US PATENT CLASS 62
Class Notes
Current as of: June, 1999
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DEFINITION
Classification: 62/
This class includes (1) processes and apparatus peculiar to removing heat from a substance, usually by a change of phase of a coolant or refrigerant, as by evaporation, melting or sublimation, (2) the resultant product of part (1), e.g., ice, liquefied or solidified gases, and (3) processes and apparatus peculiar to handling the latter as a stored product, not elsewhere provided for.
REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES
SEE OR SEARCH CLASS
23, Chemistry: Physical Processes,
295+, for processes crystallizing inorganic compounds or non-metal elements not including a refrigeration step, and when there is an intent to make a single-crystal, see Class 117 whether or not including a refrigeration step.
34, Drying and Gas or Vapor Contact With Solids, for processes and apparatus for drying by operations other than refrigeration, combined with cooling by refrigeration, particularly
62+, 284+, 302+, and 391+ and also for processes and apparatus for cooling only by gas or vapor contact involving no characteristics of refrigeration; see particularly subclasses 428+ and the Notes thereunder.
52, Static Structures (e.g., Buildings), appropriate subclasses for the structure, per se, of an enclosure which may be defined as forming a refrigerated space, particularly
380+, 404.1+ and 479+. 95, Gas Separation: Processes, for processes involving steps resulting in separation of a gas from a fluid mixture comprising (i) a gas and solid or liquid particles entrained therein, (ii) a liquid and gas entrained therein, or (iii) a plurality of gases wherein the steps are of a physical or material handling nature, involve contacting of materials, or exchange properties through electrical or nonreactive
chemical treatment. Class 95 takes gas separation of the type noted above including cooling of the sorbent or cooling of the fluid mixture, but not including evaporative cooling after sorption of the type noted in (c) below. Class 95 takes the cold wall-hot wall thermal diffusion type of separation, regardless of any refrigeration claimed. Class 95 also takes expansion through an orifice of a liquid and gas entrained therein where the gas is evolved through the lowering of the pressure and the cooling effect which inherently results from such pressure reduction is not transferred through a wall to another material. If such heat transfer occurs, classification in Class 62 is proper. Class 62 takes (a) eparation of a constituent from a plurality of gases by a significantly claimed refrigeration step or apparatus; (b) condensation of moisture from the atmosphere as a result of a refrigeration operation; (c) gas drying by sorption followed by contacting the dried gas with a liquid to produce cooling by evaporation; (d) a refrigerated enclosure combined with sorption means; (e) refrigeration producing processes and apparatus combined with steps or means for drying the refrigerant; and (f) extracting a constituent from a plurality of gases by liquefaction and separation (e.g., fractionation or distillation, etc.).
96, Gas Separation: Apparatus, for gas separation apparatus corresponding to the processes of Class 95. The line for apparatus between Class 96 and Class 62 is the same as the line above for processes between Class 95 and Class 62.
99, Foods and Beverages: Apparatus,
455, 470 and 517 for apparatus including cooling means.
100, Presses,
92+, for a press with means to cool the material compacted by the press, especially subclasses 310, 312, and 314 for a conveyor-type press having means to cool the article or press.
109, Safes, Bank Protection, or a Related Device,
63.5, for a closure with means to render the closure lock ineffective, e.g., a refrigerator with safety features to prevent persons from being locked therein.
117, Single-Crystal, Oriented-Crystal, and Epitaxy Growth Processes; Non-Coating Apparatus Therefor, for processes and non-coating apparatus for growing therein-defined single-crystal of all types of materials, including inorganic or organic, including those having refrigeration steps or means.
126, Stoves and Furnaces,
273.5, and 375 for an insulated receptacle with a member therein intended to be heated.
137, Fluid Handling, appropriate subclass for processes and apparatus for fluid handling of general utility.
138, Pipes and Tubular Conduits,
100, 178, especially subclass 149 for insulation on pipe.
165, Heat Exchange, particularly
58+, for apparatus adapted for interchangeably, convertibly or alternately heating and cooling. See the reference to Class 62 in the definition of subclass 58 of Class 165.
166, Wells,
57, for well apparatus including refrigeration means, subclasses 265+ for well processes in which fluid may be separated by refrigeration, and subclass 302 for well processes including cooling.
201, Distillation: Processes, Thermolytic, appropriate subclass for a process of thermolytic distillation of a solid carbonaceous material.
202, Distillation: Apparatus, appropriate subclass, for apparatus for distillation of general utility.
203, Distillation: Processes, Separatory, appropriate subclass for a process of separatory distillation of general utility and see Class 203 class definitions for the line between separatory distillation and this class.
210, Liquid Purification or Separation, appropriate subclass for processes and apparatus which may involve cooling. The following subclasses are particularly noted: 773, for processes involving conversion of solids to liquids before separation, subclass 774 for processes involving heating or cooling and separation, subclass 149 for separating apparatus having means responsive to a thermal condition, and subclasses 175+ for a separator with a heater or heat exchanger.
