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CPC Subclass Not Allocatable
B41L

APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR MANIFOLDING, DUPLICATING OR PRINTING FOR OFFICE OR OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSES; ADDRESSING MACHINES OR LIKE SERIES-PRINTING MACHINES (printing presses or machines for industrial purposes B41F; stamps, stamping or numbering devices B41K)

Description

B41L covers mechanical and electromechanical devices designed for high-volume office and commercial printing, copying, and document processing tasks. This includes manifolding machines (producing multiple copies through pressure transfer), duplicating equipment (such as spirit duplicators and mimeographs), and addressing machines that print repetitive text or variable data on envelopes and labels. The classification encompasses both standalone machines and integrated systems used in commercial print shops, corporate offices, and postal operations, but excludes general printing presses (B41F) and letterpress/relief printing machinery (B41K).

Filing statistics

CPC subclass B41L recorded 534 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings declined from 54 in 2013 to 20 in 2023 (-63%), peaking at 86 applications in 2017. The most active applicants in class B41 are SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION (8,446 applications), SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION (8,438 applications) and HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (7,828 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

25 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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  • B41L 31/00 Devices for removing flexible printing formes from forme cylinders
  • B41L 33/00 Pressing flexible printing formes or sheets or webs of copy material against cylinders, e.g. for smoothing purposes

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B41, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

  1. SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION 8,446
  2. SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION JP 8,438
  3. HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY US 7,828
  4. CANON JP 5,419
  5. CANON 4,156
  6. BROTHER INDUSTRIES JP 3,763
  7. BROTHER INDUSTRIES 2,779
  8. RICOH COMPANY JP 2,717
  9. FUJIFILM JP 2,423
  10. RICOH COMPANY 1,739