PREPARING GRAIN FOR MILLING; REFINING GRANULAR FRUIT TO COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS BY WORKING THE SURFACE (making dough from cereals directly A21C; preservation or sterilisation of cereals A23B; cleaning fruit A23N; preparation of malt C12C)

Description

B02B encompasses machinery and processes for conditioning grain before milling operations, including cleaning, sorting, moistening, and tempering to optimize milling quality and efficiency. The subclass also covers surface refinement techniques for granular fruits—such as polishing, grading, or abrading—to produce commercial-grade products. These preparatory operations improve the functional properties of raw materials, enhance product uniformity, and facilitate subsequent processing stages. Related grain milling machinery itself falls under B02C, while general crushing and pulverizing operations are classified separately in the B02 hierarchy.

Filing statistics

CPC subclass B02B recorded 3,908 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 95 in 2013 to 261 in 2023 (+175%), peaking at 618 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B02 are SANDVIK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (543 applications), THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS (517 applications) and THYSSEN KRUPP (398 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings