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 § 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.
Claims 1, 3-6, 9, 11-14, and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 108962628.
With respect to claim 1, CN ‘628 discloses a hydrogel (see Example 3, paragraph [0041]) comprising a polymeric matrix and a solution comprising water and a salt (see paragraph [0041]), wherein the polymeric matrix comprises polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (see paragraph [0041]) and wherein the salt comprises lithium bromide (LiBr) (see paragraph [0041]).
With respect to claim 3, CN ‘628 is considered to implicitly disclose that the hydrogel remains unfrozen at a temperature below 0 degrees Celsius (°C), optionally wherein the hydrogel remains unfrozen to a temperature as low as about -30°C. CN ‘628 discloses a gel electrolyte using the same compounds as that recited in claim 1, and as such, is considered to disclose any physical properties associated with that gel electrolyte, including freezing temperature. See MPEP 2112.01.
With respect to claim 4, CN ‘628 is considered to implicitly disclose that the hydrogel retains at least about 70% or more of an initial water content over a time period of about 24 hours. CN ‘628 discloses a gel electrolyte using the same compounds as that recited in claim 1, and as such, is considered to disclose any physical properties associated with that gel electrolyte, including water retention. See MPEP 2112.01.
With respect to claim 5, CN ‘628 is considered to implicitly disclose that the hydrogel has an ionic conductivity of about 95 milliSiemens per centimeter (mS.cm-1). CN ‘628 discloses a gel electrolyte using the same compounds as that recited in claim 1, and as such, is considered to disclose any physical properties associated with that gel electrolyte, including ionic conductivity. See MPEP 2112.01.
With respect to claim 6, CN ‘628 discloses a method of preparing a hydrogel electrolyte (see paragraph [0041]), wherein the method comprises: (i) preparing a first solution, wherein the first solution comprises an aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (see paragraph [0041], noting mixing PVA in water); (ii) preparing a second solution, wherein the second solution comprises an aqueous solution of lithium bromide (LiBr) (see paragraph [0041], noting mixing LiBr in water); and (iii) adding a volume of the first solution to a volume of the second solution to provide a mixture and stirring the mixture for a period of time to provide a clear composition (see paragraph [0041]), thereby providing the hydrogel electrolyte (see paragraph [0041]).
With respect to claim 9, CN ‘628 discloses that preparing the first solution comprises adding PVA to deionized water to provide a PVA mixture and stirring the PVA mixture at an elevated temperature, optionally at a temperature of about 80 degrees Celsius (°C), for a period of time until the PVA mixture becomes clear. See paragraph [0041].
With respect to claim 11, CN ‘628 discloses that said hydrogel electrolyte is non-flammable, redox active, remains unfrozen at a temperature of about -30°C, and/or retains at least about 70% of an initial water content over a time period of about 24 hours. CN ‘628 discloses a gel electrolyte using the same compounds as that recited in claim 6, and as such, is considered to disclose any physical properties associated with that gel electrolyte, including freezing temperature and water retention. See MPEP 2112.01.
With respect to claim 12, CN ‘628 discloses a device comprising the hydrogel electrolyte of claim 11. See paragraphs [0041] and [0022].
With respect to claim 13, CN ‘628 discloses that the device is selected from a battery, a capacitor, a supercapacitor, and an optoelectronic device. See paragraph [0022], citing an interdigital capacitor.
With respect to claim 14, CN ‘628 discloses an energy storage device comprising: (a) a cathode; (b) an anode; and (c) the hydrogel electrolyte of claim 11 disposed between the anode and the cathode. See paragraphs [0022] and [0041].
With respect to claim 16, CN ‘628 is considered to implicitly disclose that the energy storage device has an operating potential window of about 1.8 volts (V). CN ‘628 discloses a gel electrolyte using the same compounds as that recited in claim 1, and as such, is considered to disclose any physical properties associated with that gel electrolyte, including operating potential window. See MPEP 2112.01.
With respect to claim 17, CN ‘628 is considered to implicitly disclose that the energy storage device has a specific capacitance of up to about 63.3 F/g. CN ‘628 discloses a gel electrolyte using the same compounds as that recited in claim 1, and as such, is considered to disclose any physical properties associated with that gel electrolyte, including specific capacitance. See MPEP 2112.01.
