US PATENT CLASS 220
Class Notes
Current as of: June, 1999
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DEFINITION
Classification: 220/
This is the residual class of receptacles comprised of a peripheral wall with at least one closed end, and having an access opening which may be an open end of the receptacles, or which may be provided in the peripheral wall or closed end of the receptacle. Receptacles of this class type must function, by disclosure, to hold contents which in turn are to be eventually removed from the receptacle. This is also the residual locus for closures for receptacles. This is also the residual locus for attachments for receptacles.
LINES WITH OTHER CLASSES
Some specific art structures remain in this class which do not function by disclosure to hold contents which in turn are to be eventually removed from the receptacle; particularly those in subclasses 2.1+, subclasses 3.2+, and some electrical and sectional housings.
Designs for receptacles are in the design classes. See References to Other Classes, below.
For other receptacles, see References to Other Classes, below.
See the Notes to subclasses 2.1+ of this class (220) for the distinction between the envelopes, boxes, and housings for electric lamps, discharge devices, and similar devices in Class 174 and those in other classes, and the Notes to subclasses 3.2+ of this class (220) for the distinction between the boxes and housings for electrical devices in Class 174, and those in other classes.
See the Notes to subclasses 2.1+ of this class (220) for the distinction between the envelopes, boxes and housings for electric lamp and discharge devices which are in Class 313 and those in other classes.
REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES SEE OR SEARCH CLASS
4, Baths, Closets, Sinks, and Spittoons, for receptacles of that type.
15, Brushing, Scrubbing, and General Cleaning,
257.05+, for a receptacle which is particularly constructed to facilitate loading of an applicator; including indented subclasses 257.07+ for inkwells.
16, Miscellaneous Hardware,
110.5, and the notes thereto, for handles which also serve as receptacles.
16, Miscellaneous Hardware,
110+, for handles, and subclasses 128+ for hinges.
27, Undertaking, particularly
2+, for coffins.
30, Cutlery,
400, for can openers. 34, Drying and Gas or Vapor Contact With Solids,
particularly
233, and 237+ for drying receptacles.
40, Card, Picture, or Sign Exhibiting,
306+, for cans with labels thereon.
70, Locks,
63+, and 77+ for receptacle and closure locks where no particular structure of the receptacle is involved.
72, Metal Deforming, for manufacture of a sheet metal container by mere plastic deformation, with or without cutting.
92, Expansible Chamber Devices,
169+, for a detailed cylinder or working chamber or closure therefor for an expansible chamber device. See References to Other Classes, in Class 92, in the Search Class note for Class 220 for a further discussion of the relationship between Class 92 and Class 220.
99, Foods and Beverages: Apparatus,
428, 430-433 and 439 for cooking molds of particular application. 109, Safes, Bank Protection, or a Related Device, for safes.
119, Animal Husbandry, for aquariums, nests, feed bags, etc.
124, Mechanical Guns and Projectors,
41.1, and 45+ for projectile holders and carriers and magazines.
126, Stoves and Furnaces,
373+, for liquid heating receptacles.
131, Tobacco,
231+, for tobacco users' appliance combined with ash receiving receptacles.
137, Fluid Handling, for tanks in combination with other fluid handling means, especially
268, for receptacles holding a supply of solids to be mixed with a liquid.
139, Textiles: Weaving,
389+, for woven bags.
141, Fluent Material Handling, With Receiver or Receiver Coacting Means,
331+, for funnels.
150, Purses, Wallets, and Protective Covers, for a purse, wallet, card container or coin container used to carry money, credit cards or items of identification on the person.
156, Adhesive Bonding and Miscellaneous Chemical Manufacture,
262, for methods of making closures involving apply liners thereto by a punching and laminating operation.
166, Wells,
162+, and the subclasses there noted for receptacles specialized to use in wells.
169, Fire Extinguishers, particularly
30+, for receptacles for holding and dispensing fire extinguishing materials.
174, Electricity: Conductors and Insulators,
17+, and 50+ and the subclasses specified in the Notes to the definition of these subclasses for boxes and housings which involve electrical features. See Lines With Other Classes and Within This Class for a discussion of envelopes, boxes, and housings for electric lamps, discharge devices, and similar devices, and the line between Class 220, 174, and other classes. 190, Trunks and Hand-Carried Luggage, for receptacles of that description.
200, Electricity: Circuit Makers and Breakers,
61.62+, for switches combined with closure members, locks and letter boxes.
206, Special Receptacle or Package, appropriate subclasses, for a container particularly configured to hold a specific article or material-including an article (s) or material (s) put up as a mercantile unit. See
139+, for a portable segregating carrier for plural cylindrical type beverage containers and subclasses 499 through 520 for containers with nesting or stacking features.
209, Classifying, Separating, and Assorting Solids,
233+, particularly subclasses 248+, 259, 376, and 377, for
sifting screens for coal buckets and similar receptacles.
211, Supports: Racks,
71.01+, for receptacle support type.
215, Bottles and Jars, for receptacles of that description.
217, Wooden Receptacles, for receptacles of that material. 219, Electric Heating, appropriate subclasses for electrically heated vessels and ovens.
221, Article Dispensing, appropriate subclasses for article dispensing receptacles not otherwise provided for, and see the class definition of Class 221 for identification and explanation of those features which are considered to be dispensing features and to indicate classification of a receptacle structure in Class 221.
222, Dispensing, and see the notes to the class and subclass definitions for receptacles for dispensing fluent materials.
