Note(s)

• These Notes cover the basic principles and general instructions for use of section H.
  • Section H covers:
    • basic electric elements, which cover all electric units and the general mechanical structure of apparatus and circuits, including the assembly of various basic elements into what are called printed circuits and also cover to a certain extent the manufacture of these elements (when not covered elsewhere);
    • generation of electricity, which covers the generation, conversion and distribution of electricity together with the controlling of the corresponding gear;
    • applied electricity, which covers:
      • general utilisation techniques, viz. those of electric heating and electric lighting circuits;
      • some special utilisation techniques, either electric or electronic in the strict sense, which are not covered by other sections of the Classification, including:
        • electric light sources, including lasers;
        • electric X-ray technique;
        • electric plasma technique and the generation and acceleration of electrically charged particles or neutrons;
    • basic electronic circuits and their control;
    • radio or electric communication technique;
    • the use of a specified material for the manufacture of the article or element described. In this connection, paragraphs88 to90 of the Guide should be referred to.
  • In this section, the following general rules apply:
    • Subject to the exceptions stated in I(c), above, any electric aspect or part peculiar to a particular operation, process, apparatus, object or article, classified in one of the sections of the Classification other than section H, is always classified in the subclass for that operation, process, apparatus, object or article. Where common characteristics concerning technical subjects of similar nature have been brought out at class level, the electric aspect or part is classified, in conjunction with the operation, process, apparatus, object or article, in a subclass which covers entirely the general electrical applications for the technical subject in question;
    • The electrical applications referred to under (a), above, either general or particular, include:
      • the therapeutic processes and apparatus, in class A61;
      • the electric processes and apparatus used in various laboratory or industrial operations, in classes B01 and B03 and in subclass B23K;
      • the electricity supply, electric propulsion and electric lighting of vehicles in general and of particular vehicles, in the subsection "Transporting" of section B;
      • the electric ignition systems of internal-combustion engines, in subclass F02P, and of combustion apparatus in general, in subclass F23Q;
      • the whole electrical part of section G, i.e. measuring devices including apparatus for measuring electric variables, checking, signalling and calculating. Electricity in that section is generally dealt with as a means and not as an end in itself;
    • All electrical applications, both general and particular, presuppose that the "basic electricity" aspect appears in section H (see I(a) above) as regards the electric "basic elements" which they comprise. This rule is also valid for applied electricity, referred to in I(c), above, which appears in section H itself.
  • In this section, the following special cases occur:
    • Among the general applications covered by sections other than section H, it is worth noting that electric heating in general is covered by subclasses F24D or F24H or class F27, and that electric lighting in general is partly covered by class F21, since in section H (see I(c), above) there are places in H05B which cover the same technical subjects;
    • In the two cases referred to under (a), above, the subclasses of section F, which deal with the respective subjects, essentially cover in the first place the whole mechanical aspect of the apparatus or devices, whereas the electrical aspect, as such, is covered by subclass H05B;
    • In the case of lighting, this mechanical aspect should be taken to cover the material arrangement of the various electric elements, i.e., their geometrical or physical position in relation to one another; this aspect is covered by subclass F21V, the elements themselves and the primary circuits remaining in section H. The same applies to electric light sources, when combined with light sources of a different kind. These are covered by subclass H05B, whereas the physical arrangement which their combination constitutes is covered by the various subclasses of class F21;
    • As regards heating, not only the electric elements and circuitry designs, as such, are covered by subclass H05B, but also the electric aspects of their arrangement, where these concern cases of general application; electric furnaces being considered as such. The physical disposition of the electric elements in furnaces is covered by section F. If a comparison is made with electric welding circuits, which are covered by subclass B23K in connection with welding, it can be seen that electric heating is not covered by the general rule stated in II, above.

Note(s)

• Processes involving only a single technical art, e.g. drying, coating, for which provision exists elsewhere are classified in the relevant class for that art.
• Attention is drawn to the Notes following the titles of class B81 and subclass B81B relating to "micro-structural devices" and "micro-structural systems".

Note(s)

• This subclass covers (in groups H01H 69/00-H01H 87/00) devices for the protection of electric lines or electric machines or apparatus in the event of undesired change from normal electric working conditions, the electrical condition serving directly as the input to the device.
• This subclass does not cover bases, casings, or covers accommodating two or more switching devices or for accommodating a switching device as well as another electric component, e.g. bus-bar, line connector. Those bases, casings or covers are covered by group H02B 1/26.
• In this subclass, the following terms or expressions are used with the meanings indicated:
  • "relay" means a switching device having contacts which are operated from electric inputs which supply, directly or indirectly, all the mechanical energy necessary to cause both the closure and the opening of the contacts;
  • "driving mechanism" refers to the means by which an operating force applied to the switch is transmitted to the moving contact or contacts;
  • "operating" is used in a broader sense than "actuating" which is reserved for those parts not touched by hand to effect switching;
  • "acting" or "action" means a self-induced movements of parts at one stage of the switching. These connotations apply to all parts of the verbs "to operate"; "to actuate", and "to act", and to words derived therefrom, e.g. to "actuation".
• In this subclass, details are classified as follows:
  • details of an unspecified type of switching device, or disclosed as applicable to two or more kinds of switching devices designated by the terms or expressions "switches", "relays", "selector switches", and "emergency protective devices", are classified in groups H01H 1/00-H01H 9/00;
  • details of an unspecified type of switch, or disclosed as applicable to two or more types of switches as defined by groups H01H 13/00-H01H 43/00 and subgroups H01H 35/02, H01H 35/06, H01H 35/14, H01H 35/18, H01H 35/24, and H01H 35/42, all hereinafter called basic types, are classified in groups H01H 1/00-H01H 9/00;
  • details of an unspecified type of relay, or disclosed as applicable to two or more types of relays as defined by groups H01H 51/00-H01H 61/00, hereinafter called basic types, are classified in group H01H 45/00;
  • details of an unspecified protective device, or applicable to two or more types of protective devices as defined by groups H01H 73/00-H01H 83/00, hereinafter called basic types, are classified in group H01H 71/00.
  • However, details only described with reference to, or clearly only applicable to, switching devices of a single basic type, are classified in the group appropriate to switching devices of that basic type, e.g. H01H 19/02, H01H 75/04;
  • mechanical structural details of control members of switches or of keyboards such as keys, push-buttons, levers or other mechanisms for transferring the force to the activated elements are classified in this subclass, even when they are used for controlling electronic switches.

  However, mechanical details directly producing electronic effects are classified in group H03K 17/94.

Note(s) [2006.01]

• In this group, the term "rocking" is defined as pivotal motion in one plane about an axis parallel to the switch faceplate and located substantially centrally between the ends of the rocker button.

Note(s)

• A switching device is classified according to that physical condition which when changed acts as input to the device, e.g. external explosion causing pressure wave to act upon switch is classified in group H01H 35/24, an explosion produced within the switch in group H01H 37/00 if initiated by heat, in group H01H 39/00 if initiated electrically, and in group H01H 35/14 if initiated by an external blow.