B25C HAND-HELD NAILING OR STAPLING TOOLS; MANUALLY-OPERATED PORTABLE STAPLING TOOLS
Introduced: September 1968
Classification Context
- Section:
- PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- Class:
- HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; HANDLES FOR HAND IMPLEMENTS; WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT; MANIPULATORS
- Subclass:
- HAND-HELD NAILING OR STAPLING TOOLS; MANUALLY-OPERATED PORTABLE STAPLING TOOLS
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
IPC subclass B25C recorded 11,447 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 1,048 in 2013 to 1,057 in 2023 (+1%), peaking at 1,194 applications in 2019. The most active applicants in class B25 are SGCC(STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA) (4,635 applications), FANUC (3,353 applications) and ROBERT BOSCH (2,950 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
In class comparison
B25C ranks 6th of 7 subclasses with filings in B25, with 11,447 applications between 2013 and 2023, 1.5% of the class. Annual filings grew 1% from 2013 to 2023, below the class as a whole (+246%).
| Rank | Subclass | Title | Applications | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B25J, Manipulators; Chambers Provided With Manipulation Devices | Manipulators; Chambers Provided With Manipulation Devices | 288,138 | 38.9% |
| 2 | B25B, Tools or Bench Devices Not Otherwise Provided For, for Fastening, Connecting, Disengaging, or Holding | Tools or Bench Devices Not Otherwise Provided For, for Fastening, Connecting, Disengaging, or Holding | 276,841 | 37.4% |
| 3 | B25H, Workshop Equipment, e.g. for Marking-Out Work; Storage Means for Workshops | Workshop Equipment, e.g. for Marking-Out Work; Storage Means for Workshops | 111,871 | 15.1% |
| 4 | B25F, Combination or Multi-Purpose Tools Not Otherwise Provided for; Details or Components of Portable Power-Driven Tools Not Particularly Related to the Operations Performed and Not Otherwise Provided for | Combination or Multi-Purpose Tools Not Otherwise Provided for; Details or Components of Portable Power-Driven Tools Not Particularly Related to the Operations Performed and Not Otherwise Provided for | 29,197 | 3.9% |
| 5 | B25D, Percussive Tools | Percussive Tools | 12,530 | 1.7% |
| 6 | B25C | Hand-Held Nailing or Stapling Tools; Manually-Operated Portable Stapling Tools | 11,447 | 1.5% |
| 7 | B25G, Handles for Hand Implements | Handles for Hand Implements | 10,506 | 1.4% |
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
Related Keywords
7 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
Navigate with arrow keys, Enter to open
- B25C 1/00 Hand-held nailing tools; Nail feeding devices therefor
- B25C 11/00 Nail, spike, or staple extractors
- B25C 13/00 Nail straightening devices
- B25C 3/00 Portable devices for holding and guiding nails; Nail dispensers
- B25C 5/00 Manually operated portable stapling tools; Hand-held power-operated stapling tools; Staple feeding devices therefor
- B25C 7/00 Accessories for nailing or stapling tools, e.g. supports
- B25C 9/00 Nail punches
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B25, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- SGCC(STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA) 4,635
- FANUC JP 3,353
- ROBERT BOSCH DE 2,950
- LG ELECTRONICS KR 2,397
- HILTI LI 2,243
- FANUC 2,234
- SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION 2,131
- KAWASAKI HEAVY IND JP 1,940
- MAKITA CORPORATION 1,851
- SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY KR 1,562