YARNS; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; WARPING OR BEAMING

Description

Class D02 encompasses the production, processing, and preparation of yarns and ropes through mechanical means. It covers yarn formation techniques, mechanical finishing operations such as twisting, plying, and texturizing, as well as rope manufacturing. The class also includes warping and beaming operations—preparatory processes that arrange yarns onto beams for weaving, knitting, or other downstream textile production. This classification excludes chemical or thermal finishing of yarns (covered elsewhere in Section D) and focuses specifically on mechanical transformations and yarn preparation for subsequent textile manufacturing stages.

Filing statistics

IPC D02 recorded 48,271 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023, summed across its 3 subclasses. Annual filings grew from 2,855 in 2013 to 4,353 in 2023 (+52%), peaking at 6,015 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class D02 are JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY (383 applications), TORAY INDUSTRIES (349 applications) and TORAY INDUSTRIES (281 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings