US PATENT CLASS 312
Class Notes


Current as of: June, 1999
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312 /   HD   SUPPORTS: CABINET STRUCTURE



DEFINITION

Classification: 312/

This class provides for receptacles or enclosures, combined with article supporting means such as drawers, racks, shelves, etc., fixed or movable partly or wholly out of the enclosure to make the article supported more readily accessible, and enclosures combined with any nonreceptacle feature for which there is no other provision. This statement is intended to include receptacle structures having modified features to cooperate with the indicated combined devices.

Included in this class, for example, are article containing magazine type cabinet structures having means to facilitate the removal of articles therefrom, showcases, counters, outdoor type cabinets, cabinets designed for use in worship, sectional unit type cabinets, enclosures specially designed to house radios, television sets, phonographs, and picture machines and film. See Subclass References to the Current Class, below, for these subclasses.

The term "component" as used in the subclass titles and definitions relates to compartments, walls, doors, shelves, partitions, racks or other article supports, or similar parts

of a compartment, fixed or removable.

LINES WITH OTHER CLASSES

In general, except for article supports, etc., as set forth in the above class definition, instrumentalities provided for in other classes with an enclosure solely for housing the instrumentality are classified with the type of instrumentality.

Receptacle structure, per se, is not provided for herein. Such structures are in the appropriate receptacle classes of which Class 220, Receptacles, is the generic class. For the distribution of the receptacle art see the notes to the definition of Class 220.

SPECIAL USE TYPES AND COMBINATIONS OF WHICH A CABINET IS A PART:

A. Cabinets or enclosures specially designed to house radios, phonograph instruments or records, picture machines or film are found in this class. (See Subclass References to the Current Class, below. ) The housed apparatus may be defined in general terms without the recitation of the characteristics of it or its particulars or relationship with the cabinets. Cabinets in combination with apparatus such as loud-speakers, dials, tuning handles or shafts, chassis and so forth, are classified with the apparatus.

B. Cabinets designed solely for use in worship and cabinets designed specially for laboratory, dental, barber or medical use are in this class. (See Subclass References to the Current Class, below. )

See Reference to Other Classes, below, for related art areas.

CABINET SUBCOMBINATIONS

A. Closures and Doors.

Cabinets with doors and closures are found in the various subclasses providing for movable components depending upon the particular type of motion of the closure or door. See Subclass References to the Current Class below, for cabinets with inner and outer closures and those with a closure having an auxiliary opening. Arrangements of doors or closures on two or more sides of a cabinet are also provided for in this class. Folding cardboard type cabinets with sliding doors are provided for in this class.

B. Closure Fasteners and Locks:

With the exception of a few special types of locking and latching devices provided for in the subclasses of this

class, such devices for movable cabinet parts have not been set out since they are of the types that can be adequately cross-referenced in Class 70 and Class 292. Also see Subclass References to the Current Class.

C. Guides for Drawers and Other Sliding Components:

Horizontally sliding cabinet drawers, shelves, closures, etc., provided with guide means are in this class. Other combinations of cabinet components and guide means therefor are classified in the subclass providing for the particular type of component. See Subclass References to the Current Class, below.

D. Handles: Cabinets with carrying handles and those having both a carrying handle and a particular supporting means usable independently of the handle are found in this class. See Subclass References to the Current Class, below.

Movable cabinet components or parts provided with a handle mounted thereon and movable therewith as a unit. See Subclass References to the Current Class, below.

E. Operators:

Cabinet components or parts provided with power driven means are in this class. See Subclass References to the Current Class, below.

F. Panels and Walls:

This class is not concerned with wall or panel structure, per se, since such structures are provided for in other classes. See Subclass References to the Current Class, below for cabinets having walls of foraminous material and those with spaced walls or with insulation.

Also see References to Other Classes for related art areas.

G. Cabinet Supports:

Cabinet structures including supporting or mounting means for the cabinet are specifically provided for in this class. See Subclass references to the Current Class, below.

Outdoor type cabinets with wall or window mounting means and canopy or curtain type cabinets with wall mounting means.

Cabinet supporting means combined with any of the cabinets provided for in subclasses 3 to 241 are classified with the particular type of cabinet.

