IPC Publication

• This class covers subject matter restricted to adaptations or associations of handling sheets, webs, or blanks peculiar to paper-working, e.g. bag or box making, machinery.
• This class does not cover:
  • making articles directly from paper pulp, which is covered by D21J;
  • handling sheets, webs , or blanks of wider applicability, irrespective of whether described or claimed only for paper-working machinery, which is regarded as being of a more comprehensive nature and is covered by B65H.
• In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:"paper" covers material Sheet materials made from plastics, laminated materials and metal foils are examples of materials that can be worked in a manner analogous to paper, e.g. plastics sheet materials, laminated materials or metal foils.

• This class covers micro-structural microstructural devices or systems, including at least one essential element or formation characterised by its very small size, typically within the range of 10^-4 to 10^-7 meters, i.e. its significant features can not, in at least one dimension, be completely discerned without the use of an optical microscope.
• In this class, the following expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
  • "micro-structural microstructural devices" covers:
    • micro-mechanical micromechanical devices comprising movable, flexible or deformable elements; and
    • three-dimensional structures without movable, flexible or deformable elements, comprising microformations designed to accomplish an essential structural function for interacting with their environment, as opposed to purely electronic or chemical functions, regardless of whether the structures are combined with micro-electronic microelectronic devices or formed from specific materials;
  • "micro-structural microstructural systems" covers:
    • systems of cooperating micro-structural microstructural devices; and
    • micromicroelectro-electro-mechanical or micromicroopto-opto-mechanical systems, which combine on a common substrate the specific features of micro-structural microstructural devices and electrical or optical components, e.g. for controlling, analysing or signalling the functioning of micro-structural microstructural devices.

In this class, the following terms are used with the meaning indicated:

• “nano-size“nanosize" or "nano-scalenanoscale" relate to a controlled geometrical size below 100 nanometres (nm) in one or more dimensions;
• “nano-structure” “nanostructure” means an entity having at least one nano-sized nanosized functional component that makes physical, chemical or biological properties or effects available, which are uniquely attributable to the nano-scalenanoscale.

• Between subclasses C12M-C12Q, and within each of these subclasses, the last place priority rule is applied, i.e. at each hierarchical level, in the absence of an indication to the contrary, classification is made in the last appropriate place. For example, a fermentation or enzyme-using process involving condition-responsive control is classified in subclass C12Q.
• In this class, viruses, undifferentiated human, animal or plant cells, protozoa, tissues and unicellular algae are considered as micro-organisms microorganisms.
• In this class, unless specifically provided for, undifferentiated human, animal or plant cells, protozoa, tissues and unicellular algae are classified together with micro-organisms microorganisms. Sub-cellular parts, unless specifically provided for, are classified with the whole cell.
• The codes of subclass C12R are only for use as indexing codes associated with subclasses C12C-C12Q, so as to provide information concerning the micro-organisms microorganisms used in the processes classified in these subclasses.

In this section, the following terms are used with the meanings indicated:

• "fibre" means a relatively-short, elongated member of natural or man-made material;
• "filament" means an endless or quasi-endless, elongated member of natural or man-made material;
• "yarn" means a unitary assembly of fibres, usually produced by spinning;
• "thread" means an assembly of yarns or filaments, usually produced by twisting;
• "synthetic" fibres or filaments means fibres or filaments or the like manufactured from synthesising polymers or small molecules. Examples are polyamide, acrylic, polyester or carbon fibres;
• "artificial" fibres or filaments means fibres or filaments or the like manufactured by man from natural polymers or their derivatives. Examples are regenerated cellulosic fibres or semi-synthetic fibres;
• "man-made” fibres or filaments means fibres or filaments which are manufactured by man including “synthetic” or “artificial” fibres.

• In this section, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:
  • "variable" (as a noun) means a feature or property (e.g., a dimension, a physical condition such as temperature, a quality such as density or colour) which, in respect of a particular entity (e.g., an object, a quantity of a substance, a beam of light) and at a particular instant, is capable of being measured; the variable may change, so that its numerical expression may assume different values at different times, in different conditions or in individual cases, but may be constant in respect of a particular entity in certain conditions or for practical purposes (e.g., the length of a bar may be regarded as constant for many purposes).
• Attention is drawn to the definitions of terms or expressions used, appearing . Some appear in the notes of several of the classes in this section, see in particular those the definition of "measuring" in class G01 and . Others appear in paragaph 187 of the Guide to the IPC, see in particular the definitions of "control" and "regulation" in class G05.
• Classification in this section may present more difficulty than in other sections, because the distinction between different fields of use rests to a considerable extent on differences in the intention of the user rather than on any constructional differences or differences in the manner of use, and because the subjects dealt with are often in effect systems or combinations, which have features or parts in common, rather than "things", which are readily distinguishable as a whole. For example, information (e.g., a set of figures) may be displayed for the purpose of education or advertising ( G09), for enabling the result of a measurement to be known ( G01), for signalling the information to a distant point or for giving information which has been signalled from a distant point ( G08). The words used to describe the purpose depend on features that may be irrelevant to the form of the apparatus concerned, for example, such features as the desired effect on the person who sees the display, or whether the display is controlled from a remote point. Again, a device which responds to some change in a condition, e.g., in the pressure of a fluid, may be used, without modification of the device itself, to give information about the pressure ( G01L) or about some other condition linked to the pressure (another subclass of class G01, e.g., G01K for temperature), to make a record of the pressure or of its occurrence ( G07C), to give an alarm ( G08B), or to control another apparatus ( G05).
  • The classification scheme is intended to enable things of a similar nature (as indicated above) to be classified together. It is therefore particularly necessary for the real nature of any technical subject to be decided before it can be properly classified.

