In this dataset of 46 records, one assignee leads with 23 records, well ahead of the rest of the 17-company ranked field, where fifth and tenth place each hold only 2. That gap means a single company’s seat-insert and trunnion-ball claims are the first thing to check before filing something similar. It does not mean that company controls the whole field, since the remaining filers still hold distinct, if smaller, claim positions.

A trunnion ball valve seat insert is the replaceable ring that seals against the ball inside the valve body, and it is patented separately from the valve itself because the retention geometry, insert material and how it snaps or locks into the seat ring are each independently claimable. The representative filing in this dataset, US10539242B2, is exactly this: a tapered seat insert that mates with a shoulder in a profiled groove and is held by a locking ring. Filing on the insert mechanism lets a company protect a seal upgrade without re-claiming the entire valve.

The data shows filings peaked at 7 in 2017 and fall to 0 by the most recent tracked year, with every assignee tracked for recent-year momentum showing zero filings and several a -100% year-on-year change. There are too few complete recent years to state a reliable growth rate, and publication lag means the last one to two years always look thinner than they eventually will. On the numbers available, this reads as a field that filled its core claims early rather than one in an active filing race.