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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 4/30/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "10, 20 and 30" and "10A, 20A and 30A" have both been used to designate a multi-layer body, a silica-based glass material, and a buffer layer respectively. Either explain how these parts are different from each other or provide corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: A SILICA ENCASED SOLID-STATE BATTERY AND A SILICA ENCASED SOLID-STATE BATTERY MANUFACTURING METHOD.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20190288246 A1, KATO et al. in view of US 20220115690 A1, CHOI et al.
Regarding claim 1. KATO [title] discloses a solid-state battery comprising:
[0051] a multi-layer body in which at least two electrode layers and at least one solid electrolyte layer are alternately stacked and in which two of the electrode layers are located as outermost electrode layers;
[0058] a silica-based glass material that [0054] covers the multi-layer body; and
KATO does not disclose an insulating buffer layer that is provided between each of the outermost electrode layers of the multi-layer body and the silica-based glass material.
CHOI [title] discloses an All Solid State Battery where
CHOI [0011] discloses a buffer material [0014] that may be between the cell stack and the case.
CHOI [0088] further discloses that this buffer material layer “ may be interposed between the inside of the case 20 (e.g., the inside surface of the case 20) and the negative current collector 111 disposed at an outermost portion of the cell stack 210. The buffer material 231 may further finally absorb the remaining expansion and shrinkage in the unit cells (UC2). That is, the buffer material (e.g., the buffer material layer) 231 may further absorb any residual expansion and shrinkage in the unit cells (UC2) that is not absorbed by the buffer material (e.g., the buffer material layer) 230.”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have used the buffer material layer disclosed by CHOI in the silica-based glass material enclosed solid-state battery disclosed by KATO in order to absorb any expansion and shrinkage in the unit cells.
Regarding claim 2. KATO modified by CHOI discloses the solid-state battery according to claim 1, wherein the at least two electrode layers of the multi-layer body include
KATO [0051] discloses a positive electrode layer (21) containing
a positive electrode active material (21B) and
a first solid electrolyte (23), and
[0051] a negative electrode layer (22) containing
a negative electrode active material (22) and
a second solid electrolyte (23).
Regarding claim 3. KATO modified by CHOI discloses the solid-state battery according to claim 2, wherein in the annotated figure depicted below shows that at least one of the outermost electrode layers of the multi-layer body is the negative electrode layer from the side.
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Regarding claim 5. KATO modified by CHOI discloses the solid-state battery according to claim 1,
KATO [0058] discloses wherein the silica-based glass material contains SiO2 and [0075] LiO2.
Regarding claim 6. KATO modified by CHOI discloses the solid-state battery according to claim 1,
KATO discloses in the annotated figures depicted below wherein part of each of the at least two electrode layers of the multi-layer body is exposed to outside from the silica-based glass material,
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and wherein the solid-state battery includes an external electrode connected to at least one of the parts exposed to outside from the silica-based glass material.
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Regarding claim 7. KATO discloses a solid-state battery manufacturing method, comprising:
[0051] forming a structure including a multi-layer body in which at least two electrode layers and at least one solid electrolyte layer are alternately stacked and in which two of the electrode layers are located as outermost electrode layers,
[0058] a silica-based glass material that covers the multi-layer body, and
[0054] firing the structure.
KATO does not disclose an insulating buffer layer that is formed between each of the outermost electrode layers of the multi-layer body and the silica-based glass material;
CHOI [title] discloses an All Solid State Battery where
CHOI [0011] discloses a buffer material [0014] that may be between the cell stack and the case.
CHOI [0088] further discloses that this buffer material layer “ may be interposed between the inside of the case 20 (e.g., the inside surface of the case 20) and the negative current collector 111 disposed at an outermost portion of the cell stack 210. The buffer material 231 may further finally absorb the remaining expansion and shrinkage in the unit cells (UC2). That is, the buffer material (e.g., the buffer material layer) 231 may further absorb any residual expansion and shrinkage in the unit cells (UC2) that is not absorbed by the buffer material (e.g., the buffer material layer) 230.”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have used the buffer material layer disclosed by CHOI in the method to make a silica-based glass material enclosed solid-state battery disclosed by KATO in order to absorb any expansion and shrinkage in the unit cells.
Regarding claim 9. KATO modified by CHOI discloses the solid-state battery manufacturing method according to claim 7,
KATO discloses in the annotated figures depicted below wherein part of each of the at least two electrode layers of the multi-layer body is exposed to outside from the silica-based glass material,
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and wherein KATO [0054] discloses the solid-state battery manufacturing method includes forming an external electrode connected to at least one of the parts exposed to outside from the silica-based glass material after the firing of the structure.
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Claims 4 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20190288246 A1, KATO et al. in view of US 20220115690 A1, CHOI et al. as applied to claims 1 and 7 above, and further in view of WO2018163514A1 KATO et al. with a machine translation into English from Espacenet.com. In order to avoid confusion with the US publication from KATO the WO pub will be referred to as KATO 2. .
Regarding claims 4 and 8. KATO modified by CHOI discloses the solid-state battery according to claim 1 and method according to claim 7,
KATO modified by CHOI does not disclose wherein the buffer layers are each a layer for which a third solid electrolyte is used.
KATO 2 [title] discloses An All-Solid-State Battery And Manufacturing Method Therefor, And Electronic Device And Electronic Card where
KATO 2 [0010] discloses “a method for manufacturing an all-solid-state battery, which includes covering a battery element containing Li conductivity with a protective layer containing Li, forming an outer casing on the protective layer, forming a layer containing crystal particles on the outer casing, sintering the outer casing, and then removing the layer containing the crystal particles.” This solid Li conductive layer reads on the limitation of a solid electrolyte in the instant claims 4 and 8.
KATO 2 [0011] also discloses that this “protective layer containing Li is provided between the battery element containing Li and the outer casing material covering the battery element, thereby suppressing the diffusion of Li from the battery element to the outer casing material.”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have used the solid electrolyte disclosed by KATO 2 as a protective layer containing Li in the solid-state battery discloses by KATO modified by CHOI in order to suppress the diffusion of Li from the battery element to the outer casing material.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20210203008 A1, YOSHIOKA et al.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAWRENCE LA RAIA III whose telephone number is (703)756-5441. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur 6:00am-4:00pm.
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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.
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LAWRENCE LA RAIA III
Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/L.L./Examiner, Art Unit 1727
/BARBARA L GILLIAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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