CPC technology class · F16

F16B - Devices FOR Fastening OR Securing Constructional Elements…

Devices for fastening or securing constructional elements or machine parts together, e.g. nails, bolts, circlips, clamps, clips or wedges; joints or jointing. 14,787 US utility patents granted 2015–2025, with the leading assignees and year-by-year filing trajectory.

Compiled byPlainPatent Editorial, US Patent Intelligence Editorial Team · May 15, 2026

14,787
US patents granted: F16
Parent CPC class: 20
Active assignees: +20%
5-yr velocity

The verdict

Devices FOR Fastening OR Securing Constructional Elements… ranks #125 of 670 CPC technology areas - 14,787 US patents granted since 2015, with filing up 20% over five years.

#125
of 670 CPC technology areas: 14,787
US patents granted, 2015–2025: The Boeing
leading assignee (463): +20%
filing velocity, last 5 yrs

Top assignee: The Boeing Company (463 patents)

CPC subclass F16B - DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING - covers 14,787 US utility patents granted between 2015 and 2025 according to USPTO PatentsView records, within the broader CPC class F16 (ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL). See our CPC classification guide for how the system works.

The competitive landscape in F16B is shaped by 20 distinct companies actively filing in this space. The Boeing Company leads with 463 patents, followed by Illinois TOOL Works Inc. at 273 grants and Airbus Operations Limited at 171.

Filing activity in F16B is up 20% over the past five years versus 2015-2019, a sharp acceleration suggesting an emerging or fast-moving technology area. All counts come directly from USPTO PatentsView and reflect US granted utility patents only.

Is F16B innovation accelerating?

US utility-patent grants per year in F16B, 2015–2025 - recent five years are up 20% versus 2015–2019.

The Boeing

463
Illinois Tool Works

273
Airbus Operations

171
Hilti Aktiengesellsch…

95
Bayerische Motoren We…

88
Böllhoff Verbindungst…

82
Newfrey

79
Valinge Innovation Ab

76
A Raymond Et Cie

72
Airbus Operations Sas

58
Sumitomo Wiring Syste…

56
Hubbell Incorporated

56

What this shows The Boeing is the most active filer in F16B, holding 463 of the 14,787 patents in this class. Concentration at the top signals how contestable this technology area is for new entrants.

View data table

Top patent holders in CPC subclass F16B
Rank	Company	Patents in F16B
#1	The Boeing Company	463
#2	Illinois TOOL Works Inc.	273
#3	Airbus Operations Limited	171
#4	Hilti Aktiengesellschaft	95
#5	Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft	88
#6	Böllhoff Verbindungstechnik Gmbh	82
#7	Newfrey Llc	79
#8	Valinge Innovation AB	76
#9	A. Raymond ET CIE	72
#10	Airbus Operations SAS	58
#11	Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.	56
#12	Hubbell Incorporated	56
#13	Nifco Inc.	56
#14	Commscope Technologies Llc	46
#15	LISI Aerospace	45
#16	Goodrich Corporation	42
#17	Profil Verbindungstechnik Gmbh & Co. KG	42
#18	Aktiebolaget SKF	39
#19	Temper Axle Products Corporation	39
#20	Simpson Strong-tie Company, Inc.	36

About This Class

CPC subclass F16B belongs to class F16.

14,787 patents were granted in this class between 2015 and 2025.

20 companies actively patent in this space.

Classification System

Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) is a hierarchical patent classification system used by the USPTO and EPO.

← All Technology Classes Technology Rankings →

Footprint here vs. claim strategy

Each dot is a leading F16B assignee, placed by how many patents it holds in this class (horizontal) against its company-wide average claims per patent (vertical) - a read on whether the class is led by broad-but-shallow filers or focused deep-claim players.

Top 14 F16B assignees by class footprint. Bubble size = patents in F16B. Source: USPTO PatentsView (claim depth is company-wide across all classes).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CPC class F16B?

CPC subclass F16B covers DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING. It belongs to CPC class F16 (ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL), with 14,787 US utility patents granted since 2015.

How many patents have been filed in F16B?

14,787 US utility patents were granted in CPC subclass F16B between 2015 and 2025, based on USPTO PatentsView data.

Which company holds the most patents in F16B?

The Boeing Company leads F16B with 463 patents, making it the most active assignee in this technology area.

How is patent data for F16B collected?

Patent data comes from USPTO PatentsView, a public research dataset maintained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It covers all US granted utility patents and assigns CPC codes based on the technology described in each patent.

What is the difference between CPC class and subclass?

A CPC class (e.g., F16) is a broad technology category. Subclasses like F16B provide finer granularity within that category. PlainPatent organizes data at the subclass level (4-character codes) for the most useful view of technology domains.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from USPTO PatentsView - official U.S. government patent data. See our methodology for computation details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPatent Editorial

Every figure on PlainPatent is rendered directly from USPTO source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on USPTO source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.