F21L LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF, BEING PORTABLE OR SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR TRANSPORTATION
Introduced: September 1968
Last revised: January 2000
Classification Context
- Section:
- MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- Class:
- LIGHTING
- Subclass:
- LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF, BEING PORTABLE OR SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR TRANSPORTATION
Description
F21L covers portable lighting devices and systems designed for mobility or transport applications. This includes hand-held lamps, flashlights, headlamps, vehicle lighting systems, and other illumination equipment where portability or integration with transportation modes is a primary design characteristic. The classification encompasses devices powered by batteries, combustion, or other sources, as well as lighting fixtures structurally integrated into vehicles or transport equipment. Adjacent classes F21S and F21V address stationary lighting devices and general lamp construction respectively.
Filing statistics
IPC subclass F21L recorded 25,594 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings declined from 2,248 in 2013 to 1,716 in 2023 (-24%), peaking at 2,805 applications in 2021. The most active applicants in class F21 are PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (3,883 applications), VALEO VISION (2,797 applications) and KOITO MANUFACTURING COMPANY (2,531 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
In class comparison
F21L ranks 6th of 7 subclasses with filings in F21, with 25,594 applications between 2013 and 2023, 1.8% of the class. Annual filings declined 24% from 2013 to 2023, below the class as a whole (+7%).
| Rank | Subclass | Title | Applications | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F21V, Functional Features or Details of Lighting Devices or Systems Thereof; Structural Combinations of Lighting Devices With Other Articles, Not Otherwise Provided for | Functional Features or Details of Lighting Devices or Systems Thereof; Structural Combinations of Lighting Devices With Other Articles, Not Otherwise Provided for | 583,204 | 41.3% |
| 2 | F21S, Non-Portable Lighting Devices; Systems Thereof; Vehicle Lighting Devices Specially Adapted for Vehicle Exteriors | Non-Portable Lighting Devices; Systems Thereof; Vehicle Lighting Devices Specially Adapted for Vehicle Exteriors | 342,348 | 24.2% |
| 3 | F21Y, Indexing Scheme Associated With Subclasses , , and , Relating to the Form or the Kind of the Light Sources or of the Colour of the Light Emitted | Indexing Scheme Associated With Subclasses , , and , Relating to the Form or the Kind of the Light Sources or of the Colour of the Light Emitted | 269,193 | 19.1% |
| 4 | F21W, Indexing Scheme Associated With Subclasses , , and , Relating to Uses or Applications of Lighting Devices or Systems | Indexing Scheme Associated With Subclasses , , and , Relating to Uses or Applications of Lighting Devices or Systems | 138,500 | 9.8% |
| 5 | 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 | 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 | 53,788 | 3.8% |
| 6 | F21L | Lighting Devices or Systems Thereof, Being Portable or Specially Adapted for Transportation | 25,594 | 1.8% |
| 7 | F21H, Incandescent Mantles; Other Incandescent Bodies Heated by Combustion | Incandescent Mantles; Other Incandescent Bodies Heated by Combustion | 16 | 0.0% |
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
Additional Content
Glossary
Light source Light sources The entity (e.g. light bulb, fluorescent tube, gas mantle or combustible charge) that generates light for a lighting device.
Application references
Light pointers Flash units for photography Transportable traffic lights
Related Keywords
10 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- F21L 13/00 Electric lighting devices with built-in electric generators
- F21L 14/00 Electric lighting devices without a self-contained power source, e.g. for mains connection
- F21L 17/00 Non-electric torches; Non-electric flares
- F21L 19/00 Lanterns, e.g. hurricane lamps or candle lamps
- F21L 2/00 Systems of electric lighting devices
- F21L 21/00 Non-electric pocket-lamps, e.g. lamps producing sparks
- F21L 23/00 Non-electric hand-lamps for miners
- F21L 26/00 Non-electric portable lighting devices, or systems thereof, not provided for in groups
- F21L 27/00 Lighting devices or systems, employing combinations of electric and non-electric light sources; Replacing or exchanging electric light sources with non-electric light sources or in lighting devices or systems
- F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor 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