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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 12, lines 1-2, the chemical abbreviations should read the full names.
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)(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.
Claims 1-2, 6-12, 15, 19, and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lin et al (US 20230238644 A1).
Regarding claims 1-2:
Lin et al. teaches a lithium-ion battery which includes a lithium-ion battery separator, where a substrate is a first electrode. The lithium-ion battery includes a second electrode in direct contact with a zeolite coating, and an electrolyte in contact with the first electrode, the zeolite coating, and the second electrode ([0009]).
Lin et al. disclose when the battery is discharged, lithium ions (non-reactive metal ions) are extracted from the anode material and inserted into the cathode material and that when the battery is charging, the lithium ions are extracted from the cathode material and inserted into the anode material ([0024]), i.e. in the positive electrode, non-reactive metal ions are reversibly extracted there from and inserted therein and the negative electrode reversibly accepts and releases non-reactive metal ions. Further, the electrolyte would necessarily inherently support the reversible flow of the non-reactive metal ions between the positive electrode and negative electrode. Additionally, given that the separator is a zeolite as presently claimed and has pores ([0032]), it would necessarily inherently isolate the positive electrode from the negative electrode while being permeable to the reversible flow of the non-reactive metal ions there through.
Lin et al. also teaches an electrode-supported separator which is necessarily permeable, in which a zeolite coating is formed directly on a first electrode (e.g., the cathode). The second electrode (e.g., the anode) is positioned so that the zeolite coating of the first electrode is in direct contact with a surface of the second electrode ([0025]), and a thickness of the zeolite coating is typically in a range of 30 µm to 50 µm thick ([0008]).
Regarding claims 6-7:
Lin et al. teaches the separator was then finally dried using a temperature controlled vacuum oven at 70° C for 12 hours to completely remove all traces of moisture ([0037]), i.e. moisture content is 7% or less.
Regarding claims 8-9:
Lin et al. teaches a porosity of the zeolite particles is typically between 35% and 40% ([0033]).
Regarding claims 10-12:
Lin et al. teaches a low binder content (e.g., less than 1 wt % of the coating dry weight) ([0029]) and a silicalite powder, i.e. zeolite, is dried and made into a slurry with water and a trace amount of binder (e.g., a polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)) ([0027]).
Regarding claim 15:
Lin et al. teaches a silicalite desired particle size (e.g., average diameter of 1.5 μm to 2.5 μm ([0027]).
Regarding claim 19:
Lin et al. teaches the zeolite particles define intra-particle pores having an average pore size between about 0.5 nm and about 0.6 nm ([0033])
Regarding claims 21-22:
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Lin et al. teaches a lithium-ion battery (Abstract) and a negative case 312 and a positive case 318 in Figure 3 above, i.e. one or more housings, such that an internal wall from one of the one or more housings encapsulates at least one or more of the cells.
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.
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (US 20230238644 A1) in view of Cain et al. (US 20210175486 A1).
Regarding claim 3-4:
Lin et al. teaches a lithium-ion battery as set forth above.
Further, Lin et al. teaches the electrode 204, i.e. positive electrode, may be lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) or lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4) ([0028]) and the anode is made from graphite ([0045]).
However, Lin et al. does not teach the positive electrode comprises a current collector that is in contact with the cathode, and the negative electrode comprises a current collector that is in contact with the anode.
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Cain et al. teaches in Figure 1 above, a battery includes a negative electrode 22 (e.g., anode), a positive electrode 24 (e.g., cathode), and a separator 26 disposed between the two electrodes 22, 24. The separator 26 provides electrical separation—prevents physical contact—between the electrodes 22, 24 ([0045]).
Cain et al. also teaches in Figure 1 above, the negative electrode current collector 32, negative electrode 22, separator 26, positive electrode 24, and positive electrode current collector 34 are prepared as relatively thin layers and assembled in layers connected in electrical parallel arrangement to provide a suitable electrical energy and power package ([0049]), i.e. a current collector is in contact with the cathode and a current collector is in contact with the anode.