215, Bottles and Jars, appropriate subclass for a bottle or jar of general utility.
217, Wooden Receptacles, appropriate subclass for a crate or shipping vessel of general utility.
220, Receptacles, appropriate subclass for a tank or receptacle having compartments made mostly of metal, or a tank or container having a mere jacket in which a cooling or heating fluid may be admitted when there is no directing means for circulating the fluid in the jacket.
221, Article Dispensing, appropriate subclass for mechanism
having a specific article dispensing feature in combination with a feature too general for classification in Class 62.
222, Dispensing, appropriate subclass for a receptacle having a specific dispensing feature with a feature too general for classification in Class 62.
236, Automatic Temperature and Humidity Regulation, appropriate subclass for a control of general utility. A refrigerant controlling or expansion valve is of general utility unless features resulting in refrigeration production are included.
237, Heating Systems, appropriate subclass for a heating system which may use the heat rejecting portion of a refrigeration system with additional heating means.
241, Solid Material Comminution or Disintegration, appropriate subclass for processes and apparatus for comminuting solid refrigerants and also comminuting processes and apparatus provided with cooling means. See section 6 of the class definition of that class (241) for the line.
249, Static Molds,
69+, for ice cube trays including means to release ice cubes from a tray, and subclasses 129+ for ice cube trays, per se, for forming plural cubes. 252, Compositions, particularly
67+, for (1) admixtures of ingredients, or an old compound limited to use as a refrigerant, (2) processes of refrigeration comprising any known cycle and distinguished solely by the composition or compound therein, when apparatus structure is not included. The preceding are placed in Class 252 even though the freezing or boiling point or temperature of use is specific.
260, Chemistry of Carbon Compounds, including the related classes for processes of treating or modifying non-hydrocarbon organic compounds: by crystallization wherein the crystallization is not brought about by refrigeration; wherein crystallization, by any means including refrigeration, is combined with synthesis or modification of said compounds by chemical means; or wherein the separation of carbon compounds is accomplished exclusively by physical means other than refrigeration.
261, Gas and Liquid Contact Apparatus, appropriate subclass, for a gas and liquid contact device having no means specialized to cooling a material out of contact with the contacting fluids.
264, Plastic and Nonmetallic Article Shaping or Treating: Processes, for molding processes, per se, for materials within the class definition, noting particularly
28, for processes including freezing or cooling to a temperature of zero deg.C.
299, Mining or In Situ Disintegration of Hard Material, appropriate subclass for a process or apparatus for recovering or working naturally occurring ice in situ and particularly
24+, for an ice working machine or cutter.
312, Supports: Cabinet Structure, particularly
31, 31.01, 36, 116, 213, 236, 253, and 400+ of that class (312) and see the Notes thereto, for cabinet structure including an insulated wall cabinet of general utility.
366, Agitating, appropriate subclasses for agitating process or apparatus of general utility; also, for agitating apparatus involving a cooling means where that means is only a container or a container with means for effecting agitation therein, and in either case there is no modification of either the container or the agitating means restricting the use of the apparatus to refrigeration. 422, Chemical Apparatus and Process Disinfecting, Deodorizing, Preserving, or Sterilizing,
1+, for processes of preserving by operations other than refrigeration not provided for elsewhere; subclasses 245.1+ for non-coating crystallization apparatus not including chemical reaction means, not including refrigeration means, and not provided for elsewhere; and subclasses 129+ for non-coating crystallization apparatus including means for chemical reaction, which may or may not include refrigeration means, and not provided for elsewhere.
425, Plastic Article or Earthenware Shaping or Treating: Apparatus, appropriate subclasses for molding apparatus, per se, for merely shaping particulate ice (water or carbon dioxide) into a desired configuration;
117+, for a specific refrigeration apparatus and mold means to form a composite product from a fluent material and a preform. Class 62 provides for the combination of plastic material shaping or reshaping apparatus combined with refrigeration apparatus for the material shaped.
426, Food Edible Material: Processes, Compositions, and Products, appropriate subclasses for frozen food products and food working processes combined with freezing.
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, and especially
304.4+, for a composite web or sheet including a porous or
cellular layer.
454, Ventilation, for means and related processes for ventilation of an enclosure not specialized to refrigeration. The mere inclusion of a cooler for the air or means subjecting the air to air-liquid contact is not considered a means specialized to refrigeration.
585, Chemistry of Hydrocarbon Compounds, for processes including a step of refrigeration which treats or modifies only hydrocarbon compounds (claimed or disclosed). Such processes disclosing any non-Class 585 (i.e., non-hydrocarbon) organic compound are placed according to the class line with Class 260 and related classes. Especially see
15, for treating or modifying a crystalline hydrocarbon hydrate and subclasses 812+ for a purification or separation process for recovery of a hydrocarbon.