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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 8-14 of Remarks, filed 11-10-2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-2, 6-9, 13-17, and 21-23 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of US 2008/0213671.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-2, 6-9, 13-17 and 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2009/0155686 hereinafter Takezawa in view of U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2008/0213671 hereinafter Kogetsu.
Regarding Claim 1, Takezawa teaches a secondary battery (energy storage device) [see figure 1] comprising: an anode (negative electrode) [2]; a cathode (positive electrode) [1]; a separator [3] disposed between the cathode and the anode; and an electrolyte composition (paragraphs 86-87), wherein the anode (negative electrode) comprises LiN(CF3SO2)2 [LiTFSI] (perfluoroalkylsulfonyl imide salt) (paragraphs 22-24).
Takezawa does not specifically disclose that the additive in the electrode is a symmetrical or asymmetrical alkylsulfonyl imide or cyclic alkylene sulfonylimide salt as claimed.
However, Kogetsu teaches a lithium-ion secondary battery [1] (paragraph 24), the secondary battery comprising: a positive electrode [11], a negative electrode [12], a separator [13], and an electrolyte (paragraph 24, 66), wherein the electrolyte comprises imide salts (i.e., lithium bistrifluoromethanesulfonyl imide [LiTFSI] or lithium trifluoromethanesulfonyl nonafluorobutanesulfonyl imide [LiTNFSI]) (paragraph 67). Kogetsu further teaches that the electrode group with the electrolyte is formed in the battery case (paragraph 93) and as such the electrolyte permeates into the electrode group. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use such imide salt in the secondary battery before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because Kogetsu discloses that such configuration can form secondary batteries having improved charge and discharge cycle characteristic (paragraphs 6-7).
In addition, the simple substitution of one known element (i.e., LiTFSI as the imide salt) for another (i.e., LiTNFSI as the imide salt) is likely to be obvious when predictable results are achieved. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S._,_, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 - 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, B.).
Regarding Claim 2, Takezawa teaches that the anode (negative electrode) is a Si-dominant electrode (paragraph 27, see Example 1).
Regarding Claim 6, Takezawa teaches a secondary battery (energy storage device) [see figure 1] comprising: an anode (negative electrode) [2]; a cathode (positive electrode) [1]; a separator [3] disposed between the cathode and the anode; and an electrolyte composition (paragraphs 86-87), wherein the anode (negative electrode) is a Si-dominant electrode (paragraph 27) and the electrolyte comprises LiN(CF3SO2)2 [LiTFSI] (perfluoroalkylsulfonyl imide salt) (paragraphs 16, 23-24, see Example 1).
Takezawa does not specifically disclose that the additive in the electrode is a symmetrical or asymmetrical alkylsulfonyl imide or cyclic alkylene sulfonylimide salt as claimed.
However, Kogetsu teaches a lithium-ion secondary battery [1] (paragraph 24), the secondary battery comprising: a positive electrode [11], a negative electrode [12], a separator [13], and an electrolyte (paragraph 24, 66), wherein the electrolyte comprises imide salts (i.e., lithium bistrifluoromethanesulfonyl imide [LiTFSI] or lithium trifluoromethanesulfonyl nonafluorobutanesulfonyl imide [LiTNFSI]) (paragraph 67). Kogetsu further teaches that the electrode group with the electrolyte is formed in the battery case (paragraph 93) and as such the electrolyte permeates into the electrode group. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use such imide salt in the secondary battery before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because Kogetsu discloses that such configuration can form secondary batteries having improved charge and discharge cycle characteristic (paragraphs 6-7).
In addition, the simple substitution of one known element (i.e., LiTFSI as the imide salt) for another (i.e., LiTNFSI as the imide salt) is likely to be obvious when predictable results are achieved. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S._,_, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 - 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, B.).
Regarding Claim 7, Takezawa teaches that the anode (negative electrode) is a Si-dominant electrode (paragraph 27, see Example 1).
Regarding Claims 8-9, Takezawa teaches that the anode (negative electrode) comprises a self-supporting composite material film including greater than 0 % and less than about 95 % by weight of silicon particles, and greater than 0 % and less than about 90 % by weight of carbon material, wherein the carbon material holds the composite material film together such that the silicon particles are distributed throughout the composite material film (paragraphs 25-30).
Regarding Claim 13, Takezawa teaches that the electrolyte comprises ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) and ethylene carbonate (EC) at a concentration of at 5% or more (paragraph 59, see Example 1).
Regarding Claim 14, Takezawa teaches a method of forming a secondary battery (energy storage device), the method comprising: forming a battery including an anode (negative electrode) [2]; a cathode (positive electrode) [1]; and an electrolyte composition (paragraphs 86-87), wherein the anode (negative electrode) comprises LiN(CF3SO2)2 [LiTFSI] (perfluoroalkylsulfonyl imide salt) (paragraphs 16, 22-24) and the anode is formed by mixing an electrode material to create a slurry, the electrolyte composition is added to the slurry, the slurry is coated on metal foil, and the coated metal foil is dried (see Example 1, paragraph 79).
Takezawa does not specifically disclose that the additive in the electrode is a symmetrical or asymmetrical alkylsulfonyl imide or cyclic alkylene sulfonylimide salt as claimed.
However, Kogetsu teaches a lithium-ion secondary battery [1] (paragraph 24), the secondary battery comprising: a positive electrode [11], a negative electrode [12], a separator [13], and an electrolyte (paragraph 24, 66), wherein the electrolyte comprises imide salts (i.e., lithium bistrifluoromethanesulfonyl imide [LiTFSI] or lithium trifluoromethanesulfonyl nonafluorobutanesulfonyl imide [LiTNFSI]) (paragraph 67). Kogetsu further teaches that the electrode group with the electrolyte is formed in the battery case (paragraph 93) and as such the electrolyte permeates into the electrode group. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use such imide salt in the secondary battery before the effective filing date of the claimed invention because Kogetsu discloses that such configuration can form secondary batteries having improved charge and discharge cycle characteristic (paragraphs 6-7).
In addition, the simple substitution of one known element (i.e., LiTFSI as the imide salt) for another (i.e., LiTNFSI as the imide salt) is likely to be obvious when predictable results are achieved. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S._,_, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 - 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, B.).
Regarding Claim 15, Takezawa teaches that the anode (negative electrode) is a Si-dominant electrode (paragraph 27, see Example 1).
Regarding Claims 16-17, Takezawa teaches that the anode (negative electrode) comprises a self-supporting composite material film including greater than 0 % and less than about 95 % by weight of silicon particles, and greater than 0 % and less than about 90 % by weight of carbon material, wherein the carbon material holds the composite material film together such that the silicon particles are distributed throughout the composite material film (paragraphs 25-30).
Regarding Claims 21-23, Takezawa teaches that the amount of the carbon material is 3 to 60% by weight of the negative electrode mixture and the ratio of the weight of the imide salt to the weight of the carbon material is 10-3 to 10 (paragraphs 20, 27, 29).
A rationale to support a conclusion that a claim would have been obvious is that all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S._,_, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395 (2007) (see MPEP §§ 2143 and 2143.02).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSEI K AMPONSAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3446. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
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/OSEI K AMPONSAH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1752
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