CPC Definition - Subclass C05F

Last Updated Version: 2020.02
ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE {(breeding of earthworms A01K 67/0332)}
Definition statement

This place covers:

Organic fertilisers not covered by the preceding subclasses.

Fertilisers made from animal parts.

Fertilisers from human or animal excrements.

Fertilisers from wastes originating from food or agricultural industries.

Fertiliser from waste water or sludges neither from animal nor agricultural origin.

Fertilisers from household or town refuse.

Fertilisers from peat , brown coal and other vegetable deposits.

Fertilisers containing microorganisms.

Fertiilises containing plant vitamins or hormones.

Preparation of fertilisers characterised by the composting step and apparatus therefor.

Relationships with other classification places

Treating manure; apparatus for distributing fertiliser A01C.

Soil-cultivation substrates A01G 9/00.

Plant growth regulators A01N.

Soil-conditioning or soil-stabilising materials C09K 17/00.

Any apparatus for preparing fertilisers may be classified in those areas of C05 that are specific for such apparatus – e.g., C05B 1/10 – apparatus for the manufacture of superphosphates. Otherwise, individual apparatus should be classified in the relevant area of the IPC, e.g., F26B 7/00.

Special rules of classification

An ingredient in a mixture of fertilisers, or a single fertiliser which contains more that one of the chemical elements on which the subdivision is based, is classified only in the first of the appropriate places. Thus, a nitrophosphate or an ammoniated superphosphate is classified in C05B but not in C05C, magnesium phosphate is classified in C05B but not in C05D, and calcium cyanamide in C05C but not in C05D.

Information relative to the form in which the fertilizer is presented, e.g. granulation, coating, etc. is always given in addition to the chemical composition of the fertilizers.

Any ingredient in a mixture, which is considered to present information of interest for search, is also classified using a combination of classification symbols. If a document concerns embodiments comprising mixtures whose elements are covered individually by different subclasses, groups or subgroups, the document is classified with a Combination-set.

The following rules apply:

  • The first element of the Combination-set corresponds to the first relevant (sub)group mentioned in the classification scheme independently of the importance or relevance of the element in the whole fertilizer mixture;
  • the following element or elements of the Combination_set are added sequentially in the order in which they appear in the classification scheme to the first element using a ",".

Example: a fertilizer containing a mixture of superphosphate (C05B 1/02), ammonium nitrate (C05C 1/00) and potassium chloride (C05D 1/02) will be given the Combination-set C05B 1/02, C05C 1/00, C05D 1/02.

Example: a fertilizer containing a mixture of either superphosphate (C05B 1/02) or ammonium nitrate (C05C 1/00) with potassium chloride (C05D 1/02) will be given the Combination-set C05B 1/02, C05D 1/02 and C05C 1/00, C05D 1/02.

Glossary of terms

In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:

Fertiliser (fertiliser material)

Natural or artificial substance containing the chemical elements that improve growth and productiveness of plants.

Synonyms and Keywords

In patent documents, the following words/expressions are often used as synonyms:

  • "fertiliser" and "plant nutrient "
  • "Amendment", "Plant food", "Agricultural chemical" and "Fertiliser"

In patent documents, the following words/expressions are often used with the meaning indicated:

"enrichment"

"fertiliser"

"soil amendment"

" composition capable of modifying the chemical (pH) or physical (structure) condition of soils for agricultural purposes".

Fertilisers made from animal corpses, or parts thereof
Definition statement

This place covers:

Fertilisers made from whole animal corpses; from parts of animals which can not be more specifically classified in the subgroups of this group, such as non differentiated processes for treating fish or meat or animal derived materials; fertilisers from general materials such as proteinaceous materials and animal material not further specified.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Fertilisers from animal excrements

C05F 3/00

Special rules of classification

Mixtures of these fertilizers with other fertilizers belonging individually to other groups of the classification will be given a Combination-set as explained under the Note for class C05.

Fertilisers from human or animal excrements, e.g. manure
Definition statement

This place covers:

Fertilisers from animal excrements, manure, liquid manure, etc.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Fertilisers from waste water, sludge or similar masses

C05F 7/00

Processing liquids by a fermentation step

C05F 17/40

Treating manure

A01C 3/00

Special rules of classification

Documents relating to a manure composition or process for its preparation in combination with an apparatus for obtaining thereof are classified as the Combination-set (C05F 3/00, C05F 3/06 ).

Mixtures of these fertilizers with other fertilizers belonging individually to other groups of the classification will be given a Combination-set as explained in the Note under C05.

Apparatus for the manufacture
Definition statement

This place covers:

Apparatus for the manufacture of fertilisers from excrements of animal or human origin.

Relationships with other classification places

Closets for human excrements are classified under A47K 11/00.

