ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00)

Introduced: September 1968

Description

H01H covers electric switches, relays, selectors, and emergency protective devices—the fundamental electromechanical and electromagnetic components used to control, interrupt, or route electrical circuits. This subclass includes mechanical switches (push-button, toggle, rotary), electromagnetic relays, contactors, solenoid-operated devices, and circuit protection equipment such as thermal and magnetic overload devices. Applications span industrial control systems, household appliances, automotive electrical systems, and power distribution networks. Related switching technologies implemented in semiconductor form (transistors, diodes) are classified separately under H01L.

Title

Titles differ between systems:

IPC: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES

CPC: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00)

Full Title

Full titles differ between systems:

IPC:

ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES

CPC:

ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00)

Additional Content IPC

Glossary

Acting or action means a self-induced, e.g. not manually caused, movement of parts at one stage of the switching. These connotations apply to all parts of the verbs "to operate"; "to actuate", and "to act", and to words derived therefrom, e.g. to "actuation" or "actuating" Driving mechanism Driving mechanisms refers to the means by which an operating force applied to the switch is transmitted to the moving contact or contacts Key keys same as push button Operating is used in a broader sense than "actuating" Push button means a knob or button that allows the manual operation of a switch in order to e.g. close an electric circuit Relay Relays means a switching device having contacts which are operated from electric inputs which supply, directly or indirectly, all the mechanical energy necessary to cause both the closure and the opening of the contacts Switch switches means a single point of mechanically operable electrical connection (or interruption) Contacts contact means the necessary elementary components of a switch that ensure the electrical connection, each switch comprising at least two contacts, and possibly more than two Selector Selectors means an array of electric switches which selectively connect some inputs out of a plurality of inputs to some outputs out of a plurality of outputs Switch site means the physical location where the contacts can touch each other

Limiting references

Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making or -braking Contact cables Electrolytic self-interrupters Bases, casings, or covers accommodating two or more switching devices or for accommodating a switching device as well as another electric component, e.g. bus-bar, line connector Mechanical details directly producing electronic effects

Application references

Switching arrangements for the supply or distribution of electric power For telephone communication Keyboards for special applications, see the relevant subclasses or groups, e.g. , , , ,

Of 68 combined children, 47 exist in both systems.

21 codes are CPC-only extensions.

Note: 21 CPC extensions are marked as secondary classification only.

18 shared codes have differing titles between IPC and CPC.

Child Classifications

Navigate with arrow keys, Enter to open

H01H 1/00 Contacts (liquid contacts H01H29/04) +5 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
H01H 11/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of electric switches (processes specially adapted for manufacture of rectilinearly movable switches having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboards, H01H13/88) +8 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
H01H 13/00 Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch (wherein the operating part is flexible H01H17/00) IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
H01H 15/00 Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for actuation in opposite directions, e.g. slide switch +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
H01H 17/00 Switches having flexible operating part adapted only for pulling, e.g. cord, chain IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
H01H 19/00 Switches operated by an operating part which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and which is acted upon directly by a solid body external to the switch, e.g. by a hand +3 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
H01H 21/00 Switches operated by an operating part in the form of a pivotable member acted upon directly by a solid body, e.g. by a hand (tumbler or rocker switches H01H23/00; switches having an operating part movable angularly in more than one plane H01H25/04) IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
H01H 2201/00 Contacts 2nd only +10 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2203/00 Form of contacts 2nd only +18 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2205/00 Movable contacts 2nd only +8 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2207/00 Connections 2nd only +18 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2209/00 Layers 2nd only +13 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2211/00 Spacers 2nd only +6 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2213/00 Venting 2nd only +3 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2215/00 Tactile feedback 2nd only +10 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2217/00 Facilitation of operation; Human engineering 2nd only +23 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2219/00 Legends 2nd only +4 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2221/00 Actuators 2nd only +25 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2223/00 Casings 2nd only +15 CPC CPC only CPC only
H01H 2225/00 Switch site location 2nd only +15 CPC CPC only CPC only

Top Applicants

Top Applicants (IPC)

Class H01,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY TW 43,574
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY KR 42,206
LG CHEM KR 21,383
APPLIED MATERIALS US 20,441
LG ENERGY SOLUTION KR 20,279
SAMSUNG DISPLAY KR 19,725
CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 19,400
TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION 18,819
SGCC(STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA) 18,082
TOKYO ELECTRON JP 17,634

Top Applicants (CPC)

Class H01,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY KR 37,897
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY TW 36,116
APPLIED MATERIALS US 21,640
LG ENERGY SOLUTION KR 20,770
LG CHEM KR 19,835
TOKYO ELECTRON JP 18,519
ROBERT BOSCH DE 14,595
INTEL CORPORATION US 13,580
MURATA MANUFACTURING COMPANY JP 12,151
SAMSUNG SDI COMPANY KR 12,080