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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In [00142], 200 represents “positive electrode” in Fig. 2; and in [00148] 200 also represents “all solid-state battery stack” in Fig. 3. To remove ambiguity appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li et al. (CN 112133924 A).
Claim 1: Li teaches a full solid battery 100 (page 4, line 21) comprising a power generation element 50 (page 4, line 19) in an outer packaging body 60 (page 4, line 20), wherein the power generation element 50 comprising an anode 10 (page 4, line 10), a solid electrolyte layer 20 (page 4, line 13), a cathode active material 31 (page 4, line 15), a cathode current collector 32a (page 4, line 17) and an elastic part 32b (page 4, line 18) in the order thereof (Fig. 1). The full solid battery 100 meets the claimed all solid-state battery, the anode 10 meets the claimed positive electrode, the solid electrolyte layer 20 meets the claimed solid electrolyte layer, the cathode active material 31 meets the claimed negative electrode coating layer, the cathode current collector 32a meets the claimed negative electrode current collector and the elastic part 32b meets the claimed negative electrode protection layer. Li teaches the elastic part 32b comprises a styrene butadiene rubber (page 7, line 2), the cathode active material 31 comprises a metal active material or a carbon active material (page 7, lines 19-20), and the cathode current collector 32a comprises a copper (page 6, line 34).
Claim 2: Li teaches the elastic part 32b comprises a styrene butadiene rubber (page 7, line 2), which is an insulating material.
Claim 3: Li teaches the elastic part 32b comprises a styrene butadiene rubber (page 7, line 2), which meets the claimed rubber adhesive.
Claim 4: Li teaches the elastic part 32b comprises a styrene butadiene rubber (page 7, line 2).
Claim 5: Li teaches the thickness of the elastic part is 10 µm or more and 500 µ or less (page 7, lines 14-16) which overlaps with the claimed about 0.1 µm to about 30 µm.
Claim 6: Li teaches the cathode current collector 32a comprises a copper (page 6, line 34).
Claim 7: Li teaches the solid electrolyte layer 20 comprises a sulfide solid electrolyte (page 7, line 43).
Claim 8: Li teaches the cathode active material 31 comprises a metal active material or a carbon active material (page 7, lines 19-20).
Claim 9: Li teaches the metal active material comprises a metal such as In and Al (page 7, line 20).
Claim 10: Li teaches the carbon active material comprises a graphite, a hard carbon or a soft carbon (page 7, line 22), wherein the graphite meets the claimed crystalline carbon, and the hard and soft carbons meet the claimed amorphous carbon.
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.
Claims 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (CN 112133924 A) in view of Aranami et al. (US 2021/0249695 A1) in view of Choi et al. (US 2022/0115690 A1).
Claim 11: Li teaches a full solid battery 100 (page 4, line 21) comprising a power generation element 50 (page 4, line 19) in an outer packaging body 60 (page 4, line 20), wherein the power generation element 50 comprising an anode 10 (page 4, line 10), a solid electrolyte layer 20 (page 4, line 13), a cathode active material 31 (page 4, line 15), a cathode current collector 32a (page 4, line 17) and an elastic part 32b (page 4, line 18) in the order thereof (Fig. 1). Li teaches the elastic part 32b comprises a styrene butadiene rubber (page 7, line 2), the cathode active material 31 comprises a metal active material or a carbon active material (page 7, lines 19-20), and the cathode current collector 32a comprises a copper (page 6, line 34). Li teaches a plurality of power generation elements 50 laminated in thickness direction and connected in parallel to realize high capacity (page 36-38), but Li does not teach a cathode-to-cathode parallel connection. The power generation element 50 corresponds to the claimed unit battery. However, Aranami teaches an electrochemical cell system 100 comprising a first electrochemical cell 100a and a second electrochemical cell 100b connected in parallel to deliver high power density or high energy density on demand (Fig. 1, [0011] and [0012]). The electrochemical cell system 100 corresponds to the claimed battery stack, the first electrochemical cell 100a corresponds to the claimed first unit battery and the second electrochemical cell 100b corresponds to the claimed second unit battery.
