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 .
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged. Applicant has complied with all of the conditions for receiving the benefit of an earlier filing date under 35 U.S.C. 119(e).
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/15/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings received on 12/28/2023 were reviewed and are acceptable.
Specification
The specification filed on 12/28/2023 was reviewed and is acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim(s) 2-3, 5-6, 8, and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 2-3 and 5-6 recite limitations, e.g. Formula 2-1, 2-2, etc…, which appear to be missing and are represented by black boxes, and further obscure portions of claims 8 and 10-12. For purposes of this Office Action, it will be assumed that these are simply typographical errors and the respective portions of the Instant Specification, e.g. pgs. 3-4, will be used for interpretation.
Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 4, 7, 9, and 13-20 are allowed.
Claims 2-3, 5-6, 8, and 10-12 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The present invention is related to, inter alia, a binder comprising end capping groups R1 and R2 selected from H or a catechol group shown in a recited Formula 2, and R1 and R2 are not both H.
Choi et al. (KR 20210004138 A; see attached machine translation for reference) is considered to be the closest relevant prior art to independent claim 1. Choi et al. discloses a binder for secondary battery electrodes having self healing properties (Abstract). Choi et al. discloses that the binder comprises a catechol group containing polymer represented by Formula 2 (see pgs. 10 and 32-33), which reads on the recited Formula 2.
However, Choi et al. does not disclose, teach, fairly suggest, nor render obvious the recited catechol group shown in Formula 2 being end capping groups. To the contrary, Choi et al. explicitly discloses that the catechol groups are functional groups disposed within the polymer backbone in order to provide the polymer with self healing properties (as shown in Figs 1 and 2), and thus there does not appear to be any reasonable basis for the skilled artisan to abandon the disclosure of Choi et al. and be directed towards the catechol groups being end capping groups because doing so would necessarily decrease the number of functional catechol groups, i.e. to two groups as opposed to “n” number of groups in the polymer backbone, and thereby decrease the self healing properties of the polymer.
Deng et al. (CN 111138579 A; see attached machine translation for reference) is also considered to be relevant prior art to independent claim 1. Deng et al. discloses a polymer binder comprising a catechol group (Abstract) represented by Formula I (see pg. 2).
However, Deng et al. does not disclose, teach, fairly suggest, nor render obvious the recited catechol group shown in Formula 1 being end capping groups. To the contrary, Deng et al. explicitly discloses that the catechol groups are functional groups disposed within the polymer backbone (as shown in Formula I), and thus there does not appear to be any reasonable basis for the skilled artisan to abandon the disclosure of Deng et al. and be directed towards the catechol groups being end capping groups because doing so would necessarily decrease the number of functional catechol groups, i.e. to two groups as opposed to “n” number of groups in the polymer backbone.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Hansen et al. (US 2023/0170468 A1) discloses a cured conductive binder material; and
Grubbs et al. (US 2016/0289392 A1) discloses triblock brush block copolymers.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES M ERWIN whose telephone number is (571)272-3101. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6am-3pm PDT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Buie-Hatcher can be reached at 571-270-3879. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES M ERWIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725 06/25/2026
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