CPC Definition - Subclass F01C
This place covers:
Positive displacement machines, i.e. devices which could be equally an engine or pump, with rotary or oscillating pistons for elastic fluids or for combination of liquid and elastic fluid.
Related subclasses F01C and F04C cover the same type of apparatus using rotary or oscillating pistons for positive displacement. The distinguishing characteristic used for classifying the machines, i.e. devices which could be equally be an engine or pump, is the working fluid used. Machines with rotary or oscillating pistons for working fluids containing elastic fluids, e.g. a combination of liquids and elastic fluids are classified in F01C. If only liquid is used as working fluid for these machines with rotary or oscillating pistons they are classified in F04C. However, devices with rotary or oscillating pistons that are only pumps, i.e. cannot be used as engines, are classified in F04C, irrespective of the working fluid.
Engines with reciprocating pistons or rotary or oscillating pistons wherein the working fluid is a liquid are classified in F03C.
F04B covers machines or pumps with reciprocating pistons, or other kinds of positive displacement mechanisms with the exception of rotary or oscillating piston type machines or pumps.
Subject matter like cyclically operating valves, lubricating or cooling are classified in subclasses F01L, F01M, F01P irrespective of their stated application, unless their novel and non-obvious features are peculiar to their application, in which case they are classified only in the relevant subclass of F04. The subclasses F01L, F01M, F01P do not cover pump or machine features per se.
This place does not cover:
Internal-combustion aspects of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines | |
Engines with reciprocating pistons or rotary or oscillating pistons wherein the working fluid is a liquid. | |
Positive displacement machines for liquids, or pumps in which the working-fluid is displaced by one or more reciprocating pistons or by flexible working members |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Cyclically operating valves for machines or engines | |
Lubrication of machines or engines in general | |
Gas-flow silencer or exhaust apparatus for machines or engines in general | |
Cooling of machines or engines in general | |
Combustion engines with pumps for charging | |
Internal-combustion aspects of rotary pistons; Outer members for co-operation with rotary pistons | |
Hydraulic motors | |
Rotary-piston or oscillating piston machines for liquids | |
Rotary-piston or oscillating piston pumps for elastic fluids | |
Fluid pressure actuators | |
Rotary fluid gearing using pumps and motors of the volumetric type for conveying rotary motion | |
Sealing in general | |
Means for thermal insulation in general |
As a general rule a complete classification will contain at least one class specifying the type of machine concerned, combined with at least one class out of the control group F01C 20/00, or of the sealing group F01C 19/00 or of the accessory group F01C 21/00. The subgroups of F04C should be used for details not provided for in F01C and F03C.
In cases were a control or a "Details, component, parts, or accessories" has to be classified which can be used in a number of different types of machines which would be covered by different subgroups, the type of machine considered in the document should be classified by using the corresponding Indexing Code. For details not provided for in F01C, the Indexing Codes of the F04C scheme should be used.
The Indexing Code F05C is used to classify materials and material properties.
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Cooperating members | means the "oscillating piston" or "rotary piston" and another member, e.g., the working-chamber wall, which assists in the pumping action or machine's action |
Internal axis type | means that the rotational axes of the inner and outer co-operating members remain at all times within the outer member, e.g., in a similar manner to that of a pinion meshing with the internal teeth of a ring gear |
Machine | means a device that could equally be both an engine and a pump and not a device which is restricted to an engine or one which is restricted to a pump |
Movement of the cooperating members | is to be interpreted as relative, so that one of the "cooperating members" may be stationary, even though reference may be made to its rotational axis, or both may move |
Oscillating piston machine | means a positive-displacement machine in which a fluid-engaging, work-transmitting member oscillates, e.g. a vane piston swinging back and forth about a fixed axis |
Positive displacement engines | the energy of a working fluid is transformed into mechanical energy, in which variations of volume created by the working fluid in a working chamber produce equivalent movement of mechanical members, e.g. pistons transmitting the energy, the dynamic effect of the fluid being of minor importance |
Positive displacement pumps | pumps using pistons or other mechanical members to displace a working fluid in a working chamber, the dynamic effect on the fluid being of minor importance |
Pump | means a device for continuously raising, forcing, compressing, or exhausting fluid by mechanical means |
Reciprocating piston | means a fluid-engaging, work-transmitting member of an reciprocating-piston type machine or pump that slides alternately back and forth usually along a straight line or path |
Rotary piston | means a fluid engaging, work-transmitting member of a rotary-piston machine or pump that can completely rotate about a fixed axis or about an axis moving along a circular or similar orbit when operating, e.g. rotor having vanes or teeth |
Rotary piston machine | means a positive-displacement machine in which a liquid-engaging, work-transmitting member rotates about a fixed axis or about an axis moving along a circular or similar orbit, e.g. machine with a rotor having vanes or teeth |
Teeth or tooth equivalents | include lobes, projections or abutments |
Working fluid | means the driven fluid in a pump or driving or driven liquid in a machine. The working fluid can be in a compressible, gaseous state, e.g. steam, called elastic fluid, a liquid state, or a state where there is coexistence of elastic fluid and liquid state |
This place does not cover:
With axes of co-operating members non parallel | |
With the working-chamber walls at least partly resiliently deformable | |
With fluid ring or the like | |
Rotary-piston machines or engines in which the working fluid is exclusively displaced by, or exclusively displaces, one or more reciprocating pistons |
This place covers:
Outer members cooperating with the rotary pistons of intermeshing engagement type machines.
