B61D BODY DETAILS OR KINDS OF RAILWAY VEHICLES (vehicles in general B60; adaptation of vehicles to special systems B61B; underframes B61F)
Description
B61D covers the structural design, construction details, and classification of railway vehicle bodies, including passenger cars, freight wagons, and specialized train units. This subclass encompasses bodywork components such as frames, walls, roofs, floors, doors, windows, couplings, and interior fittings that define the physical form and functional characteristics of rail vehicles. It includes provisions for different vehicle types—such as coaches, dining cars, sleeping cars, and cargo wagons—as well as safety and comfort features integrated into the body structure. Adjacent classes address propulsion systems (B61C), running gear and suspension (B61E), and control/braking mechanisms (B61H), whereas B61D focuses specifically on the vehicle envelope and body-level design elements.
Filing statistics
CPC subclass B61D recorded 25,316 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 1,339 in 2013 to 1,620 in 2023 (+21%), peaking at 3,009 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B61 are SIEMENS MOBILITY (2,967 applications), SIEMENS (2,133 applications) and ALSTOM TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGIES (1,691 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
24 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- B61D 1/00 Carriages for ordinary railway passenger traffic (mine cars B61D11/00; tramcars B61D13/00)
- B61D 11/00 Mine cars (B61D5/00 - B61D9/00 take precedence)
- B61D 13/00 Tramway vehicles
- B61D 15/00 Other railway vehicles, e.g. scaffold cars; Adaptations of vehicles for use on railways (conveyor frames mounted for movement on rail tracks B65G41/02; wheeled machines used in permanent way construction or maintenance E01B)
- B61D 17/00 Construction details of vehicle bodies (for tank wagons B61D5/00; for hopper cars B61D7/00; body details specially adapted for tipping wagons B61D9/06; for mine cars B61D11/00)
- B61D 19/00 Door arrangements specially adapted for rail vehicles (locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00; door-operating mechanisms E05F)
- B61D 23/00 Construction of steps for railway vehicles (ladders in general E06C)
- B61D 25/00 Window arrangements peculiar to rail vehicles (vehicle window arrangements in general B60J; cleaning vehicle windows B60S; heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas H05B3/84)
- B61D 27/00 Heating, cooling, ventilating, or air-conditioning
- B61D 29/00 Lighting
- B61D 3/00 Wagons or vans (tank wagons B61D5/00; hopper wagons B61D7/00; tipping wagons B61D9/00; mine cars B61D11/00; vehicles specially adapted for animal transportation B60P3/04; )
- B61D 31/00 Sleeping accommodation
- B61D 33/00 Seats
- B61D 35/00 Sanitation
- B61D 37/00 Other furniture or furnishings
- B61D 39/00 Wagon or like covers; Tarpaulins; Movable or foldable roofs
- B61D 41/00 Indicators for reserved seats; Warning or like signs; Devices or arrangements in connection with tickets, e.g. ticket holders; Holders for cargo tickets or the like
- B61D 43/00 Devices for using the energy of the movements of the vehicles
- B61D 45/00 Means or devices for securing or supporting the cargo, including protection against shocks (for vehicles in general B60P7/00)
- B61D 47/00 Loading or unloading devices combined with vehicles, e.g. loading platforms, (combined with vehicles in general B60P)
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B61, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- SIEMENS MOBILITY DE 2,967
- SIEMENS DE 2,133
- ALSTOM TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGIES FR 1,691
- CRRC QINGDAO SIFANG COMPANY 1,100
- BOMBARDIER TRANSPORTATION DE 1,085
- MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION JP 880
- BYD COMPANY 821
- KRRI KR 761
- HITACHI JP 752
- CRRC ZHUZHOU LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY 721