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 .
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.
1. Claim(s) 1-5,7-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kashiwagi (US20080102370) in view of Serizawa et al. (US20210210785).
As to claim 1, Kashiwagi discloses an electrochemical cell (figure 5), comprising: a first electrode (22) including a first current collector and a first electrode active material layer; a second electrode (21) including a second current collector and a second electrode active material layer; a separator (23) between the first electrode and the second electrode; a casing (24) accommodating the first electrode, the second electrode, and the separator; a first terminal (28) electrically connected to the first current collector and extending outside from the casing; and wherein the first electrode active material layer (22) includes a first portion including a silicon layer (figure 3 number 12) on a surface of the first current collector (11) and a first carbon material layer (14) on a surface of the silicon layer, and a second portion including a second carbon material layer (14) on the surface of the first current collector and continuous with the first carbon material layer.
Kashiwagi fails to disclose a second terminal electrically connected to the second current collector and extending outside from the casing. Serizawa et al. teaches a second terminal electrically connected to the second current collector and extending outside from the casing for the purpose of providing a lithium ion secondary battery which has improved cycle characteristics and in which battery swelling is reduced (paragraph 0063,0009).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Kashiwagi with a second terminal electrically connected to the second current collector and extending outside from the casing for the purpose of providing a lithium ion secondary battery which has improved cycle characteristics and in which battery swelling is reduced (paragraph 0063,0009).
As to claim 2, Kashiwagi discloses wherein the first electrode active material layer includes a plurality of the first portions in strips and a plurality of the second portions in strips, and the plurality of first portions and the plurality of second portions alternate with each other as viewed in plan (figure 4c number 12,14).
As to claim 3, Kashiwagi discloses wherein the first electrode active material layer includes the second portion surrounded by the first portion as viewed in plan (figure 4c number 14,12).
As to claim 4, Kashiwagi discloses wherein the first electrode active material layer includes the first portion surrounded by the second portion as viewed in plan (figure 3 number 12,13).
As to claim 5, Kashiwagi fail to disclose wherein the first carbon material layer and the second carbon material layer comprise an electrolyte and graphite particles. Serizawa et al. teaches wherein the first carbon material layer and the second carbon material layer comprise an electrolyte and graphite particles for the purpose of the use of the carbon material together with the silicon material makes it possible to maintain the electrical contact, leading to a battery with excellent cycle characteristics and high energy density (paragraph 0030).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Kashiwagi with wherein the first carbon material layer and the second carbon material layer comprise an electrolyte and graphite particles for the purpose of the use of the carbon material together with the silicon material makes it possible to maintain the electrical contact, leading to a battery with excellent cycle characteristics and high energy density (paragraph 0030).
As to claim 7, Kashiwagi discloses wherein the first carbon material layer and the second carbon material layer are in contact with the separator (figure 5 number 22,23).
As to claim 8, Kashiwagi discloses wherein the first electrode is a negative electrode (figure 5 number 22).
As to claim 9, Kashiwagi discloses wherein the silicon layer is an amorphous silicon thin film (figure 2b number 12).
As to claim 10-12, Kashiwagi fail to disclose wherein at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode is semisolid and comprises 0 to 1.5 wt% of a binder, wherein the first electrode comprises 1.5 to 5 wt% of a binder and wherein the second electrode comprises 0 to 1.5 wt% of a binder.
Serizawa et al. teaches wherein at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode is semisolid and comprises 0 to 1.5 wt% of a binder, wherein the first electrode comprises 1.5 to 5 wt% of a binder and wherein the second electrode comprises 0 to 1.5 wt% of a binder for the purpose of providing sufficient binding strength and high energy density (paragraph 0044,0055).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to Kashiwagi with wherein at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode is semisolid and comprises 0 to 1.5 wt% of a binder, wherein the first electrode comprises 1.5 to 5 wt% of a binder and wherein the second electrode comprises 0 to 1.5 wt% of a binder for the purpose of providing sufficient binding strength and high energy density (paragraph 0044,0055).
As to claim 13, Kashiwagi discloses an electrochemical cell (figure 5 number 20), comprising: a first electrode (22) including a first current collector and a first electrode active material layer; a second electrode (21) including a second current collector and a second electrode active material layer; a separator (23) between the first electrode and the second electrode; a casing (24) accommodating the first electrode, the second electrode, and the separator; a first terminal (28) electrically connected to the first current collector and extending outside from the casing; wherein the first electrode active material layer (figure 1 number 10) includes a silicon material (12) and a carbon material layer (13) on a surface of the first current collector, and the first electrode active material layer comprises 40 to 100 wt% of the silicon material (paragraph 0066).
Kashiwagi fail to disclose a second terminal electrically connected to the second current collector and extending outside from the casing. Serizawa et al. teaches a second terminal electrically connected to the second current collector and extending outside from the casing for the purpose of providing a lithium ion secondary battery which has improved cycle characteristics and in which battery swelling is reduced (paragraph 0063,0009).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Kashiwagi with a second terminal electrically connected to the second current collector and extending outside from the casing for the purpose of providing a lithium ion secondary battery which has improved cycle characteristics and in which battery swelling is reduced (paragraph 0063,0009).
As to claim 14-15, Kashiwagi fail to disclose wherein the second electrode is semisolid and comprises 0 to 1.5 wt% of a binder or wherein the second electrode comprises 1.5 to 5 wt% of a binder and is not bound to the second current collector with the binder.
Serizawa et al. teaches wherein the second electrode is semisolid and comprises 0 to 1.5 wt% of a binder or wherein the second electrode comprises 1.5 to 5 wt% of a binder and is not bound to the second current collector with the binder for the purpose of providing sufficient binding strength and high energy density (paragraph 0044).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to Kashiwagi with wherein the second electrode is semisolid and comprises 0 to 1.5 wt% of a binder or wherein the second electrode comprises 1.5 to 5 wt% of a binder and is not bound to the second current collector with the binder for the purpose of providing sufficient binding strength and high energy density (paragraph 0044).
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.
2. Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kashiwagi (US20080102370) in view of Tian et al. (CN212033138).
Kashiwagi discloses the electrochemical cell described above. Kashiwagi fail to disclose wherein the first carbon material layer and the second carbon material layer are substantially free of a binder material. Tian teaches carbon coated silicon nanoparticles wherein the first carbon material layer and the second carbon material layer are substantially free of a binder material for the purpose of overcoming the problem of poor cycle stability caused by volume expansion of silicon (paragraph 0006).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time applicant's invention was made to provide Kashiwagi with wherein the first carbon material layer and the second carbon material layer are substantially free of a binder material for the purpose of overcoming the problem of poor cycle stability caused by volume expansion of silicon (paragraph 0006).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANE J RHEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1499. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (10-6:30).
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/JANE J RHEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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