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.
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) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto JP2013182842A (using machine English translation provided) in view of Oguma JP2015032535A (using machine English translation provided; cited in IDS filed 21 July 2026) and further in view of Ouchi US20140120409A1.
Regarding claim 1, Okamoto discloses a method of manufacturing an all solid-state secondary battery (Okamoto, [0001]), the method comprising:
a positive electrode layer forming process (Okamoto, [0017]) of forming a positive electrode layer containing a positive electrode active material (Okamoto, [0020]),
an electrolyte layer laminating process of laminating an electrolyte layer (Okamoto, [0019]) containing a solid electrolyte (Okamoto, [0013]) on one surface of the positive electrode layer (Okamoto, [0019]),
a first compression process of compressing the positive electrode layer and the electrolyte layer with a first pressure and obtaining a first compressed body (Okamoto, [0043]),
a negative electrode layer laminating process of laminating a negative electrode layer (Okamoto, [0019]) on a surface of the first compressed body in which the intermediate layer is exposed, and
a third compression process of compressing the positive electrode layer, the electrolyte layer, the intermediate layer, and the negative electrode layer with a third pressure and obtaining a third compressed body (Okamoto, [0043]),
wherein the positive electrode layer forming process, the electrolyte layer laminating process, the first compression process, the intermediate layer laminating process, the second compression process, the negative electrode layer laminating process, and the third compression process are performed in sequence (Okamoto, [0019], [0043]). Okamoto does not disclose an intermediate layer laminating process of laminating an intermediate layer on a surface of the first compressed body in which the electrolyte layer is exposed, a second compression process of compressing the positive electrode layer, the electrolyte layer, and the intermediate layer with a second pressure and obtaining a second compressed body, and the second pressure is higher than each of the first pressure and the third pressure.
Oguma teaches an intermediate layer (Oguma, Fig. 2, 6) laminating process of laminating an intermediate layer on a surface of the first compressed body in which the electrolyte layer is exposed (Oguma, [0020]),
a second compression process of compressing the positive electrode layer, the electrolyte layer, and the intermediate layer with a second pressure and obtaining a second compressed body (Oguma, [0020]) and therein the second pressure is about 192 MPa (Oguma, [0020]). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method disclosed by Okamoto by adding the intermediate layer and compression, as taught by Oguma, thereby preventing a decrease in output (Oguma, [0010]). Okamoto as modified by Oguma does not teach the second pressure is higher than each of the first pressure and the third pressure.
Ouchi teaches a first compression process of compressing the positive electrode layer and the electrolyte layer (Ouchi, [0019]) with a first pressure of 0.01 kg/cm2 or more and 100 kg/cm2 or less (Ouchi, [0022]) and obtaining a first compressed body (Ouchi, [0022]). Ouchi further teaches the same pressure can be applied to the negative electrode layer onto a solid electrolyte layer (Ouchi, [0019], [0022]). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method as taught by Okamoto and modified by Oguma, including a first and third pressure of 0.01 kg/cm2 (0.0009 MPa) or more and 100 kg/cm2 (9.8 MPa) or less, thereby forming a stacked body which has an electrical cell structure (Ouchi, [0025]), satisfying the claim limitation the second pressure is higher than each of the first pressure and the third pressure.
Regarding claim 2, modified Okamoto further teaches wherein, in the positive electrode layer forming process, the positive electrode layer is formed on a positive electrode current collector (Okamoto, [0019]) such that the positive electrode layer is laminated (Okamoto, [0019]).
Regarding claim 3, modified Okamoto also teaches wherein the positive electrode current collector has a first surface and a second surface at opposite side of the first surface (Okamoto, Fig. 1, 1 which has a first and second surface), and in the positive electrode layer forming process, the positive electrode layer (Okamoto, Fig. 1, 2) is formed on the first surface of the positive electrode current collector (Okamoto, Fig. 1, 1 and 2). Modified Okamoto does not teach wherein the positive electrode layer is formed on each of the first surface and the second surface of the positive electrode current collector.
