IPC 6 English version B32B !A-B32B 17/12

IPC ⁶ English version

B32-B32B01712

B32B 18/00 - B32B 35/00

SECTION B– PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING

B 32

LAYERED PRODUCTS

B 32 B

LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM

Notes

(1)

This subclass covers:

–

layered products comprising different kinds of material or layered products not characterised by the particular kind of material used;

–

a product similar to a layered product but comprising only material in the form of a sheet or network embedded in a mass of plastics or of physically-similar substances which mass penetrates the said sheet or network and lies on both sides of the latter (e.g. so that the sheet or network reinforces the plastics substance) provided that the embedded sheet or network extends coherently or connectedly over substantially the whole area of the product; thus the embedded sheet or network may be a fabric or a series of rods connected by cross wires. The manner of making such a product is, however, classified in this subclass only if it is essentially a process of building-up an assembly of layers of which at least one outer layer is preformed. If the embedded material comprises only a series of unconnected rods, the product is not classified in this subclass.

(2)

This subclass does not cover:

–

processes or apparatus used in, or in connection with, the production or treatment of any product, if the process or apparatus is fully classifiable in a single other class or subclass for processes or apparatus, e.g. B 05, B 29, B 44 D, C 08 J, C 09 J, C 23;

–

compositions or preparation or treatment thereof, unless they are essentially restricted to layered products and cannot be fully classified in another class without ignoring this restriction;

–

etched metallic pattern on the surface of a printed circuit board. [3]

(3)

In this subclass:

–

a film formed on a layer by spreading a substance thereon is not considered to constitute a layer itself if it serves only as an adhesive or its purpose is merely to finish a surface of a product;

–

groups designating products cover also methods or apparatus specially adapted for producing such products.

(4)

In this subclass, the following terms or expressions are used with the meanings indicated:

–

"layer" is a sheet or strip or anything else having a small thickness relatively to its other dimensions which, together with at least one other layer, exists in a product, whether it pre-existed, e.g. as a separate sheet or strip, or was formed during the production of the layered product. It may or may not be homogeneous or cohesive; it may be an assembly of fibres or pieces of material. It may be discontinuous, e.g. in the form of a grating, honeycomb, or frame. It may or may not be in complete contact with the next layer, e.g. a corrugated layer against a flat layer;

–

"layered product" comprises at least two layers secured together. The term "secured" includes any method of uniting layers, e.g. needling, stitching, gluing, nailing, dovetailing or the interposition of an adhesive or adhesive impregnated support. It may also be an intermediate stage in the production of an article which is not layered in its final form, e.g. a panel with a protective layer which is stripped off when the panel is placed in its position of use. The layers are preformed layers or layers formed in situ on a preformed layer and may consist of coherent solid materials, including honeycombs and other cellular materials or of non-coherent solid materials composed of assemblies of strands, strips, fibres, tiles or the like;

–

"filamentary layer" means a layer of threads or filaments of any substance (e.g. wires) of more or less unlimited length placed in an orderly arrangement and secured together; it may be woven, knitted, braided, or netted, or formed of threads crossed or laid side and bonded together;

–

"fibrous layer" means a random assembly of fibres or filaments, usually of limited length, e.g. felt, fleece; the fibres may or may not be interengaged or connected, e.g. by adhesive.

(5)

In this subclass, at each level of indentation, in the absence of an indication to the contrary, classification is made in the first appropriate place.

(6)

The classification of layered products is provided for in many classes, most of which are confined to a particular kind of material. However, in order that this subclass may provide a basis for making a complete search with respect to layered products, all relevant subject matter is classified in this subclass even though it may also be classified in other classes.

Layered products essentially having a general shape other than plane

Note

For classification of a product in this group, surface unevennesses or non-uniformities and the shape of individual layers are ignored.

Receptacles, e.g. tanks

characterised by feature of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions

characterised by fillings or added members in hollow portions

Tubular products

Methods specially adapted for forming such products, e.g. by applying layers successively to a shaped base

Layered products essentially comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar form (continuous layers of fibres or filaments B 32 B 5/02; foamed layers B 32 B 5/18); Layered products essentially having particular features of form (B 32 B 1/00 takes precedence)

Note

In this group, channels, voids, and cavities may be filled otherwise than with air, e.g. with gas, with liquid, with other material different from that of the layer in which they occur.

characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions

characterised by a layer folded at the edge, e.g. over another layer

for securing layers together; for attaching the product to another member, e.g. to a support (use or provision of nails, stitches, or similar separate fastening elements for these purposes B 32 B 7/08)

characterised by added members at particular parts

characterised by a discontinuous layer, i.e. apertured or formed of separate pieces of material

Note

In this group, a series of spaced separate elements forming in effect a broken surface should be regarded as a layer.

