What type of claims does 112(e) refer to?

Section 112(e) of the United States Patent Law specifically addresses the requirements for multiple dependent claims. A multiple dependent claim is a type of claim that refers back to more than one prior claim, essentially depending on the entirety of two or more claims for its own definition. This is distinct from single dependent claims, which rely on a single preceding claim.

The statute sets out the requirements for how these claims can be structured, ensuring clarity and precision in how the dependencies are managed within a patent. This is important for the examination of patent applications and for understanding the scope of what is being claimed in the patent. By allowing multiple dependent claims, inventors can consolidate their claims efficiently, especially when they are describing variations of the same invention.

In contrast, the other types of claims mentioned do not fall under Section 112(e). For instance, single dependent claims are outlined elsewhere in the statute, independently claimed inventions do not relate to dependencies, and utility claims specify the type of invention but are not specifically tied to the concept of multiple dependencies.