CHEMICAL MEANS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES; PROCESSES FOR MAKING HARMFUL CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES HARMLESS, OR LESS HARMFUL, BY EFFECTING A CHEMICAL CHANGE; COMPOSITION OF MATERIALS FOR COVERINGS OR CLOTHING FOR PROTECTING AGAINST HARMFUL CHEMICAL AGENTS; COMPOSITION OF MATERIALS FOR TRANSPARENT PARTS OF GAS-MASKS, RESPIRATORS, BREATHING BAGS OR HELMETS; COMPOSITION OF CHEMICAL MATERIALS FOR USE IN BREATHING APPARATUS

Description

A62D covers chemical formulations and compositions for fire extinguishment and chemical hazard protection. This includes fire-suppressing agents and powders, chemical detoxification processes that neutralize or reduce the harmfulness of toxic substances, and material compositions for protective equipment such as chemical-resistant clothing, gas mask components, and respirator systems. The subclass encompasses both the active chemical ingredients and the material compositions used in personal protective equipment and breathing apparatus, excluding mechanical fire-fighting devices and the structural design of protective garments or masks themselves.

Filing statistics

IPC subclass A62D recorded 10,174 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 770 in 2013 to 932 in 2023 (+21%), peaking at 1,023 applications in 2022. The most active applicants in class A62 are SGCC(STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA) (1,604 applications), 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY (MINNESOTA MINING AND MANUFACTURING INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY) (1,202 applications) and TYCO FIRE PRODUCTS (906 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

In class comparison

A62D ranks 3rd of 3 subclasses with filings in A62, with 10,174 applications between 2013 and 2023, 5.2% of the class. Annual filings grew 21% from 2013 to 2023, below the class as a whole (+180%).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Additional Content

Fire prevention, fire containment or fire fighting, e.g. portable extinguishers or fire-fighting vehicles