BRUSHWARE

Description

Brushware encompasses brush products and their manufacturing, including toothbrushes, hairbrushes, cleaning brushes, and industrial brushes used for various applications. This classification covers the design, construction, and materials of brush heads and handles, bristle arrangements, and specialized brush types for personal hygiene, grooming, and cleaning purposes. Excluded are brushes that form integral components of specific machines or devices, which are classified with those machines in their respective categories.

Filing statistics

CPC A46 recorded 37,835 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023, summed across its 2 subclasses. Annual filings declined from 2,738 in 2013 to 2,278 in 2023 (-17%), peaking at 4,637 applications in 2017. The most active applicants in class A46 are COLGATE-PALMOLIVE COMPANY (1,508 applications), PHILIPS ELECTRONICS (969 applications) and L'OREAL (884 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings