bar graphs or color. The use of shading in views is encouraged if it aids in understanding the invention and if it does not reduce legibility. Solid black shading areas are not permitted, except when used to represent bar graphs or color. See 37 CFR 1.84 (m).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
Applicants' amendments have overcome the objections to the specification.
Claim Objections
Applicants' amendments have overcome the objections of claims 7 and 10.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Applicants' amendments have overcome the rejections of claims 1–13 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1, 3–10, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Young et. al. (US 2016/0141726 A1, hereinafter Young).
Regarding claim 1, Young discloses an electrolyte comprising:
a composition of a quaternary ammonium halide of formula X-(Alq4N)+ (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]) at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m (see weight : weight levels, [0219]) or a quaternary phosphonium halide of formula X-(Alq4P)+ at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]);
wherein X is selected from bromine and iodine (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]), and
Alq is a linear or branched C1-C4 alkyl (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]).
The molality (m, mol/kg) can be determined from the molecular weight of tetraethylammonium bromide. Electrolyte mixtures with weight ratios of DEMA-TfO : TEABr of 1 : 5, 1 : 4, 1 : 3, 1 : 2, 1 : 1, and 1 : 2 have concentrations equal to or more than 2 m (mol/kg).
The molarity (M, mol/L) can be determined from the molecular weights, and composition of the electrolyte mixture of Young. Merkel (Thermophysical Properties of the Binary Mixture of Water + Diethylmethylammonium Trifluoromethanesulfonate and the Ternary Mixture of Water + Diethylmethylammonium Trifluoromethanesulfonate + Diethylmethylammonium) discloses the density of diethylammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate. Electrolyte mixtures with weight ratios of DEMA-TfO : TEABr of 1 : 5, 1 : 4, 1 : 3, 1 : 2, 1 : 1, and 1 : 2 have concentrations equal to or more than 2 M (mol/L).
Regarding claim 3, Young discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses an electrolyte:
wherein X is bromine (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]).
Regarding claim 4, Young discloses a battery comprising an electrolyte and at least one electrode (see cell, [0219]), wherein the electrolyte comprises:
a composition of a quaternary ammonium halide of formula X-(Alq4N)+ (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]) at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m (see weight : weight levels, [0219]) or a quaternary phosphonium halide of formula X-(Alq4P)+ at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m (see two different ionic compounds, [0130]; see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]);
wherein X is selected from bromine and iodine (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]), and
Alq is a linear or branched C1-C4 alkyl (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]).
The molality (m, mol/kg) can be determined from the molecular weight of tetraethylammonium bromide. Electrolyte mixtures with weight ratios of DEMA-TfO : TEABr of 1 : 5, 1 : 4, 1 : 3, 1 : 2, 1 : 1, and 1 : 2 have concentrations equal to or more than 2 m (mol/kg).
Regarding claim 5, Young discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a battery, further comprising:
an electroactive inorganic salt (see ionic liquid, [0219]).
Regarding claim 6, Young discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a battery:
wherein the electroactive inorganic salt is in at least 5% by weight relative to the weight of the electrolyte (see weight : weight levels, [0219]).
Regarding claim 7, Young discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a battery:
wherein the electroactive inorganic salt is selected from a salt of zinc, lithium, sodium, potassium and aluminium (see cations, [0064]; see ionic compound, [0118]; see salts, [0124]; see two different ionic compounds, [0130]).
Regarding claim 8, Young discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a battery:
wherein the battery is a button storage cell (see cell, [0208]; [0050], [0200]).
Young discloses the U.S. Patents discussed are incorporated within the disclosure (see U.S. Patents, [0200]); and Bogauchi (US 5,489,314 B1), which is discussed at paragraph [0050], discloses a button storage cell (C9/L41–44). Therefore, Young explicitly discloses a button storage cell.
Regarding claim 9, Young discloses a method comprising carrying out electrochemical reactions with an electrolyte (see cell, [0219]), wherein the electrolyte comprises:
a composition of a quaternary ammonium halide of formula X-(Alq4N)+ (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]) at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m (see weight : weight levels, [0219]) or a quaternary phosphonium halide of formula X-(Alq4P)+ at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m (see two different ionic compounds, [0130]; see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]);
wherein X is selected from bromine and iodine (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]), and
Alq is a linear or branched C1-C4 alkyl (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]).
