CPC Definition - Subclass F24F
This place covers:
Methods and apparatus for air-conditioning, i.e. the supply of air to or the treatment of air in rooms or spaces by means which provide for the treatment of the air in the following ways:
- Cooling;
- Cooling and Heating;
- Cooling and any other kind of treatment, e.g. humidification.
Methods and apparatus for humidification of air for rooms or spaces.
Methods and apparatus for supplying air or extracting air from rooms or spaces, either by forced movement (for example by fans) or by natural effects (for example convection).
Methods and apparatus for circulating air within rooms or spaces, either by forced movement (for example by fans) or by natural effects (for example convection).
Methods and apparatus for use of air currents for screening, for example of entrances of buildings or of areas where particular operations are performed.
Use of energy recovery systems in air conditioning, ventilation or screening.
Details, for example control arrangements, safety arrangements, ducting arrangements or air flow control members, which are specially adapted for the methods or apparatus specified above.
Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces in air conditioning systems or in room units otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying.
Self-contained air purifiers.
As regards air-conditioning, air-humidification, ventilation and treatment of air this subclass is an application-oriented place that covers methods or apparatus for these processes when specially adapted for rooms or spaces that are primarily intended as dwelling or working-spaces for human beings.
Air-treatment or ventilation that is specially adapted for particular processes or for other particular environments, for example for industrial processes or for housing of animals, is covered in the places for those processes or environments. For examples of such places see the section "Examples of places where the subject matter of this subclass is covered when specially adapted, used for a particular purpose, or incorporated in a larger system" below.
With the exception of humidification, this subclass does not cover the mere treatment of air being supplied to, extracted from, or circulated within, rooms or spaces. Such treatment of air in general, for example heating, cooling, heat-exchange or filtering, is covered in several different places of the CPC, see for example the entries under "Informative References" below.
Related arrangements for merely heating are covered by subclasses F24D or F24H. This subclass does not cover elements or apparatus in general for transporting air or for regulating air flow, for example fans, ducts or valves. Such elements and apparatus are covered in several different places in the IPC, see for example the entries under "Informative References" below.
This place does not cover:
Removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced | |
Vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings | |
Tops for ventilating shafts; Terminals for flues |
Examples of places where the subject matter of this place is covered when specially adapted, used for a particular purpose, or incorporated in a larger system:
Ventilating arrangements for forage silos | |
Devices for ventilating greenhouses | |
Ventilation in animal husbandry | |
Controlling humidity in incubators for poultry | |
Treatment rooms with artificial climate for medical purposes | |
Devices for reconditioning breathing air in sealed rooms | |
Devices for ventilating gas-proof shelters | |
Containers or portable cabins for affording breathing protection with devices for reconditioning the breathing air or for ventilating | |
Dust-free rooms or enclosures for laboratories | |
Ventilation, air-conditioning, or cooling, specially adapted for passenger or goods spaces of vehicles | |
Air curtains at doors or windows of vehicles | |
Ventilation of driving cabins or engine rooms of locomotives or motor railcars | |
Heating, cooling, ventilating, or air-conditioning, specially adapted for rail vehicles | |
Adaptations of ventilation, cooling, heating, or air-conditioning for submarines or other underwater vessels | |
Arrangements of ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning specially adapted for ships or other waterborne vessels | |
Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for crew, passenger or freight spaces in aircraft | |
Arrangements or adaptations of devices for treatment of the atmosphere in cosmonautic vehicles | |
Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means | |
Special arrangement or operation of ventilating devices in lavatories | |
Drying building constructions in general or keeping them dry, e.g. by air vents | |
Special adaptations of floors for incorporating ventilation ducts | |
