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Run your analysis now →https://www.patsnap.com/resources/blog/rd-blog/spunbond-web-formation-patent-landscape/ · Patsnap · data cut-off 2026-07-31 · downloaded from the live page
Patent Landscape · Textiles & FibersSpunbond Web Formation Patents: Who Leads and Where the Field Is Concentrated
- 38.4% of all 619 records sit with just five assignees, and the top ten combined hold 57.7% — this is a concentrated field, not a fragmented one.
- Filings peaked in 2017 at 67 and the 2021-to-2024 window shows a 25% decline (28 down to 21), the most recent span the data can call complete.
- D04H nonwovens dominates at 74.0% of records, but A61F implant/absorbent-article overlap sits at 22.6%, pointing to hygiene and medical crossover as the active edge.
619
Published Records
38%
Top-5 Share of All Records
-25%
Filing Growth 2021→2024
EP
Leading Jurisdiction
Filing growth compares 2021 (28 records) with 2024 (21) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 619 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
Published byPatsnap Research··7 min readSourced from Patsnap Eureka
Overview
What the spunbond web formation patent record shows
Spunbond web formation covers the machinery and process claims that turn extruded filaments into a bonded nonwoven web: filament attenuation, basis weight control, calender bonding patterns and the line-speed trade-offs that determine tensile strength and softness balance. The dataset in scope spans 619 published records filed or published between 2015 and 2026, drawn from search terms anchored on the core process steps rather than end-use claims. Publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so the most recent one or two years in any trend understate actual filing activity.
The technology composition confirms this is a process-and-equipment field first: nonwovens classification D04H covers the large majority of records, with layered-product claims under B32B a distant second. The presence of A61F (implants and absorbent articles) and A47L (cleaning appliances) among the classes shows spunbond process claims frequently get filed alongside downstream hygiene and filtration applications, not in isolation.
Filing activity and technology composition, 2015–2026
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee ranking and totals. Derived from a Patsnap search on Spunbond Web Formation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
The Data
Filing trends and technology composition
Annual filing counts and IPC classification shares for the 619 records in scope, drawn directly from the underlying dataset.
Filing trend: a 2017 peak followed by a multi-year decline
Filings peaked at 67 in 2017. The 2021-to-2024 span — the most recent period the dataset can treat as complete given publication lag — shows filings falling from 28 to 21, a 25% decline. Years after 2024 are still filling in and should not be read as a continuation of that trend.
Technology composition: nonwovens-first with hygiene overlap
D04H (nonwovens & felts) appears in 74.0% of the 619 records, far ahead of B32B (layered products, 38.9%) and A61F (implants/absorbent articles, 22.6%). Because a single record can carry multiple IPC classes, these shares sum to well over 100% and should be read individually against the 619-record base, not against each other.
Shares are the percentage of the 619 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Spunbond Web Formation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.
Go deeper on Spunbond Web Formation with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about spunbond web formation and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaKey Patents
Most-cited prior art and a representative filing
Representative Filing
US20030042651A1 — Method and apparatus for production of sub-denier spunbond nonwovens
NAJOUR, GERALD C.
A unique isotropic sub-denier spunbond nonwoven product created by an apparatus and method comprising a unique multi-head resin metering system, a spinneret head with spinning sections separated by a quench fluid extraction zone, a two-sided multilevel quench system, and a fluid volume control infuser system that guides filaments into the drawing system while conserving energy. The filament drawing system uses a draw jet assembly with adjustable primary and secondary jet-nozzles and a variable-width draw jet-slot.Filed by Najour, Gerald C., published 2003-03-06.
