ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL

Description

F16 encompasses fundamental mechanical engineering components and systems essential for machine operation and maintenance across all industrial applications. This class covers mechanical elements such as bearings, seals, gears, couplings, fasteners, and structural frameworks, along with general measures for controlling vibration, noise, and thermal effects in machinery. Also included are thermal insulation technologies, mechanical power transmission devices, and systems designed to enhance machine reliability and performance regardless of the specific industry context. The class excludes specialized components integrated into particular machines or processes, which are typically classified in their respective technical fields.

Filing statistics

CPC F16 recorded 1,173,729 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023, summed across its 14 subclasses. Annual filings declined from 86,607 in 2013 to 85,283 in 2023 (-2%), peaking at 126,153 applications in 2018. The most active applicants in class F16 are SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES & COMPANY (22,817 applications), ZAHNRADFABRIK FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (10,523 applications) and HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY (7,933 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

14 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

Navigate with arrow keys, Enter to open

F16B DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D)
F16C SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
F16D COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES
F16F SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
F16G BELTS, CABLES, OR ROPES, PREDOMINANTLY USED FOR DRIVING PURPOSES; CHAINS; FITTINGS PREDOMINANTLY USED THEREFOR
F16H GEARING
F16J PISTONS ; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
F16K VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
F16L PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
F16M FRAMES, CASINGS OR BEDS OF ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS, NOT SPECIFIC TO ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; STANDS; SUPPORTS
F16N LUBRICATING
F16P SAFETY DEVICES IN GENERAL;
F16S CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS IN GENERAL; STRUCTURES BUILT-UP FROM SUCH ELEMENTS, IN GENERAL
F16T STEAM TRAPS OR LIKE APPARATUS FOR DRAINING-OFF LIQUIDS FROM ENCLOSURES PREDOMINANTLY CONTAINING GASES OR VAPOURS

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filings, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES & COMPANY DE 22,817
ZAHNRADFABRIK FRIEDRICHSHAFEN DE 10,523
HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY KR 7,933
ROBERT BOSCH DE 7,059
KIA MOTORS CORPORATION KR 4,867
SKF SE 4,729
TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION JP 4,111
FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES US 3,838
GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS US 3,575
TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION 3,499