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, claims 1-15 drawn to a battery component fabrication method, in the reply filed on 8/10/2026 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Claims 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 8/10/2026.
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.
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.
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(s) 1-8 and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uchiyama et al. (JP 2019067572, see machine translation) in view of Orilall et al. (US 2012/0082884).
Regarding claim 1, Uchiyama et al. discloses a battery component fabrication method comprising heating (or drying) at least one electrolyte layer (see the solid electrolyte layers being dried as described in [0067-0072] of the translation), compressing (or hot roll processing) the at least one electrolyte layer (12 in fig. 2b, or 23a in fig. 3a, or 23b in fig. 3c of the original document) together with an electrode (10a/11 in fig. 2b, 21a/24 in fig. 3a, 22/25 in fig. 3c of the original document) to provide a multilayered structure (see [fig. 3b and 3c of the original document); and after the compressing, heating (or post heating) the multilayered structure at a post-compression thermal chamber (or a furnace, see [0041-0047], examples 4-5 described in [0081-0082] of the translation).
Uchiyama discloses using furnace for heating, e.g. post heating (see [0046] of the translation).
Uchiyama et al. does not disclose performing the heating (or drying) at least one electrolyte layer at a pre-heating chamber.
Orilall et al. teaches a stand-alone modular processing system where each modular processing chamber is structurally separated from the other modular processing chambers (see fig. 16), in which a pre-heating chamber (1622, fig. 16) is used for the heating step (or drying, see [0086]) before the compression chamber (1630, fig. 1) for compressing step (see [0090]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used a pre-compression thermal chamber (or pre-heating chamber) as taught by Orilall for heating/drying the at least one electrolyte layer of Uchiyama et al., because Uchiyama teaches using a chamber (or a furnace for a heating process) and Orilall et al. teaches using such stand-alone modular would allow the chambers to be arranged, rearranged, replaced, or maintained independently without affecting each other and also be configured to perform a simultaneous two sided process to simultaneously process each side of the substrate (see [0081] of Orilall et al.).
Regarding claim 2, modified Uchiyama et al. teaches a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Uchiyama et al. teaches the at least electrolyte layer is at least one solid electrolyte layer (see figs. 3a-c of the original document; [0037], [0054], [0068-0072] of the translation).
Regarding claim 3, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Uchiyama et al. discloses the electrode (21/24 in figs. 3a-b of the original document) is a cathode electrode (or positive electrode, see examples 4-5 of the translation).
Regarding claim 4, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Uchiyama et al. teaches including heating during the compressing (or hot roll processing process, see fig. 1b of the original document or [0020] and examples 4-5).
Regarding claim 5, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Uchiyama et al. teaches the compressing using at least one set of rollers of a calender (see fig. 1b).
Regarding claim 6, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 5 above, wherein Uchiyama et al. teaches the at least one roller is a heated roller that heats the at least one electrolyte layer and the electrode during the compressing (or hot-roll pressing process, see fig. 1b, examples 4-5).
Regarding claim 7, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Uchiyama et al. discloses compressing laminates the at least one electrolyte layer (23a or 23b) to the electrode (21/24 or 22/25, see figs. 3a-3c).
Regarding claim 8, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above, wherein the compressing is the application of pressure and therefore will plastically deforms the at least one electrolyte layer and the electrode .
Regarding claim 10, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Uchiyama et al. teaches the at least one electrolyte layer is laminated to a carrier layer (or release sheet) when heating the at least one electrolyte layer at the pre-compression thermal chamber (see [0068-0072] of the translation).
Regarding claim 11, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 10 above, wherein Uchiyama teaches the carrier layer is a release layer and does not show including such carrier layer in the multilayer structure (see figs. 3b-c). Therefore, the carrier layer (or the release layer) is subjected to be delaminated (or released) from the at least one electrolyte layer when providing the multilayered structure .
Regarding claim 12, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Uchiyama et al. teaches comprising heating the electrode prior to compressing the at least one electrolyte layer together with the electrode (see [0061-0065] of the translation).
