B61H BRAKES OR OTHER RETARDING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR RAIL VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR DISPOSITION THEREOF IN RAIL VEHICLES
Introduced: September 1968
Classification Context
- Section:
- PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- Class:
- RAILWAYS
- Subclass:
- BRAKES OR OTHER RETARDING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR RAIL VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR DISPOSITION THEREOF IN RAIL VEHICLES
Description
B61H covers braking and retarding systems engineered specifically for railway applications, including their mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and electrical designs as integrated into rail vehicle architectures. This classification encompasses brake types such as disc brakes, drum brakes, regenerative brakes, and friction-based retarding devices, along with their control systems and activation mechanisms adapted to rail operating conditions. It includes the spatial arrangement, mounting, and integration of brake components within rail vehicles to optimize safety, performance, and maintainability. B61H excludes general brake technology applicable across multiple transportation modes (covered in F16P) and focuses specifically on solutions tailored to the unique requirements of trains and other rail-bound vehicles.
Filing statistics
IPC subclass B61H recorded 8,841 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 611 in 2013 to 732 in 2023 (+20%), peaking at 1,019 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
B61H ranks 7th of 9 subclasses with filings in B61, with 8,841 applications between 2013 and 2023, 5.3% of the class. Annual filings grew 20% from 2013 to 2023, below the class as a whole (+59%).
| Rank | Subclass | Title | Applications | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B61D, Body Details or Kinds of Railway Vehicles | 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 | 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
Additional Content
Arrangements in rail vehicles for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or permanent-way conditions Transmitting braking action from initiating means to ultimate brake actuator with power assistance or drive; Brake systems incorporating such transmitting means, e.g. air-pressure brake systems Construction, arrangement or operation of valves incorporated in power brake systems Component parts, details or accessories of brake systems
Related Keywords
8 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
Navigate with arrow keys, Enter to open
- B61H 1/00 Applications or arrangements of brakes with a braking member or members co-operating with the periphery of the wheel rim, a drum or the like
- B61H 11/00 Applications or arrangements of braking or retarding apparatus not otherwise provided for; Combinations of apparatus of different kinds or types
- B61H 13/00 Actuating rail-vehicle brakes
- B61H 15/00 Wear-compensating mechanisms, e.g. slack adjusters
- B61H 3/00 Applications or arrangements of brakes with an outwardly-movable braking member or members co-operating with the inner surface of a drum or the like
- B61H 5/00 Applications or arrangements of brakes with substantially radial braking surfaces pressed together in axial direction, e.g. disc brakes
- B61H 7/00 Brakes with braking members co-operating with the track
- B61H 9/00 Brakes characterised by, or modified for, their application to special railway systems or purposes
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