DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 10-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2002/0076619, hereinafter Yamada.
Regarding claim 1, Yamada teaches a non-aqueous electrolyte (abstract).
Yamada teaches using the non-aqueous electrolyte in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in which a negative electrode contains a tin compound as negative electrode active material (paragraph [0070]).
The non-aqueous electrolyte comprises a silane compound represented by the following general formula:
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In the formula, R1-R6 may be an alkyl group, an alkenyl group or an alkynyl group; X may be an alkylene group, an alkenylene group or an alkynylene group; n may be 1 to 5; at least one of R1-R6 and X represents a group containing an unsaturated bond (paragraphs [0009, 0010]).
This formula is broader than, but includes all compounds represented by the instantly claimed formulas 1-3.
In a specific example, Yamada teaches compound 14:
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Compound 14 satisfies instantly claimed formula 1 as follows:
R1 is a vinyl (ethenyl) group (alkenyl group with 2 carbon atoms);
R2 is a methyl group (alkyl group with 1 carbon atom);
X is an ethylene group (alkylene group having 2 carbon atoms);
l is 1.
Regarding claims 11-13, Yamada’s general formula satisfies some of the exact compounds disclosed in the instant application (Si-1, Si-2, Si-3, Si-4 and Si-5 in instant Table 1). Compound 14 is very closely related to instantly disclosed compound Si-4.
Therefore, Yamada’s compounds are expected to have the instantly claimed lowest unoccupied orbital energy level and highest occupied energy level.
Regarding claims 14-17, Yamada teaches that the silane compound is contained in the non-aqueous electrolyte at a range of 0.05% to 5% by volume (paragraph [0018]).
In a specific example, Yamada teaches that the electrolyte includes 30% by volume ethylene carbonate (EC), 70% by volume diethylene carbonate (DEC) and 0.5% by volume of the silane compound 14 (paragraph [0102] and Table 1).
Using the densities of the compounds (EC – 1.321 g/cm3, DEC – 0.975 g/cm3, compound 14 – 0.777 g/cm3), it can be computed that the silane compound 14 is present at approximately 0.4 mass%.
Regarding claims 18-25, it is noted that the instant claims are directed to a non-aqueous electrolyte.
Yamada’s non-aqueous electrolyte is capable of use in a battery having a negative electrode active material particle containing a silicon oxide with a carbon layer and containing crystalline Li2SiO3.
Regarding claim 26, it is noted that the instant claims are directed to a non-aqueous electrolyte.
Yamada’s non-aqueous electrolyte is capable of use in a battery having a negative electrode active material particle with the claimed crystal characteristics.
Regarding claims 27 and 28, Yamada teaches the instantly claimed silane compound. It is therefore expected to be able to decompose to form a coating on the negative electrode of a battery using Yamada’s electrolyte at the claimed conditions and to have a stable state under the claimed conditions.
Regarding claim 29, Yamada teaches a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode and the non-aqueous electrolyte according to claim 10 (paragraphs [0068-0070]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LILIA V NEDIALKOVA whose telephone number is (571)270-1538. The examiner can normally be reached 8.30 - 5.00 PM.
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/STEWART A FRASER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724
LILIA V. NEDIALKOVA
Examiner
Art Unit 1724
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