DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. 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.
3. Claims 1, 2, 5-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US-20200176753-A1, disclosed in IDS provided on 28 December 2023) in view of Sugawara (JP-2015069712-A, disclosed in IDS provided on 28 December 2023, machine translation used for rejection below).
As to claim 1, Lee discloses an electrode sheet (figure 1, negative electrode 100), comprising a current collector (figure 1, negative electrode current collector 110) and a functional coating provided on at least one surface of the current collector (figure 1, first negative electrode mixture layer 120); wherein the functional coating comprises a first coating provided on a surface of the current collector (figure 1, first negative electrode mixture layer 120), a second coating provided on a surface of the first coating (figure 1, second negative electrode mixture layer 130) and an active material layer provided on a surface of the second coating (figure 1, third negative electrode mixture layer 140);
the first coating comprises a conductive agent [0025], a binder [0025] and a first functional filler [0025];
the second coating comprises a conductive agent [0025], a binder [0025] and a second functional filler [0025]; and
the active material layer comprises a conductive agent [0025], a binder [0025] and a first electrode active material [0025].
However, Lee does not disclose wherein a mass ratio of the binder in the first coating to the first coating is al, a mass ratio of the binder in the second coating to the second coating is a2, and a mass ratio of the binder in the active material layer to the active material layer is a3; al>a2>a3.
Sugawara discloses a negative electrode having multiple coating layers overlayed on a current collector, wherein a mass ratio of the binder in the first coating to the first coating is al, a mass ratio of the binder in the second coating to the second coating is a2, and a mass ratio of the binder in the active material layer to the active material layer is a3; al>a2>a3 [0030-0032]. The Supreme Court has determined that a claim can be proved obvious merely by showing that the combination of known elements was obvious to try. In this regard, the Supreme Court explained that, “[w]hen there is a design need or market pressure to solve a problem and there are a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, a person of ordinary skill in the art has a good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp.” An obviousness determination is not the result of a rigid formula disassociated from the consideration of the facts of the case. Indeed, the common sense of those skilled in the art demonstrates why some combinations would have been obvious where others would not. Therefore, choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with a reasonable expectation for success, is likely to be obvious to a person if ordinary skill in the art. (see MPEP § 2143, E.).
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electrode sheet as disclosed within Lee to further include that the mass fraction of the binder within the first layer is greater than the mass fraction of the binder within the second layer and that the mass fraction of the binder in the second layer is greater than the mass fraction of the binder within the third layer as disclosed within Sugawara.
As to claim 2, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 1, and further discloses wherein the first functional filler comprises an inorganic filler and/or a polymer filler [0075]; the inorganic filler comprises at least one of alumina, silica, silicon monooxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, cerium oxide, vanadium pentoxide, ferrous oxide, boehmite, hydrotalcite, and metal salt; the polymer filler comprises at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene particles, polyethylene microspheres, polystyrene microspheres, and polyurethane microspheres [0075]; and/or an average particle size of the first functional filler is D501, an average particle size of the second functional filler is D502, and an average particle size of the first electrode active material in the active material layer is D503, which satisfies D501<D502<D503; and/or, D501 < 2.5μm; and/or, D502<3.5μm [0065]; and/or, D503>5μm [100].
As to claim 5, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 1, and further discloses wherein the second functional filler comprises a second electrode active material [0028] and a non-electrode active material [0075]; in the second coating, the second electrode active material has a mass content of 0-98.5% [0099], the non-electrode active material has a mass content of 0-98.5% [0075]; and the mass content of the second electrode active material and the mass content of the non-electrode active material are not both 0 at the same time [0099]; and/or the second functional filler has a sphericity of P2, and an average particle size of the second functional filler is D502 expressed in pm, which satisfies: P2/D502 0.2, and/or, P2>0.70 [0042].