In light of the motivation for using the negative current collector, negative electrode, separator, positive electrode, and positive current collector assembled in layers connected in electrical parallel arrangement disclosed by Cain et al. as set forth above, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the negative current collector, negative electrode, separator, positive electrode, and second current collector assembled in layers connected in electrical parallel arrangement in the lithium-ion battery of Lin et al. in order to provide a suitable electrical energy and power package.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (US 20230238644 A1) in view of Hwang et al. (JP 2021034381 A). It is noted that the disclosures of Hwang et al. are based on a machine translation of the reference included with this action.
Lin et al. teaches a lithium-ion battery as set forth above.
However, Lin et al. does not teach the negative electrode is an "anode-free" electrode and comprises only a current collector.
Hwang et al. teaches an electrode assembly of the primary battery of this disclosure includes a separator, a positive electrode, and a negative electrode current collector. The positive electrode is located on the positive side of the separator and includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode material. The negative electrode current collector is located on the negative electrode side of the separator. The electrode assembly does not contain negative electrode material ([0004]) and a primary battery without a negative electrode can offer a higher energy density ([0034]).
In light of the motivation for using an electrode assembly without negative electrode material disclosed by Hwang et al. as set forth above, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an electrode assembly without negative electrode material in the lithium-ion battery of Lin et al. in order to obtain a higher energy density.
Claims 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (US 20230238644 A1) in view of Gao et al. (WO 2021138107 A1).
Regarding claims 13-14:
Lin et al. teaches a lithium-ion battery as set forth above.
However, Lin et al. does not teach the zeolite-based material further comprises one or more secondary materials; wherein the ratio of the zeolites to the secondary materials is in a mass ratio ranging from 99.9% / 0.1% to 50.1%/ 49.9%, and the one or more secondary materials includes a flame retardant material.
Gao et al. discloses inorganic material for use in an electrochemical cell of a lithium-ion secondary battery ([0001]). Gao et al. teaches the amount of the inorganic material present in the cell may be up to 100 wt.% or up to 50 wt.% ([0028]), i.e. ratio of zeolite to inorganic material is greater than 50%/50%. The inorganic material strengthens the polymer membrane, prevents heat shrinkage, and improves electrolyte wetting ([0005]) as well as retarding the potential occurrence of a fire ([0024]).
In light of the motivation for using aluminum hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide in an amount up to 100 wt.% or up to 50 wt.% disclosed by Gao et al. as set forth above, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide in an amount up to 100 wt.% in the lithium-ion battery of Lin et al. in order to strengthen the polymer membrane, prevent heat shrinkage, and improve electrolyte wetting as well as retarding the potential occurrence of a fire.
Claims 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (US 20230238644 A1) in view of Xu et al. (Multifunctional Lithium-Ion-Exchanged Zeolite-Coated Separator for Lithium-Ion Batteries).
Regarding claims 16-17:
Lin et al. teaches a lithium-ion battery as set forth above.
However, Lin et al. does not teach ion-exchanged zeolites are lithium-exchanged zeolites comprising a lithium mass content that is in the range of 0.1 wt.% to 20 wt.% relative to the overall weight of the lithium-exchanged zeolites.
Xu et al. discloses lithium ion-exchanged zeolite coating that has 14.38% lithium where the zeolite coating is used in batteries (page 7238, Experimental Section, 1st paragraph and Results and Discussion, 1st paragraph). The Li-zeolite enhances the wettability and thermal stability of the separator (Abstract, last sentence).
In light of the motivation for using a lithium zeolite coating that has 14.38% lithium disclosed by Xu et al.as set forth above, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a lithium zeolite coating that has 14.38% lithium in the lithium-ion battery of Lin et al. in order to enhance the wettability and thermal stability of the separator.
Conclusion
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/MADISON ELIZABETH BROWN/Examiner, Art Unit 1787
/CALLIE E SHOSHO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1787
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