A24B MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
Description
Covers industrial processes and techniques for producing tobacco products intended for smoking or oral consumption, including cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, and snuff. Encompasses tobacco treatment, blending, flavoring, casing, cutting, and physical preparation methods prior to final product assembly. Also includes the characterization and composition of processed tobacco materials themselves. Related manufacturing equipment and machinery are classified elsewhere under A24D.
Filing statistics
CPC subclass A24B recorded 37,306 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 1,444 in 2013 to 2,973 in 2023 (+106%), peaking at 4,533 applications in 2019. The most active applicants in class A24 are PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS (13,994 applications), NICOVENTURES TRADING (7,744 applications) and KT & G CORPORATION (4,857 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
8 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- A24B 1/00 Preparation of tobacco on the plantation
- A24B 11/00 Tobacco-twisting machines
- A24B 13/00 Tobacco for pipes, for cigars, e.g. cigar inserts, or for cigarettes; Chewing tobacco; Snuff (reconstituted tobacco products A24B3/14)
- A24B 15/00 Chemical features or treatment of tobacco; Tobacco substitutes, e.g. in liquid form (A24B3/00 takes precedence)
- A24B 3/00 Preparing tobacco in the factory
- A24B 5/00 Stripping tobacco; Treatment of stems or ribs
- A24B 7/00 Cutting tobacco
- A24B 9/00 Control of the moisture content of tobacco products, e.g. cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco (; devices for use by the smoker for controlling the moisture content of tobacco products A24F25/00)
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class A24, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS CH 13,994
- NICOVENTURES TRADING GB 7,744
- KT & G CORPORATION KR 4,857
- JAPAN TOBACCO JP 4,561
- JT INTERNATIONAL CH 3,946
- BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (INVESTMENTS) GB 2,374
- ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES US 2,122
- RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS US 2,061
- NICOVENTURES TRADING 1,940
- PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS 1,855