F02 COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
Description
F02 covers internal combustion engines and external combustion systems that generate mechanical power from fuel combustion or hot gases. This includes reciprocating piston engines (spark-ignition and compression-ignition), rotary engines, gas turbines, and steam plants powered by combustion heat. The class encompasses engine design, fuel systems, ignition/injection mechanisms, cooling and lubrication systems, and exhaust treatment technologies, but excludes prime movers driven by non-combustion sources such as electric motors or hydraulic systems.
Filing statistics
CPC F02 recorded 409,146 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023, summed across its 9 subclasses. Annual filings declined from 41,657 in 2013 to 20,917 in 2023 (-50%), peaking at 49,035 applications in 2016. The most active applicants in class F02 are ROBERT BOSCH (8,801 applications), FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES (8,171 applications) and GE (GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY) (6,957 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
9 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
Navigate with arrow keys, Enter to open
- F02B INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- F02C GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F02D CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- F02F CYLINDERS, PISTONS OR CASINGS, FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES; ARRANGEMENTS OF SEALINGS IN COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02G HOT GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINE PLANTS (steam engine plants, special vapour plants, plants operating on either hot gas or combustion-product gases together with other fluid F01K; gas-turbine plants F02C; jet-propulsion plants F02K); USE OF WASTE HEAT OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F02K JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (features of jet-propulsion plants common to gas-turbine plants, air intakes or fuel supply control of air-breathing jet-propulsion plants F02C7/00, F02C9/00)
- F02M SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02N STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F02P IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES (; specially adapted for rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines F02B53/12; ; ignition of combustion apparatus in general, glowing plugs F23Q; measuring of physical variables in general G01; controlling in general G05; data processing in general G06; electrical components in general see Section H; ; sparking plugs H01T13/00)
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filings, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- ROBERT BOSCH DE 8,801
- FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES US 8,171
- GE (GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY) US 6,957
- HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY KR 5,390
- UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION (UTC) US 5,250
- TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION JP 5,214
- TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION 4,149
- DENSO CORPORATION JP 3,400
- KIA MOTORS CORPORATION KR 3,388
- SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES FR 3,332