EPO – Principal Directorate Business Services – Directorate Classification
Project: C476
Subject: Control or safety systems for
ventilation or air-conditioning
Comments
IPC: F24F 11/00
30 October 2015
Ref.: Annexes 16 to 21 of the Project File
Background
In Annex 20 the Rapporteur has made a scheme proposal for a complete restructuring of main
group F24F11.
The proposal includes four new one-dot classification groups, based on the aspects mentioned in
Annex 16, and an associated indexing scheme with four main groups, based on parameters measured
or sensed. A fifth one-dot classification group has also been included for F24F11/02 following the
solution proposed by RU in Annex 17.
In short the proposal reads as follows:
I) Five main trunk classification sets:
1) Application, types of systems:
New set of groups F24F 11/10 – F24F 11/26
2) Monitoring, safety, ensuring correct operation:
New set of groups F24F 11/30 – F24F 11/47
3) Interfaces, processing, communication:
New set of groups F24F 11/50 – F24F 11/66
4) Constructive details and control systems characterized by their output:
New set of groups F24F 11/70 – F24F 11/88
5) Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices:
New group F24F 11/90 (former IPC/CPC F24F 11/02)
II) An associated indexing scheme further sub-divided into four sets
a) Control inputs relating to air properties:
b) Control inputs relating to users or occupants:
c) Control inputs relating environmental factors:
d) Control inputs relating to system states:
F24F 110/00 +
F24F 120/00 +
F24F 130/00 +
F24F 140/00 +
In Annex 21 the US has given his agreement to the Rapporteur proposal and has proposed two minor
additions to the new scheme.
Comments
EP thanks SE for the last Rapporteur Report (Annex 19) and the new Scheme Proposal (Annex 20),
which it finds comprehensive and very well structured. EP agrees in principle with the new scheme
and in particular with the proposed Indexing Scheme which appears to be clear, helpful and detailed.
However, EP does not agree with the inclusion of the fifth one-dot classification group and
respective set into the scheme, since EP experts are of the opinion that “Arrangement or mounting of
control or safety devices” should be seen as “Constructive details” and as such be part of the fourth
set. Furthermore the actual CPC classes corresponding to new classes F24f 11/72 - 11/76, 11/86 of
the proposed fourth set are depending from F24F 11/02. EP proposes therefore to move F24F 11/90
between F24F 11/70 and F24F 11/72, and have it renumbered. This would imply a rearrangement of
the indents of the depending subgroups. A clarification of the title of present F24F11/02 would be
beneficial.
Concerning the proposed group F24F 11/74, EP finds firstly that the title “for controlling air
velocity” is vague and would prefer “for controlling air flow rate”, which is the title of present CPC
F24F 11/04. Secondly, EP experts are of the opinion that present CPC 11/043 should not be
incorporated into proposed 11/74, but be in a different new subgroup below 11/74, in analogy to
current , similar but antithetic, CPC 11/047 which becomes 11/75 in the proposed scheme. EP
proposes the following title for this new subgroup: “by varying the air flow rate proportionally to the
air currents or wind pressure”.
As regards the proposed subgroup F24F 11/83, “for controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluid”, it
does not refer anymore to the air but to the heat-exchange fluid, and as such cannot be considered to
be dependent from new 11/72. The indent level should therefore be amended.
Proposed subgroup F24F 11/86, “secondary treatment of air in distributing unit”, relating to air and
not to the heat-exchange fluid, cannot be considered as dependent from new 11/83. EP experts think
that it would be preferable to position this new group between 11/19 and 11/25, which relates to
treatment of primary air, as a 2 dots subgroup.
In regard to the additions proposed by the US in Annex 21, EP notes that proposed Indexing Code
group 110/82, “Other properties not provided for”, is not IPC compliant, since it is not compliant to
add a residual subgroup when the main group can fulfil such a role.
An amended scheme proposal which takes into account the above observations, and shows a slightly
amended numbering of some groups, is included hereby.