Also see References to Other Classes for related art areas. H. Tables, Racks and Other Article Supports:

See Subclass References to the Current Class for the following: Cabinet structures associated with a leg supported table which can be removed from and used independently of the structure are classified in this class. See Subclass References to the Current Class for other cabinet combinations involving a table or shelf.

Movable racks and other article supports are found in substantially all of the subclasses involving movable components.

See Subclass References to the Current Class for show cases with racks, for cabinets with external racks or article supports, and for cabinets with fixed or merely removable racks or other article supports; for cabinets with supporting means for a typewriter, adding machine, dictaphone or sewing machine. Also see Subclass References to the Current Class for cabinet structure with means to support a supply of paper in position to be written on and for cabinets with means to support a book in position to be read. Cabinets with article supporting means of the disappearing instrument type are also referenced there.

Also see References to Other Classes for related art areas.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

4+, for canopy or curtain type cabinets with wall mounting means.

7.1, for cabinets or enclosures specially designed to house radios.

7.2, for cabinets for television sets.

8.1+, for cabinets or enclosures for phonographs.

20.1, for cabinets or enclosures for picture machines and film. 21+, for cabinets with article supporting means of the disappearing instrument type.

33, for cabinets designed for use in worship

35+, for article containing magazine type cabinet structures having means to facilitate the removal of articles therefrom in subclasses

100+, for outdoor type cabinets

101+, for outdoor type cabinets with wall or window mounting means.

107+, for sectional unit type cabinets

107.5, 215, 216+, 222, and 333, for special types of locking and latching devices.

114+, for showcases

126+, 128+ for show cases with racks.

140.1+, for counters.

208.1, through 208.6, and 223.1+ for cabinets with supporting means for a typewriter, adding machine, dictaphone or sewing machine. 209, for cabinets designed specially for laboratory, dental, barber or medical use.

213, for cabinets having walls of foraminous material.

214, for cabinets with spaced walls or with insulation.

222, 266+, 271+, 293.1+, and 294+, for movable parts of a compartment.

231, for cabinet structure with means to support a supply of paper in position to be written on.

233, for cabinets with means to support a book in position to be read.

243, for cabinets having both a carrying handle and a particular supporting means usable independently of the handle.

243, through 248, 249.1-249.13, 351.1-351.14, for cabinet structures including supporting or mounting means for the cabinet.

244, for cabinets with carrying handles.

260, for folding cardboard type cabinets with sliding doors.

277, for cabinet structures associated with a leg supported table which can be removed from and used independently of the structure.

280+, for cabinets with external racks or article supports 281+, 313+, for other cabinet combinations involving a table or shelf.

283+, for arrangements of doors or closures on two or more sides of a cabinet.

291, for cabinets with inner and outer closures

292, for cabinets with a closure having an auxiliary opening.

293, 351 for cabinets with fixed or merely removable racks or other article supports

319.5+, for cabinet components or parts provided with power driven means.

330.1+, for horizontally sliding cabinet drawers, shelves, closures, etc., provided with guide means.

332.1, 333, and 348.6, for movable cabinet components or parts provided with a handle mounted thereon and movable therewith as a unit.

351, for parts of a compartment, fixed or removable.

REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS 5, Beds,

2.1, for beds combined with some other article of furniture. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

16, Miscellaneous Hardware,

82, for drawer stops, per se. (see "Guides for Drawers, etc." above)

16, Miscellaneous Hardware,

110+, for handles, per se, and see the notes to subclass 110 of that class for the location of other related handle combinations. (see "Handles" above)

52, Static Structures (e.g., Buildings), for a construction forming an enclosure of the type which is erected or assembled at the job site. Class 52 also takes (1) a component, e.g., panel, of more general utility which is structurally similar to those used in in situ type structures, even though defined or disclosed as having another art use, or (2) in situ erected type enclosures combined with an article or article support where additional structure not merely housing the article or article support is defined, see particularly

27+,. (See "Panels and Walls," above)

62, Refrigeration, for a cabinet having features specialized to refrigeration, and see the Notes referring to Class 62 in other subclasses of this class (312).

