ACtion Magazine - June 2012 - (Page 18)

Honeywell’s HFO-1234yf patent revoked in Europe After oral proceedings on March 27, a three member panel of examiners at the European Patent Office (EPO) revoked Honeywell International’s patent on a family of chemicals that includes HFO-1234yf and its use as a refrigerant In automotive air conditioning systems. The decision concluded a six-year saga that brought opposition to the patent from many other companies and generated more than 800 documents. The company has already appealed the decision. The patent in question originated in 2005 when Honeywell was issued a European patent for “…compositions comprising at lease one fluoroalkene containing from 3 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably three carbon atoms, and at least one carbon-carbon double bond. The fluoroalkene compounds are sometimes referred to…for the purpose of convenience as hydrofluoro-olefins or “HFOs” if the contain at least one hydrogen.” In 2006, Honeywell sought to amend the patent by adding additional details and new specific uses, including one variant, HFO-1234yf specifically for vehicle air conditioning. This started a multi-year back and forth exchange between EPO and company as various clauses needed revision or had to be brought into conformity with patent law. The amended patent was published in November, 2009 and in late January of the next year, Arkema France filed the first formal objection to the patent. By the end of that year they had been joined by Daikin Industries, Asahi Glass Co., Daimler AG, ACEA, BMW AG, Mexichem, Solvay Fluor, and high-profile European patent attorney Michael Wallinger. Documents flew thick and fast, and the proprietor offered more amendments to the patent, trying to dial it in to an acceptable level. The main points made by the opposition were that the added subject matter wasn’t mentioned in detail in the original, the entire patent “lacked novelty” as most of the methods and uses were already known to “those skilled in the art,” and that the whole patent had a “lack of inventive step(s).” Finally EPO called for Oral Proceedings in March of this year. Although three days were allotted for the Orals, by the end of the first day the tribunal had made its decision. Two days later, Honeywell filed a Notice of Appeal and requested that the panel’s decision be overturned. EC extends deadline for R-1234yf The original EU directive required use of a low GWP refrigerant in new vehicle types after January 1st 2011. In mid-2011, manufacturers DuPont and Honeywell announced that they would not be able to provide sufficient refrigerant to meet OEM needs until the fourth quarter of this year. The shortage was attributed to a number of causes including a new plant not coming into use as quickly as planned and certain worldwide raw material problems. Car makers in Europe were affected in varying degree, and some delayed introducing an all-new model because it would not comply with the refrigerant rule. The European Commission has now officially stated that due to the very limited supply of HFO-1234yf, it will allow OEMs to continue to use R-134a through the end of 2012 without penalty or prosecution for non-conformity. Canada looks at HD emissions Saying that it anticipates reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty vehicles by up to 23 percent after 2018, Canada has implemented new industry regulations for on-road vehicles. The move was announced by Canada’s Environment Minister, the Honorable Peter Kent. It affects the whole range of on-road heavy-duty vehicles and engines, including short and long-haul tractors, cement and garbage trucks, buses, and many others beginning with Reader Reply No. 48 18 ACTION • June 2012 http://www.macsw.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=ACtion_Reader_Reply&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8247

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - June 2012

ACtion Magazine - June 2012
Contents
Outlook
Expansive Valve
Technically RELAY-ted
Under the Southern Cross
Leonard's Law
Cooling Corner
Virtual View
News & Updates
State of the Art Detection
Running Short On Time and Info
The End of R-134A?
Association News
Quick Check
New Products & Services
Last Watch

ACtion Magazine - June 2012