As to claim 6, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 5, and further discloses wherein a mass ratio of the first electrode active material in the active material layer to the active material layer is not less than a mass ratio of the second electrode active material in the second coating to the second coating [0099-0100]; and/or the first electrode active material is same as or different from the second electrode active material [0099-0100]; and/or the non-electrode active material comprises an inorganic filler and/or a polymer filler [0075], and the inorganic filler comprises at least one of alumina, silica, silicon monoxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, cerium oxide, vanadium pentoxide, oxide iron, boehmite, hydrotalcite, and metal salt; the metal salt comprises barium sulfate and/or calcium sulfate; the polymer filler comprises at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene particles, polyethylene microspheres, polystyrene microspheres and polyurethane microspheres [0075]; and/or in the second coating, neither the mass content of the second electrode active material nor the mass content of the non-electrode active material is 0.
As to claim 7, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 1, and further discloses wherein the first coating further comprises a dispersant [0072]. However, Lee does not disclose wherein the dispersant is comprising at least one of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, lithium carboxymethylcellulose, sodium polyacrylate, and polyvinylpyrrolidone; in the first coating, the conductive agent has a mass content of 2%-45%, the binder has a mass content of 5%-70%, the first functional filler has a mass content of 0-70%, and the dispersant has a mass content of 0-10%; and/or in the second coating, the conductive agent has a mass content of 0.5%-10%, the binder has a mass content of 3%-30%, and a balance of the second coating is the second functional filler; and/or in the active material layer, the conductive agent has a mass content of 0.5%-5%, the binder has a mass content of 1%-5%, and the first electrode active material has a mass content of 90%-98.5%.
Sugawara discloses a negative electrode having multiple coating layers overlayed on a current collector, wherein in the second coating, the binder has a mass content of 3%-30% [0031], and a balance of the second coating is the second functional filler [0031] to create slurries with the ideal mixture for forming a negative electrode. However, Sugawara does not disclose wherein in the second coating the conductive agent has a mass content of 0.5%-10%,. However, differences in concentration or temperature will not support the patentability of subject mattery encompassed by the prior art unless there is evidence indicating such concentration or temperature is critical. “[Where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955) (See MPEP § 2144.05, II.).
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the electrode sheet as disclosed within Lee to further include that the various mass content ranges for the components in the coating layers to create an electrode with desired properties as disclosed within Sugawara.
As to claim 8, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 6, and further discloses wherein the first coating further comprises a dispersant [0072]. However, Lee does not disclose wherein the dispersant is comprising at least one of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, lithium carboxymethylcellulose, sodium polyacrylate, and polyvinylpyrrolidone; in the first coating, the conductive agent has a mass content of 2%-45%, the binder has a mass content of 5%-70%, the first functional filler has a mass content of 0-70%, and the dispersant has a mass content of 0-10%; and/or in the second coating, the conductive agent has a mass content of 0.5%-10%, the binder has a mass content of 3%-30%, and a balance of the second coating is the second functional filler; and/or in the active material layer, the conductive agent has a mass content of 0.5%-5%, the binder has a mass content of 1%-5%, and the first electrode active material has a mass content of 90%-98.5%.
Sugawara discloses a negative electrode having multiple coating layers overlayed on a current collector, wherein in the second coating, the binder has a mass content of 3%-30% [0031], and a balance of the second coating is the second functional filler [0031] to create slurries with the ideal mixture for forming a negative electrode. However, Sugawara does not disclose wherein in the second coating the conductive agent has a mass content of 0.5%-10%,. However, differences in concentration or temperature will not support the patentability of subject mattery encompassed by the prior art unless there is evidence indicating such concentration or temperature is critical. “[Where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955) (See MPEP § 2144.05, II.).
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the electrode sheet as disclosed within Lee to further include that the various mass content ranges for the components in the coating layers to create an electrode with desired properties as disclosed within Sugawara.
As to claim 9, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 1, and further discloses wherein a thickness of the first coating is not more than a thickness of the second coating, and the thickness of the second coating is less than a thickness of the active material layer [0074]; and/or the thickness of the first coating is 0.5μm-5μm; and/or the thickness of the second coating is between 1.5μm and 8μm; and/or the thickness of the active material layer is 15μm - 80μm [0074].
