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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of claims 1-10 and 17-19 in the reply filed on April 24, 2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 11-16 and 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on April 24, 2026.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities: in lines 2 and 4, “external electrode disposed” should read “external electrode is disposed”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-3, 8-10, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakashima et al. (US 2020/0350524 A1, hereinafter “Nakashima”) in view of Zhang et al. (US 2020/0403265 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nakashima discloses an all-solid-state battery ([0085] and Fig. 7, all-solid-state battery), comprising a cell stack ([0087] and Fig.7, battery element 20) including a solid electrolyte layer ([0089] and Fig. 7, positive electrode layer 21), and a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer disposed with the solid electrolyte layer interposed therebetween ([0089] and Fig. 7, positive electrode layer 21 and negative electrode layer 22); and a cover layer on an outer surface of the cell stack ([0087] and Fig. 7, exterior materials 14A and 14B of exterior battery element 11), wherein the cover layer includes glass or glass ceramic ([0120]-[0124], exterior material 14A-14D contain glass ceramics and lithium-containing oxide glass). Nakashima further discloses that the electrical conductivity of exterior materials 14A-14D is preferably 10-8 S/cm or less to suppress self-discharge ([0128]). Nakashima does not disclose wherein the glass or glass ceramic include lithium fluoride (LiF).
Zhang discloses isolation layers 40 and 50 that include a protection layer 61 including an inorganic material that may include LiF and glass materials ([0027]-[0028]), with an electrical resistivity greater than 107 Ωm, or less than 10-9 S/cm ([0031]).
Nakashima and Zhang are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of lithium batteries. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the exterior battery element of Nakashima with the teachings of Zhang according to known methods to yield the predictable result of an exterior battery element with low electric conductivity, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have a reasonable expectation of success in doing so (see MPEP § 2143(I)(A)).
Regarding claim 2, modified Nakashima discloses the limitations of claim 1. Modified Nakashima further discloses wherein the glass or glass ceramic includes the lithium fluoride (LiF) and lithium (Li) oxide (Zhang [0028], inorganic material may include LiF, Li2O, and Li2O-Al2O3-SiO2-P2O5-TiO2-GeO2, or a combination thereof).
Regarding claim 3, modified Nakashima discloses the limitations of claim 1. Modified Nakashima further discloses wherein the glass further includes silicon (Si) oxide, boron (B) oxide, phosphorus (P) oxide, germanium (Ge) oxide, or a combination thereof (Zhang [0028], inorganic material may include LiF, Li2O, SiO2, and Li2O-Al2O3-SiO2-P2O5-TiO2-GeO2, or a combination thereof).
Regarding claim 8, modified Nakashima discloses the limitations of claim 1. Nakashima further discloses wherein the cover layer is disposed on an outer surface of the positive electrode layer or the negative electrode layer at an outermost side in the stacking direction of the cell stack ([0120] and Fig. 7, exterior materials 14A and 14B).
Regarding claim 10, modified Nakashima discloses the limitations of claim 1. Modified Nakashima further discloses wherein the cell stack further includes a margin layer disposed laterally adjacent to edges of the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer ([0120] and Fig. 7, exterior materials 14C and 14D), and the margin layer includes glass or glass ceramic including lithium fluoride (LiF) (Nakashima [0120]-[0124] and Zhang [0027]-[0028]).
Regarding claim 17, modified Nakashima discloses the limitations of claim 1. Nakashima further discloses wherein a first external electrode disposed adjacent to one side of the cell stack and the cover layer and connected to the positive electrode layer ([0084] and Figs. 1A and 7, positive electrode terminal 12 connected to positive electrode layer 21), and a second external electrode disposed adjacent to the other side of the cell stack and the cover layer and connected to the negative electrode layer ([0084], [0161], and Figs. 1A and 7, negative electrode terminal 13 connected to negative electrode layer 22).
Regarding claim 18, modified Nakashima discloses the limitations of claim 17. Nakashima further discloses wherein the positive electrode layer includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer coated on at least one surface of the positive electrode current collector ([0089] and Fig. 7, positive electrode layer 21 includes positive electrode collector layer 21A and positive electrode active material layer 21B), and the negative electrode layer includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer coated on at least one surface of the negative electrode current collector ([0242] and see Annotated Fig. 7 below, negative electrode layer 22 includes negative electrode collector layer 22A and positive electrode active material layer 22B).
