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 .
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.
Claims 1-6, 10-14 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chao et al. (hereinafter “Chao”) (CN 114976213 A; see English machine translation) in view of Deng et al. (hereinafter “Deng”) (WO 2021/132308 A1; see U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0099184 A1 for English translation).
Regarding claims 1-6, 10-14 and 16-18, Chao teaches a solid electrolyte comprising at least one electron transfer complex and at least one ion source (see paragraph 12). An exemplary solid electrolyte comprises hydroquinone (HQ) and tetracyano-p-dimethylbenzoquinone (TCNQ) as an electron transfer complex and LiTFSI as an ion source (see paragraph 46).
Chao is silent as to an ethylene carbonate small molecule additive.
Deng teaches a solid electrolyte comprising an alkali metal salt, a polymer, and an electron acceptor, wherein the electron acceptor can form a charge-transfer complex with the polymer (see paragraphs 46, 47 and 71). The electrolyte may further comprise ethylene carbonate as an electrolytic-dissociation assistant (see paragraphs 74 and 88). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have utilized the electrolytic-dissociation assistant of Deng in the solid electrolyte of Chao because Deng teaches that the electrolytic-dissociation assistant and can form a conduction path by which an ionic conductivity of the solid electrolyte can be improved (see paragraph 88).
Claims 7-9, 15, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chao and Deng as applied to claims 1-6, 10-14 and 16-18 above, and further in view of Li et al. (hereinafter “Li’) (U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0395847 A1).
Regarding claims 7, 15 and 19, Deng teaches that the electron acceptor may be a quinone electron acceptor (see paragraph 72). Deng further teaches that the polymer with which the electron acceptor forms a charge-transfer complex may comprise the polymerization product of meta-phenylene sulfide and para-phenylene sulfide (polyphenylene sulfide) (see paragraph 194).
Deng does not explicitly teach TFBQ as a quinone electron acceptor.
Li teaches that Fluoranil (2,3,5,6-Tetrafluoro-1,4-benzoquinone) is known in the art as a quinone electron acceptor (see paragraph 43). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have utilized Fluoranil as taught by Li as the quinone electron acceptor of Deng because the selection of a known material, which is based upon its suitability for the intended use, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960) (see MPEP § 2144.07). Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the charge-transfer complex of Deng in combination with the electron transfer complex of Chao because the courts have held that it is prima facie obvious to combine two compositions each of which is taught by the prior art to be useful for the same purpose, in order to form a third composition to be used for the very same purpose. The idea of combining them flows logically from their having been individually taught in the prior art. See In re Kerkhoven, 626 F.2d 846, 850, 205 USPQ 1069, 1072 (CCPA 1980) (see MPEP § 2144.06).
Regarding claims 8, 9 and 20, the molar mass of ethylene carbonate is 88.062 grams per mole.
Conclusion
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/STEPHAN J ESSEX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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