B66B ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ( ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00)
Introduced: September 1968
Description
B66B covers elevators, escalators, and moving walkways—mechanical systems for vertical or horizontal transport of persons and goods in buildings and public spaces. This subclass includes structural components (cars, cabins, counterweights, guide rails), driving mechanisms (motors, pulley systems, ropes, chains), safety devices (brakes, buffers, door interlocks), and control systems (electrical controls, sensors, emergency features). Also encompassed are escalators with moving steps and inclined or horizontal moving walkways for passenger conveyance. Related technologies for lift mechanisms in other contexts (e.g., vehicle lifts, industrial hoists) are classified separately under B66C and related subclasses.
Title
Titles differ between systems:
IPC: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS
CPC: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ( ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00)
Full Title
Full titles differ between systems:
ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS
ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ( ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00)
Additional Content IPC
Glossary
Cable cables a flaccid, elongated, flexible element that can transmit force (e.g., rope, wire, chain, push-chains). Drive means means for supplying motive force to an element to be moved which includes both force generating means (e.g., motor) and structural linkage (e.g., gears) needed to transmit the force from the generating means to the element. Landing landings an in situ floor within a structure (e.g., building) (a) that is located adjacent to an elevator shaft or the entrance or egress points of the conveying apparatus’ path and (b) to or from which a load (e.g., passenger, cargo, pedestrian) transfers during the charging or discharging of the load-underlying support surface of an elevator or conveying apparatus. Shaft a long, narrow, in situ passageway within a structure (e.g., building, ship, mine) which defines the fixed path between the vertically spaced load entrance and exit levels traveled by the load-underlying support surface of an elevator.
Limiting references
Life-saving devices used as an alternative to normal egress means (e.g., stairs) during rescue to lower persons in cages, bags, or similar supports from buildings or other structures Equipment for handling freight or for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like to aircraft Braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels for capstans, hoist, or winches Lifting frames, e.g. for lifting vehicles; Platform lifts
Application references
Hoisting or lowering devices for coffins Vessels arrangements of ammunition stores or handlers Transport or storages devices Storage articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines Ship-lifting devices or mechanisms Garages with mechanical means for shifting or lifting vehicles Feeding or loading of ammunition, magazines or guiding means for extracting cartridges
Of 18 combined children, 17 exist in both systems.
1 codes are CPC-only extensions.
Note: 1 CPC extensions are marked as secondary classification only.
9 shared codes have differing titles between IPC and CPC.
Child Classifications
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- B66B 1/00 Control systems of elevators in general (safety devices B66B5/00; controlling door or gate operation B66B13/00; systems of general application G05) IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 11/00 Main component parts of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures +5 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 13/00 Doors, gates, or other apparatus controlling access to, or exit from, cages or lift well landings (door fittings, locks E05) IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 20/00 Elevators not provided for in groups B66B1/00 - B66B19/00 since 2006 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 21/00 Kinds or types of escalators or moving walkways since 1985 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 23/00 Component parts of escalators or moving walkways since 1985 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 25/00 Control of escalators or moving walkways (walkways of variable speed type B66B21/12; handrails of variable speed type B66B23/26; of general application G05) since 1985 +2 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 27/00 Indicating operating conditions of escalators or moving walkways (of general application G08) since 1985 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 29/00 Safety devices of escalators or moving walkways (walkways of variable speed type B66B21/12; handrails of variable speed type B66B23/26) since 1985 +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 3/00 Applications of devices for indicating or signalling operating conditions of elevators +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 31/00 Accessories for escalators, or moving walkways, e.g. for sterilising or cleaning (for safety B66B29/00) since 1985 +2 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 5/00 Applications of checking, fault-correcting, or safety devices in elevators +3 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B66B 9/00 Kinds or types of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures (characterised by control systems B66B1/00; apparatus for raising or lowering persons on stages of theatres A63J5/12) +2 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
Top Applicants
Top Applicants (IPC)
Class B66,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- INVENTIO CH 3,843
- OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY US 3,709
- SGCC(STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA) 2,987
- KONE CORPORATION FI 2,922
- TOSHIBA ELEVATOR COMPANY 2,922
- HITACHI 2,321
- MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION JP 2,287
- MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION 1,870
- HITACHI BUILDING SYSTEMS COMPANY 1,700
- ANHUI HELI COMPANY 1,325
Top Applicants (CPC)
Class B66,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- INVENTIO CH 3,939
- OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY US 3,810
- KONE CORPORATION FI 3,008
- MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION JP 2,333
- MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION 1,254
- HITACHI 1,195
- OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY 1,065
- SGCC(STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA) 961
- INVENTIO 828
- CROWN EQUIPMENT CORPORATION US 828