F23N REGULATING OR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION
Introduced: September 1968
Classification Context
- Section:
- MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- Class:
- COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
- Subclass:
- REGULATING OR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION
Description
F23N covers devices and methods for regulating and controlling combustion processes in furnaces, boilers, burners, and other combustion apparatus. The classification includes fuel supply control systems, air/oxygen supply regulation, flame monitoring and safety devices, and automatic control mechanisms that adjust combustion parameters to maintain stable operation. Typical applications encompass ignition control, fuel flow modulation, excess air management, and feedback systems for industrial heating equipment. This class excludes the combustion apparatus itself (covered in F23D, F23H) and specific fuel supply systems when not integrated with combustion control (covered in F23K).
Filing statistics
IPC subclass F23N recorded 15,400 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 1,304 in 2013 to 1,445 in 2023 (+11%), peaking at 1,624 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class F23 are GE (GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY) (2,124 applications), XIAN THERMAL POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE COMPANY (1,369 applications) and NINGBO FOTILE KITCHENWARE COMPANY (1,363 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
Related Keywords
3 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class F23, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- GE (GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY) US 2,124
- XIAN THERMAL POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE COMPANY 1,369
- NINGBO FOTILE KITCHENWARE COMPANY 1,363
- SIEMENS DE 997
- UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION (UTC) US 937
- GE (GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY) 898
- VATTI 815
- CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 719
- RINNAI COMPANY 708
- MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS 670