US PATENT SUBCLASS 560 / 1
.~ Carboxylic acid esters

Current as of: June, 1999
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560 /   HD   ORGANIC COMPOUNDS -- PART OF THE CLASS 532-570 SERIES

*  DD  ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (Class 532, Subclass 1) {17}
1.~ Carboxylic acid esters {14}
2  DF  .~.~> With preservative {2}
5  DF  .~.~> Hydrophenanthrene in acid moiety {2}
8  DF  .~.~> Aromatic acid moiety {9}
114  DF  .~.~> Preparing alicyclic acid esters by carbonylation
115  DF  .~.~> Alicyclic carbamates
116  DF  .~.~> Plural alicyclic rings in acid moiety {2}
121  DF  .~.~> Cyclopentyl in acid moiety (e.g., prostaglandins, etc.) {1}
123  DF  .~.~> Cyclobutyl in acid moiety
124  DF  .~.~> Cyclopropyl in acid moiety
125  DF  .~.~> Alicyclic acid moiety containing N, S, P, B or halogen
126  DF  .~.~> Alicyclic acid moiety containing oxy, aldehyde or ketone group
127  DF  .~.~> Alicyclic polycarboxylic acid moiety
128  DF  .~.~> Alicyclic acid moiety containing unsaturation
129  DF  .~.~> Acyclic acid moiety {9}

DEFINITION

Classification: 560/1

Carboxylic acid esters:

(under subclass 1) Compounds under Class 532, ... wherein the acid function entering into the formation of the esters is a carboxyl group.

(1) Note. The traditional manner of naming esters has been to define the acid and alcohol moieties that are interracted. The basis for classifying esters in this class has been the acid moiety.In this reclassification, the use of the acid moiety as the primary basis for classification has been retained. However, whenever it was determined that no further subdivision of a body of patents could be established based upon variants of the acid moiety and consistent with good classification practice, further subdivision has been made on the characteristics of the alcohol moiety. To avoid any confusion, the schedule of subclass titles specifically points out that a particular characteristic pertains to the acid moiety or the alcohol moiety. This factor, combined with the complexity of the compounds which involve pluralities of acid and alcohol moieties, has made it essential to establish a set of rules to determine which acid moiety and which alcohol moiety is to control the classification.

RULES FOR CLASSIFYING CARBOXYLIC ESTERS

A. Compounds

I. General

(1)

The first step in determining the classification of a compound is to resolve it into the several acidic and alcoholic moieties.

(2) If there is more than one acid moiety, the general rule of superiority is applied to determine the acid moiety which will control classification.

(3)

Thereafter, the rule applied is that only those alcohol

moieties which esterify the selected acid moiety are considered for classification.

(4)

Where there is more than one alcohol moiety esterifying a controlling acid moiety and it is necessary to determine which alcohol moiety will control classification, the general rules of superiority are applied.

The following examples illustrate these rules:

(a)

Polyoxy alcohol B and two carboxylic acids, A and D AC(=O) OBO(O=)CD Determine which of acids A or D has priority to decide the classification.

(b)

Polycarboxylic acid A and two alcohols B and D BO(O )CAC(=O)OD If necessary, determine which of alcohols B and D has priority to decide the classification.

(c) Oxy acid B, acylating acid A and alcohol D AC(=O)OBC(=O)OD Determine which of acids A and B has priority. If acid A has priority, then oxy acid B serves as the alcohol moiety and D is ignored for classification. If oxy acid B has priority, then alcohol D is considered for classification and acid A is ignored.

(d)

Polycarboxylic acid A, monocarboxylic acid E, polyoxy alcohol D and monooxy alcohol B BO(O=)CAC(=O)ODO(O=)CE Determine which of acids A and E takes priority. If acid A has priority, then alcohols B and D are considered and acid E is ignored. If necessary, determine priority as between alcohols B and D to establish classification. If acid E has priority, consider only alcohol D for classification and ignore acid A and alcohol B.

(e)

Polycarboxylic acid A, oxy acid B, monocarboxylic acid E, monooxy alcohol F and polyoxy alcohol D FO(O=)CAC(=O)OBC(=O)ODO(O=)CE Determine priority among acid moieties A, B and E. If polycarboxylic acid A has priority, then consider only F and B as the alcohol moieties and ignore D and E. If necessary, determine priority between F and B as alcohol moieties for classification. If oxy acid B has priority, then only alcohol D is considered for classification, ignoring F, A and E. If acid E has priority, consider only alcohol D for classification, ignoring F, A and B.