Ceilings having means for ventilation | |
Ventilation of roof coverings | |
Ventilation of tents | |
Ventilation in doors or windows | |
Ventilation of mines or tunnels | |
Cooling or drying of air in mines or tunnels | |
Removing cooking fumes | |
Arrangements for supplying or controlling air or gases for drying solid materials or objects | |
Cooling, ventilating or heating of electric apparatus |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Disinfecting or sterilising of air | |
Filtering, washing or drying of gases | |
Mixing gases with vapours or liquids in general | |
Transportable units for separating dispersed particles from air by electrostatic effect | |
Spraying | |
Production of ozone | |
Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection | |
Air-ducts or air channels in buildings | |
Chimney stacks or similar ducts | |
Fans in general, details of fans | |
Pumping installations for air | |
Valves in general | |
Devices for venting or aerating enclosures in general | |
Pipes in general, joints, fittings or supports therefor | |
Noise absorbers for ducting | |
Thermal insulation for ducting | |
Devices for conducting smoke or fumes, e.g. flues | |
Domestic stoves | |
Hot air central heating systems | |
Fluid heaters, water or air-heaters | |
Air heaters having heat generating means | |
Refrigeration in general, details of refrigeration systems | |
Combined heating and refrigeration systems | |
Production, working, storing or distribution of ice | |
Refrigerators, cold rooms, e.g. for food storage | |
Heat exchange apparatus in general, details of heat exchangers | |
Measuring temperature or quantity of heat in general | |
Testing apparatus not otherwise provided for | |
Control of flow in general | |
Control of humidity in general | |
Control of temperature in general | |
Ion sources | |
Arrangements for cooling, heating or ventilation of semiconductor or other solid state devices | |
Generating ions to be introduced into non-enclosed gases | |
Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems in general |
Air-humidification as auxiliary treatment in air-conditioning, i.e. in units wherein the air is also either cooled or heated, is covered by groups F24F 1/00 or F24F 3/14, while air-humidification per se, e.g. "room humidifiers", is covered by group F24F 6/00.
Looping references between B08B 15/00 and F24F have been identified. Until this inconsistency is resolved, the current classification practice in CPC is as follows: B08B 15/00 is a limiting reference for subclass F24F. F24F is an informative reference for main group B08B 15/00.
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Air-conditioning | Supply of air to or the treatment of air in rooms or spaces by means of cooling or a combination of cooling and a further kind of air treatment, e.g. humidification, heating or air purification. |
Ventilation | Supply of air to rooms or spaces, extraction of air from rooms or spaces, or circulation of air within rooms or spaces. |
This place covers:
- Air-conditioning units placed within a room for cooling the room, i.e. fan coil unit of a split unit. These indoor units can thereby receive primary air from a central station and/or recirculate the air within the room and/or supply outside air.
- Split unit comprising an indoor unit and an outdoor unit.
- Outdoor unit of split unit.
- Self-contained units.
Usually, these room units comprise a refrigerant cycle.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Central station centrally producing cool air for distributing cool air in a plurality of rooms | |
Systems comprising multiple indoor units | |
Dehumidification | |
Air-conditioning systems or apparatus not covered by F24F 1/00 or F24F 3/00. | |
Humidification | |
Filter units per se | |
Control of room units | |
Vanes or dampers of room units | |
Casing of indoor units and self-contained units | |
Condensate evacuation |
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Split unit | Air conditioning unit in split configuration, often with the compressor and condenser located in a separate external outdoor unit and the evaporator located in an indoor unit, the two units being connected via refrigerant pipes |
Self-contained unit | Air conditioning unit with all apparatus for air treatment installed in a common casing, e.g. compressor, condenser and evaporator |
This place covers:
Room units in which secondary air is induced by injector action of the primary air.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Self-contained room units for air-conditioning | |
Control systems for controlling the temperature of the supplied air by controlling the air supply to heat-exchangers or bypass channels | |
Arrangements for air-circulation by means of induction |
This place covers:
Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems.
