F02N STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
Introduced: September 1968
Classification Context
- Section:
- MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- Class:
- COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- Subclass:
- STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
Description
F02N covers systems, devices, and methods for initiating combustion in internal combustion engines, including starter motors, ignition systems, cold-start aids, and auxiliary starting mechanisms. This classification encompasses starter designs, starting fuel injection systems, pre-heating devices (glow plugs, block heaters), and mechanical or electrical starting aids that facilitate engine ignition under various operating conditions. Technologies addressing challenges specific to cold-weather starting, high-altitude operation, and rapid engine spin-up fall within this scope. Inventions related to engine starting that do not fit more specific combustion engine classifications are classified here as a catch-all provision.
Filing statistics
IPC subclass F02N recorded 16,756 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings declined from 1,912 in 2013 to 914 in 2023 (-52%). The most active applicants in class F02 are TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (8,687 applications), ROBERT BOSCH (8,328 applications) and FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES (7,423 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
Additional Content
Starting of free-piston combustion-engines Starting of gas-turbine plants
10 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- F02N 1/00 Starting apparatus having hand cranks
- F02N 11/00 Starting of engines by means of electric motors
- F02N 13/00 Starting of engines, or driving of starting apparatus by use of explosives, e.g. stored in cartridges
- F02N 15/00 Other power-operated starting apparatus; Component parts, details, or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups
- F02N 19/00 Starting aids for combustion engines, not otherwise provided for
- F02N 3/00 Other muscle-operated starting apparatus
- F02N 5/00 Starting apparatus having mechanical power storage
- F02N 7/00 Starting apparatus having fluid-driven auxiliary engines or apparatus
- F02N 9/00 Starting of engines by supplying auxiliary pressure fluid to their working chambers
- F02N 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class F02, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION 8,687
- ROBERT BOSCH DE 8,328
- FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES US 7,423
- GE (GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY) US 5,732
- UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION (UTC) US 5,592
- HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY KR 4,699
- TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION JP 4,541
- DENSO CORPORATION 3,711
- WEICHAI POWER COMPANY 3,486
- SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES FR 3,249