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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 5-12 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 6/23/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-4 and 13-16) in the reply filed on 6/23/2026 is acknowledged.
The pending claims are claims 1-4 and 13-16.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 13-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Carlson et al., US 20200395583.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 13-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Carlson et al., US 20200395583.
Regarding claim 1, Carlson et al., teaches an electrode (0079; 0105-0111) for an electrochemical device (0004), comprising: a free-standing type electrode film (0013; 0029; 0079; 0242), wherein the free-standing type electrode film comprises an active material (0079; 0102; 0242), a conductive material (0177; 0181; 0222), and a binder resin (0081-0082), wherein the binder resin contained in the free-standing type electrode film has a crystallinity of 10% or less.
Carlson does not teach a crystallinity of 10% or less.
However, “10% or less” would range from 10% to zero. Therefore, since no crystallinity range is described in Carlson, the zero crystallinity would read on claim 1.
Regarding claim 2, Carlson et al., teaches wherein the free-standing type electrode film has a tensile elongation of 2% or more and 30% or less (2% elongation; 0005) (15% elongation; 0012) (0206).
Regarding claim 3, Carlson et al., teaches wherein the free-standing type electrode film has a tensile strength of 0.5 Mpa (72.5 psi) or more and 10.0 Mpa (1450.4 psi) or less in the machine direction (MD); Carlson teaches 750 psi (5.17 Mpa) (0012; 0212; 0219; 0229; 0235 of Carlson).
Regarding claim 4, Carlson et al., teaches wherein the free-standing type electrode film has a porosity of 47.3% to 50.7% (Table 7).
Regarding claim 13, Carlson et al., teaches wherein the binder resin comprises polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) (0022; 0081-0082), polyolefin (0078; 0184; 0186), or a mixture of two or more of them.
Regarding claim 14, Carlson et al., teaches further comprises a current collector (0185), wherein the free-standing type electrode film is disposed on at least one surface or both surfaces of the current collector (0185).
Regarding claim 15, Carlson et al., teaches a method for manufacturing the electrode for an electrochemical device according to claim 5, which further comprises preparing a current collector (0185), disposing the free-standing type electrode film on at least one surface of the current collector (0185) and carrying out lamination (0031; 0246; 0252).
Regarding claim 16, Carlson et al., teaches secondary battery (0003-0004) comprising the free-standing type electrode (0006; 0029; 0079) as defined in claim 1, wherein the dry electrode is a positive electrode (00228; 0271-0272), and an electrode assembly (0097) comprising the positive electrode (0105-0111), a negative electrode (0105-0111) and a separator is received in a battery casing (0100; 0102) together with a lithium-containing non-aqueous electrolyte (0010; 0014; 0033).
Thus, the claims are anticipated.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANGELA J MARTIN whose telephone number is (571)272-1288. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-4pm.
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, Barbara Gilliam can be reached at 571-272-1330. 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.
ANGELA J. MARTIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/ANGELA J MARTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
Prosecution Insights