Treatment of animal manure is classified under A01C 3/00.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Apparatus for composting excrement

C05F 17/90

Special rules of classification
  • Apparatus to manufacture fertilisers are classified primarily in the corresponding groups of the C05 field.
  • All information contained in a document, claims but also examples or other part of the description can be classified if they are considered to contain relevant information in the field.
  • Group C05F 3/06 covers all apparatus for the manufacture of fertilisers from excrements of animal or human origin.
  • Since the group has no further subdivisions all documents relating to these sorts of apparatus should be classified in this group.
  • If the structure of the apparatus contains technical details relevant for classification in other fields, extra symbols in other relevant fields might be given. This group is non-limiting, i.e. it is possible to have documents classified here and in other relevant groups.

As an example, a bio-mass processing system wherein one or more mixers, mixes a bed of bio-mass material such as manure in a defined length and width portion of the bed, in a dryer, is classified in C05F 3/06 but also in F26B 9/00 (machines or apparatus for drying solid materials) and F26B 23/00 (heating arrangements).

Fertilisers from waste water, sewage sludge, sea slime, ooze or similar masses
Definition statement

This place covers:

This group covers processes for producing fertilizers from waste water, sewage sludge, sea slime, ooze or similar masses, and the corresponding products

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Methods or installations for de-watering, drying or incineration of sewage sludge

C02F 11/00

Fertilisers from household or town refuse
Definition statement

This place covers:

Fertilisers from wastes from human settlements, garbage, waste paper etc.

Relationships with other classification places

Treatment of town refuse B09B.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Fertilisers from town/sewage sludge

C05F 7/00

Special rules of classification

Mixtures of these fertilizers with other fertilizers belonging individually to other groups of the classification will be given a Combination-set as explained under Note for class C05.

Fertilisers from town refuse treated by a fermentation process should always be given a classification in C05F 17/00.

Biological compost
Definition statement

This place covers:

Composted material per se obtained from household waste or any other source where no pertinent class exists in C05F 17/00.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Preparation of fertilizers from household or town refuse characterised by the composting step

C05F 17/00

Special rules of classification

When a fertiliser mixture contains mature compost as one of its components, the subgroup C05F 9/04 should be given in combination to the groups corresponding to other components of the fertiliser in order to indicate the presence of compost material in the mixture.

Other organic fertilisers
Definition statement

This place covers:

Fertilisers from organic products, natural or synthetic, not covered by any of the previous classes.

Some examples of materials belonging to this class are wood products such as bark or sawdust, fibrous materials, polymers, seaweeds.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Humic acids or materials containing them, peat, coal and similar

C05F 11/02

from peat, brown coal, and similar vegetable deposits
Definition statement

This place covers:

Materials containing humic substances or materials capable of supplying humic materials after treatment. Humic materials themselves e.g. humic acids, fulvic acids, himatomelanic acids etc.

Horticultural earth from peat (growth substrates containing peat A01G 24/28)
Definition statement

This place covers:

Peat based horticultural earth, an organic fertiliser.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Growth substrates containing peat

A01G 24/28

Preparation of fertilisers characterised by biological or biochemical treatment steps, e.g. composting or fermentation
Definition statement

This place covers:

All processes for obtaining a fertilizer by fermentation of organic wastes not covered by one of the further subgroups.

Special rules of classification

No Combination-sets are used in this group and its subgroups.

Every aspect of a document is classified separately with the pertinent codes.

Treatments involving invertebrates, e.g. worms, flies or maggots
Relationships with other classification places

Worm breeding is classified in A01K 67/0332.

Addition or removal of substances other than water or air to or from the material during the treatment (for activating or stimulating the treatment C05F 17/20)
Definition statement

This place covers:

Fermentation processes where materials are added or extracted in order to modify the course of the fermentation.

Typical compounds are pH adjusters, structure-improving materials, etc.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Using specific microorganisms or substances for activating or stimulating the treatment

C05F 17/20

{the material being gas}
References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Chemical or biological purification of waste gases

B01D 53/34

using specific microorganisms or substances, e.g. enzymes, for activating or stimulating the treatment (use of invertebrates C05F 17/05)
Definition statement

This place covers:

Fermentation processes where specific microorganisms are added.

References
Limiting references

This place does not cover:

Use of invertebrates

C05F 17/05

Treatment of liquids or slurries
Definition statement

This place covers:

Fermentation of liquids or combination of solids and liquids to obtain a compost.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Fertilisers from manures

C05F 3/00

Fertilisers from sludge

C05F 7/00

Treatment of manures

A01C 3/00

Apparatus therefor
Definition statement

This place covers:

Apparatus for processing wastes by fermentation step which do not fall under any of the subgroups that follow.

Special rules of classification

No Combination-sets are used in this group and its subgroups.

Every aspect of a document is classified in each relevant group.

Small-scale devices without mechanical means for feeding or discharging material, e.g. garden compost bins
Definition statement

This place covers:

Bins, garden composters.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Refuse receptacles

B65F 1/00

Refuse receptacles adapted for compost

B65F 2001/1489

the other material being gaseous
Definition statement

This place covers:

Apparatus with means for forced aeration of composting masses, e.g. aeration patterns.

References
Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Floors roofs or bottoms for drying solid materials

F26B 25/10

Special rules of classification

Devices presenting aeration merely caused by a natural draft is not taken into account for classification in this group.

the other material being liquid
Definition statement

This place covers:

Humidification devices.