Coordinator :
Roberto Righetti; rrighetti@epo.org
F24F
D
M 1/00
Dots Title
Air-conditioning <Guidance heading before
F24F 1/00>
0 Room units, e.g. separate or self-contained
units or units receiving primary air from a
central station (control or safety arrangements
F24F 11/00)
M 3/00
0
M 5/00
0
D
M 6/00
0
M 7/00
0
M 9/00
0
D
C 11/00
N
0
D 11/02
D
D
D
D
D
N
11/04
11/047
11/053
11/06
11/08
11/10
1
CPC
Redundant, see below!
In view of the proposed
11/10 and its subgroups
this and similar
references appear
necessary.
See 1/00!
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 (room units
F24F 1/00; control or safety arrangements
F24F 11/00))
Air-conditioning systems or apparatus not
covered by group F24F 1/00 or F24F 3/00
(control or safety arrangements F24F 11/00)
<Horizontal line before F24F 6/00>
Air-humidification (control or safety
arrangements F24F 11/00)
Ventilation (control or safety arrangements
F24F 11/00)
Use of air currents for screening, e.g. air
curtains (control or safety arrangements
F24F 11/00)
Common features or details <Guidance heading
before F24F 11/00>
Control or safety arrangements
Note
In this group, it is desirable to add the indexing
codes of groups F24F 110/00 – F24F 140/00
(transferred to F24F 11/72, F24F 11/74,
F24F 11/81, F24F 11/90)
(transferred to F24F 11/74)
(transferred to F24F 11/75)
(transferred to F24F 11/76)
(transferred to F24F 11/86)
(transferred to F24F 11/25, F24F 11/26)
. specially adapted for a particular application or
for a particular type of system
Comments
See 1/00!
Redundant, see below!
See 1/00!
See 1/00!
See 1/00, but is the
reference necessary in
this main group?
In view of 11/10 and its
subgroups this guidance
heading is clearly not
appropriate. Moving it
down to before 12/00
makes little sense.
11/00
New head group
F24F
N 11/12
Dots Title
2 . . for air-humidification
CPC
11/0008
N 11/15
2
. . for ventilation
11/0001
N 11/16
N 11/17
N 11/18
3
4
4
11/0002
11/0004
11/0005
N 11/19
3
N 11/23
2
. . . for admission of outside air
. . . . for pressurising a room
. . . . while maintaining a pressure below the
ambient, e.g. for keeping contamination
inside
. . . . using low temperature outside air to
assist cooling
. . for secondary treatment of air in distributing
units
N 11/25
2
11/08
N 11/26
N 11/30
3
1
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
11/32
11/33
11/34
11/35
11/36
11/39
11/41
11/42
11/43
11/46
11/47
11/50
2
3
4
4
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
1
N 11/52
N 11/54
2
2
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
2
3
3
3
2
2
3
3
4
. . for controlling treatment of primary air in
central stations
. . . in independent units
. Safety arrangements; Monitoring; Ensuring
correct operation
. . Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
. . . to fire, excessive heat or smoke
. . . . by opening air passages
. . . . by closing air passages
. . . to leakage of heat-exchange fluid
. . . Monitoring filter performance
. . Defrosting
. . . of outdoor units
. . . of indoor units
. . Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
. . . Displaying or monitoring energy costs
. characterised by user interfaces,
communication or processing, e.g. using fuzzy
logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
. . Display arrangements
. . Using one central controller connected to
several sub-controllers
. . Remote control
. . . using telephone networks
. . . using internet communication
. . . for programming
. . Using timers
. . Electronic processing
. . . using pre-stored data
. . . for selecting an operative mode
. . . . Sleeping mode
11/56
11/57
11/58
11/59
11/61
11/63
11/64
11/65
11/66
Comments
CPC precedence
reference removed
CPC precedence
reference removed
11/0006
11/06
The precedence
reference to 11/08 has
been removed
11/085
New head group
11/0052
11/0095
11/0097
11/0098
11/0084
11/0093
11/0087
11/0089
11/009
11/0075
11/0094
11/006
11/0091
11/0067
11/0068
11/0069
11/0071
11/0072
11/0073
11/0061
11/0063
11/0064
11/0065
F24F
N 11/70
N 11/71
N 11/72
N 11/74
Dots Title
1 . Constructive details; Control systems
characterised by their outputs
2 . . Arrangement or mounting of control or safety
devices
3 . . . for controlling flow conditions, e.g.
