DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING

Introduced: September 1968

Classification Context

Section:: FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
Class:: HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL-SHIFTING
Subclass:: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING

Description

E02F covers mechanical and hydraulic equipment and methods for removing, transporting, and depositing soil, sediment, and similar materials from water bodies, land surfaces, and subsurface locations. This subclass encompasses dredges (bucket, suction, and grab types), excavators, dozers, and associated machinery used in channels, harbors, and construction sites, as well as techniques for soil stabilization and relocation. It excludes general earthmoving equipment covered elsewhere and focuses specifically on systems designed for wet or submerged conditions and large-scale soil displacement operations.

Filing statistics

IPC subclass E02F recorded 99,408 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 6,460 in 2013 to 10,933 in 2023 (+69%), peaking at 12,625 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class E02 are KOMATSU (3,549 applications), CATERPILLAR (2,893 applications) and HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY COMPANY (2,390 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Related Keywords

excavating foundations for BUILDING(S)shifting EARTHEXCAVATING by dredging or soil-shiftingexcavating FOUNDATION(S)LOADER(S) of soil-shifting typeMOVING earth (soil-shifting)dredging MUDRESERVOIR(S) as building structuresSCOOP(S) for shifting soilSHIFTING of soilshifting SOILWORKING earth or soil

5 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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E02F 1/00 General working methods with dredgers or soil-shifting machines
E02F 3/00 Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
E02F 5/00 Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
E02F 7/00 Equipment for conveying or separating excavated material
E02F 9/00 Component parts of dredgers or soil-shifting machines, not restricted to one of the kinds covered by groups

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class E02, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

KOMATSU JP 3,549
CATERPILLAR US 2,893
HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY COMPANY JP 2,390
HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY COMPANY 2,340
POWERCHINA HUADONG ENGINEERING CORPORATION 2,336
CHINA CONSTRUCTION EIGHTH ENGINEERING DIVISION 2,174
SGCC(STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA) 2,119
HOHAI UNIVERSITY 1,821
KOMATSU 1,775
POWERCHINA GUIYANG ENGINEERING CORPORATION 1,725