Self-Sensing Carbon Fiber Patent Snapshot 2026
Self-sensing carbon fiber patent activity is concentrated among a small number of Japanese and American industrial filers, with Integral Technology and Hodogaya Chemical holding the largest positions. The field has reached a mature plateau, with annual volumes easing from a 2019 peak while remaining above early-decade baselines.
A compact, Japan- and US-led field with pronounced leader concentration
Integral Technology Inc leads the ranked applicant list, followed closely by Hodogaya Chemical Co Ltd and Tec One Co Ltd, with Teijin Ltd and Compagnie Plastic Omnium rounding out a tight top five.
The top five filers account for thirty-five percent of the combined total for the ranked applicants visible in this query, indicating a concentrated but not wholly monopolized visible assignee structure. A visible gap opens between the top tier and mid-ranked entrants, suggesting meaningful barriers to scale.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Integral Technology Inc | 22 | |
| 2 | Hodogaya Chemical Co Ltd | 21 | |
| 3 | Tec One Co Ltd | 17 | |
| 4 | Teijin Ltd | 11 | |
| 5 | Compagnie Plastic Omnium SA | 7 | |
| 6 | Toray Industries Inc | 7 | |
| 7 | Shinshu University | 6 | |
| 8 | The University of Tokyo | 6 | |
| 9 | GSI Creos Corp | 5 | |
| 10 | Yazaki Corp | 5 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Shimizu Corp | 4 | |
| 12 | Resonac Holdings Corp | 4 | |
| 13 | CTS Corp | 4 | |
| 14 | Yanagida Hiroaki | 4 | |
| 15 | Beijing Mega Material Innovation Work M2IW Co Ltd | 3 | |
| 16 | University of Nottingham Ningbo China | 3 | |
| 17 | Tianjin Polytechnic University | 2 | |
| 18 | University of Kentucky Research Foundation | 2 | |
| 19 | SOK | 2 | |
| 20 | Intematix Corp | 2 |
The leaders’ positions imply that core fiber functionalization and conductor-integration know-how are well defended; new entrants are more likely to find traction in adjacent processing or application sub-classes than in direct frontal competition on fiber chemistry.
Filings from approximately the past eighteen to twenty-four months are likely under-counted due to standard patent publication lag and should not be read as a reduction in activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A maturing filing curve with a broad, multi-class technology footprint
The annual filing trend and the IPC class distribution together reveal a field that has passed its growth peak but retains diverse technical engagement across fiber chemistry, electrical engineering, and polymer processing branches.
Annual filing trend
Filings climbed from three records in 2017 to a peak of five in 2019, then fell to a low of one in 2021 before recovering to four in 2022. Years 2024 onward should be treated as preliminary due to publication lag — apparent softness does not necessarily reflect a real decline.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
D01F (chemical filament and fibre features) and H01B (cables, conductors and insulators) are the visible IPC classes, reflecting the dual identity of self-sensing fiber as both a structural and an electrical material. C08L, C08K, and B29C represent a secondary cluster focused on polymer formulation and shaping, signaling ongoing integration work at the composite level.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Thickness direction conductive laminated composite…
A thickness direction conductive laminated composite material, comprising: laminated multiple layers of carbon fiber; a curable resin which is disposed among the laminated multiple layers of carbon fiber, coats the laminated multiple layers of carbon fiber and bonds the laminated multiple layers of carbon fiber together; and a conductive material, the… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low cost shielded cable manufactured from conducti… | 113 |
| 2 | Manufacturing methods of catalysts for carbon fibe… | 106 |
| 3 | Prepreg and carbon fiber reinforced composite mate… | 100 |
| 4 | 一种高强度宏观石墨烯导电纤维的制备方法 | 61 |
| 5 | Carbon fiber nonwoven fabric, carbon fiber, produc… | 49 |
| 6 | Ultrathin carbon fibers | 49 |
| 7 | Activated carbon, method for production thereof an… | 45 |
| 8 | Electromagnetic shielding composite | 45 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Integral Technology Inc
Integral Technology Inc holds the top position with twenty-two patent records. Its technology emphasis spans plastics shaping (B29C 45), antenna integration (H01Q 1), and cable and conductor applications (H01B 1), indicating a strategy oriented toward end-use electromagnetic and structural composite products rather than raw fiber chemistry. Applicant momentum data is not available in the current evidence set.
records: 22Hodogaya Chemical Co Ltd
Hodogaya Chemical Co Ltd holds twenty-one patent records, placing it within one record of the leader. Its focus on D01F 9 (chemical filament and fibre features), C01B 31 (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds), and C08J 5 (polymer processing) marks it as a fiber chemistry and materials specialist — a complementary but distinct route from Integral Technology’s application-layer emphasis. Applicant momentum data is not available in the current evidence set.
records: 21Frequently asked questions
The evidence covers 28 patent families in scope, with patent-record-level counts used for applicant rankings and IPC classifications.
Integral Technology Inc leads with twenty-two patent records, followed closely by Hodogaya Chemical Co Ltd with twenty-one records.
The field is classified as mature: annual filings peaked around 2019 and have since plateaued rather than continuing to climb. The multi-year window still shows positive growth relative to earlier years, but the field is no longer in a rapid-growth phase.
The United States leads in patent-record coverage, followed by Japan and Europe via the EPO. China and WIPO PCT filings provide additional but smaller coverage. Canada and South Korea also appear in the jurisdiction data.
Yes. The most active co-filing pair is Thomas Aisenbrey and Integral Technology Inc with six joint records. Additional bilateral pairs include Mitsui Bussan Nano-Technology Research Institute with Mitsui & Co, the University of Tokyo with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Yazaki Corp with Mitsubishi Corp, and the University of Tokyo with Teijin Ltd.
The top-cited documents span shielded cable manufacture from conductive materials, carbon fiber catalyst manufacturing methods, prepreg and carbon fiber reinforced composite materials, graphene conductive fiber preparation, and carbon fiber nonwoven fabrics — reflecting both the electrical conductivity and structural reinforcement dimensions of the technology.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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