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Run your analysis now →https://www.patsnap.com/resources/blog/rd-blog/wind-assisted-ship-propulsion-patent-landscape/ · Patsnap · data cut-off 2026-07-31 · downloaded from the live page
Patent Landscape · Updated 2026Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion Patents: Mapping the Rotor Sail and Wing Sail Field
- 89.0% of records sit in B63H (marine propulsion & steering), showing claim activity is concentrated on the mechanical sail and rotor mechanism itself, not on hull or auxiliary systems.
- Filing peaked in 2022 at 15 records, with the 2021→2024 comparison showing flat, 0% growth over that three-year span rather than continued acceleration.
- A leader at 24 records sits well ahead of a field where fifth place holds 6 and tenth place holds just 1 — a concentrated top with a long tail of small filers.
73
Published Records
0%
Filing Growth 2021→2024
GB
Leading Jurisdiction
13
Active Filers Ranked
Filing growth compares 2021 (1 records) with 2024 (1) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field.
Published byPatsnap Research··7 min readSourced from Patsnap Eureka
Field Overview
What the patent record shows about wind-assisted propulsion
Wind-assisted ship propulsion covers a narrow but active filing space: rotor sails, wing sails and related rigid-sail rigs intended to cut fuel burn on merchant and passenger vessels. The 73 records in this dataset run from 2015 through the 2026 cut-off, and the claim language searched here (thrust contribution, route dependence, deck space, air draft limit, structural loading, payback period) points to a field where inventors are already arguing about commercial deployment constraints, not just aerodynamic principle.
Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the most recent one or two years in any trend will always look thinner than they eventually turn out to be. Treat the 2022 peak and the flat 2021-2024 comparison as the more reliable read on where filing activity has actually settled.
Filing activity by year, 2015-2026
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee ranking and totals. Derived from a Patsnap search on Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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The Data
Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 73-record dataset: filing activity over time, and where those records sit across the IPC classification system.
A single peak year, then a flat plateau
Filing rose from zero in 2017 to a peak of 15 records in 2022, then settled into a flat pattern: the 2021-to-2024 comparison shows 0% growth over that three-year span. That reads as a field that found its filing pace early rather than one still accelerating.
Concentrated in marine propulsion, with an electrical-machines side branch
B63H (marine propulsion & steering) covers 89.0% of the 73 records, confirming that most inventive effort targets the sail, rotor or rig mechanism directly. H02N (electric machines) appears in 20.5% of records — largely rotor-drive and generator claims — and B63B (ships & marine vessels) in 15.1%, covering hull and deck integration. F04D, B63J and H02S each appear in only one or two records, marking auxiliary and hybrid-power angles that remain lightly claimed.
Shares are the percentage of the 73 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.
Go deeper on Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about wind-assisted ship propulsion and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaKey Patents
The most-cited prior art in this field
Representative Record
A pivoting sailing rig (NZ336215B)
SOLAR SAILOR PTY LTD
A mounting arrangement for a wing sail allows partial or complete reefing by pivoting the sail about an axis parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis, with feathering achieved by rotation about the sail's own longitudinal axis. The wing sail also carries solar collecting means, so the reefing and feathering mechanism doubles as a way to optimise energy capture from both sun and wind.Filed by Solar Sailor Pty Ltd, published 2000-05-12 — one of the earliest combined wing-sail and solar-capture rig designs in this dataset.
View full recordHighest-cited records in scope
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20150033998A1 | Vessel with a rigid wingsail installation | 22 |
| 2 | US6105524A | Pivoting sailing rig | 22 |
| 3 | WO2013070070A1 | A vessel with a rigid wingsail installation | 20 |
| 4 | WO2015155518A2 | Vessel | 11 |
| 5 | WO1998021089A1 | A pivoting sailing rig | 11 |
| 6 | US9422043B2 | Vessel with a rigid wingsail installation | 10 |
| 7 | EP2822851A1 | A vessel with a rigid wingsail installation | 6 |
| 8 | WO2023126346A1 | Wingsail and method | 5 |
| 9 | EP2822851B1 | A vessel with a rigid wingsail installation | 3 |
| 10 | GB2614585A | Wingsail and method | 2 |
Citation counts reflect influence within the searched corpus and favour older filings; they are not a measure of current commercial relevance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Citation counts and representative records. Derived from a Patsnap search on Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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What the numbers mean for filing strategy
Three signals worth weighing before deciding where to file or design around existing claims.
Claim Density
89.0% of 73 records
in B63H
Mechanism claims dominate the field
Almost nine in ten records touch B63H, marine propulsion and steering. That means the core rotor and wing-sail mechanics are the most heavily claimed ground in this dataset — a new filing there needs a genuinely distinct mechanical approach to clear prior art, not just a new application context.
Source: IPC composition, 73 records
Filing Pace
0% growth, 2021→2024
flat three-year span
Activity has plateaued, not accelerated
Filing peaked at 15 records in 2022 and the 2021-to-2024 comparison shows no net growth. Combined with publication lag, this suggests the field's filing rate has settled rather than continuing to build, though 2025-2026 figures are still incomplete.
