Ex Parte Han et al

Patent Trial and Appeal BoardMar 28, 2017

13167635 (P.T.A.B. Mar. 28, 2017)

United States Patent and Trademark Office UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE United States Patent and Trademark Office Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS P.O.Box 1450 Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450 www.uspto.gov APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO. 13/167,635 06/23/2011 Su-Hee Han 66040/S744 8482 23363 7590 03/30/2017 T ewis; Rnra Rnthcrerher Phrisitie T T P EXAMINER PO BOX 29001 Glendale, CA 91209-9001 GILLIAM, BARBARA LEE ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 1727 NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE 03/30/2017 ELECTRONIC Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding. The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication. Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the following e-mail address(es): pto@lrrc.com pair_cph @ firsttofile.com PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD Ex parte SU-HEE HAN, JIN-SUNG KIM, JIN-HYUNK LIM, NA-RAE PARK, and MI-HYEUN OH Appeal 2016-002728 Application 13/167,6351 Technology Center 1700 Before PETER F. KRATZ, JEFFREY R. SNAY, and BRIAN D. RANGE, Administrative Patent Judges. RANGE, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON APPEAL SUMMARY Appellants appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) from the Examiner’s decision rejecting claims 1, 5—10, and 14—18. We have jurisdiction. 35 U.S.C. § 6(b). We AFFIRM-IN-PART. 1 According to the Appellants, the real party in interest is Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. Appeal Br. 1. Appeal 2016-002728 Application 13/167,635 STATEMENT OF THE CASE2 Appellants describe the invention as relating to a gel electrolyte for a rechargeable lithium battery. Spec. 12. Appellants state that the electrolyte, in some embodiments, imparts improved capacity and cycle-life characteristics. Id. 15. Claims 1 and 9, reproduced below with italics added to certain key recitations, are illustrative of the claimed subject matter: 1. A gel electrolyte for a rechargeable lithium battery, comprising: a gel polymer comprising a repeating unit derived from a first monomer represented by Chemical Formula 1; a non-aqueous organic solvent; a lithium salt; and an additive comprising succinic anhydride, the additive being present in an amount of about 1 wt% to about 2 wt% based on the total weight of the gel electrolyte'. Chemical Formula 1 A---- L---- E wherein, in Chemical Formula 1: L comprises a repeating unit selected from the group consisting of repeating units represented by Chemical Formulae 12 to 14, and combinations thereof: Chemical Formula 12 0 (\l> ]| ^ I Chemical Formula 13 2 In this decision, we refer to the Final Office Action mailed September 18, 2014 (“Final Act.”), the Appeal Brief filed May 22, 2015 (“Appeal Br.”), the Examiner’s Answer mailed November 16, 2015 (“Ans.”), and the Reply Brief filed January 14, 2016 (“Reply Br.”). 2 Appeal 2016-002728 Application 13/167,635 R—O 'T Chemical Formula 14 wherein, in Chemical Formulae 12 to 14: each of R13 to R15 is a residual group derived from a compound selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, alkanediol, ethoxylated alkanediol, propoxylated alkanediol, trimethylol propane, ethoxylated trimethylol propane, propoxylated trimethylol propane, ditrimethylol propane, ethoxylated ditrimethylol propane, propoxylated ditrimethylol propane, pentaerythritol, ethoxylated pentaerythritol, propoxylated pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, ethoxylated dipentaerythritol, propoxylated dipentaerythritol, bisphenol A, ethoxylated bisphenol A, and propoxylated bisphenol A, and each of ni to n3 is independently an integer ranging from 1 to 20, and each of A and E is independently selected from the group consisting of moieties represented by Chemical Formulae 2 to 9: Chemical Formula 2 Ft Chemical Formula 3 i CH;. Chemical Formula 4 3 Appeal 2016-002728 Application 13/167,635 O' I OH.., Chemical Formula 5 R Chemical Formula 6 nl JL 1 O' T Chemical Formula 7 CH