II. Polycarboxylic Acid Esters

The treatment of polycarboxylic acid esters has not changed in this reclassification. However, since it presents potential pitfalls for classification and search, the problems are summarized here.

Esters of polycarboxylic acids where one or more of the carboxyl groups are unesterified are classified with the polycarboxylic acid esters where all carboxyl groups may be in the free acid form or may be present as salts or as acid halides.

When the unesterified carboxyl is reacted with an amine to form an amide, the compound is classified in the appropriate subclass of the group of esters containing nitrogen.

Since an acid halide group on an acid moiety which contains an esterified carboxyl is the function which makes it a polycarboxylic acid ester, such compound is not considered to be halogenated, for classification purposes. However, when the acid halide group is on an acid moiety which serves as the alcohol portion of an ester of an acid with higher priority, this restriction no longer applies and it may be considered as a halogenated alcohol.

An anhydride of a half ester of a dicarboxylic acid with a monocarboxylic acid is regarded for classification purposes, as a monocarboxylic acid ester, e.g., BO(O=C)AC(=O)O(O=)CD and the final classification will be determined by the functional groups present on both A and D which form the entire acid moiety. An anhydride of a half ester of a dicarboxylic acid with another dicarboxylic acid or half ester will be considered as a polycarboxylic acid, e.g., BO(O=)CAC(=O)O(O=)CDC(=O)OH.

Here too, the final classification will be determined by the functional groups present on both A and D which form the entire acid moiety.

III. Phenolic Esters

The only exception to the rules set forth in I. above, is that of phenolic esters of acyclic carboxylic acids. Here, the primary basis of classification is the phenolic moitety, with the acids providing a secondary basis when all classifiable characteristics of the phenolic moiety have been exhausted. As a further exception to this case, carbamic acid esters of phenols have been made special and appear before all other categories.

IV. Salts

As a general rule, a salt forming moiety will not be considered as significant for classifying a carboxylic acid

ester, unless it is, per se, an ester classifiable in this area, in which case its acid group will compete for priority with the acid group of the ester to which it is ionically bound. In this case, classification will be based solely on that ionic moiety which is superior.

B. Processes

The rules of classification with respect to processes follow the general rules as set forth in the class definition. Since processes may appear in three different positions within the schedule, this rule is amplified to cover the three situations.

(a)

When a process subclass appears as a first line indent to a residual subclass and is ahead of and coordinate with a series of product subclasses, it is considered as referring to the subject matter of the residual subclass as well as the coordinate product subclasses.

(1) If the claims are drawn to a product classifiable in the residual subclass and a process classifiable in a process subclass, the original patent is placed in the residual subclass and cross referenced to the appropriate process subclass.

(2)

If the claims are drawn to products classifiable in a coordinate product subclass as well as process claims classifiable in a process subclass, the original patent is placed in the appropriate process subclass and cross referenced to the product subclass.

(3)

If all the claims are drawn to a process classifiable in a process subclass, the original is placed in the appropriate process subclass.

(b)

When a process subclass appears as an indent to a product subclass it refers only to the subject of that product subclass.

(1)

When the patent contains claims classifiable both in the product and the process subclass, the patent is placed as an original in the product subclass and cross referenced to the process subclass.

(2)

If all the claims are drawn to a process classifiable in the process subclass, the original patent is placed in the process subclass. (c)

When process subclasses appear as a first line indent, but below a series of coordinate product subclasses, then they refer only to subject matter classifiable in the residual subclass.

(1)

If the patent contains claims to a product classifiable in the residual subclass and claims classifiable in a process subclass, the original patent is placed in the residual subclass and cross referenced to the process subclass.

(2)

If the claims are all drawn to a process classifiable in a process subclass, the original patent is placed in the process subclass.

(d)

Where a patent has claims drawn only to a process for which no subclass is provided, in all cases the patent is placed in the subclass appropriate to the product being produced.

(2) Note. This is the residual subclass for esters of alicyclic carboxylic acids not specifically provided for in subclasses (114-128) inclusive.

(3) Note. This subclass contains, for example: esters of naphthenic acids and [figure] [figure]