As to claim 10, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 1, and further discloses wherein the electrode sheet is a positive electrode sheet, the first electrode active material comprising at least one of lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, lithium manganese phosphate, lithium iron manganese phosphate, lithium nickelate, lithium nickel cobalt manganate, lithium nickel cobalt aluminate, lithium vanadium phosphate, lithium-rich manganese material, lithium nickel iron aluminate and lithium titanate; or
the electrode sheet is a negative electrode sheet (figure 1 negative electrode 100), the first electrode active material comprising at least one of artificial graphite, natural graphite, composite graphite, hard carbon, soft carbon, mesocarbon microsphere, petroleum coke, oily needle coke, silicon, silicon oxide, silicon carbon, lithium titanate, and metallic lithium [0015].
As to claim 11, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 5, and further discloses wherein the electrode sheet is a positive electrode sheet, the first electrode active material comprising at least one of lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, lithium manganese phosphate, lithium iron manganese phosphate, lithium nickelate, lithium nickel cobalt manganate, lithium nickel cobalt aluminate, lithium vanadium phosphate, lithium-rich manganese material, lithium nickel iron aluminate and lithium titanate; or
the electrode sheet is a negative electrode sheet (figure 1 negative electrode 100), the first electrode active material comprising at least one of artificial graphite, natural graphite, composite graphite, hard carbon, soft carbon, mesocarbon microsphere, petroleum coke, oily needle coke, silicon, silicon oxide, silicon carbon, lithium titanate, and metallic lithium [0015].
As to claim 12, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 6, and further discloses wherein the electrode sheet is a positive electrode sheet, the first electrode active material comprising at least one of lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, lithium manganese phosphate, lithium iron manganese phosphate, lithium nickelate, lithium nickel cobalt manganate, lithium nickel cobalt aluminate, lithium vanadium phosphate, lithium-rich manganese material, lithium nickel iron aluminate and lithium titanate; or
the electrode sheet is a negative electrode sheet (figure 1 negative electrode 100), the first electrode active material comprising at least one of artificial graphite, natural graphite, composite graphite, hard carbon, soft carbon, mesocarbon microsphere, petroleum coke, oily needle coke, silicon, silicon oxide, silicon carbon, lithium titanate, and metallic lithium [0015].
As to claim 13, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 1, and further wherein the electrode sheet is used within an electrochemical device [0010].
4. Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US-20200176753-A1, disclosed in IDS provided on 28 December 2023) in view of Sugawara (JP-2015069712-A, disclosed in IDS provided on 28 December 2023, machine translation used for rejection below) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Li et al. (CN-109755465-A, disclosed in IDS provided on 28 December 2023, machine translation used for rejection below).
As to claim 3, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 1, but does not disclose wherein an average particle size of the conductive agent in the first coating is D504, and D504≤0.8μm.
Li discloses an electrode pole piece being comprised of a current collector having active material layer coatings disposed on the collector, wherein an average particle size of the conductive agent in the first coating is D504, and D504≤0.8μm (page 4 lines 4-17) to improve the conductivity within the coating.
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the electrode sheet as disclosed within Lee to additionally include that the average particle size of the conductive agent is less than or equal to 0.8μm to improve the conductivity within the coating as disclosed within Li.
5. Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US-20200176753-A1, disclosed in IDS provided on 28 December 2023) in view of Sugawara (JP-2015069712-A, disclosed in IDS provided on 28 December 2023, machine translation used for rejection below) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Li et al. (CN-109755465-A, disclosed in IDS provided on 28 December 2023, machine translation used for rejection below).
As to claim 4, modified Lee discloses the electrode sheet as disclosed in claim 2, but does not disclose wherein an average particle size of the conductive agent in the first coating is D504, and D504≤0.8μm.
Li discloses an electrode pole piece being comprised of a current collector having active material layer coatings disposed on the collector, wherein an average particle size of the conductive agent in the first coating is D504, and D504≤0.8μm (page 4 lines 4-17) to improve the conductivity within the coating.
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the electrode sheet as disclosed within Lee to additionally include that the average particle size of the conductive agent is less than or equal to 0.8μm to improve the conductivity within the coating as disclosed within Li.
Conclusion
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/J.J.S./Examiner, Art Unit 1727
/Maria Laios/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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