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IPC Subclass
B41L

APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR MANIFOLDING, DUPLICATING OR PRINTING FOR OFFICE OR OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSES; ADDRESSING MACHINES OR LIKE SERIES-PRINTING MACHINES

Introduced: September 1968

Classification Context

Section:
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Class:
PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
Subclass:
APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR MANIFOLDING, DUPLICATING OR PRINTING FOR OFFICE OR OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSES; ADDRESSING MACHINES OR LIKE SERIES-PRINTING MACHINES

Description

B41L covers mechanical and electromechanical devices designed for high-volume office and commercial printing, copying, and document processing tasks. This includes manifolding machines (producing multiple copies through pressure transfer), duplicating equipment (such as spirit duplicators and mimeographs), and addressing machines that print repetitive text or variable data on envelopes and labels. The classification encompasses both standalone machines and integrated systems used in commercial print shops, corporate offices, and postal operations, but excludes general printing presses (B41F) and letterpress/relief printing machinery (B41K).

Related Keywords

BRAILLECOPYING apparatus for office or other commercial purposescopying DOCUMENTSmaking FACSIMILE copies of documentsMANIFOLDING apparatus for office or other commercial purposescopying MANUSCRIPTSapparatus for office or analogous commercial PRINTING

25 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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  • B41L 31/00 Devices for removing flexible printing formes from forme cylinders
  • B41L 33/00 Pressing flexible printing formes or sheets or webs of copy material against cylinders, e.g. for smoothing purposes

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B41, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

  1. SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION 14,672
  2. CANON 14,153
  3. RICOH COMPANY 8,049
  4. SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION JP 8,044
  5. HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY US 7,312
  6. BROTHER INDUSTRIES 6,887
  7. KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS 5,463
  8. CANON JP 5,001
  9. KONICA MINOLTA CORPORATION 4,512
  10. BROTHER INDUSTRIES JP 3,681