B60N SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
Introduced: September 1968
Classification Context
- Section:
- PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- Class:
- VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- Subclass:
- SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
Description
B60N covers specialized seating systems and passenger accommodation structures designed for vehicles, including automobiles, railway carriages, aircraft, and other transport modes. This classification encompasses seat constructions, suspension mechanisms, adjustment systems, restraint devices, and ergonomic features that are vehicle-specific rather than general furniture. Related technologies include seat heating/cooling systems, vibration damping, safety fixtures, and adaptations for disabled passengers. B60N excludes general furniture design (covered under A47) and focuses specifically on seats engineered to function within vehicle environments and comply with vehicular safety standards.
Filing statistics
IPC subclass B60N recorded 128,521 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 8,953 in 2013 to 12,379 in 2023 (+38%), peaking at 13,311 applications in 2019. The most active applicants in class B60 are TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (28,052 applications), HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY (27,773 applications) and FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES (26,243 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
In class comparison
B60N ranks 5th of 18 subclasses with filings in B60, with 128,521 applications between 2013 and 2023, 6.2% of the class. Annual filings grew 38% from 2013 to 2023, below the class as a whole (+68%).
| Rank | Subclass | Title | Applications | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B60R, Vehicles, Vehicle Fittings, or Vehicle Parts, Not Otherwise Provided for | Vehicles, Vehicle Fittings, or Vehicle Parts, Not Otherwise Provided for | 421,964 | 20.2% |
| 2 | B60L, Propulsion of Electrically-Propelled Vehicles; Supplying Electric Power for Auxiliary Equipment of Electrically-Propelled Vehicles; Electrodynamic Brake Systems for Vehicles in General; Magnetic Suspension or Levitation for Vehicles; Monitoring Operating Variables of Electrically-Propelled Vehicles; Electric Safety Devices for Electrically-Propelled Vehicles | Propulsion of Electrically-Propelled Vehicles; Supplying Electric Power for Auxiliary Equipment of Electrically-Propelled Vehicles; Electrodynamic Brake Systems for Vehicles in General; Magnetic Suspension or Levitation for Vehicles; Monitoring Operating Variables of Electrically-Propelled Vehicles; Electric Safety Devices for Electrically-Propelled Vehicles | 274,295 | 13.1% |
| 3 | B60K, Arrangement or Mounting of Propulsion Units or of Transmissions in Vehicles; Arrangement or Mounting of Plural Diverse Prime-Movers in Vehicles; Auxiliary Drives for Vehicles; Instrumentation or Dashboards for Vehicles; Arrangements in Connection With Cooling, Air Intake, Gas Exhaust or Fuel Supply of Propulsion Units in Vehicles | Arrangement or Mounting of Propulsion Units or of Transmissions in Vehicles; Arrangement or Mounting of Plural Diverse Prime-Movers in Vehicles; Auxiliary Drives for Vehicles; Instrumentation or Dashboards for Vehicles; Arrangements in Connection With Cooling, Air Intake, Gas Exhaust or Fuel Supply of Propulsion Units in Vehicles | 249,338 | 12.0% |
| 4 | B60W, Conjoint Control of Vehicle Sub-Units of Different Type or Different Function; Control Systems Specially Adapted for Hybrid Vehicles; Road Vehicle Drive Control Systems for Purposes Not Related to the Control of a Particular Sub-Unit | Conjoint Control of Vehicle Sub-Units of Different Type or Different Function; Control Systems Specially Adapted for Hybrid Vehicles; Road Vehicle Drive Control Systems for Purposes Not Related to the Control of a Particular Sub-Unit | 198,743 | 9.5% |
| 5 | B60N | Seats Specially Adapted for Vehicles; Vehicle Passenger Accommodation Not Otherwise Provided for | 128,521 | 6.2% |
| 6 | B60T, Vehicle Brake Control Systems or Parts Thereof; Brake Control Systems or Parts Thereof, in General; Arrangement of Braking Elements on Vehicles in General; Portable Devices for Preventing Unwanted Movement of Vehicles; Vehicle Modifications to Facilitate Cooling of Brakes | Vehicle Brake Control Systems or Parts Thereof; Brake Control Systems or Parts Thereof, in General; Arrangement of Braking Elements on Vehicles in General; Portable Devices for Preventing Unwanted Movement of Vehicles; Vehicle Modifications to Facilitate Cooling of Brakes | 102,029 | 4.9% |
| 7 | B60H, Arrangements of Heating, Cooling, Ventilating or Other Air-Treating Devices Specially Adapted for Passenger or Goods Spaces of Vehicles | Arrangements of Heating, Cooling, Ventilating or Other Air-Treating Devices Specially Adapted for Passenger or Goods Spaces of Vehicles | 96,136 | 4.6% |
| 8 | B60C, Vehicle Tyres; Tyre Inflation; Tyre Changing; Connecting Valves to Inflatable Elastic Bodies in General; Devices or Arrangements Related to Tyres | Vehicle Tyres; Tyre Inflation; Tyre Changing; Connecting Valves to Inflatable Elastic Bodies in General; Devices or Arrangements Related to Tyres | 95,602 | 4.6% |
| 9 | B60Q, Arrangement of Signalling or Lighting Devices, the Mounting or Supporting Thereof or Circuits Therefor, for Vehicles in General | Arrangement of Signalling or Lighting Devices, the Mounting or Supporting Thereof or Circuits Therefor, for Vehicles in General | 95,567 | 4.6% |
| 10 | B60P, Vehicles Adapted for Load Transportation or to Transport, to Carry, or to Comprise Special Loads or Objects | Vehicles Adapted for Load Transportation or to Transport, to Carry, or to Comprise Special Loads or Objects | 87,420 | 4.2% |
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
Related Keywords
4 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- B60N 2/00 Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
- B60N 3/00 Arrangements or adaptations of other passenger fittings, not otherwise provided for
- B60N 5/00 Arrangements or devices on vehicles for entrance or exit control of passengers, e.g. turnstiles
- B60N 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B60, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION 28,052
- HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY KR 27,773
- FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES US 26,243
- KIA MOTORS CORPORATION KR 20,110
- ROBERT BOSCH DE 19,033
- TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION JP 17,924
- BMW (BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE) DE 14,214
- HONDA MOTOR COMPANY 12,527
- AUDI DE 10,806
- GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS US 10,336