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 Group I and Species B in the reply filed on 1/9/2026 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)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 and 5-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Rogren (US 2018/0034038).
Regarding claim 1, Rogren discloses in Figs 1-3, a method for manufacturing ([0042]-[0045], [0042] reproduced below for convenience) a current collector (refs 12, 14) for an electrode ([0049], refs 10a, b) of a battery cell (ref 1), comprising: forming the current collector (refs 12, 14) using a metal 3D printing process ([0042]-[0045]); defining L layers ([0042]-[0045], collector layers defined, Fig 2A) of the current collector (refs 12, 14), where L is an integer greater than zero ([0042]-[0045], Fig 2A) during the 3D printing ([0042]-[0045]) of the current collector (refs 12, 14); and defining a lattice structure ([0042]-[0045], lattice explicitly mentioned) in at least one of the L layers ([0042]-[0045]) of the current collector (refs 12, 14) during the 3D printing ([0042]-[0045]) of the current collector (refs 12, 14).
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Regarding claim 2, Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the metal 3D printing process prints ([0042]-[0045]) at least a portion of the current collector (refs 12, 14) using one or more materials selected from a group consisting of copper and nickel ([0074]).
Regarding claim 3, Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses at least one of the L layers includes a planar layer (Fig 2A depicts planar layers), wherein at least another one of the L layers (Fig 2A depicts planar layers) is printed ([0042]-[0045], [0070]) on the planar layer (Fig 2A depicts planar layers).
Regarding claim 5, Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the metal 3D printing process comprises electrochemical additive manufacturing (ECAM) ([0042]-[0045]).
Regarding claim 6, Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the current collector comprises (refs 12, 14) an anode current collector ([0042]) and the metal 3D printing process prints ([0042]-[0045]) the current collector (refs 12, 14) using copper ([0074]).
Regarding claim 7, Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the current collector (refs 12, 14) includes a planar layer (Fig 2A, [0070]) and the lattice structure includes a first lattice structure ([0042]-[0045], Fig 2A) printed ([0042]-[0045]) on one side (Fig 1 depicts multi layers) of the planar layer and a second lattice structure ([0042]-[0045], Fig 2A) printed on an opposite side (Fig 1 depicts multi layers) of the planar layer (Fig 2A, [0070]).
Regarding claim 8, Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses coating ([0042]-[0045]) the current collector (refs 12, 14) with an active material layer ([0042]-[0045]) to form one of an anode electrode ([0042]-[0043]) and a cathode electrode ([0044]-[0045]).
Regarding claim 9, Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses at least one of pressing and heating ([0065], [0071], both listed) the current collector and the active material layer ([0065]-[0071]).
Regarding claim 10, Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the metal 3D printing process prints ([0042]-[0045]) at least a portion of the current collector (refs 12, 14) using two or more metals ([0074]) selected from a group consisting of copper, nickel, and/or alloys thereof ([0074]).
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 non-obviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rogren (US 2018/0034038) as applied to claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 4, Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the current collector has a thickness in a range from 200 nm – 50 microns ([0073]), which overlaps the instant claimed range of 10 – 300 microns. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have selected the overlapping portion of the ranges disclosed by the reference because selection of overlapping portion of ranges has been held to be a prima facie case of obviousness. In re Malagari, 182 USPQ 549.
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rogren (US 2018/0034038) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Herle et al. (US 2019/0190000).
Regarding claims 11-13, Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above but does not explicitly disclose the current collector is printed on a substrate, wherein the substrate is selected from a group consisting of a polymer layer, and a metal thin film foil.
Herle et al. discloses in Figs 1-3, a method of making a battery ([0029]) including 3D printing a collector on a polymer or metal thin film foil substrate ([0030]). This configuration enhances the functionality and thus overall performance of the collector ([0030]).
Herle et al. and Rogren are analogous since both deal in the same field of endeavor, namely, 3D printing battery structures.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to incorporate the 3D printing of Rogren including utilizing 3D printing on a metal thin film foil to enhance the functionality and thus overall performance of the collector structure and battery.
Claims 14-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rogren (US 2018/0034038) in view of Herle et al. (US 2019/0190000) and further in view of Hwang et al. (US 2017/0040605).
Regarding claim 14, Rogren discloses in Figs 1-3, a method for manufacturing ([0042]-[0045], [0042]) a current collector (refs 12, 14) for an electrode ([0049], refs 10a, b) of a battery cell (ref 1), comprising: forming the current collector (refs 12, 14) using a metal 3D printing process ([0042]-[0045]); during the 3D printing ([0042]-[0045]) of the current collector (refs 12, 14), defining L layers ([0042]-[0045], collector layers defined, Fig 2A) of the current collector (refs 12, 14), where L is an integer greater than zero ([0042]-[0045], Fig 2A) during the 3D printing ([0042]-[0045]) of the current collector (refs 12, 14), defining a lattice structure ([0042]-[0045], lattice explicitly mentioned) in at least one of the L layers ([0042]-[0045]) in at least one of the L layers of the current collector (refs 12, 14).
Rogren does not explicitly disclose the current collector is printed on a substrate.
Herle et al. discloses in Figs 1-3, a method of making a battery ([0029]) including 3D printing a collector on a polymer or metal thin film foil substrate ([0030]). This configuration enhances the functionality and thus overall performance of the collector ([0030]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to incorporate the 3D printing of Rogren including utilizing 3D printing on a metal thin film foil to enhance the functionality and thus overall performance of the collector structure and battery.
Rogren also does not explicitly disclose dissolving the substrate.
Hwang et al. discloses in Figs 1-6, a method of making a battery collector ([0021]). The method includes 3D printing ([0057]) the collector material utilizing a mold (equivalent to the substrate of the instant claim) which is subsequently dissolved ([0057]). This enhances battery collector structural integrity and performance ([0022]).
Rogren and Hwang et al. are analogous since both deal in the same field of endeavor, namely, 3D printing in batteries.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to incorporate the substrate dissolving disclosed by Hwang et al. into the method of Rogren to enhance the battery collector structural integrity and performance.
Regarding claim 15, modified Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the metal 3D printing process prints ([0042]-[0045]) at least a portion of the current collector (refs 12, 14) using one or more materials selected from a group consisting of copper and nickel ([0074]).
Regarding claim 16, modified Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses at least one of the L layers includes a planar layer (Fig 2A depicts planar layers), wherein at least another one of the L layers (Fig 2A depicts planar layers) is printed ([0042]-[0045], [0070]) on the planar layer (Fig 2A depicts planar layers).
Regarding claim 17, modified Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses the metal 3D printing process comprises electrochemical additive manufacturing (ECAM) ([0042]-[0045]).
Regarding claim 18, modified Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses coating ([0042]-[0045]) the current collector (refs 12, 14) with an active material layer ([0042]-[0045]).
Regarding claim 19, modified Rogren discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above and also discloses at least one of pressing and heating ([0065], [0071], both listed) the current collector and the active material layer ([0065]-[0071]), to form one of an anode electrode ([0042]-[0043]) and a cathode electrode ([0044]-[0045]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Demaray et al. (US 2018/0006293) discloses in Figs 1-23, a battery electrode formed on a collector with foil ([0135]).
Golodnitsky et al. (US 2018/0205113) discloses in Figs 1-7, an electrode 3D printed on a substrate ([0027]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH J DOUYETTE whose telephone number is (571)270-1212. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8A - 4P EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Basia 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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/KENNETH J DOUYETTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725