This place does not cover:
Room units |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Room humidifier | |
Mounting arrangement of air filters | |
Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation or air | |
Filter unit per se | |
Drying of gases | |
Electric filter | |
Cogeneration of electricity and heat or cold | |
Clean room for semiconductor production | |
Computer rooms |
This place does not cover:
Reversible cycle for humidifying and drying air |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Heat pumps |
This place covers:
Systems in which two airstreams are conducted from the central station via independent conduits to the space to be treated, of which one has a constant volume and a season adapted temperature to compensate for the fluctuating heat transfer losses of the building, while the other varies in volume and is always cold in order to compensate for the interior fluctuations and variable solar heating effects. These so-called "Dual Conduit Systems" are similar to high-pressure air-water systems.
This place covers:
Reheating may take place near the central station upon arrival, in the space to be treated, in a branch pipe to zone in a multi-zone system or in the warm pipe in a system having separate supply conduits for warm and cold air.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Arrangement or assembly of components for the regulation of the supply of heating or cooling media for the secondary treatment of air |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Treatment rooms or enclosures for medical purposes | |
Ion sources |
Examples of places where the subject matter of this place is covered when specially adapted, used for a particular purpose, or incorporated in a larger system:
Means providing sterile air at a surgical operation table or area |
This place covers:
- Exclusively-fluid system, e.g. using water as cooling fluid (F24F 5/0003),
- Cooling apparatus specially adapted for use in air-conditioning, e.g. using absorption or desorption (F24F 5/0014), or using cold storage body (F24F 5/0017) (e.g. PCM material for storage), or using evaporation (F24F 5/0035).
- Cooling apparatus using the Peltier effect (F24F 5/0042).
- Cooling apparatus using natural energy (F24F 5/0046), e.g. solar energy or air from the ground.
- Cooling apparatus using thermal walls (F24F 5/0075),
- Cooling apparatus using radiation from walls or ceiling (F24F 5/0089).
- Cooling apparatus combined with domestic apparatus, e.g. boiler, heating system (F24F 5/0096).
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Absorption or desorption for humidification or dehumidification purposes | |
Air conditioning in containers | |
Apparatus using radiation from walls or ceiling for heating purposes only | |
Hot-water central heating system | |
Solar heat collector | |
Production of heat using geothermal energy | |
Cooling towers | |
Phase Change Material (PCM) in general |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Refrigerators and cooling systems using thermo-electric units or the Peltier effect | |
Cooling arrangements for semi-conductors using the Peltier effect | |
Thermobatteries or thermogenerators |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Double windows per se |
Examples of places where the subject matter of this place is covered when specially adapted, used for a particular purpose, or incorporated in a larger system:
Arrangements or adaptations of heating, cooling, ventilating or other air-treating devices specially for passengers or goods in spaces of vehicles | |
Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passenger, or freight space |
This place covers:
Local unit for room humidification by evaporation of water in the air, or by water dispersion or by injection of steam in the air.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Humidification systems | |
Cooling using evaporation | |
Device to humidify the respiration air of patients | |
Spraying apparatus with rotating elements discharging water by centrifugal forces | |
Ultrasonic oscillator | |
Steam generation in boilers | |
Humidifying within a fuel cell |
Examples of places where the subject matter of this place is covered when specially adapted, used for a particular purpose, or incorporated in a larger system:
Humidifiers specially adapted for radiators |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Humidifiers for radiators |
This place covers:
Systems or apparatus for supplying air to rooms or exhausting air from rooms or circulating air within the rooms, e.g. by means of wall-ducts or systems using window or roof apertures.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Ventilation control | |
Ventilation of animal housings | |
Hoods preventing escape of fumes from the area where they are produced | |
Ventilation systems of lifts | |
Roof-covering elements | |
Ventilation of roof coverings | |
Ventilation through double windows | |
Ventilation of mines or tunnels | |
Ventilators or fans per se | |
Removing cooking fumes |
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Natural circulation | Air circulation without active fan, e.g. chimney effect, using solar energy or using wind energy |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
With heating elements | |
Room ventilators, portable ventilators |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Ventilators per se |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Construction of fans |
This place covers:
- Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces in air conditioning systems or in room units otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying
- Self-contained air purifiers
- Details of air treatment apparatus
Illustrative examples of subject matter classified in this place:
Air purifier
Air purifier device with coupling mechanism
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Self-contained air purifier | Apparatus with all its air purifying elements, e.g. filters or fans, arranged in a common casing. |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Arrangements or mounting of filters |
This place covers:
Removal of particles from the treated air by direct contact with a liquid, e.g. by spraying liquid into a stream of air or bubbling gas through a liquid.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Removal of particles through use of a filter element or structure that is wetted |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Air-conditioning systems or apparatus characterised by using thermoelectric means |
This place covers:
Reducing of radon concentration in living or working space for humans or spaces associated therewith, e.g. sub-basements.