Most-cited records in the spunbond web formation corpus
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EP0960645A2 | Vacuum cleaner bag or filter, and method of filtering a gas | 351 |
| 2 | US5540976A | Nonwoven laminate with cross directional stretch | 298 |
| 3 | US5614281A | Creped nonwoven laminate loop fastening material for mechanical fastening systems | 288 |
| 4 | US20160167334A1 | Crimped Fiber Spunbond Nonwoven Webs/Laminates | 232 |
| 5 | WO2017105997A1 | Shaped nonwoven | 207 |
| 6 | US6171369B1 | Vacuum cleaner bag construction and method of operation | 186 |
| 7 | US20170191198A1 | Shaped Nonwoven | 163 |
| 8 | US20160166443A1 | Crimped Fiber Spunbond Nonwoven Webs/Laminate | 136 |
| 9 | US20040077247A1 | Lofty spunbond nonwoven laminate | 127 |
| 10 | US6183536B1 | Enhanced performance vacuum cleaner bag and method of operation | 123 |
Citation counts favour older records simply by virtue of being in the corpus longer; treat them as a signal of influence on subsequent filings, not of current commercial relevance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Citation counts and representative records. Derived from a Patsnap search on Spunbond Web Formation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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What the concentration and citation data mean for filing decisions
Three figures set the shape of this field: how tightly filings are held, how fast that activity has cooled off recently, and which prior art keeps getting cited.
Concentration
38.4% of 619
top 5 assignees' share
A concentrated leadership tier
Five assignees hold 38.4% of all 619 records in scope, and the top ten extend that to 57.7%. New entrants filing broad process claims on filament attenuation or bonding patterns are filing into occupied claim space, not a blank field.
Based on the full 100-company assignee ranking.
Momentum
28 → 21, -25%
2021 to 2024 filings
Cooling activity through the last complete years
Filings fell from 28 in 2021 to 21 in 2024, a 25% decline over the only three-year span the dataset can currently treat as complete. Several of the leading assignees show zero filings in the latest tracked year, though that figure is still filling in under publication lag.
2025 onward figures are not yet complete and are excluded from this comparison.
Prior Art
351 citations
highest-cited record
Old filtration and laminate patents still anchor the field
The most-cited record in the corpus concerns a vacuum cleaner bag/filter construction, followed closely by cross-directional-stretch nonwoven laminate claims — both far older than the 2015 start of this dataset's filing window, reflecting how foundational bonding and laminate mechanics keep getting cited by newer process filings.
Citation counts favour older records within the searched corpus.
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Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to spunbond web formation, with the prior art for and against each one.
Co-filing is rare and narrow
| Assignee | Co-assignee | Shared families |
|---|---|---|
| Reifenhauser GmbH & Co KG Maschinenfabrik | Fibertex Personal Care | 22 |
| Airflo Euro | SCHULTINK JAN | 2 |
| Airflo Euro | SCHULTINK BAS | 2 |
| Fibertex Personal Care | SPICHER STRASSE 46 83844 TROISDORF | 2 |
| Polymer Group, Inc. | STEFFEN JOHN F | 2 |
| Polymer Group, Inc. | MOODY RALPH A | 2 |
| Polymer Group, Inc. | GRONDIN PIERRE D | 2 |
| E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company | KRISHNAMURTHY LAKSHMI | 2 |
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear across the dataset, and the strongest pair's joint filings are concentrated between one equipment maker and one nonwovens converter — collaboration here is the exception, not the norm.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Co-assignee relationships and derived observations. Derived from a Patsnap search on Spunbond Web Formation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
Players
Who holds the leading positions, and where the gate is closing
A small group of equipment makers and nonwovens converters account for the bulk of filings, while machinery-side and hygiene-side companies co-exist without much overlap in co-filing.
Leader
65 records
leading assignee filings
A single leader well ahead of the field
The top-ranked assignee holds 65 records, noticeably ahead of the fifth-place holder at 42 and the tenth at 20 — a steep drop-off rather than a gradual one.
Counted in patent families, the fairer unit against continuation filing.
Filtration crossover
9.4% of 619
B01D separation-process share
Filtration applications form a secondary cluster
B01D (separation processes, including filtration) appears in 9.4% of records, smaller than the hygiene-adjacent A61F class but large enough to mark filtration-grade spunbond media as an active, if secondary, filing target.
