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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the communication filed on 12/26/25. Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are not found entirely persuasive. Claims 1-8, 10-14 and 16-22 are pending. Claims 8, 10-14 and 16 are withdrawn.
This Action is Non-FINAL.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/26/25 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/26/25 has been considered by the examiner.
Claims Analysis
At least claims 1 and 22 are directed toward an electrode plate comprising a current collector and a film layer disposed on a least one side of the current collector, the film layer comprising an active material and an adsorptive polymer. The claims further recite “a first substance that includes a gel-state material obtained after a mixture of m grams of the adsorptive polymer and 15m grams of an electrolytic solution is subjected to a first processing” and “a second substance obtained after the mixture is subjected to both the first processing and a second processing”. However, the electrode plate does not comprise “a first substance” or “a second substance”, and the “processing” limitations have not been given patentable weight as the limitations do not appear to impart as specific structure to the claimed electrode plate. Only limitations of the claimed electrode plate (i.e., the adsorptive polymer) are given patentable weight. Methods of measuring properties have not been given patentable weight as the claimed methods of measuring do not appear to impart an structure to the claimed fluoropolymer.
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) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugimoto et al., US 2015/0357648 A1.
Sugimoto teaches a slurry for a lithium ion secondary battery positive electrode comprising a positive electrode active material, a binder, a conductive material and an organic solvent. The binder contains a nitrile group-containing acrylic polymer and a fluorine-containing polymer (abstract). In the positive electrode binder, the fluorine containing polymer (B2) is used in addition to the nitrile group containing acrylic polymer (B1). By including the fluorine containing polymer in the positive electrode binder, the slurry stability is improved, also the swelling of the electrode binder against the non-aqueous electrolytic solution is suppressed, and the cycle characteristic is improved. Further, by the positive electrode binder comprising the fluorine containing polymer in addition to the nitrile group containing acrylic polymer, the cycle characteristic at the high electric potential is improved [0111]. As the fluorine containing monomer, vinylidene fluoride (see Formula AI), tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, vinyl chloride trifluoride (see Formula AI), vinyl fluoride, perfluoroalkylvinylether (see Formula AII of claim 22) or so may be mentioned, however vinylidene fluoride is preferable [0113]. See also [0114-137]. The positive electrode is formed by coating and drying the slurry (active substance layer) on a current collector [0172].
A content of said binder is 0.8 to 3 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the positive electrode active material [0022]. The ratio of the fluorine containing polymer (B2) with respect to 100 wt% of total amount of the positive electrode binder is preferably 50 to 95 wt%, more preferably 60 to 90 wt%, and further preferably 70 to 85 w % [0135].
A high positive electrode active material density can be obtained by using the nitrile group acrylic polymer and the fluorine containing polymer together as the positive electrode binder [0014]. The density of the positive electrode active material layer (P1) is preferably 3.0 to 4.0 g/cm3, and more preferably 3.4 to 4.0 g/cm3. By having the density of the positive electrode active material layer within the above mentioned range, the lithium ion secondary battery having high capacity can be obtained [0179].
The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the fluorine containing polymer (B2) is preferably 0° C. or less, more preferably −20° C. or less, and particularly preferably −30° C. or less. The lower limit of Tg of the fluorine containing polymer (B2) is not particularly limited, and preferably it is −50° C. or higher, and more preferably −40° C. or higher. When Tg of the fluorine containing polymer (B2) is within the above mentioned range, the falling off (powder fall off) of the positive electrode active material and the conductive material in the positive electrode active material layer can be suppressed. Also, Tg of the fluorine containing polymer (B2) can be regulated by combining various monomers. Note that, Tg can be measured using the differential scanning calorimeter based on JIS K 7121; 1987 [0127]. The melting point (Tm) of the fluorine containing polymer (B2) is preferably 190° C. or less. When Tm of the fluorine containing polymer (B2) is within the above mentioned range, the positive electrode having excellent flexibility and the adhesive strength can be made. Also, Tm of the fluorine containing polymer (B2) can be regulated by combining various monomers or by controlling the polymerization temperature. Note that, Tm can be measured by using the differential scanning calorimeter based on JIS K 7121; 1987 [0128]. The weight average molecular weight of the fluorine containing polymer (B2) is preferably 100,000 to 2,000,000 [0125].
Sugimoto does not explicitly teach the measuring methods of at least claims 1 and 22. However, methods of measuring have not been given patentable weight. The claims are directed toward an electrode plate. Measuring the sedimentation capability and/or the defluidization capability does not appear to impart any specific structure to the claimed electrode plate, specifically, the claimed fluoropolymer (adsorptive polymer). See above claims analysis section.
At least claim 1 requires an electrode plate comprising a current collector and a film layer disposed on at least one side of the current collector wherein the film layer comprises an active material and an adsorptive polymer. The adsorptive polymer is a fluoropolymer comprising at least one of the compounds shown in Formula (AII-1), Formula (AII-2) and Formula (AIII). Examiner notes a perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether has a structure including a perfluoroalkyl group (CF₃-, C₂F₅-, C₃F₇-, etc.) bonded to an oxygen atom.
Claim 22 requires the fluoropolymer to further comprise fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP). FEP is a polymer of hexafluoropropylene and tetrafluoroethylene (as evidenced by Wikipedia; NPL cited). Sugimoto teaches the fluorine containing polymer may be a fluorine containing polymer is a homopolymer of the fluorine containing monomer, a copolymer between the fluorine containing monomer and other fluorine containing monomer copolymerizable therewith, a copolymer between the fluorine containing monomer and monomer copolymerizable therewith, and a copolymer between the fluorine containing monomer and other fluorine containing monomer copolymerizable with this and monomer copolymerizable therewith or so may be mentioned. As the fluorine containing monomer, vinylidene fluoride, tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, vinyl chloride trifluoride, vinyl fluoride, perfluoroalkylvinylether or so may be mentioned, however vinylidene fluoride is preferable [0112-0113]. Fluorine containing polymer may be one type only or it may be two or more type used together [0119]. Thus, Sugimoto teaches and suggests the fluorine containing polymer may further comprise fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/26/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant submits the cited references do not disclose or suggest the adsorptive polymer recited by claim 22. Examiner disagrees. See the above rejection of claim 22 in view of Sugimoto.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRACY DOVE whose telephone number is (571)272-1285. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-3:00.
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/TRACY M DOVE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725