US PATENT SUBCLASS 205 / 640
ELECTROLYTIC EROSION OF A WORKPIECE FOR SHAPE OR SURFACE CHANGE (E.G., ETCHING, POLISHING, ETC.) (PROCESS AND ELECTROLYTE COMPOSITION)

Current as of: June, 1999
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205 /   HD   ELECTROLYSIS: PROCESSES, COMPOSITIONS USED THEREIN, AND METHODS OF PREPARING THE COMPOSITIONS

640ELECTROLYTIC EROSION OF A WORKPIECE FOR SHAPE OR SURFACE CHANGE (E.G., ETCHING, POLISHING, ETC.) (PROCESS AND ELECTROLYTE COMPOSITION) {19}
641  DF  .~> With control responsive to sensed condition {2}
645  DF  .~> With measuring, testing, or sensing
646  DF  .~> With programmed, cyclic, or time responsive control {5}
652  DF  .~> Gap maintenance or defined tool-workpiece gap {2}
655  DF  .~> With irradiation or illumination
656  DF  .~> Eroding workpiece of nonuniform internal electrical characteristics
657  DF  .~> Internal battery action
658  DF  .~> Simple alternating current {1}
660  DF  .~> Preliminary cleaning or shaping of workpiece {1}
662  DF  .~> With mechanical abrasion or grinding {1}
664  DF  .~> Sharpening or point making
665  DF  .~> Aperture making
666  DF  .~> Using mask {1}
668  DF  .~> Local application of electrolyte {2}
671  DF  .~> Agitation or vibration of electrolyte
672  DF  .~> Defined electrolyte movement or pressure
673  DF  .~> Regenerating or rehabilitating, per se, of electrolyte
674  DF  .~> Electrolyte composition or defined electrolyte {6}
686  DF  .~> Moving tool electrode

DEFINITION

Classification: 205/640

Electrolytic erosion of a workpiece for shape or surface change (e.g., etching, polishing, etc.) (process and electrolyte composition):

(under the class definition) Subject matter in which the chemical change occurs as a result of an electrolytic current between a tool electrode and a workpiece electrode and involves removing material from the workpiece in order to change the shape or surface configuration thereof, including electrolyte compositions for use therein.

(1) Note. For this subclass and the subclasses indented hereunder, some of the terms in the schedule and definitions are found at the end of this subclass definition.

(2) Note. This subclass and the subclasses indented hereunder include the electrolyte technology employed in electrolytic erosion processes. The regeneration, per se, of such electrolytes is classified in subclass 673 and the electrolyte compositions are classified in subclasses 674+.

(3) Note. The products of electrolytic erosion processes are excluded from this and the subclasses indented hereunder as a specific exception to the general rule of Class 204; see section (B) of the class definition.

(4) Note. Processes included in this and the indented subclasses are those in which the net result is stripping or removal of material to change the shape or surface configuration of a workpiece. Processes of electrolytic erosion combined with electrolytic deposition of a desired product are found in the above appropriate subclasses. However, if electrolytic coating is followed by electrolysis to entirely remove the electrolytically coated layer, no net coating has taken place, and no desired product has been synthesized (other than an electrolytically eroded or treated article); therefore placing the process in this subclass or the subclasses indented hereunder when such erosion or treatment has resulted in a change of shape or surface configuration of the base article (workpiece) and in subclasses 687+ in other cases.

(5) Note. This subclass (640) is the locus for patents directed to manufacturing or repairing of tools used in an electrolytic erosion process; such manufacturing or repairing not being provided for in any of the above subclasses in this class. The manufacturing or repairing of these tools by electrolytic erosion and the manufacturing or repairing of these tools combined with their use in electrolytic erosion are properly classified in the subclasses indented hereunder when provided for in these subclasses.