Source: filing trend, 2017-2026
Assignee Spread
24 vs. 6 vs. 1
leader, 5th place, 10th place
One clear leader over a long tail
The ranked leader holds 24 records against 6 at fifth place and just 1 at tenth, across 13 ranked companies. That is a field with one dominant filer and a scatter of small entrants rather than several evenly matched competitors.
Source: assignee ranking, 13 companies
Eureka AI Agent
Looking for what nobody has claimed yet?
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to wind-assisted ship propulsion, with the prior art for and against each one.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Co-assignee relationships and derived observations. Derived from a Patsnap search on Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
Who's Filing
The assignee landscape
Thirteen companies make up the entire ranked list returned for this dataset — this is the whole field the data covers, not a top-50 cut of a larger set.
Leader
24 records
top of 13 ranked assignees
One filer well ahead of the field
The top-ranked assignee holds 24 records, more than the next several assignees combined based on the drop to 6 at fifth place. That scale of filing suggests a company treating rotor and wing-sail mechanics as core IP, not a side project.
Recent-year filings from this assignee show 0 in the latest year, consistent with the field-wide plateau.
Mid-Tier
6 records
fifth-place assignee
A cluster of active but smaller filers
Below the leader, filing drops sharply — fifth place holds 6 records. These assignees appear to be building a defensible position in specific sub-mechanisms rather than broad portfolios.
Source: assignee ranking
Long Tail
1 record
tenth-place assignee
Single-filing entrants make up much of the list
Tenth place holds only 1 record, and the pattern of individual inventors alongside corporate names in this dataset points to a field still open to small, focused filings rather than one locked up by a handful of large players.
Source: assignee ranking, 13 companies
Recent-year filing momentum
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Solar Sailor Pty Ltd | 0 | — |
| GT Green Tech Ltd | 0 | — |
| OCEANFOIL | 0 | — |
| PROPELWIND | 0 | — |
| Magnuss Corp | 0 | — |
| MAGNUSS CORP | 0 | — |
| DRYDEN RICHARD | 0 | — |
| Diefeng New Energy Technology (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. | 0 | -100% |
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee-level momentum. Derived from a Patsnap search on Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
What's Next
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to a field with concentrated mechanism claims and a flat but active filing pace. These are the practical next steps for teams evaluating their own position.
Map your own claims against B63H density
With 89.0% of records in marine propulsion and steering, any new filing needs a freedom-to-operate check against that specific subclass before drafting.
Run a freedom-to-operate searchTrack the leader's recent filing behaviour
The top assignee holds 24 records but shows 0 in the latest year in this dataset — worth confirming whether that reflects the publication lag or a genuine pause.
Monitor assignee activityProbe the under-claimed branches
Solar-hybrid capture, structural loading sensors and route-dependent thrust software show thin filing density relative to the core mechanism claims.
Explore white space with EurekaSource: Patsnap Eureka. Forward-looking reading of the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
FAQ
Common questions on wind-assisted propulsion patents
One assignee leads the ranked list with 24 records, well ahead of the rest of the field — fifth place holds only 6. The ranking covers 13 companies total, so this is a field with one dominant filer rather than several closely matched competitors. That said, family counts rather than raw document counts give the fairer read on true portfolio size, since a single family can produce multiple published documents.
Filing peaked at 15 records in 2022, and the 2021-to-2024 comparison shows flat, 0% growth over that span. That points to a plateau rather than continued acceleration, though the two most recent years in any dataset are always undercounted because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months. Do not read a downward trend into 2025 or 2026 figures on that basis alone.
The large majority, 89.0% of the 73 records in scope, fall under B63H, the IPC subclass for marine propulsion and steering — covering the rotor and wing-sail mechanisms themselves. Electric machines (H02N) appear in 20.5% of records, largely tied to rotor drive systems, and general ship/vessel integration (B63B) appears in 15.1%. Smaller categories like auxiliary pumps and solar power generation each cover only one or two records, marking areas that remain lightly explored.
NZ336215B claims a mounting arrangement for a wing sail that allows reefing (shortening the sail) by pivoting it about an axis parallel to the vessel's longitudinal axis, combined with feathering through rotation about the sail's own longitudinal axis. It also integrates solar collecting means into the same sail structure, so the mechanical reefing and feathering system doubles as an energy-optimisation tool for both wind and sun. Anyone designing a pivoting or feathering wing-sail mount should check this record and its related family members for overlap.
The IPC composition shows thin coverage outside the core B63H mechanism claims: auxiliary pump integration, solar-hybrid energy capture, and structural or route-dependent monitoring systems each appear in only a handful of the 73 records. These branches sit adjacent to the heavily claimed rotor and wing-sail mechanics but have not attracted the same filing density. A first claim in one of these areas — for example, a structural loading sensor purpose-built for retrofit rig installations — would be entering comparatively open ground.
Answers are grounded in the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company's registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.