Regarding claim 13, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 12 above; wherein Uchiyama et al. teaches heating the electrolyte prior to the compressing step, and also teaches heating the electrode layer prior to the compressing step that is separate from heating the electrode (see [0062-0072]); Orilall et al. teaches using separate chambers would allow each chamber to be arranged, rearranged, replaced, or maintained independently without affecting each other ([0081]).
Modified Uchiyama et al. does not teach using separate pre-compression thermal chambers for heating the at least one electrolyte layer prior to the compressing and heating the electrode.
However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of modified Uchiyama et al. by using separate pre-compression thermal chambers, a first pre-compression thermal chambers and a second pre-compression thermal chambers; because Orilall et al. teaches using separate chambers would allow each chambers to be arranged, rearranged, replaced, or maintained independently without affecting each other.
Regarding claim 14, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses as in claim 12 above, wherein Uchiyama et al. further teaches heating the electrode at the same temperature and duration as heating the electrolyte layer (see [0062-0072]).
Modified Uchiyama et al. does not teach heating the electrode in the pre-compression thermal chamber together with the electrolyte layer.
However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of modified Uchiyama et al. by heating the electrode in the pre-compression thermal chamber together with the electrolyte layer to save manufacturing cost since Uchiyama et al. teaches heating the electrode and the electrolyte at the same temperature and duration.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over modified Uchiyama et al. (JP 2019067572) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Oshima et al. (US 2023/0094818).
Regarding claim 9, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 1 above.
Modified Uchiyama et al. does not teach using induction heating to heat (or dry) the at least one electrolyte layer.
Oshima et al. discloses using induction heating among other methods to heat (or dry) the electrolyte (see [0198]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of modified Uchiyama et al. by using induction heat to heat/dry the electrolyte as taught by Oshima et al., because such modification would involve nothing more than use of known device for its intended use in a known environment to accomplish entirely expected result. International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. (KSR), 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Alternatively, claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over modified Uchiyama et al. (JP 2019067572) as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Nishimura et al. (WO 2023/119886, having an English equivalence of US 2025/0046843, which is relied upon herein).
Regarding claim 11, modified Uchiyama et al. discloses a method as in claim 10 above, Uchiyama teaches the carrier layer is a release layer and does not show including such carrier layer in the multilayer structure (see figs. 3b-c).
Uchiyama et al. does not explicitly express in word that the carrier (or the release layer) is delaminated from the at least one electrolyte layer when providing the multilayered structure.
Nishimura et al. expresses the carrier (or release layer) is subjected to be released (see [0121-0124]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have subjected the carrier layer (or release layer) of Uchiyama et al. to be released as taught by Nishimura et al., or to be delaminated from the at least electrolyte layer when providing the multilayered structure; because Uchiyama explicitly teaches the carrier layer is a release layer that is subjected to be released from the electrolyte layer, or delaminated from the electrolyte layer, as taught by Nishimura et al.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over modified Uchiyama et al. (JP 2019067572) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Waseda (US 2020/0036044).
Regarding claim 15, modified Uchiyama et al. disclose a method as in claim 1 above, wherein Uchiyama et al. teaches the component (or laminate) comprising an electrolyte layer and an electrode layer.
Modified Uchiyama et al. does not disclose the component (or laminate) having the at least one electrolyte layer comprises a first electrolyte layer and a second electrolyte layer that sandwich the electrode within the multilayered structure.
Waseda teaches providing/forming a component or a multilayered structure (or laminate) having a first electrolyte layer (3a, fig. 1, [0042]) and a second electrolyte layer (3b, fig. 1, [0042]) sandwich an electrode (4a/5/4b, fig. 1, [0042]) within the multilayered structure (see fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of modified Uchiyama et al. by providing/forming a component/multilayered structure (or laminate) having a first electrolyte layer and a second electrolyte layer sandwich an electrode within the multilayered structure as taught by Waseda, because Waseda teaches such multilayered structure (or laminate) would provide an all-solid-state battery would suppress cracking of extending parts of the cell laminate and the resin layer ([0031]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH-TRUC TRINH whose telephone number is (571)272-6594. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am - 6:00pm.
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THANH-TRUC TRINH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1726
/THANH TRUC TRINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1726