This place covers:
- Air curtain delimiting two different spaces.
- Air curtain in a wall opening delimiting a room from the outside
- The air curtain can be obtained by using more than one jet or band.
Examples of places where the subject matter of this place is covered when specially adapted, used for a particular purpose, or incorporated in a larger system:
Air curtain for vehicles |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Clean air workstation | |
Means providing sterile air to operating tables in surgery | |
Removing cooking fumes | |
Air curtain in cold rooms |
This place covers:
Control of HVAC devices or systems (F24F 11/00).
Elements or components of control device, e.g. flap or damper control, (F24F 11/89).
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Air flow control members | |
Tilting members, e.g. louvre | |
Fire prevention or containment | |
Extinguishing or preventing fire | |
Controlling the speed of ventilators by varying driving speed | |
Control valve per se | |
Compressor control | |
Refrigerant flow control | |
Humidity control | |
Humidity control using electrical means | |
Temperature control using electrical means (thermostat) |
Damper control controlling the rate of air-flow:
- If increasing air pressure opens the damper, then classify in F24F 11/745
- If increasing air pressure closes the damper, then classify in F24F 11/75
This place covers:
Apparatus and systems with heat-exchange between supplied and exhausted air, e.g. using an air-to-air heat exchanger or using an intermediate fluid, e.g. heat pump.
This place does not cover:
Both heat and humidity transfer between supplied and exhausted air |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Heat-exchange in general | |
Heat-exchange apparatus, not provided for in another subclass, in which the heat-exchange media do not come into direct contact | |
Heat-exchange apparatus having plate-like conduit | |
Heat pipes |
This place covers:
Details concerning ducting arrangements (F24F 13/02); Air outlets (F24F 13/06); Air-flow control members (F24F 13/08); Casing or covers (F24F 13/20).
Means for preventing or evacuating condensate (F24F 13/22).
Means for preventing or suppressing noise (F24F 13/24).
Arrangement for air-circulation by means of air-induction (F24F 13/26).
Arrangement for mounting of filter (F24F 13/28), of heat exchanger (F24F 13/30).
Mounting means for HVAC devices (F24F 13/32).
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Room units in which secondary air is induced by injection action of the primary air | |
Mounting of filtering elements within a casing | |
Ventilating nozzles for vehicles | |
Ventilation combined with door or window frames | |
Butterfly valves | |
Support for pipes | |
Flange joints of pipes | |
Noise absorbers in pipes | |
Lighting devices combined with ventilating systems | |
Method or devices for protecting against noise |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Air ducts or channels of buildings |
This place does not cover:
Outlets for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air diffuser |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Indoor units for air-conditioning characterised by introduction of outside air to the room | |
Mixing gases in general |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Air-treatment systems with air-flow over lighting fixtures |
This place does not cover:
Ventilation with forced flowusing wall or window fans, displacing air through the wall or window | |
Outlets for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air diffuser |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Roof ventilation |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Valves in general |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
For refrigerators or cold rooms |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Air supply, or exhaust, through perforated wall, floor or ceiling |