IPC Main Group
D04B 7/00 Flat-bed knitting machines with independently-movable needles
Introduced: September 1968
Last revised: January 2006
Classification Context
- Section:
- TEXTILES; PAPER
- Class:
- BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
- Subclass:
- KNITTING
Filing statistics
IPC D04B 7/00 belongs to the parent subclass D04B, which recorded 48,486 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 3,357 in 2013 to 4,578 in 2023 (+36%), peaking at 6,013 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class D04 are P&G (PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY) (887 applications), KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION (727 applications) and TORAY INDUSTRIES (692 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
11 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- D04B 7/02 with one set of needles
- D04B 7/04 with two sets of needles
- D04B 7/08 for domestic use
- D04B 7/1 with provision for narrowing or widening to produce fully-fashioned goods
- D04B 7/12 with provision for incorporating pile threads
- D04B 7/14 with provision for incorporating internal threads in laid-in fabrics
- D04B 7/16 for producing fabrics consisting of, or incorporating, elastic threads
- D04B 7/2 with provision for changing the fabric construction, e.g. from plain to rib-loop fabric
- D04B 7/22 with special provision for commencing goods, e.g. with non-run edges
- D04B 7/24 for producing patterned fabrics
- D04B 7/3 specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class D04, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- P&G (PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY) US 887
- KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION US 727
- TORAY INDUSTRIES JP 692
- NIKE US 633
- SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION 537
- TORAY INDUSTRIES 528
- NIKE INNOVATE US 522
- 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY (MINNESOTA MINING AND MANUFACTURING INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY) US 479
- NATIONAL DONG HWA UNIVERSITY 439
- NINGBO CIXING COMPANY 425