Oguma teaches in another embodiment wherein the positive electrode layer (Oguma, Fig. 2, 2) is formed on each of the first surface and the second surface of the positive electrode current collector (Oguma, Fig. 2, 1 and 2). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the method taught by modified Okamoto wherein the positive electrode layer is formed two surfaces of the positive electrode current collector, as taught by Oguma, thereby having good output characteristics (Oguma, [0033]).
Regarding claim 10, modified Okamoto additionally teaches after the third compression process (Okamoto, [0043]), a negative electrode current collector laminating process of laminating a negative electrode current collector on a surface of the third compressed body in which the negative electrode layer is exposed (Okamoto, [0019]), and a fourth compression process of compressing the positive electrode layer, the electrolyte layer, the intermediate layer, the negative electrode layer, and the negative electrode current collector and obtaining the all solid-state secondary battery (Okamoto, Fig. 8(b), 1-5).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto JP2013182842A (using machine English translation provided) in view of Oguma JP2015032535A (using machine English translation provided; cited in IDS filed 21 July 2026) and Ouchi US20140120409A1 and further in view of Ueda JP2017152146A (using machine English translation).
Regarding claim 4, modified Okamoto does not teach wherein the intermediate layer has a solid electrolyte, a carbide, and a binder.
Ueda teaches wherein an intermediate layer has a solid electrolyte, a carbide, and a binder (Ueda, [0014]). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of modified Okamoto with the intermediate layer, as taught by Ueda, thereby increasing the capacity (Ueda, [0038]).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto JP2013182842A (using machine English translation provided) in view of Oguma JP2015032535A (using machine English translation provided; cited in IDS filed 21 July 2026) and Ouchi US20140120409A1 and further in view of Honda JP2020107514A (using machine English translation).
Regarding claim 5, modified Okamoto as modified by Oguma teaches wherein the negative electrode layer (Oguma, Fig. 2, 2) has a negative electrode-facing surface that faces the intermediate layer (Okamoto, Fig. 2, 6), but does not teach before performing the negative electrode layer laminating process, surface roughening is performed on the negative electrode-facing surface, and after the surface roughening is performed, the negative electrode layer laminating process is performed.
Honda teaches before performing the negative electrode layer laminating process, surface roughening is performed on the negative electrode-facing surface (Honda, [0006]), and after the surface roughening is performed, the negative electrode layer laminating process is performed (Honda, Fig. 2, 130, 110). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method as taught by modified Okamoto with surface roughening performed on the negative electrode-facing surface, as taught by Honda, thereby improving reliability (Honda, [0005]).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto JP2013182842A (using machine English translation provided) in view of Oguma JP2015032535A (using machine English translation provided; cited in IDS filed 21 July 2026), Ouchi US20140120409A1 and Honda JP2020107514A (using machine English translation) and further in view of Tonegawa US20220399538A1.
Regarding claim 6, modified Okamoto does not teach wherein, in the surface roughening, a surface roughness of the negative electrode-facing surface is 20 μm or more.
Tonegawa teaches wherein, in the surface roughening, a surface roughness of the negative electrode-facing surface is 1.0 or more (Tonegawa, [0088]), rendering obvious the claimed range of 20 μm or more. See MPEP § 2144.05. Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method as taught by modified Okamoto with a surface roughness of the negative electrode-facing surface, as taught by Tonegawa, thereby reducing a resistance to improve rate characteristics (Tonegawa, [0088]).
Claim(s) 7-9 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okamoto JP2013182842A (using machine English translation provided) in view of Oguma JP2015032535A (using machine English translation provided; cited in IDS filed 21 July 2026) and further in view of Ouchi US20140120409A1 and further in view of Liu JP7195275B2 (using machine English translation).
Regarding claim 7, modified Okamoto additionally teaches wherein, in each of the first compression process, the second compression process, and the third compression process, pressure is applied (Okamoto, [0043]) and while modified Okamoto does not teach explicitly a compression member configured to compress a compression object is used, it would be obvious to the skilled artisan that the claim limitation is satisfied as the compression taught by modified Okamoto is done to a physical material and therefore done by a physical compression object. Modified Okamoto does not teach in at least one of the first compression process, the second compression process, and the third compression process, in a state in which a protective sheet is interposed between the compression object and the compression member, the compression member compresses the compression object.
Liu teaches in a compression process (Liu, Fig. 1F(B)) in a state in which a protective sheet (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 314a) is interposed between the compression object (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 320) and the compression member (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 318a), the compression member compresses the compression object (Liu, [0086], applying compressive stress (from a roller)). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught by modified Okamoto wherein in at least one of the compression processes a protective sheet is used, as taught by Liu, thereby the compression object can be continuously collected (Liu, [0087]).
Regarding claim 8, modified Okamoto additionally teaches wherein, in each of the first compression process, the second compression process, and the third compression process, pressure is applied (Okamoto, [0043]) and while modified Okamoto does not teach explicitly a compression member configured to compress a compression object is used, it would be obvious to the skilled artisan that the claim limitation is satisfied as the compression taught by modified Okamoto is done to a physical material and therefore done by a physical compression object. Modified Okamoto does not teach in at least one of the first compression process, the second compression process, and the third compression process, in a state in which a protective sheet is interposed between the compression object and the compression member, the compression member compresses the compression object.
Liu teaches in a compression process (Liu, Fig. 1F(B)) in a state in which a protective sheet (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 314a) is interposed between the compression object (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 320) and the compression member (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 318a), the compression member compresses the compression object (Liu, [0086], applying compressive stress (from a roller)). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught by modified Okamoto wherein in at least one of the compression processes a protective sheet is used, as taught by Liu, thereby the compression object can be continuously collected (Liu, [0087]).
Regarding claim 9, modified Okamoto additionally teaches wherein, in each of the first compression process, the second compression process, and the third compression process, pressure is applied (Okamoto, [0043]) and while modified Okamoto does not teach explicitly a compression member configured to compress a compression object is used, it would be obvious to the skilled artisan that the claim limitation is satisfied as the compression taught by modified Okamoto is done to a physical material and therefore done by a physical compression object. Modified Okamoto does not teach in at least one of the first compression process, the second compression process, and the third compression process, in a state in which a protective sheet is interposed between the compression object and the compression member, the compression member compresses the compression object.
Liu teaches in a compression process (Liu, Fig. 1F(B)) in a state in which a protective sheet (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 314a) is interposed between the compression object (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 320) and the compression member (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 318a), the compression member compresses the compression object (Liu, [0086], applying compressive stress (from a roller)). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught by modified Okamoto wherein in at least one of the compression processes a protective sheet is used, as taught by Liu, thereby the compression object can be continuously collected (Liu, [0087]).
Regarding claim 11, modified Okamoto further teaches wherein, in the fourth compression process, a compression member (Okamoto, Fig. 8(b), P) configured to compress a compression object (Okamoto, Fig. 8(b), 1-5) is used, but does not teach in the fourth compression process, in a state in which a protective sheet is interposed between the compression object and the compression member, the compression member compresses the compression object.
Liu teaches in a compression process (Liu, Fig. 1F(B)) in a state in which a protective sheet (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 314a) is interposed between the compression object (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 320) and the compression member (Liu, Fig. 1F(B), 318a), the compression member compresses the compression object (Liu, [0086], applying compressive stress (from a roller)). Therefore it would be obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught by modified Okamoto in the fourth compression process a protective sheet is used, as taught by Liu, thereby the compression object can be continuously collected (Liu, [0087]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ishiguro US20220181703A1 (discloses a step-wise method of manufacturing an all solid state battery comprising compressing members and a protective film).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JARED HANSEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4590. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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/JARED HANSEN/Examiner, Art Unit 1723 /TIFFANY LEGETTE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723
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