Class shares are measured against the 619-record base and overlap with other IPC classes.
Momentum
0 in latest year
several leaders' recent filings
Recent-year activity has gone quiet among leaders
Multiple of the most active historical assignees show zero filings in the latest tracked year, some with a -100% year-on-year change. Given publication lag, this likely overstates the slowdown, but it is consistent with the broader 2021-to-2024 decline.
Momentum figures reflect the latest available year, which is still filling in.
Recent-year filing momentum by assignee
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. | 0 | — |
| Reifenhauser GmbH & Co KG Maschinenfabrik | 0 | — |
| The Procter & Gamble Company | 0 | — |
| Toray Industries, Inc. | 0 | -100% |
| Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | 0 | -100% |
| Airflo Euro | 0 | — |
| Fibertex Personal Care | 0 | — |
| BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville, Inc. | 0 | — |
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee-level momentum. Derived from a Patsnap search on Spunbond Web Formation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
What's Next
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to a mature, concentrated core process with a cooling recent trend and a few technically specific gaps still open.
Map the top assignees' claim scope directly
Concentration at 38.4% for the top five means any new filing strategy needs to be checked against those portfolios first, not the field as a whole.
Explore assignee portfolios in EurekaTrack whether the 2021–2024 decline continues
With 2025 onward still filling in under publication lag, confirming whether the decline holds requires re-checking the trend once later years mature.
Set up filing trend alerts in EurekaTest claim language against the white-space chips
Sub-areas like draw-jet slot geometry or filtration-grade basis weight tuning show lighter citation density and may support narrower, more defensible claims.
Draft and search claims in EurekaSource: Patsnap Eureka. Forward-looking reading of the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Spunbond Web Formation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about spunbond web formation patents
The assignee ranking for this field covers 100 companies drawn from 619 published records, and it is concentrated rather than flat: the top five combined hold 38.4% of all records, and the top ten hold 57.7%. The leading assignee alone accounts for 65 records, well ahead of the fifth-place holder at 42. Equipment manufacturers and large nonwovens converters make up most of the top tier, with a long tail of single- or few-filing entrants below them.
Filings peaked in 2017 at 67 and have generally trended down since. The clearest recent signal is the 2021-to-2024 window, the most recent period the data can treat as complete: filings fell from 28 to 21, a 25% decline. Figures for 2025 and later are still filling in because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so it is too early to call the trend beyond 2024 a continued decline.
The dominant classification is D04H (nonwovens and felts), present in 74.0% of the 619 records in scope. B32B (layered products and laminates) follows at 38.9%, and A61F (implants and absorbent articles, largely hygiene products) appears in 22.6%, reflecting how often spunbond process claims are filed alongside downstream hygiene applications. Because records can carry multiple IPC classes, these percentages overlap and do not sum to 100%.
US20030042651A1 covers a specific apparatus configuration for sub-denier spunbond nonwovens: a multi-head resin metering system, a spinneret head with a quench fluid extraction zone between spinning sections, a two-sided multilevel quench system, and a draw jet assembly with adjustable primary and secondary nozzles and a variable-width draw slot. It blocks that particular combination of quench-and-draw hardware, not sub-denier spunbond production generally. A process using a different quench architecture or a fixed rather than variable draw slot would sit outside its specific claim scope, though it should still be checked directly against the claims as granted.
The IPC composition and citation pattern point to filtration-grade basis weight control, draw-jet slot geometry, and quench-zone airflow management as comparatively under-claimed relative to the dominant D04H bonding and laminate claims. B01D (separation processes) sits at only 9.4% of the 619 records, smaller than the hygiene-adjacent classes, suggesting filtration-specific process tuning has drawn less claim density. Any first filing in these areas should still be checked against the top assignees' existing portfolios given the field's overall concentration.
Answers are grounded in the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Spunbond Web Formation covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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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.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company's registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.