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U.S. Cycle Patents: Patent classifications

U.S. patent class/subclasses involving bicycles, velocipedes, component parts and more

Central to patent searching is finding the relevant class/subclass(s) and then viewing all the inventions that fall into those categories. 

Many bicycle patents have been assigned into the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Class 280, "Land Vehicles."  Yet land vehicles can also include railroad cars, baby carriages, ice skates, etc.  That's why subclasses are also important.  The list below is a selection from the U.S. Patent Classification Index, and it includes links out to each class and subclass associated with bikes and bicycle components.

Any invention may have more than one class/subclass.  

Class numbers starting with "D" are design patents and cover only the way an innovation looks, not how it functions.  All of the non "D" classes below are utility patents.

 

PATENT CATEGORY                              CLASS/SUBCLASS    EARLIEST 

Bicycle ....................................  280 / 200+       
    Attached carrier .......................  224 / 412+ 
    Bell ...................................  116 / 166+ 
    Convertible ............................  280 / 7.1+ 
    Cranks and pedals ......................  74 / 594.1+  
    Design .................................  D12 / 111           1869
    Dust and mud guards ....................  280 / 152.1+ 
    Handle bars ............................  74 / 551.1+ 
    Horn ...................................  116 / 137 R+ 
    Hub ball bearing .......................  384 / 545 
    Lights .................................  362 / 475+ 
        Electric signal ....................  340 / 432 
        Generator bulb system ..............  315 / 76 
        Generator control ..................  322 / 1 
        Generator per se ...................  310 
        Supports ...........................  362 / 476           1882
        Supports ...........................  362 / 523 
        With wheel driven generator ........  362 / 193+ 
    Locks ..................................  70 / 233+ 
        Wheel ..............................  70 / 225+ 
    Making   
        Frame assembling ...................  29 / 700+ 
        Methods ............................  29 / 428+ 
    Pedals .................................  74 / 594.4          1869
    Pedal crank bearings ...................  384 / 431 
    Racks ..................................  211 / 17+ 
        Rack or holder (Design) ............. D12 / 115 
    Reflector ..............................  359 / 515+ 
    Seats ..................................  297 / 195.1+ 
    Simulations ............................  280 / 828+ 
    Umbrella for ...........................  135 / 88.01

In addition to the entries under B for BICYCLE listed above, one can search elsewhere in the U.S. Patent Classification Index for bicycle components.  For example, checking under B for "brake" will lead to an entirely different class for brakes, and show subclasses involving bicycle brakes in particular.   In this instance, brakes for velocipedes and bicycles are all grouped together.

PATENT CATEGORY                              CLASS/SUBCLASS    EARLIEST 

Brake for velocipede (e.g., bicycle, etc.)..  188 / 24.11+       1866        
        Including mechanism for opposed 
           gripping of wheel rim or tire....  188 / 24.12        1897
        Wheel rim configured to cooperate 
           with components..................  188 / 24.13        1969
        Having means to increase
           braking force....................  188 / 24.14        1899
        Plural brakes having common actuator  188 / 24.16        1892
        Actuation controlled by back-pedaling 188 / 24.17        1910
        With means to lock break in actuated 
           position.........................  188 / 24.18        1903
        Having means to adjust spacing between 
           brake and wheel rim or tire....... 188 / 24.19        1939
        Having center-pull, cable-type 
           actuation for mechanism..........  188 / 24.21        1898
        Hub or disk.......................... 188 / 26           1869
        Roller..............................  188 / 25           1883
        Pivoted wheel.......................  188 / 27           1869

Some important components of bicycles may not be in a class/subclass specifically for bicycles only.  In the examples below, some of the patent class/subclasses for wheels below do include bicycle wheels, but the earliest were for carriage wheels.

PATENT CATEGORY                              CLASS/SUBCLASS    EARLIEST 


    Wheel ..................................  301 / 5.1+ 
        Tension spoke.......................  301 / 55            1858
        Having spoke tangential to hub......  301 / 56            1835
        Having hairpin type spokes..........  301 / 57            1874
        Rim (or felly) and spoke connection   301 / 58            1832
        Hub and spoke connection............  301 / 59            1839
        Having provision to simultaneously 
           tighten plural spokes............  301 / 60       
        Distinct spoke/socket sleeve........  301 / 61
        Scrapers and cleaners ..............  301 / 158.1

Understanding the dots in the classification list

See below a screenshot of the patent classified under Class 280, "Land Vehicles."

Bicycle patents start at subclass 200, shown below.  The dots the left of each description indicate a hierarchy of subdivisions.  Though each row represents a distinct patent class/subclass by itself (the patents in each can be viewed by clicking on the red "P,") some subclasses are actually subdivisions of the ones above it with fewer dots.  Hence, class/subclasses with two dots are a subdivision of the next one above having only one dot.  Class/subclasses with three dots are a subdivision of the next one above with two dots, and so forth.  

 

More ways to find interesting bicycle patents