229, Envelopes, Wrappers, and Paperboard Boxes, for receptacles of that material. The line between classes 220 and 229 is as follows. Given a claim to a container which includes (1) a paperboard layer and (2) either a rigid metal or a rigid plastic layer, the layer which is considered to be the primary layer or the support layer controls classification, i.e., a container made from metal is classified in Class 220. A container made from rigid or semi-rigid thermoplastic is classified in Class 220 unless it folds in the manner of a paperboard container. A container made from paperboard or a container made from rigid or semi-rigid thermoplastic and which folds in the manner of a paperboard container made from a blank is classified in Class 229. A paper container made of molded pulp or molded paperboard is classified in Class 229. A paperboard container having a metal or thermoplastic closure is classified in Class 229. Any doubt is resolved in favor of Class 220. Examples: (1) If one layer forms a complete container and the other does not, the claim is classified on the basis of the complete container; (2) A paperboard container with a metal foil layer is classified in Class 229; (3) A paperboard container with a thin thermoplastic layer is classified in Class 229; (4) A paperboard container with a removable inner container made of metal or rigid or semi-rigid thermoplastic is classified in Class 229; (5) A metallic or a rigid or semi-rigid thermoplastic container having a removable inner paperboard container is classified in Class 220.
232, Deposit and Collection Receptacles, for receptacles of that description.
235, Registers,
32, and 100 for registering boxes.
239, Fluid Sprinkling, Spraying, and Diffusing, especially
302+, for receptacles combined with sprayers receiving their supply from the receptacle, subclasses 34+ for holders for slow diffusers, and subclasses 146+ for vehicular type supply receptacles.
248, Supports, for receptacle supports. In general, as between the receptacle classes and the support classes, the receptacle classes provide for the combination of a receptacle plus support: except, the support classes will accept a claim to a support combined with a receptacle, wherein the claim (1) nominally recites the receptacle, or (2) recites only so much of the receptacle structure as is needed to cooperate with the support, or (3) recites only those receptacles features which have been modified specifically to cooperate with the support.
249, Static Molds, appropriate subclasses, for receptacles intended for molding fluent material. 250, Radiant Energy,
475.2+, for invisible radiation responsive photos:graphic cassettes, and subclasses 506.1+ for a shielded receptacle for a radioactive source.
266, Metallurgical Apparatus,
275+, for receptacles for treating molten material.
273, Amusement Devices: Games,
144+, for chance mixing or dispensing devices such as dice cups.
280, Land Vehicles,
825, for scabbards for skates.
285, Pipe Joints or Couplings, for seams and joints similar to those used in receptacles.
292, Closure Fasteners, for closure fasteners.
294, Handling: Hand and Hoist-Line Implements,
68.22+, for hoist buckets. 312, Supports: Cabinet Structure, for cabinets and for receptacle and receptacle combinations not provided for elsewhere.
35+, provide for removal facilitating structure such as a receptacle having a spring loaded bottom portion which moves
in response to the weight of contents.
313, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices,
317+, and the subclasses specified in the Notes thereto for electric lamps and discharge devices which are provided with an envelope, housing or container. See Lines With Other Classes and Within This Class, for further discussion of the line between Class 313 and Class 220.
362, Illumination, particularly
159+, for receptacles combined with illumination means.
366, Agitating, for a fixed or movable receptacle forming or including apparatus to effect agitation.
368, Horology: Time Measuring Systems or Devices,
276+, for clock and watch cases.
376, Induced Nuclear Reactions: Processes, Systems, and Elements,
272, for a storage container system for irradiated core elements. 396, Photography, appropriate subclasses and particularly
589+, for dark cabinets and 636+ for trays.
401, Coating Implements With Material Supply,
118+, for a supply container in combination with an applicator which is removable therefrom for a coating application independent thereof.
428, Stock Material or Miscellaneous Articles, appropriate subclasses for a stock material product in the form of a single or plural layer web or sheet, especially
426+, and 630+ for composites including a glass layer, and subclasses 411+ and 615+ for nonmetallic and metallic composites, respectively, defined in terms of the composition of their components, especially subclass 648 for tin-plate stock. See also Lines With Other Classes and Within This Class for class (428), for the distinction between a stock material and a receptacle.
432, Heating,
254+, for a metallic receptacle the sole disclosed use of which is to support work within a furnace to be annealed or carburized by heat.
454, Ventilation, particularly
173+, for ventilating chambers for storage of hay, grain, fruit, vegetables, etc.
473, Games Using Tangible Projectile, 516+, for a player held and powered, nonmechanical projecting implement for projecting a projectile into the air (e.g., a tennis racket, etc.) which may be combined with a container or package therefor. See especially the Search Notes under subclass 516 for the locations for a flaccid protective cover (e.g., a flaccid case, etc.) for, or for a container or package (e.g., a rigid case, etc.) for, containing such a projecting implement.
588, Hazardous or Toxic Waste Destruction or Containment,
16, for the process of containing radioactive waste in receptacles, subclasses 249+ for the process of containing hazardous or toxic waste in receptacles.
D6, Furnishings, for desks, furniture, showcases, etc.
D7, Equipment for Preparing or Serving Food or Drink Not Elsewhere Specified,
509+, for drinking vessels; and subclasses 354+ for various food preparation vessels.
D9, Packages and Containers for the Transport or Handling of Goods.
D11, Jewelry, Symbolic Insignia, and Ornaments,
143+, for vases.
D99, Miscellaneous,
28+, for safes.