• This class covers, in addition to "true" measuring instruments, other indicating or recording devices of analogous construction, and also signalling or control devices insofar as they are concerned with measurement (as defined in Note 2 below) and are not specially adapted to the particular purpose of signalling or control.
• In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:
  • "measuring" is used to cover considerably more than its primary or basic meaning. In this primary sense, it means finding a numerical expression of the value of a variable in relation to a unit or datum or to another variable of the same nature, e.g. expressing a length in terms of another length as in measuring a length with a scale; the value may be obtained directly (as just suggested) or by measuring some other variable of which the value can be related to the value of the required variable, as in measuring a change in temperature by measuring a resultant change in the length of a column of mercury. However, since the same device or instrument may, instead of giving an immediate indication, be used to produce a record or to initiate a signal to produce an indication or control effect, or may be used in combination with other devices or instruments to give a conjoint result from measurement of two or more variables of the same or different kinds, it is necessary to interpret "measuring" as including also any operation that would make it possible to obtain such a numerical expression by the additional use of some way of converting a value into figures. Thus the expression in figures may be actually made by a digital presentation or by reading a scale, or an indication of it may be given without the use of figures, e.g. by some perceptible feature (variable) of the entity (e.g. object, substance, beam of light) of which the variable being measured is a property or condition or by an analogue of such a feature (e.g. the corresponding position of a member without any scale, a corresponding voltage generated in some way). In many cases there is no such value indication but only an indication of difference or equality in relation to a standard or datum (of which the value may or may not be known in figures); the standard or datum may be the value of another variable of the same nature but of a different entity (e.g. a standard measure) or of the same entity at a different time.
    • In its simplest form, measurement may give merely an indication of presence or absence of a certain condition or quality, e.g. movement (in any direction or in a particular direction), or whether a variable exceeds a predetermined value.
• Attention is drawn to the Notes following the titles of class B81 and subclass B81B relating to "micro-structural microstructural devices" and "micro-structural microstructural systems" and the Notes following the title of subclass B82B relating to "nano-structures nanostructures".
• Attention is drawn to the Notes following the title of section G, especially as regards the definition of the term "variable".
• In many measuring arrangements, a first variable to be measured is transformed into a second, or further, variables. The second, or further, variables may be (a) a condition related to the first variable and produced in a member, or (b) a displacement of a member. Further transformation may be needed.
  • When classifying such an arrangement, (i) the transformation step, or each transformation step, that is of interest is classified, or (ii) if interest lies only in the system as a whole, the first variable is classified in the appropriate place.
  • This is particularly important where two or more conversions take place, for instance where a first variable, for example pressure, is transformed into a second variable, for example an optical property of a sensing body, and that second variable is expressed by means of a third variable, for example an electric effect. In such a case, the following classification places should be considered: the place for the transformation of the first variable, that for sensing the condition caused by that variable, subclass G01D for expression of the measurement, and finally the place for the overall system, if any.
• The measurement of change in the value of a physical property is classified in the same subclass as the measurement of that physical property, e.g. measurement of expansion of length is classified in subclass G01B.

• This class covers methods, systems, and apparatus for controlling, in general.
• In this class, the following terms or expressions are used with the meanings indicated:
  • "controlling" means influencing a variable in any way, e.g. changing its direction or its value (including changing it to or from zero), maintaining it constant, limiting its range of variation;
  • "regulation" means maintaining a variable automatically at a desired value or within a desired range of values. The desired value or range may be fixed, or manually varied, or may vary with time according to a predetermined "programme" or according to variation of another variable. Regulation is a form of control;
  • "automatic control" is often used in the art as a synonym for "regulation".
• Attention is drawn to the Notes following the title of section G, especially as regards the definition of the term "variable".

• Processes involving only a single technical art, e.g. drying, coating, for which provision exists elsewhere are classified in the relevant class for that art.
• Attention is drawn to the Notes following the titles of class B81 and subclass B81B relating to "micro-structural microstructural devices" and "micro-structural microstructural systems".