B63B SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06)
Description
B63B covers the structural design, construction, and equipment of ships and waterborne vessels of all types, including hulls, propulsion systems, steering mechanisms, anchoring devices, and onboard equipment for navigation and cargo handling. This subclass encompasses vessels ranging from small boats to large commercial ships, as well as specialized watercraft such as submarines, hovercrafts, and hydrofoils. It also includes safety equipment, ballast systems, and other apparatus integral to vessel operation and maritime transportation. Related equipment for shipping operations, such as loading gear and maritime safety devices, falls within this classification, while waterborne vessel engines are classified separately under B63H.
Filing statistics
CPC subclass B63B recorded 104,004 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 7,595 in 2013 to 10,437 in 2023 (+37%), peaking at 11,219 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B63 are SAMSUNG HEAVY INDUSTRIES (4,830 applications), DAEWOO SHIPBUILDING & MARINE ENGINEERING COMPANY (4,093 applications) and HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPANY (2,639 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
45 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- B63B 1/00 Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils (hulls peculiar to submarines B63B3/13; keels B63B3/38)
- B63B 11/00 Interior subdivision of hulls (bulkhead space construction B63B3/56)
- B63B 13/00 Conduits for emptying or ballasting; Self-bailing equipment; Scuppers (draining means for hatches B63B19/26; centrifugal bilge-water separators B04; pipes in general F16L)
- B63B 15/00 Superstructures ; Arrangements or adaptations of masts (loading or unloading equipment B63B27/00; masts and staying in general E04H; sails, running rigging B63H; )
- B63B 17/00 Vessels parts, details, or accessories, not otherwise provided for
- B63B 19/00 Arrangements or adaptations of ports, doors, windows, port-holes, or other openings or covers (scuppers B63B13/00; arrangements of watertight doors in bulkheads B63B43/24)
- B63B 21/00 Tying-up; Shifting, towing, or pushing equipment; Anchoring ( dynamic anchoring B63H25/00 )
- B63B 22/00 Buoys ( means for indicating the location of underwater objects B63C7/26; life-buoys, e.g. rings B63C9/08; )
- B63B 2201/00 Signalling devices
- B63B 2203/00 Communication means
- B63B 2205/00 Tethers
- B63B 2207/00 Buoyancy or ballast means
- B63B 2209/00 Energy supply or activating means
- B63B 2211/00 Applications
- B63B 2213/00 Navigational aids and use thereof, not otherwise provided for in this class
- B63B 2221/00 Methods and means for joining members or elements
- B63B 2231/00 Material used for some parts or elements, or for particular purposes
- B63B 2241/00 Design characteristics
- B63B 23/00 Equipment for handling lifeboats or the like
- B63B 25/00 Load-accommodating arrangements, e.g. stowing, trimming; Vessels characterised thereby (trimming otherwise than by cargo division, e.g. by use of ballast B63B43/06, B63B43/08; constructive aspects of cargo spaces B63B11/00; hatches, hatchways B63B19/12)
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B63, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- SAMSUNG HEAVY INDUSTRIES KR 4,830
- DAEWOO SHIPBUILDING & MARINE ENGINEERING COMPANY KR 4,093
- HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPANY KR 2,639
- GAZ TRANSPORT ET TECHNIGAZ FR 1,037
- SHANGHAI WAIGAOQIAO SHIPBUILDING COMPANY 827
- HARBIN ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY 811
- GUANGZHOU SHIPYARD INTERNATIONAL COMPANY 808
- HUDONG-ZHONGHUA SHIPBUILDING (GROUP) COMPANY 784
- YAMAHA MOTOR COMPANY JP 731
- THYSSEN KRUPP DE 727