F21K NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
Introduced: September 1968
Description
Subclass F21K encompasses non-electric and alternative light sources including luminescent materials, electrochemiluminescent systems, combustion-based lighting, and semiconductor light-emitting devices. This classification covers light generation technologies that do not rely on traditional electric filament or gas discharge methods, such as phosphorescent paints, chemiluminescent reactions, LED and laser diodes, and flame-based lighting systems. It serves as a residual category for innovative light sources that do not fit established classifications within the broader F21 lighting section. Adjacent classes in F21 cover electric incandescent lamps (F21B), fluorescent and discharge lamps (F21C/D), and electric lamp details and accessories (F21V/S).
Additional Content IPC
Light source Light sources The entity (e.g. light bulb, gas mantle, combustible charge) that generates light for a lighting device.
IPC and CPC are identically structured here. All 4 subcodes exist in both systems.
1 shared codes have differing titles between IPC and CPC.
Child Classifications
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- F21K 2/00 Non-electric light sources using luminescence (using excitation by radioactivity G21H3/02, H01J65/06, H01J65/08; using excitation by an external electromagnetic field or by external corpuscular radiation H01J65/04); Light sources using electrochemiluminescence +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F21K 5/00 Light sources using charges of combustible material, e.g. illuminating flash devices +1 CPC −5 IPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers since 2016 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F21K 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass since 2010 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
Top Applicants
Top Applicants (IPC)
Class F21,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 3,883
- VALEO VISION FR 2,797
- KOITO MANUFACTURING COMPANY 2,531
- OPPLE LIGHTING COMPANY 2,343
- SIGNIFY HOLDING NL 2,275
- TOSHIBA LIGHTING & TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION 1,982
- KOITO MANUFACTURING COMPANY JP 1,766
- LG INNOTEK COMPANY KR 1,651
- SUZHOU OPPLE LIGHTING COMPANY 1,633
- MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION 1,591
Top Applicants (CPC)
Class F21,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- VALEO VISION FR 2,820
- SIGNIFY HOLDING NL 2,374
- KOITO MANUFACTURING COMPANY JP 1,890
- KOITO MANUFACTURING COMPANY 1,722
- LG INNOTEK COMPANY KR 1,624
- OSRAM DE 1,507
- LG ELECTRONICS KR 1,458
- PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY JP 1,433
- ZUMTOBEL LIGHTING AT 1,349
- PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 1,275