(6) Note. Although this subclass and the subclasses indented hereunder are intended to provide for electrolytic polishing (electropolishing as defined above), other processes which do not clearly or necessarily involve electrolytic erosion (e.g., "brightening," forming a surface "luster," etc.) may only be classified herein if such operations are clearly electrolytic and are the result of a shape or surface change of a workpiece. Otherwise, such operations are assumed to be mere cleaning or removal of a surface coating (e.g., metal oxide, sulfide, scale, etc.), the electrolytic variety of which is provided for below, under subclasses 687+, electrolytic material treatment. "Burnishing" is generally mere mechanical compacting, smoothing, or rubbing of material to produce a shiny or lustrous surface thereon, unless clearly indicated otherwise.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

52, for electrolytic marking (e.g., electroprinting, etc.) involving electrolytic erosion.

70, for a process of making a die by electroforming in which the die may or may not be used as a tool for electrolytic erosion.

80+, for a process where a polished surface is produced by electrolytic coating.

205+, for electrolytic erosion followed by electrolytic coating.

220+, for electrolytic coating followed by electrolytic erosion of the coating to remove only a portion thereof.

687+, for electrolytic erosion performed upon solid coherent objects for purposes other than a change in the shape or surface configuration of the workpiece.

705+, for electrolytic metal treatment in which brightening results from a cleaning action only. Processes in which electrolytic polishing is preceded by an electrolytic cleaning action are found in subclasses 660+.

717+, for a process in which an entire layer of elemental material is removed from a metallic substrate by electrolytic erosion, the material removed not being limited to a portion of the workpiece surface.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

29, Metal Working, 89.5+, and 90.01+ for processes and apparatus for producing a smooth surface by burnishing (e.g., by rubbing with a smooth surface of greater hardness than the workpiece, etc.).

51, Abrasive Toolmaking Process, Material, or Composition, for processes, materials, or compositions used to make tools employed in changing the shape or surface configuration of an object by grinding or other mechanical material removal without also employing electrolytic erosion.

76, Metal Tools and Implements, Making, appropriate subclasses for special machines, processes, blanks, and dies for making tools, in particular,

107.1+, for blanks and processes of making dies.

134, Cleaning and Liquid Contact With Solids, appropriate subclasses for processes and apparatus in general for cleaning or assuring contact of a solid material with a treating liquid.

148, Metal Treatment, appropriate subclasses for the treatment (e.g., tempering, ageing, etc.) of solid or semisolid metal to modify or maintain internal physical structure (i.e., microstructure) or chemical properties of the metal which may or may not be combined with a Class 205 procedure (e.g., carburizing or nitriding of solid metal combined with electrolytic erosion, etc.). Processes of electrolytic removal of metal by erosion combined with a broadly claimed heat treatment are properly classified in Class 205,

640+,.

216, Etching a Substrate: Processes, for processes of chemical etching or erosion which do not employ an electrolytic current, but may involve an electrical discharge.

219, Electric Heating, especially

68+, for processes of electrical erosion which do not employ an electrolyte or involve an added chemical reagent (e.g., spark gap erosion, etc.).

252, Compositions, especially 62.2, for electrolytes specialized or designed for an electrical device used merely as an electrical component (e.g., rectifier, condenser, etc.) and subclasses 79.1+ for etching compositions which, although not intended for use in electrolysis, may be identical in composition to such electrolytes.

428, Stock Material or Miscellaneous Articles,

612, for a composite metallic stock material having a microscopic interfacial wave or roughness.

451, Abrading, appropriate subclasses for apparatus, processes, and compositions for changing the shape or surface configuration of an object by grinding or other mechanical material removal, without electrolytic erosion.

483, Tool Changing, for a process or apparatus involving electrolytic erosion in which changing a tool electrode using a tool transfer means and a tool support or storage means is the sole significantly recited feature.

ELECTROPOLISHING

The electrolytic erosion of solid surfaces to produce bright or mirrorlike surfaces. The effect usually results from a selective electrolytic erosion of the high points of a base material surface to thus reduce surface irregularities.

ELEMENT

An electrode, a workpiece, a tool, or an electrolyte.

TOOL

A solid (including a gel) coherent object which cooperates with a workpiece and an electrolyte, either mechanically or electrically, to remove some of the material from the workpiece. Thus, for example, a tool may be an electrode, a grinding wheel, an insulating spacer, etc. WORKPIECE

A solid coherent object which serves as an electrode and is subjected to electrolytic erosion, some of which is removed during the process and some of which remains as a product. The workpiece may be a layer of one material supported by another material.