The molality (m, mol/kg) can be determined from the molecular weight of tetraethylammonium bromide. Electrolyte mixtures with weight ratios of DEMA-TfO : TEABr of 1 : 5, 1 : 4, 1 : 3, 1 : 2, 1 : 1, and 1 : 2 have concentrations equal to or more than 2 m (mol/kg).
Regarding claim 10, Young discloses a method comprising encapsulating substances using an electrolyte and at least one electrode (see cell, [0219]), wherein the electrolyte comprises:
a composition of a quaternary ammonium halide of formula X-(Alq4N)+ (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]) at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m (see weight : weight levels, [0219]) or a quaternary phosphonium halide of formula X-(Alq4P)+ at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m (see two different ionic compounds, [0130]; see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]);
wherein X is selected from bromine and iodine (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]), and
Alq is a linear or branched C1-C4 alkyl (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]).
The molality (m, mol/kg) can be determined from the molecular weight of tetraethylammonium bromide. Electrolyte mixtures with weight ratios of DEMA-TfO : TEABr of 1 : 5, 1 : 4, 1 : 3, 1 : 2, 1 : 1, and 1 : 2 have concentrations equal to or more than 2 m (mol/kg).
Regarding claim 12, Young discloses a method comprising inhibiting electrode deterioration with an electrolyte (see cell, [0219]), wherein the electrolyte comprises:
a composition of a quaternary ammonium halide of formula X-(Alq4N)+ (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]) at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m (see weight : weight levels, [0219]) or a quaternary phosphonium halide of formula X-(Alq4P)+ at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m (see two different ionic compounds, [0130]; see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]);
wherein X is selected from bromine and iodine (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]), and
Alq is a linear or branched C1-C4 alkyl (see tetraethylammonium bromide, [0219]).
The molality (m, mol/kg) can be determined from the molecular weight of tetraethylammonium bromide. Electrolyte mixtures with weight ratios of DEMA-TfO : TEABr of 1 : 5, 1 : 4, 1 : 3, 1 : 2, 1 : 1, and 1 : 2 have concentrations equal to or more than 2 m (mol/kg).
Regarding claim 13, Young discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses a method:
wherein electrode deterioration is due to oxidation or corrosion (see corrosion inhibitors, [0160]).
Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Perron et. al. (Comparison of the thermodynamic and transport properties of lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) with LiClO4 and Bu4NBr in water at 25°C, hereinafter Perron).
Regarding claim 1, Perron discloses an electrolyte comprising:
a composition of a quaternary ammonium halide of formula X-(Alq4N)+ (see Bu4NBr; P1610/C2/L35–40, P1610/C2/L35–40, P1611/C2/L1–25, P1611/C2/L26–50, P1612/C1/L28–57, P1613/C1/L1–25) at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m (FIG. 3, P1610/C2/L35–40; FIG. 4, P1611/C2/L1–25; FIG. 5, P1611/C2/L26–50; FIG. 6, P1612/C1/L28–57; FIG. 7, P1613/C1/L1–25) or a quaternary phosphonium halide of formula X-(Alq4P)+ at a concentration equal to or more than 2 m;
wherein X is selected from bromine and iodine (see Bu4NBr; P1610/C2/L35–40, P1610/C2/L35–40, P1611/C2/L1–25, P1611/C2/L26–50, P1612/C1/L28–57, P1613/C1/L1–25), and
Alq is a linear or branched C1-C4 alkyl (see Bu4NBr; P1610/C2/L35–40, P1610/C2/L35–40, P1611/C2/L1–25, P1611/C2/L26–50, P1612/C1/L28–57, P1613/C1/L1–25).
Regarding claim 2, Perron discloses all the claim limitations as set forth above and further discloses an electrolyte:
wherein Alq is butyl (see Bu4NBr; P1610/C2/L35–40, P1610/C2/L35–40, P1611/C2/L1–25, P1611/C2/L26–50, P1612/C1/L28–57, P1613/C1/L1–25).
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sean P Cullen, Ph.D. whose telephone number is (571)270-1251. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 6:00 am to 4:00 pm CT, Friday 6:00 am to 12:00 pm CT.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Basia A Ridley can be reached at (571)272-1453. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Sean P Cullen, Ph.D./Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725