Li and Aranami are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor that is the battery art. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teaching of Aranami, (i.e., connecting two electrochemical cells/power generation elements 50/unit batteries in a cathode-to-cathode parallel connection) with the invention of Li, and the motivation for combining would be, as Aranami suggested, to deliver high power density or high energy density on demand [0011].
The combination of Li and Aranami would result in a full solid battery 100 stack comprising a first power generation element 50 comprising a first anode 10, a first solid electrolyte layer 20, a first cathode active material 31, a first cathode current collector 32a and a first elastic part 32b in the order thereof; and a second power generation element 50 comprising a second elastic part 32b, a second cathode current collector 32a, a second cathode active material 31, a second solid electrolyte layer 20 and a second anode 10, in the order thereof. The full solid battery 100 stack meets the claimed battery stack, the first power generation element 50 meets the claimed first unit battery, the first anode 10 meets the claimed first positive electrode, the first solid electrolyte layer 20 meets the claimed first solid electrolyte layer, the first cathode active material 31 meets the claimed first negative electrode coating layer, the first cathode current collector 32a meets claimed first negative electrode current collector, the first elastic part 32b meets the claimed first negative electrode protecting layer, the second power generation element 50 meets the claimed second unit battery, the second elastic part 32b meets the claimed second negative electrode protecting layer, the second cathode current collector 32a meets the claimed second negative electrode current collector, the second cathode active material 31 meets the claimed second electrode coating layer, the second solid electrolyte layer 20 meets the claimed second solid electrolyte layer and the second anode 10 meets the claimed second positive electrode.
The combination of Li and Aranami does not teach an elastic layer between the first power generation element 50 and the second power generation element 50. However, Choi teaches a cell stack 210 comprising a buffer material 230 interposed between two adjacent unit cells, wherein the buffer material 230 absorbs partial expansion and shrinkage [0088]. The buffer material 230 meets the claimed elastic layer. Li, Aranami and Choi are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor that is the battery art. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the buffer material 230 of Choi with the invention of the combination of Li and Aranami, and the motivation for combining would be, as Choi suggested, to absorb partial expansion and shrinkage [0088].
Claim 12: Li teaches the elastic part 32b comprises a styrene butadiene rubber (page 7, line 2), which is an insulating material.
Claim 13: Li teaches the elastic part 32b comprises a styrene butadiene rubber (page 7, line 2), which meets the claimed rubber adhesive.
Claim 14: Li teaches the elastic part 32b comprises a styrene butadiene rubber (page 7, line 2).
Claim 15: Li teaches the thickness of the elastic part is 10 µm or more and 500 µ or less (page 7, lines 14-16) which overlaps with the claimed about 0.1 µm to about 30 µm.
Claim 16: Li teaches the cathode current collector 32a comprises a copper (page 6, line 34).
Claim 17: Li teaches the solid electrolyte layer 20 comprises a sulfide solid electrolyte (page 7, line 43).
Claim 18: Li teaches the cathode active material 31 comprises a metal active material or a carbon active material (page 7, lines 19-20).
Claim 19: Li teaches the metal active material comprises a metal such as In and Al (page 7, line 20).
Claim 20: Li teaches the carbon active material comprises a graphite, a hard carbon or a soft carbon (page 7, line 22), wherein the graphite meets the claimed crystalline carbon, and the hard and soft carbons meet the claimed amorphous carbon.
Pertinent Prior arts
Matsushita et al. (US 2020/0251715 A1) and Choi et al. (US 2022/0123369 A1).
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BETELHEM SHEWAREGED whose telephone number is (571)272-1529. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 7am-4:30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Ruthkosky can be reached at 571-272-1291. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
BS
September 10, 2026
/BETELHEM SHEWAREGED/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1785
Prosecution Insights