74, Machine Element or Mechanism,

606+, for casings combined with means to support gearing therein. 109, Safes, Bank Protection, or a Related Device, appropriate subclasses for protective cabinets such as fire and theft resistance safes, and especially

63.5, for cabinets such as refrigerators including means to render the closure fastening means thereof ineffective when the cabinet is in a condition of abnormal use. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

126, Stoves and Furnaces, for cabinets with combustion means to heat the cabinet either internally or externally, i.e., stoves, enclosures of all kinds in combination with means to extract heat of combustion and distribute it.

165, Heat Exchange, appropriate subclasses for housing structure having features peculiar to heat exchange or for a housed heat exchange means where the enclosure is solely for housing the heat exchange means.

4, Baths, Closets, Sinks, and Spittoons,

619+, for basins, subclasses 538+, for tubs, per se, or in combination with an enclosure therefor, there being no cabinet features such as drawers, racks, shelves, etc., and no compartments for general storage purposes beyond the compartment formed by the basin enclosure, and subclasses 656 for sink drainboards.

15, Brushing, Scrubbing, and General Cleaning,

258, for cases and containers for shoe blacking boxes and kits.

38, Textiles: Ironing or Smoothing,

103+, for ironing board support or mount.

42, Firearms, the various "magazine" subclasses, for cartridge magazines and combinations thereof with guns.

43, Fishing, Trapping, and Vermin Destroying, 55, for bait holders.

49, Movable or Removable Closures, appropriate subclasses, for a closure of the type provided for and see the search notes thereto for the loci of closures in other classes. (See "Cabinet Subcombinations" above)

49, Movable or Removable Closures,

503, for a closure panel modified to accommodate a latch or lock and see the search notes thereto for the loci of other closure latches or locks. (see "Closure Fasteners and Locks" above)

68, Textiles: Fluid Treating Apparatus,

232, for tubs especially designed for the fluid treatment of textiles.

70, Locks, for locks, per se. (see "Closure Fasteners and Locks" above)

73, Measuring and Testing,

431, for instrument casing structures.

108, Horizontally Supported Planar Surfaces, appropriate subclasses for tables, generally; especially

33+, for a horizontally supported planar surface combined with an enclosure for housing it in an inoperative position, subclasses 134+ for a folding horizontally supported planar surface attached laterally of a support such as a cabinet, and subclass 152 for a horizontally supported planar surface attached laterally of a support. (See "Tables, Racks, etc." above) 119, Animal Husbandry,

416+, for housings specially adapted to confine animals.

132, Toilet,

286+, for toilet kits including a toilet article combined with a receptacle which may be in the form of a rack or cabinet.

160, Flexible or Portable Closure, Partition, or Panel, for flexible panels of the flexible or portable panel type. (See "Panels and Walls, " above)

160, Flexible or Portable Closure, Partition, or Panel, for flexible closures and see the notes thereto for related art. (See "Cabinet Subcombinations" above)

174, Electricity: Conductors and Insulators,

48+, and 50+ for inclosures having electrical structure.

181, Acoustics,

148+, for diaphragms mounted within a cabinet and subclass 199 for a speaker cabinet with specific acoustical features. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

190, Trunks and Hand-Carried Luggage, for receptacles and cabinets designed for use as trunks or traveling bags,

3+, having trunks convertible to bureaus and 11+ having trunks convertible to table or desk. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

206, Special Receptacle or Package,

19, for a container arranged for sacramental use and subclasses 307+ for a container for a sound recording (e.g., phonograph disc). (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

209, Classifying, Separating, and Assorting Solids,

370+, for bins, casing, compartments, receptacles, etc., enclosing sifters there being no compartments of general utility included.

211, Supports: Racks,

40, for phonograph record racks. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

211, Supports: Racks,

1.3, for rack structures combined with enclosing storage space for housing the rack in inoperative position, and appropriate subclasses, for cabinets having exteriorly mounted racks, the included portion of the cabinet structure providing only for mounting or operation of the rack. (See "Tables, Racks, etc." above)

215, Bottles and Jars,

237+, and 273+ for bottles and jars with closure fastenings. (see "Closure Fasteners and Locks" above)

217, Wooden Receptacles, 56+, and 89, for closure fasteners on wooden receptacles. (see "Closure Fasteners and Locks" above)

220, Receptacles, and the notes thereto for receptacle or housing structure and see particularly

