AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS

Description

B64 covers aircraft design, construction, and operation, including fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, their structural components, propulsion systems, control mechanisms, and navigational equipment. The class encompasses avionic systems, landing gear, flight control surfaces, and related technologies for both manned and unmanned aircraft. It also includes spacecraft, rockets, and cosmonautical engineering for space exploration and orbital operations. Adjacent classes address specific propulsion systems (e.g., jet engines in F02, F04), general mechanical engineering principles, and ground-based aviation infrastructure handled separately under transportation and construction classifications.

Filing statistics

CPC B64 recorded 335,499 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023, summed across its 6 subclasses. Annual filings grew from 13,549 in 2013 to 28,867 in 2023 (+113%), peaking at 40,828 applications in 2018. The most active applicants in class B64 are BOEING COMPANY (9,861 applications), AIRBUS OPERATIONS (3,766 applications) and AIRBUS OPERATIONS (3,112 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings