F21V - Definition 
Definition statement
This subclass covers:
Functional features or details of lighting devices or systems of lighting devices, for example:
- Reflectors, refractors, light filters, shades, globes, bowls, cover glasses, or other screens, and fastening thereof;
- Use of light guides:
- Producing or changing characteristics or distribution of the light;
- Protecting, supporting, suspending, or attaching arrangements for lighting devices;
- Arrangements of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices;
- Fastening of light sources or lamp holders;
- Safety devices or cable stowing arrangements structurally associated with lighting devices;
- Cooling or heating arrangements;
- Gas-tight or water-tight arrangements.
Lighting devices combined with articles having a primary function unrelated to lighting that are not otherwise provided for.
Relationship between large subject matter areas
In this subclass, it is desirable to add the indexing codes of subclass F21W in order to indicate the uses or applications of lighting devices, and of F21Y in order to indicate the form of the light sources of lighting devices.
References relevant to classification in this subclass
This subclass does not cover:
Arrangements of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits thereof for vehicles in general | B60Q |
Informative references
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Storing cable in general | B65H 75/00 |
Luminescent materials per se | C09K 11/00 |
Candles | C11C 5/00 |
Stands for supporting apparatus or articles in general | F16M 11/00 |
Safety devices in general | F16P |
Incandescent bodies heated by combustion. e.g. mantles | F21H |
Non-electric light sources using luminescence | F21K 2/00 |
Light sources using electrochemiluminescence | F21K 2/08 |
Light sources using charges of combustible material, e.g. illuminating flash devices | F21K 5/00 |
Light sources using semiconductor devices as light generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers | F21K 9/00 |
Light sources not otherwise provided for | F21K 99/00 |
Burners | F23D |
Optical elements or systems in general | G02B |
Light guides per se, structural details of arrangements of light guides with other optical elements | G02B 6/00 |
Electric discharge tubes or discharge lamps | H01J |
Electric incandescent lamps | H01K |
Semiconductor devices specially adapted for light emission | H01L 33/00 |
Organic semiconductor devices specially adapted for light emission | H01L 51/50 |
Masers, lasers | H01S |
Electric protective circuit arrangements per se | H02H 7/00 |
Electric arc lamps | H05B 31/00 |
Electroluminescent light sources | H05B 33/00 |
Electric light sources using a combination of different types of light generation | H05B 35/00 |
Circuit arrangements for light sources | H05B 37/00-H05B 43/00 |
Special rules of classification
Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles are classified in F21V 33/00, unless specifically provided for elsewhere in this subclass or elsewhere in the IPC.
Details of non-electric lighting devices or systems are classified in groups F21V 35/00-F21V 37/02 only if a special adaptation related to the use of a non-electric light source is of interest. If there is no such special adaption, classification is made in a relevant general place, e.g. in F21V 21/00 for suspending arrangements.
Glossary of terms
In this subclass, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
| Light source | The entity (e.g. light bulb, fluorescent tube, gas mantle or combustible charge) that generates light for a lighting device. |