62.11+, 560.12+, 592.05, 592.09+, and 592.2+ and the notes thereto for receptacle structures of the spaced wall or insulated type and subclasses 639+ for receptacle wall structure. (See "Panels and Walls," above)

220, Receptacles,

315+, for closure fasteners combined with metallic receptacle structure. (see "Closure Fasteners and Locks" above)

220, Receptacles,

476+, for wall or ground mounted receptacles. (See "Cabinet Supports:" above)

221, Article Dispensing, appropriate subclasses, and

especially

282+, for article dispensers not otherwise provided for including cabinet and support structures therefor. The line between Classes 221 and 312 is as follows: Class 221 will take any cabinet serving as a source of supply for discrete articles combined with means to eject or release such articles by means which are recognized in the class definition of Class 221 as dispensing means, without regard to the presence or absence of cabinet structure. Class 312 will take cabinet structures involving a source of supply of articles and not including such dispensing means. Attention is directed to the subclasses of Class 312, in which are classified cabinet structures of the magazine type for containing articles and having means facilitating the removal thereof. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

222, Dispensing,

129.1, for the combination of a cabinet and a bulk dispenser, subclasses 173+ takes a fluent material dispensing container and a casing solely therefor. Throughout the class (222) are container structures having combined therewith bulk dispensing features. 223, Apparel Apparatus,

107, for boxes and baskets especially designed to hold sewing accessories such as, work, spools, needles, pins, scissors, etc.

229, Envelopes, Wrappers, and Paperboard Boxes, for paper receptacles and paper receptacle blanks.

232, Deposit and Collection Receptacles, for deposit and collection receptacles not having general purpose compartments or article supports in addition to the deposit and collection compartment. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

237, Heating Systems,

79, for casings and heat shields for radiators.

242, Winding, Tensioning, or Guiding, for a housing combined with winding or unwinding, usually in the form of a specified coil support or guide structure for dispensing elongated material. Generally a continuous strip towel-type hand dryer in Class 242 is provided with a roll core or spindle while those in Class 312 are not.

248, Supports, and the notes thereto for supports generally and see particularly subclasses indented under

127, for receptacle type stands; see also subclasses 188.2+ for furniture leveling devices and subclass 188.8 for

furniture legs and feet and terminal tips or shoes therefor. (See "Cabinet Supports:" above)

248, Supports, and the notes to the class definition, for supports, generally; and especially

441.1+, for an easel, book or music score holder. (See "Tables, Racks, etc." above) 292, Closure Fasteners, for door or closure fasteners, per se. (see "Closure Fasteners and Locks" above)

343, Communications: Radio Wave Antennas,

702, for antennas combined with a radio cabinet wherein a significant relationship exists between the antenna and the cabinet. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

359, Optics: Systems (Including Communication) and Elements,

838+, for mirrors and mirror systems, per se.

362, Illumination,

127+, for combinations of a source of light and an article of furniture is modified merely for the promotion of illumination and subclasses 125+ for the combination of a source of light and a showcase modified only for the promotion of illumination.

369, Dynamic Information Storage or Retrieval,

12, for cabinet details of a radio-phonograph; and subclasses 75.1+ for a phonograph with particular cabinet structure. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

381, Electrical Audio Signal Processing Systems and Devices,

150+, for loud speaker structures. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

384, Bearings, for guides or slides for supporting drawers, trays or shelves for sliding movement. (see "Guides for Drawers, etc." above) 396, Photography,

589+, for light-excluding cases or cabinets used in processing exposed film.

401, Coating Implements With Material Supply,

118+, for a kit; i.e., a holder or receptacle for coating material and a removable applicator or spreader for the material.

433, Dentistry,

77+, for cabinets combined with dental equipment. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

434, Education and Demonstration,

408+, for furniture designed for educational demonstrations or instruction and subclasses 61+ for blackboards not combined with cabinet structure.

455, Telecommunications,

347+, for combinations of a cabinet and radio structure in general. (See "Special Use Types And Combinations, etc." above)

446, Amusement Devices: Toys, 71+, for a toy which serves as, or has been converted from, a container; and subclass 482 for toy furniture.

604, Surgery,

309, for applying solid materials to the body.

607, Surgery: Light, Thermal, and Electrical Application,

81, for cabinets having combined therewith means for applying to the body any one or combination of light or analogous rays, electricity or thermal treatments.