pressures
4 . . . . for controlling air velocity for controlling
air flow rate
N 11/75
5
N 11/76
N 11/77
5
5
N 11/78
N 11/79
5
4
N 11/81
4
N 11/83
3
N 11/84
N 11/85
N 11/86
4
4
4
N 11/88
N 11/90
2
1
Comments
11/02
11/022
11/025,
11/04,
11/043
. . . . . by varying the air flow rate
proportionally to the air currents or
wind pressure
. . . . . maintaining a constant air flow
. . . . . by means responsive to temperature,
e.g. bimetal springs
. . . . . by controlling the speed of ventilators
. . . . for controlling the angle of the supplied
air stream
. . . . for controlling the air supply to a heatexchanger or its bypass (F24F 11/08
takes precedence)
. . . for controlling the supply of heat-exchange
fluid
. . . . using valves
. . . . using variable flow pumps
. . . . for secondary treatment of air in
distributing units
11/043
. . Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
. Arrangement or mounting of control or safety
devices
11/0009
11/02
The precedence
reference to 11/08 has
been removed. CPC
11/043 should be
converted to IPC 11/74
and 110/32.
CPC 11/043 should be
converted to IPC 11/74
and 110/32.
11/047
11/053
11/0079
11/0078
11/027
The precedence
reference to 11/08 has
been removed.
11/008
11/0082
11/0083
11/06
The precedence
reference to 11/08 has
been removed.
Indexing scheme associated with group F24F
11/00, relating to control inputs, e.g. measured
or estimated values or parameters
N
110/00
110/10
110/12
110/20
110/22
110/30
110/32
0
1
2
1
2
1
2
Control inputs relating to air properties
. Temperature
. . of the outside air
. Humidity
. . of the outside air
. Velocity
. . of the outside air
N 110/40
1
. Pressure
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
CPC
11/0076
11/001
11/0012
11/0013
11/0015
11/0016
11/0038
11/0039,
11/043
11/0042
New head group
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
F24F Dots Title
110/50 1 . Air quality properties
110/52 2 . . of the outside air
110/60 2 . . Odour
110/62 2 . . Tobacco smoke
110/64 2 . . Airborne particle content
110/66 2 . . Volatile organic compound [VOC] content
110/68 2 . . Radon content
110/70 2 . . Carbon dioxide content
110/72 2 . . Carbon monoxide content
110/74 2 . . Ozone content
110/76 2 . . Oxygen content
110/80 2 . . Electric charge
N 120/00
0
Control inputs relating to users or occupants
N
N
N
N
120/10
120/12
120/14
120/20
1
2
2
1
.
.
.
.
N 130/00
0
N
N
N
N
130/10
130/20
130/30
130/40
1
1
1
1
Control inputs relating to environmental
factors not covered by F24F 110/00
. Weather information or forecasts
. Sunlight
. Artificial light
. Noise
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
140/00
140/10
140/12
140/20
140/30
140/40
140/50
140/60
0
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
Control inputs relating to system states
. Pressures
. . Heat-exchange fluid pressure
. Heat-exchange fluid temperature
. Condensate
. Damper positions, e.g. open or closed
. Load
. Energy consumption
Occupancy
. Position of occupants
. Activity of occupants
Feedback from users
CPC
11/0017
11/0019
11/002
11/0024
11/0023
11/0032
11/003
11/0026
11/0027
11/0021
11/0028
11/0031
Comments
New head group
11/0034
11/0035
11/0036
11/0057
New head group
11/0058
11/0049
11/005
11/0053
New head group
11/0041
11/0043
11/0045
11/0054
11/0056
11/0046
11/0047