characterised by a layer of regularly-arranged cells whether integral or formed individually or by conjunction of separate strips, e.g. honeycomb structure

characterised by a face layer formed of separate pieces of material

secured to a flexible backing

characterised by an internal layer formed of separate pieces of material

of hollow pieces, e.g. tubes; of pieces with channels or cavities

of spaced pieces

characterised by an apertured layer, e.g. of expanded metal (layer of netting or fibres B 32 B 5/02)

characterised by a particular shape of the outline of the cross-section of a continuous layer; characterised by a layer with cavities or internal voids (regular cells B 32 B 3/12)

characterised by a layer comprising a deformed thin sheet, e.g. corrugated, crumpled (B 32 B 29/08 takes precedence) [3]

characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. grooved, ribbed

Layered products characterised by the non-homogeneity or physical structure of a layer (B 32 B 9/00 to B 32 B 29/00 take precedence)

Note

In this group, fibres, filaments, granules, or powder forming or included in a layer may be impregnated, bonded together, or embedded in a substance such as synthetic resin. If the substance of the fibres, or the like, or the impregnating, bonding, or embedding substance, is important it is classified in the relevant group for the substance.

characterised by structural features of a layer comprising fibres or filaments (formed of particles, e.g. chips, chopped fibres, powder, B 32 B 5/16)

Note

Groups B 32 B 5/02 to B 32 B 5/12 cover, in addition to filamentary and fibrous layers as defined in Note (4) following the title of this subclass, layers of substances having an intrinsic fibrous nature (e.g. paper, wood), if the fibrous nature is important and the particular substance is not important.

characterised by a layer being specifically extensible by reason of its structure or arrangement

characterised by a fibrous layer needled to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper

the fibres or filaments of a layer being specially arranged or being of different substances

characterised by a fibrous layer reinforced with filaments

characterised by the relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of adjacent layers

characterised by a layer differing constitutionally or physically in different parts, e.g. denser near its faces

characterised by features of a layer formed of particles, e.g. chips, chopped fibres, powder

characterised by features of a layer containing foamed or specifically porous material

foamed in situ

characterised by the presence of two or more layers which comprise fibres, filaments, granules, or powder, or are foamed or specifically porous

one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer

another layer also being fibrous or filamentary

impregnated with or embedded in a plastic substance

one layer comprising granules or powder

both layers being foamed or specifically porous

Layered products characterised by the relation between layers, i.e. products essentially comprising layers having different physical properties or products characterised by the interconnection of layers (in respect of orientation of features, see the relevant groups for the features concerned, e.g. B 32 B 5/02 for direction of fibres; in respect of substances B 32 B 9/00 to B 32 B 29/00)

in respect of physical properties, e.g. hardness

characterised by the connection of layers

permitting easy separation

by mechanical connection, e.g. stitching (by interengagement of layers B 32 B 3/00, e.g. B 32 B 3/04, B 32 B 3/06, B 32 B 3/30; by needling fibrous layers B 32 B 5/06)

one or both of the layers having adhesive or inter-reactive properties

using an adhesive

applied in stripes or other spaced arrangement

Layered products characterised by particular substances used

Note

In groups B 32 B 9/00 to B 32 B 29/00, the following expressions are used with the meanings indicated:

–

"specific substance" covers specified alternative substances if they are all covered by a single main group;

–

"particulate layer" means a layer of particles, e.g. chips, chopped fibres, powder.

Layered products essentially comprising a particular substance not covered by groups B 32 B 11/00 to B 32 B 29/00

comprising animal or vegetable substances

comprising such substance as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific substance

of paper or cardboard

11/

Layered products essentially comprising bituminous or tarry substances

11/

with fibres or particles embedded in it or bonded with it

11/

comprising such substance as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific substance

11/

of paper or cardboard

11/

of metal

11/

next to a fibrous or filamentary layer

11/

next to a particulate layer

13/

Layered products essentially comprising a water-setting substance, e.g. concrete, plaster, asbestos cement, or like builders' material

13/

with fibres or particles embedded in it or bonded with it

13/

comprising such substances as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific substance

13/

of metal

13/

of paper or cardboard

13/

of wood; of wood particle board

13/

of synthetic resin

13/

next to a fibrous or filamentary layer

15/

Layered products essentially comprising metal

15/

all layers being exclusively metallic [3]

15/

in a form other than a sheet, e.g. wire, particles

15/

comprising metal as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific substance

15/

of rubber

15/

of synthetic resin

15/

of wood

15/

of paper or cardboard

15/

next to a fibrous or filamentary layer

15/

next to a particulate layer

15/

comprising iron or steel

15/

comprising aluminium or copper

17/

Layered products essentially comprising sheet glass, or fibres of glass, slag or the like

17/

in the form of fibres or filaments

17/

bonded with or embedded in a plastic substance

17/

comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific substance

17/

of cellulosic plastic substance

17/

of synthetic resin

17/

next to a fibrous or filamentary layer

B32B 18/00 - B32B 35/00