DETAILED ACTION
Summary
This is the initial Office Action based on the Nonaqueous Electrolyte Secondary Battery filed January 31, 2024.
Claims 1-7 are currently pending.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kameda et al. (JP 2013-137875 A).
With regard to claims 1 and 4, Kameda et al. discloses a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising:
a positive electrode (see [0009] teaching “positive electrode”):
a negative electrode (see [0009] teaching “negative electrode”); and
a nonaqueous electrolyte (see [0009] teaching “nonaqueous electrolyte”), wherein
the negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material layer containing a negative electrode active material (see [0009] teaching “the negative electrode is a negative electrode material containing a negative electrode active material”),
the negative electrode active material includes carbon material particles having an average circularity of 0.86 or more (see [0031] and [0051] teaching average circularity of carbon material particles “0.88 or higher”),
the negative electrode active material layer has an apparent density of 1.30 g/cm3 to 1.69 g/cm3 (see [0064] teaching “1 g/cm3 or more” and “2.2 g/cm3 or less”),
the nonaqueous electrolyte contains a nonaqueous solvent and an electrolyte salt (see [0067-0068] teaching “non-aqueous solvent” and “lithium salt”), and
the nonaqueous solvent contains 1% by volume to 30% by volume of a car boxylate ester having 4 or less carbon atoms (see [0070] teaching a carboxylate ester such as “methyl acetate”; see [0075] teaching “at least 5% by mass” and “95% by mass or less” which is cited to read on the claimed “1% by volume to 30% by volume” because the range of 5%-95% by mass necessarily includes corresponding volumes within the claimed range of 1%-30% by volume).
With regard to claim 2, Kameda et al. discloses wherein
the negative electrode active material layer has an apparent density of 1.30 g/cm3 t o 1.50 g/cm3 (recall [0064] teaching “1 g/cm3 or more” and “2.2 g/cm3 or less”).
With regard to claim 3, Kameda et al. discloses wherein
the nonaqueous solvent contains 6% by volume to 30% by volume of the carboxyl ate ester (recall [0075] teaching “at least 5% by mass” and “95% by mass or less” which is cited to read on the claimed “6% by volume to 30% by volume” because the range of 5%-95% by mass necessarily includes corresponding volumes within the claimed range of 6%-30% by volume).
With regard to claim 5, Kameda et al. discloses wherein
the nonaqueous electrolyte further contains a film forming agent (see [0076] teaching “lithium difluorooxalatoborate”).
With regard to claim 6, Kameda et al. discloses wherein
the negative electrode active material layer has a weight per unit area of 10 mg/cm2 or more (see [0127] teaching “12 mg/cm2”).
With regard to claim 7, Kameda et al. discloses wherein
the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is a battery of a vehicle driving power supply for hybrid vehicles (the cited nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery of Kameda et al. is cited to read on the claimed “is a battery of a vehicle driving power supply for hybrid vehicles” because it is structurally capable of being a battery of a vehicle driving power supply for hybrid vehicles as it functions as a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery power supply).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Deguchi (U.S. Pub. No. 2015/0024283 A1) teaching sphericity of graphite particles of 80% or more to improve the packability of the graphite particles and bonding strength between graphite particles (see [0107]).
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/DUSTIN Q DAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721 June 17, 2026
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