DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claims 6 and 12 objected to because of the following informalities: The claims recite “the chain ester compound include” this should be changed to “the chain ester compound includes”. 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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 5-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kikuchi et al (US 2009/0103241).
Regarding claim 1, Kikuchi discloses an electrochemical capacitor (Fig. 1-5) comprising: a positive electrode (Fig. 2, one of 23); a negative electrode (Fig. 2, other 23); and an electrolyte ([0097]), wherein the electrolyte contains a lactone ([0104]) compound and an additive ([0105]), and the additive is at least one selected from the group consisting of a siloxane compound ([0473]) and a silyl fluoride compound.
Regarding claim 2, Kikuchi further discloses that the additive contains hexamethyldisiloxane as the siloxane compound ([0473]) and fluorotrimethylsilane as the silyl fluoride compound.
Regarding claim 5, Kikuchi further discloses that the electrolyte contains a chain ester compound ([0461]).
Regarding claim 6, Kikuchi further discloses that the chain ester compound includes at least one selected from the group consisting of propyl acetate ([0461]), methyl propionate, ethyl propionate, and methyl butyrate.
Regarding claim 7, Kikuchi further discloses that the electrolyte contains a quaternary alkyl ammonium ion ([0135]).
Regarding claim 8, Kikuchi further discloses that the quaternary alkyl ammonium ion includes diethyldimethylammonium ion ([0135]).
Regarding claim 9, Kikuchi further discloses that the lactone compound includes y-butyrolactone ([0101]).
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.
Claim(s) 3 and 11-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kikuchi et al (US 2009/0103241) in view of Shivareddy et al (US 2023/0071080).
Regarding claim 3, Kikuchi fails to teach the claim limitation.
Shivareddy teaches that a capacity ratio of the positive electrode to the negative electrode is 1.1 or more and 1.6 or less ([0151]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Shivareddy to the invention of Kikuchi, in order to construct the devices using known specifications and designs in the art to meet user needs based on known design possibilities.
Regarding claim 11, Kikuchi, as modified by Shivareddy, further teaches that the electrolyte contains a chain ester compound ([0461]).
Regarding claim 12, Kikuchi, as modified by Shivareddy, further teaches that the chain ester compound includes at least one selected from the group consisting of propyl acetate ([0461]), methyl propionate, ethyl propionate, and methyl butyrate.
Regarding claim 13, Kikuchi, as modified by Shivareddy, further teaches that the electrolyte contains a quaternary alkyl ammonium ion ([0135]).
Regarding claim 14, Kikuchi, as modified by Shivareddy, further teaches that the quaternary alkyl ammonium ion includes diethyldimethylammonium ion ([0135]).
Regarding claim 15, Kikuchi, as modified by Shivareddy, further teaches that the lactone compound includes y-butyrolactone ([0101]).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kikuchi et al (US 2009/0103241) in view of Omura et al (US 2007/0081298).
Regarding claim 4, Kikuchi fails to teach the claim limitation.
Omura teaches that the positive electrode and the negative electrode each include a polarizable electrode layer (Table 1), and a thickness of the polarizable electrode layer of the positive electrode is larger than a thickness of the polarizable electrode layer of the negative electrode (Table 1, thickness of cathode is greater than anode).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Omura to the invention of Kikuchi, in order to construct the devices using known specifications and designs in the art to meet user needs based on known design possibilities.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kikuchi et al (US 2009/0103241) in view of Shivareddy et al (US 2023/0071080) in further view of Omura et al (US 2007/0081298).
Regarding claim 10, Kikuchi fails to teach the claim limitation.
Omura teaches that the positive electrode and the negative electrode each include a polarizable electrode layer (Table 1), and a thickness of the polarizable electrode layer of the positive electrode is larger than a thickness of the polarizable electrode layer of the negative electrode (Table 1, thickness of cathode is greater than anode).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Omura to the invention of Kikuchi, in order to construct the devices using known specifications and designs in the art to meet user needs based on known design possibilities.
Additional Relevant Prior Art:
Takehara (US 2009/0286155) teaches relevant art in Table 1-6.
Kim et al (US 2016/0247636) teaches relevant art in [0042].
Conclusion
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/MICHAEL P MCFADDEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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