HAND-HELD NAILING OR STAPLING TOOLS; MANUALLY OPERATED PORTABLE STAPLING TOOLS (for shoemaking A43D)

Description

B25C encompasses hand-held and manually-operated tools designed for driving nails, staples, or similar fasteners into materials. This subclass covers both non-powered mechanical devices (such as claw hammers, nail guns operated by manual trigger mechanisms, and hand staplers) and portable power-driven variants used for fastening applications. The classification includes the tool mechanisms themselves, driving systems, and structural designs that facilitate repetitive or single fastening operations in construction, carpentry, and assembly work. Related fastening processes and the fasteners themselves are addressed in separate classifications.

Filing statistics

CPC subclass B25C recorded 6,696 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings declined from 631 in 2013 to 572 in 2023 (-9%), peaking at 743 applications in 2019. The most active applicants in class B25 are FANUC (3,700 applications), ROBERT BOSCH (3,293 applications) and LG ELECTRONICS (2,871 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings