DRY-CLEANING, WASHING OR BLEACHING FIBRES, FILAMENTS, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR MADE-UP FIBROUS GOODS; BLEACHING LEATHER OR FURS

Description

D06L covers mechanical and chemical processes for cleaning and bleaching textile materials at various stages of production and use, from raw fibers through finished garments and household textiles. This includes dry-cleaning operations, aqueous washing methods, and bleaching treatments applied to fibers, yarns, fabrics, feathers, and made-up textile articles, as well as bleaching processes specifically for leather and fur materials. The classification encompasses both industrial-scale textile processing and garment care operations, including equipment, chemical formulations, and process parameters for removing soils, stains, and unwanted coloration. Related finishing treatments such as dyeing or general fabric finishing are classified elsewhere (D06B–D06K).

Filing statistics

CPC subclass D06L recorded 4,374 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 194 in 2013 to 261 in 2023 (+35%), peaking at 706 applications in 2017. The most active applicants in class D06 are LG ELECTRONICS (7,955 applications), QINGDAO HAIER WASHING MACHINE COMPANY (7,190 applications) and HAIER SMART HOME (5,471 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings