MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES

Introduced: September 1968

Last revised: January 1990

Classification Context

Section:: PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Class:: HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; HANDLES FOR HAND IMPLEMENTS; WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT; MANIPULATORS
Subclass:: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES

Description

B25J encompasses robotic manipulators and mechanical handling devices, including articulated arms, grippers, and positioning systems used to move, grasp, or process materials in industrial, laboratory, or specialized environments. This classification covers both standalone manipulators and integrated systems where manipulation devices are built into chambers or enclosures (such as gloveboxes or containment vessels). Technologies include actuators, control systems, end-effectors, and mechanical linkages that enable precise movement and object handling across manufacturing, research, and hazardous material processing applications.

Filing statistics

IPC subclass B25J recorded 288,138 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 8,945 in 2013 to 34,122 in 2023 (+281%), peaking at 36,604 applications in 2020. 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

Related Keywords

manipulators for GRIPPINGMANIPULATORSROBOT(S) in general

12 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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B25J 1/00 Manipulators positioned in space by hand
B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
B25J 13/00 Controls for manipulators
B25J 15/00 Gripping heads
B25J 17/00 Joints
B25J 18/00 Arms
B25J 19/00 Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators
B25J 21/00 Chambers provided with manipulation devices
B25J 3/00 Manipulators of leader-follower type, i.e. both controlling unit and controlled unit perform corresponding spatial movements
B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages
B25J 7/00 Micromanipulators
B25J 9/00 Program-controlled manipulators

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