Examples of Requests for Search Reports

Example Request No. 1 for a Search Report

• Title: Industrial recycling of vinasse.
• Description: The production of ethyl alcohol from molasses has created a new environmental problem, namely the accumulation of vinasse (spent molasses) which, owing to its high mineral and nutrient content, is very prone to microbiological attack, and is thus liable to cause pollution problems.
• Summary: Information contained in a recently published patent literature is required on technological processes that will enable us to use vinasse as a raw material for producing other products that might be useful in the agricultural and livestock sectors and in industry.

Example search report

Patent Documents

Fields searched: Int. Cl.5: C 02 F, C 12 F, C 12 N, C 12 P

Observations:

• The patent documents cited above relate to industrial recycling of vinasse.
• As to European patent application EP 048,061, vinasse is concentrated and burned; the rest is used in the alcohol preparation process.
• In European patent application EP 175,034, recycling of purified vinasse into the fermentation process is disclosed.
• According to US patent US 4,604,125, a fertilizer is produced from vinasse.
• In French patent application FR 2,516,540 the production of a combustible gas by anaerobic fermentation of vinasse is described.
• According to the UK patent application GB 2,073,244 vinasse is used as a growth medium for yeasts; thus animal feed supplements can be produced.

Example Request No.2 for a Search Report

• Title: Rural Community Water Filters.
• Description: Many villages do not possess the advantage of safe drinking water (filtered water) owing to the prohibitive cost of rapid gravity sand filters or slow sand filters.
  A low cost rapid gravity filter has been designed which is expected to require minimum maintenance and give best results. The filter uses the principle of sand filtration and post-chlorination arrangements; a centrifugal pump is used for periodical backwashing of the sand-bed. Preliminary trials have shown encouraging performance.
• Summary: In order to provide safe drinking water facilities for rural communities, a rapid gravity sand filter has been designed and developed. Patent documents and possibly other relevant literature, especially of recent date, concerning development of water filtration methods for rural communities are requested.

Example search report

Patent Documents:

Fields searched: Int.Cl.5: C 02 F

Observations:

• The patents cited concern filtering methods using sand as a filtering medium. The last four patents cited show an apparatus with means for back washing of the filtering medium.

Example Request for Information on Equivalent Patent Documents or Patent "family"

Information is requested on equivalent patent documents published by other offices and based on the following invention which is pending with the Industrial Property Office of:

(a) Country of priority: Australia
(b) Priority number: 11603/88
(c) Filing date: February 10, 1988
(d) Name of inventor: Kimber, M.B.
(e) Name of applicant: Astra Pharmaceuticals Pty. Ltd.
(f) Title of invention: Plastic Cartridge and Syringe

Furthermore, the provision of copies of the equivalent documents and the patent literature identified in earlier examination procedures and documentary searches concerning the above-mentioned subject matter, preferably in the English language, would be welcomed.

Example reply

The information listed hereinafter has been located concerning priority patent application AU 11,603/88:

(a) Published patent document equivalent to Australian application: WO 89/07,462

(b) Patent literature cited in International Search Report: DE 809,698

(Copies of all identified patent documents that are written in English are enclosed with the reply).