D06B TREATING TEXTILE MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS, GASES OR VAPOURS
Introduced: July 1974
Classification Context
- Section:
- TEXTILES; PAPER
- Class:
- TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Subclass:
- TREATING TEXTILE MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS, GASES OR VAPOURS
Description
D06B covers processes and apparatus for treating textiles through contact with liquids, gases, or vapours, including washing, bleaching, dyeing, and chemical finishing operations. This subclass encompasses wet processing methods such as immersion, spraying, and circulation treatment, as well as gaseous treatments like steaming and fumigation. The classification includes machinery for applying treatment media, controlling treatment conditions, and removing excess liquids or gases from textile materials. Related finishing operations involving mechanical deformation (pressing, calendering) are classified elsewhere in D06.
Filing statistics
IPC subclass D06B recorded 67,125 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 2,102 in 2013 to 7,845 in 2023 (+273%), peaking at 10,942 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class D06 are QINGDAO HAIER WASHING MACHINE COMPANY (10,520 applications), HAIER SMART HOME (8,532 applications) and LG ELECTRONICS (7,853 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
In class comparison
D06B ranks 2nd of 11 subclasses with filings in D06, with 67,125 applications between 2013 and 2023, 16.2% of the class. Annual filings grew 273% from 2013 to 2023, above the class as a whole (+98%).
| Rank | Subclass | Title | Applications | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D06F, Laundering, Drying, Ironing, Pressing or Folding Textile Articles | Laundering, Drying, Ironing, Pressing or Folding Textile Articles | 135,930 | 32.7% |
| 2 | D06B | Treating Textile Materials Using Liquids, Gases or Vapours | 67,125 | 16.2% |
| 3 | D06M, Treatment, Not Provided for Elsewhere in Class , of Fibres, Threads, Yarns, Fabrics, Feathers or Fibrous Goods Made From Such Materials | Treatment, Not Provided for Elsewhere in Class , of Fibres, Threads, Yarns, Fabrics, Feathers or Fibrous Goods Made From Such Materials | 66,904 | 16.1% |
| 4 | D06C, Finishing, Dressing, Tentering or Stretching Textile Fabrics | Finishing, Dressing, Tentering or Stretching Textile Fabrics | 40,235 | 9.7% |
| 5 | D06H, Marking, Inspecting, Seaming or Severing Textile Materials | Marking, Inspecting, Seaming or Severing Textile Materials | 34,771 | 8.4% |
| 6 | D06P, Dyeing or Printing Textiles; Dyeing Leather, Furs or Solid Macromolecular Substances in Any Form | Dyeing or Printing Textiles; Dyeing Leather, Furs or Solid Macromolecular Substances in Any Form | 25,428 | 6.1% |
| 7 | D06N, Wall, Floor, or Like Covering Materials, e.g. Linoleum, Oilcloth, Artificial Leather, Roofing Felt, Consisting of a Fibrous Web Coated With a Layer of Macromolecular Material; Flexible Sheet Material Not Otherwise Provided for | Wall, Floor, or Like Covering Materials, e.g. Linoleum, Oilcloth, Artificial Leather, Roofing Felt, Consisting of a Fibrous Web Coated With a Layer of Macromolecular Material; Flexible Sheet Material Not Otherwise Provided for | 20,490 | 4.9% |
| 8 | D06G, Mechanical or Pressure Cleaning of Carpets, Rugs, Sacks, Hides, or Other Skin or Textile Articles or Fabrics; Turning Inside-Out Flexible Tubular or Other Hollow Articles | Mechanical or Pressure Cleaning of Carpets, Rugs, Sacks, Hides, or Other Skin or Textile Articles or Fabrics; Turning Inside-Out Flexible Tubular or Other Hollow Articles | 15,805 | 3.8% |
| 9 | D06L, Dry-Cleaning, Washing or Bleaching Fibres, Filaments, Threads, Yarns, Fabrics, Feathers or Made-Up Fibrous Goods; Bleaching Leather or Furs | Dry-Cleaning, Washing or Bleaching Fibres, Filaments, Threads, Yarns, Fabrics, Feathers or Made-Up Fibrous Goods; Bleaching Leather or Furs | 5,729 | 1.4% |
| 10 | D06Q, Decorating Textiles | Decorating Textiles | 2,596 | 0.6% |
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
Additional Content
Mechanical treatment of natural fibrous or filamentary material to obtain fibres or filaments
Related Keywords
12 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- D06B 1/00 Applying liquids, gases or vapours on to textile materials to effect treatment, e.g. washing, dyeing, bleaching, sizing or impregnating
- D06B 11/00 Treatment of selected parts of textile materials, e.g. partial dyeing
- D06B 13/00 Treatment of textile materials with liquids, gases, or vapours with aid of vibration
- D06B 15/00 Removing liquids, gases or vapours from textile materials in association with treatment of the materials by liquids, gases or vapours
- D06B 17/00 Storing of textile materials in association with the treatment of the materials by liquids, gases, or vapours
- D06B 19/00 Treatment of textile materials by liquids, gases, or vapours, not provided for in groups
- D06B 21/00 Successive treatments of textile materials by liquids, gases or vapours
- D06B 23/00 Component parts, details, or accessories of apparatus or machines, specially adapted for the treating of textile materials, not restricted to a particular kind of apparatus, provided for in groups
- D06B 3/00 Passing of textile materials through liquids, gases, or vapours to effect treatment, e.g. washing, dyeing, bleaching, sizing, impregnating
- D06B 5/00 Forcing liquids, gases, or vapours through textile materials to effect treatment, e.g. washing, dyeing, bleaching, sizing, impregnating
- D06B 7/00 Mercerising, e.g. lustring by mercerising
- D06B 9/00 Solvent-treatment of textile materials
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class D06, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- QINGDAO HAIER WASHING MACHINE COMPANY 10,520
- HAIER SMART HOME 8,532
- LG ELECTRONICS KR 7,853
- WUXI LITTLE SWAN COMPANY 5,749
- QINGDAO HAIER WASHING MACHINE COMPANY CN 2,905
- BSH (BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERAETE) DE 2,785
- SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY KR 2,662
- GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES 1,701
- PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 1,391
- MIELE DE 1,374