This place does not cover:
Non intermeshing-engagement type machines |
If the carter is not the core topic, it is highly desirable to add the Indexing Code F04C 2240/10 or F04C 2240/30.
This place does not cover:
Rotary-piston machines with the working-chamber walls being at least partly resiliently deformable |
This place does not cover:
Rotary-piston peristaltic machines |
This place covers:
Rotary-piston machines or engines in which the rotary-piston is sealed by a mass of liquid rotating inside the housing.
This place covers:
Rotary-piston machines or engines in which the rotary-piston moves back and forth inside the working chamber.
This place does not cover:
Rotary-piston machines with coaxially mounted members having continuously-changing circumferential spacing between them |
This place does not cover:
Rotary-piston machines or engines with non-parallel axes of rotation between co-operating members | |
Rotary-piston machines where the working fluid is expanded in a flexible chamber |
This place covers:
Combinations of two or more machines or engines, each being of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type, such as multistage machines and parallel operating machines.
This place does not cover:
Rotary-piston machines or engines with non-parallel axes of rotation between co-operating members | |
Combinations of engines with devices driven thereby | |
Combinations of two or more rotary-piston pumps |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Fluid gearing |
F01C 13/00 takes precedence.
Documents classified here should have a main class elsewhere. In particular, aspects predominantly concerning the driven devices are classified in the relevant groups for these devices, e.g. F04C 18/0207.
Documents classified here should have a main classification elsewhere.
This place covers:
Any seal construction or mode not provided by the groups, e.g. labyrinth.
This place does not cover:
Sealing by liquid injection |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Sealing in general |
This place covers:
Sealing arrangements for fluids other than the working fluid, e.g. lubricant, coolant. Sealing in other locations of the machine, i.e. not between successive working chambers of the machine, e.g. between housing parts, towards the external space etc.
Documents classified here should have a main classification elsewhere.
This place covers:
Changing the stroke of a moving element of machines other than those meant for the sub-groups, e.g. with non parallel axes of movement.
This place does not cover:
By changing the positions of inlet or outlet openings |
This place does not cover:
Internal gear machines with variable eccentricity (i.e. variable in direction and not in quantity)(no change of volume but only relative displacement of the working chamber to the inlet and outlet openings) |
Documents classified here should have a main class elsewhere.
This place covers:
Supports, elastic suspension, outer frame elements of units, foundations.
This place does not cover:
Flow-sheets, multiple unit assemblies |
This place covers:
All kinds of transmissions e.g. couplings, timing gears, gear boxes, shafts (as for example elastic, hollow), brakes.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
For pumps and compressors | |
Brakes |
This place covers:
Details of vanes of engines but also of pumps and compressors.
This place covers:
Guiding means including those for vanes guided or driven in synchronism with the piston movement.
This place covers:
Details relating to the casing or to the stator of engines but also of pumps and compressors of the type other than intermeshing engagement.
This place does not cover:
Details relating to the casing or to the stator of machines of the intermeshing engagement type |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Casings for rotary engines or machines in general |