With respect to claim 18, CN ‘628 is considered to implicitly disclose that the energy storage device has an energy density of about 20.5 Wh/kg and/or a power density of about 3430 W/kg. CN ‘628 discloses a gel electrolyte using the same compounds as that recited in claim 1, and as such, is considered to disclose any physical properties associated with that gel electrolyte, including energy density. See MPEP 2112.01.
With respect to claim 19, CN ‘628 is considered to implicitly disclose that during a self-discharge test, the energy storage device takes more than 10,800 seconds to drop from about 1.8 V to about 0.3 V. CN ‘628 discloses a gel electrolyte using the same compounds as that recited in claim 1, and as such, is considered to disclose any physical properties associated with that gel electrolyte, including voltage drop. See MPEP 2112.01.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 2, 7, 8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 108962628 in view of CN 110323074.
With respect to claim 2, CN ‘628 fails to explicitly teach that the hydrogel comprises (i) about 2 parts of an aqueous solution of LiBr having a LiBr concentration of about 0.5 M to about 5 M and (ii) about one part of an aqueous solution comprising about 0.15 grams per milliliter (g/mL) PVA.
CN ‘074, on the other hand, teaches a gel electrolyte where a concentration of a lithium salt in the electrolyte is about 0.5 molar (M) to about 5 M, a concentration of a PVA in the electrolyte is about .015 grams of PVA per milliliter, and that that the ratio of volume of these solutions is a design choice based on the needed concentration depending on the use of the flexible supercapacitor. See paragraph [0008] and paragraph [0007], step B. Such an arrangement produces a gel electrolyte useful in flexible supercapacitor applications.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the invention, to modify CN ‘628, as taught by CN ‘074, as a design choice based on a needed gel electrolyte to be used in flexible supercapacitor applications.
With respect to claim 7, CN ‘628 fails to explicitly teach that the second solution has a concentration of LiBr of about 0.5 molar (M) to about 5 M.
CN ‘074, on t the other hand, teaches a gel electrolyte where a concentration of a lithium salt in the electrolyte is about 0.5 molar (M) to about 5 M. See paragraph [0008]. Such an arrangement results in a gel electrolyte useful in flexible supercapacitor applications. See abstract.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the invention, to modify CN ‘628, as taught by CN ‘074, in order to produce a gel electrolyte useful in flexible supercapacitor applications.
With respect to claim 8, CN ‘628 fails to explicitly teach that the first solution comprises about 0.15 grams of PVA per milliliter.
CN ‘074, on t the other hand, teaches a gel electrolyte where a concentration of a PVA in the electrolyte is about .015 grams of PVA per milliliter. See paragraph [0008]. Such an arrangement results in a gel electrolyte useful in flexible supercapacitor applications. See abstract.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the invention, to modify CN ‘628, as taught by CN ‘074, in order to produce a gel electrolyte useful in flexible supercapacitor applications.
With respect to claim 10, CN ‘628 fails to explicitly teach that ratio of the volume of the second solution to the volume of the first solution is about 2:1.
However, CN ‘074 clearly teaches that the ratio of volume of these solutions is a design choice based on the needed concentration depending on the use of the flexible supercapacitor. See paragraph [0007], step B. Such an arrangement produces a gel electrolyte useful in flexible supercapacitor applications.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the invention, to modify CN ‘628, as taught by CN ‘074, as a design choice based on a needed gel electrolyte to be used in flexible supercapacitor applications.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 108962628 in view of Roumi et al. (US Pat. App. Pub. No. 2013/0189592).
With respect to claim 15, CN ‘628 fails to explicitly teach that the cathode and/or the anode comprises activated carbon and/or graphite.
Roumi, on the other hand, teaches that the electrodes for a cell having an electrolyte that may include PVA and LiBr comprises activated carbon and/or graphite. See paragraph [0024]. Such an arrangement results in improved conductivity for the cell. See paragraph [0024].
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the invention, to modify CN ‘628, as taught by Roumi, in order to improve the conductivity of the cell.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. CN 114614112, CN 110265227, and JPWO2002093679 each disclose capacitors using gel electrolytes including PVA and lithium salts, but fail to explicitly teach the use of LiBr.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DION R FERGUSON whose telephone number is (571)270-7566. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 5:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Dole can be reached at 571-272-2229. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DION R. FERGUSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848