DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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 § 103
2. 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.
3. Claims 1-11 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (KR-20220153284-A, provided in the IDS received on 3 May 2024, machine translation used for rejection below).
As to claim 1, Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte [0006] formed from
an electrolyte solution [0008] comprising
a non-aqueous organic solvent [0008], and
a lithium salt [0008],
wherein the non-aqueous organic solvent is a single solvent [0008],
in the molecule, at least one central atom selected from a carbon atom [0011], and
each of the central atoms are each independently linked to at least one oxygen atom [0011].
Choi does not explicitly disclose wherein a maximum distance between two adjacent negatively charged atoms among the oxygen atom, sulfur atom, and nitrogen atom located at or linked to the central atom is less than or equal to about 5 Å, and the electrolyte solution undergoes a phase change to a solid below a freezing point of the electrolyte solution to form a lattice structure including a lithium transfer channel. However, Choi does disclose that the solvent used in the electrolyte solution is dimethyl carbonate [0011] which is the same solvent used in the present application (page 10 lines 8-12 of the present application). Regarding product and apparatus claims, when the structure recited in the reference is substantially identical to that of the claims, claimed properties or functions are presumed to be inherent. The Courts have held that it is well settled that where there is a reason to believe that a functional characteristic would be inherent in the prior art, the burden of proof then shifts to the applicant to provide objective evidence to the contrary. See In re Schreiber, 128 F.3d at 1478, 44 USPQ2d at 1478, 44 USPQ2d at 1432 (Fed. Cir. 1997) (see MPEP § 2112.01, I.).
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the molecular solid electrolyte as disclosed within Choi to include that a maximum distance between two adjacent negatively charged atoms among the oxygen atom, sulfur atom, and nitrogen atom located at or linked to the central atom is less than or equal to about 5 Å, and the electrolyte solution undergoes a phase change to a solid below a freezing point of the electrolyte solution to form a lattice structure including a lithium transfer channel.
As to claim 2, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 1, and Choi further discloses wherein the non-aqueous organic solvent is a compound including at least one of a carbonate group and a ketone group [0011].
As to claim 3, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 1, and Choi further discloses wherein the non-aqueous organic solvent includes a carbonate compound [0011].
As to claim 4, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 3, and Choi further discloses wherein the non-aqueous solvent is a carbonate compound [0011].
As to claim 5, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 4, and Choi further discloses wherein the carbonate compound is a linear carbonate compound represented by Chemical Formula 3 [0011]:
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wherein in Chemical Formula 3, R13 and R14 are each independently hydrogen, a halogen, a substituted or unsubstituted C1 to C10 alkyl group, a substitute or unsubstituted C2 to C10 alkenyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted C6 to C20 aryl group [0011].
As to claim 6, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 1, however, Choi does not disclose wherein the non-aqueous solvent has a packing coefficient represented by Equation 1 of about 1 to about 1.1: < Equation 1 > packing coefficient = (Density in solid phase)/(Density in liquid phase). However, Choi does disclose that the solvent used in the electrolyte solution is dimethyl carbonate [0011] which is the same solvent used in the present application (page 10 lines 8-12 of the present application). Regarding product and apparatus claims, when the structure recited in the reference is substantially identical to that of the claims, claimed properties or functions are presumed to be inherent. The Courts have held that it is well settled that where there is a reason to believe that a functional characteristic would be inherent in the prior art, the burden of proof then shifts to the applicant to provide objective evidence to the contrary. See In re Schreiber, 128 F.3d at 1478, 44 USPQ2d at 1478, 44 USPQ2d at 1432 (Fed. Cir. 1997) (see MPEP § 2112.01, I.).
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the molecular solid electrolyte as disclosed within Choi to additionally include that the non-aqueous solvent has a packing coefficient represented by Equation 1 of about 1 to about 1.1.
As to claim 7, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 1, however, Choi does not disclose wherein ionic conductivity is greater than or equal to about 1.0 X 10-3 mS cm-1, and lithium ion transference number (Li+ transference number) is about 0.6 to about 1.0. However, Choi does disclose that the solvent used in the electrolyte solution is dimethyl carbonate [0011] which is the same solvent used in the present application (page 10 lines 8-12 of the present application). Regarding product and apparatus claims, when the structure recited in the reference is substantially identical to that of the claims, claimed properties or functions are presumed to be inherent. The Courts have held that it is well settled that where there is a reason to believe that a functional characteristic would be inherent in the prior art, the burden of proof then shifts to the applicant to provide objective evidence to the contrary. See In re Schreiber, 128 F.3d at 1478, 44 USPQ2d at 1478, 44 USPQ2d at 1432 (Fed. Cir. 1997) (see MPEP § 2112.01, I.).