Nakashima Annotated Fig. 7
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Regarding claim 19, modified Nakashima discloses the limitations of claim 18. Nakashima further discloses wherein the positive electrode current collector extends toward the one side of the cell stack and is connected to the first external electrode ([0120] and Fig. 7, positive electrode collector 21A exposed from first end face 11SA and connected to positive electrode terminal 12), and the negative electrode current collector extends toward the other side of the cell stack and is connected to the second external electrode ([0120], [0242], and see Annotated Fig. 7 above, negative electrode collector 22A exposed from second end face 11SB and connected to negative electrode terminal 13).
Claims 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakashima (US 2019/0288246 A1) in view of Zhang (US 2020/0403265 A1) as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, and further in view of Beall et al. (US 4164610 A, hereinafter “Beall”).
Regarding claim 4, modified Nakashima discloses the limitations of claim 3. Modified Nakashima does not disclose wherein the glass includes 5 mol% to 15 mol% of the lithium fluoride (LiF), 20 mol% to 75 mol% of the lithium (Li) oxide, 0 mol% to 70 mol% of the silicon (Si) oxide, 0 mol% to 60 mol% of the boron (B) oxide, 0 mol% to 50 mol% of the phosphorus (P) oxide, and 0 mol% to 80 mol% of the germanium (Ge) oxide, based on a total amount of the glass.
Beall discloses glass compositions including LiF, Li2O, B2O3, Al2O3, and SiO2 that meet the ranges of claim 4 (page 2, col. 2, lines 37-62 and pages 3-4, Table 1, examples 8, 12, 33, 42, 60, and 62). Beall further discloses corresponding electrical resistivities (pages 5-6, Table II, in Ωcm), and that the electrical resistivity of a glass could be decreased by increasing lithium levels or increased by providing Al2O3 or SiO2 (page 6, cols. 9 and 10). One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized the mole ratios of LiF, Li2O, B2O3, Al2O3, and SiO2 as result-effective variables affecting the electrical resistivity of glass, and therefore it would have been routine optimization to arrive at the ranges of claim 4.
Beall is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of lithium batteries. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the glass or glass ceramic of Nakashima with the teachings of Beall to according to known methods yield the predictable result of exterior materials with an electrical resistivity greater than 107 Ωm, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have a reasonable expectation of success in doing so.
Regarding claim 5, modified Nakashima discloses the limitations of claim 1. Nakashima discloses wherein the solid electrolyte layer includes glass including lithium (Li) oxide ([0097], lithium-containing oxide glass containing Li2O). Nakashima does not disclose wherein the glass includes lithium chloride (LiCl).
Beall discloses glass compositions including Li2O and LiCl (page 2, col. 2, lines 37-62 and pages 3-4, Table 1, examples 39, 40, and 57).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the lithium-containing oxide glass of modified Nakashima with the teachings of Beall, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have a reasonable expectation of success in doing so. Doing so would decrease electrical resistivity, improving use in solid membrane electrolyte-separators (Beall page 6, col. 10, lines 25-27).
Regarding claim 6, modified Nakashima discloses the limitations of claim 5. Nakashima further discloses wherein the glass included in the solid electrolyte layer further includes silicon (Si) oxide, boron (B) oxide, phosphorus (P) oxide, germanium (Ge) oxide, or a combination thereof ([0097], SiO2, .
Regarding claim 7, modified Nakashima discloses the limitations of claim 6. Modified Nakashima further discloses wherein the glass included in the solid electrolyte layer includes 0 mol% to 13.9 mol% of the lithium chloride (LiCl) (Beall page 2, col. 2, lines 58-62), 20 mol% to 75 mol% of the lithium (Li) oxide (Nakashima [0099]), 0 mol% to 70 mol% of the silicon (Si) oxide (Nakashima [0100]), 0 mol% to 60 mol% of the boron (B) oxide (Nakashima [0100]), 0 mol% to 50 mol% of the phosphorus (P) oxide (Nakashima [0100]), and 0 mol% to 80 mol% of the germanium (Ge) oxide (Nakashima [0100]), based on a total amount of the glass or glass ceramic included in the solid electrolyte layer.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kato et al. (US 2019/0288246 A1) discloses an all-solid-state battery with a battery element and an exterior material (abstract, Fig. 7A).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jackie Liang whose telephone number is (571)-272-0880. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:45AM - 4:45PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey T. Barton can be reached at (571)-272-1307. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.L./Examiner, Art Unit 1726
/JEFFREY T BARTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1726 9 June 2026
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