BODY DETAILS OR KINDS OF RAILWAY VEHICLES

Introduced: September 1968

Classification Context

Section:: PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Class:: RAILWAYS
Subclass:: BODY DETAILS OR KINDS OF RAILWAY VEHICLES

Description

B61D covers the structural design, construction details, and classification of railway vehicle bodies, including passenger cars, freight wagons, and specialized train units. This subclass encompasses bodywork components such as frames, walls, roofs, floors, doors, windows, couplings, and interior fittings that define the physical form and functional characteristics of rail vehicles. It includes provisions for different vehicle types—such as coaches, dining cars, sleeping cars, and cargo wagons—as well as safety and comfort features integrated into the body structure. Adjacent classes address propulsion systems (B61C), running gear and suspension (B61E), and control/braking mechanisms (B61H), whereas B61D focuses specifically on the vehicle envelope and body-level design elements.

Filing statistics

IPC subclass B61D recorded 44,184 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 2,517 in 2013 to 3,758 in 2023 (+49%), peaking at 5,820 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B61 are SIEMENS MOBILITY (2,749 applications), CRRC QINGDAO SIFANG COMPANY (2,215 applications) and SIEMENS (1,941 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

In class comparison

B61D ranks 1st of 9 subclasses with filings in B61, with 44,184 applications between 2013 and 2023, 26.6% of the class. Annual filings grew 49% from 2013 to 2023, below the class as a whole (+59%).

Subclasses of class B61 by patent applications, 2013–2023
Rank	Subclass	Title	Applications	Share
1	B61D	Body Details or Kinds of Railway Vehicles	44,184	26.6%
2	B61L, Guiding Railway Traffic; Ensuring the Safety of Railway Traffic	Guiding Railway Traffic; Ensuring the Safety of Railway Traffic	37,431	22.5%
3	B61B, Railway Systems; Equipment Therefor Not Otherwise Provided for	Railway Systems; Equipment Therefor Not Otherwise Provided for	19,400	11.7%
4	B61F, Rail Vehicle Suspensions, e.g. Underframes, Bogies or Arrangements of Wheel Axles; Rail Vehicles for Use on Tracks of Different Width; Preventing Derailing of Rail Vehicles; Wheel Guards, Obstruction Removers or the Like for Rail Vehicles	Rail Vehicle Suspensions, e.g. Underframes, Bogies or Arrangements of Wheel Axles; Rail Vehicles for Use on Tracks of Different Width; Preventing Derailing of Rail Vehicles; Wheel Guards, Obstruction Removers or the Like for Rail Vehicles	17,602	10.6%
5	B61C, Locomotives; Motor Railcars	Locomotives; Motor Railcars	15,748	9.5%
6	B61K, Auxiliary Equipment Specially Adapted for Railways, Not Otherwise Provided for	Auxiliary Equipment Specially Adapted for Railways, Not Otherwise Provided for	15,143	9.1%
7	B61H, Brakes or Other Retarding Devices Specially Adapted for Rail Vehicles; Arrangement or Disposition Thereof in Rail Vehicles	Brakes or Other Retarding Devices Specially Adapted for Rail Vehicles; Arrangement or Disposition Thereof in Rail Vehicles	8,841	5.3%
8	B61G, Couplings Specially Adapted for Railway Vehicles; Draught or Buffing Appliances Specially Adapted for Railway Vehicles	Couplings Specially Adapted for Railway Vehicles; Draught or Buffing Appliances Specially Adapted for Railway Vehicles	6,602	4.0%
9	B61J, Shifting or Shunting of Rail Vehicles	Shifting or Shunting of Rail Vehicles	1,203	0.7%

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Related Keywords

kinds of RAILWAY(S),RAILROAD(S) vehiclesRAILWAY(S),RAILROAD(S) vehicles; body details thereofsystems of lighting RAILWAY(S),RAILROAD(S) trainsbody details of railway VEHICLESrailway VEHICLES

24 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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B61D 1/00 Carriages for ordinary railway passenger traffic
B61D 11/00 Mine cars
B61D 13/00 Tramway vehicles
B61D 15/00 Other railway vehicles, e.g. scaffold cars; Adaptations of vehicles for use on railways
B61D 17/00 Construction details of vehicle bodies
B61D 19/00 Door arrangements specially adapted for rail vehicles
B61D 23/00 Construction of steps for railway vehicles
B61D 25/00 Window arrangements peculiar to rail vehicles
B61D 27/00 Heating, cooling, ventilating, or air-conditioning
B61D 29/00 Arrangement of lighting devices for rail vehicles
B61D 3/00 Wagons or vans
B61D 31/00 Sleeping accommodation
B61D 33/00 Seats
B61D 35/00 Sanitation
B61D 37/00 Other furniture or furnishings
B61D 39/00 Wagon or like covers; Tarpaulins; Movable or foldable roofs
B61D 41/00 Indicators for reserved seats; Warning or like signs; Devices or arrangements in connection with tickets, e.g. ticket holders; Holders for cargo tickets or the like
B61D 43/00 Devices for using the energy of the movements of the vehicles
B61D 45/00 Means or devices for securing or supporting the cargo, including protection against shocks
B61D 47/00 Loading or unloading devices combined with vehicles, e.g. loading platforms

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B61, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

SIEMENS MOBILITY DE 2,749
CRRC QINGDAO SIFANG COMPANY 2,215
SIEMENS DE 1,941
ALSTOM TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGIES FR 1,514
BYD COMPANY 1,371
CRRC CHANGCHUN RAILWAY VEHICLES COMPANY 1,205
CRRC ZHUZHOU LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY 1,165
CRRC TANGSHAN COMPANY 1,119
BOMBARDIER TRANSPORTATION DE 1,001
SOUTHWEST JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY 958