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the molecular solid electrolyte as disclosed within Choi to additionally include that the ionic conductivity is greater than or equal to about 1.0 X 10-3 mS cm-1, and lithium ion transference number (Li+ transference number) is about 0.6 to about 1.0.
As to claim 8, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 1, and Choi further discloses wherein the lithium salt is at least one of LiPF6 and a bissulfonyl imide-based lithium salt [0026].
As to claim 9, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 8, and Choi further discloses wherein the bissulfonyl imide-based salt is Li(FSO2)2N [0026].
As to claim 10, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 8, and Choi further discloses wherein the bissulfonyl imide-based salt is represented by Chemical Formula 5A [0026]:
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As to claim 11, Choi discloses a lithium metal battery [0009], comprising
a positive electrode [0015] including a positive electrode active material [0117];
a lithium metal negative electrode [0015]; and
the molecular solid electrolyte of claim 1 [0006].
As to claim 14, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 11, and Choi further discloses wherein the lithium metal battery operates even below the freezing point of the electrolyte solution [0006].
4. Claims 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (KR-20220153284-A, provided in the IDS received on 3 May 2024, machine translation used for rejection below) as applied to claim 11, and further in view of Takayoshi et al. (KR-102123495-B1, machine translation used for rejection below).
As to claim 12, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 11, however, Choi does not disclose wherein the positive electrode active material includes at least one of lithium- cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-based oxide, lithium-manganese-based oxide, lithium-nickel-cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-manganese-based oxide, lithium-manganese-cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide, and a lithium phosphate-based compound.
Takayoshi discloses a non-aqueous electrolyte battery, wherein the positive electrode active material includes at least one of lithium- cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-based oxide, lithium-manganese-based oxide, lithium-nickel-cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-manganese-based oxide, lithium-manganese-cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide, and a lithium phosphate-based compound (page 16 lines 23-31) for improved internal resistance of the battery (page 32, lines 25-32).
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the molecular solid electrolyte as disclosed within Choi to additionally include that the positive electrode active material includes at least one of lithium- cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-based oxide, lithium-manganese-based oxide, lithium-nickel-cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-manganese-based oxide, lithium-manganese-cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-based oxide, lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide, and a lithium phosphate-based compound for improved internal resistance of the battery as disclosed within Takayoshi.
As to claim 13, modified Choi discloses a molecular solid electrolyte of claim 12, however, Choi does not disclose wherein the positive electrode active material is represented by Chemical Formula 6-1 or Chemical Formula 6-2: [Chemical Formula 6-1] LixM1yM2yM31-y-zO2±aXb; [Chemical Formula 6-2] LixFePO4, wherein in Chemical Formula 6-1 and Chemical Formula 6-2, 0.5≤x≤1.8, 0≤a≤0.05, 0≤b≤0.05, 0<y≤1, 0≤z≤1, 0≤y+z≤1, M1, M2, and M3 are each independently one or more elements selected from a metal of Ni, Co, Mn, Al, B, Ba, Ca, Ce, Cr, Fe, Mo, Nb, Si, Sr, Mg, Ti, V, W, Zr, or LA, and a combination thereof, and X is one or more elements selected from F, S, P or Cl.
Takayoshi discloses a non-aqueous electrolyte battery, wherein the positive electrode active material is represented by Chemical Formula 6-2: LixFePO4, wherein in Chemical Formula 6-2, 0.5≤x≤1.8 (page 16 lines 23-31) for improved internal resistance of the battery (page 32, lines 25-32).
As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the molecular solid electrolyte as disclosed within Choi to additionally include that the positive electrode active material is represented by Chemical Formula 6-2: LixFePO4, wherein in Chemical Formula 6-2, 0.5≤x≤1.8 as disclosed within Ryu.
Conclusion
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/J.J.S./Examiner, Art Unit 1727
/BARBARA L GILLIAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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