Company patents
Matthews International Corporation
Matthews International Corporation's patent strategy reveals a surprising and strong emerging focus on "Batteries & Fuel Cells," which now constitutes 27.2% of its portfolio and saw an 83.3% year-over-year growth in 2025, alongside a significant push into "Powder Metallurgy" and "Capacitors," both experiencing 133.3% YoY growth in 2025, indicating a strategic pivot towards energy storage and advanced materials. This contrasts with a clear shifting priority away from "Printers & Typewriters," which declined by 66.7% in 2025 and has seen no patents so far in 2026, and a complete halt in patenting for "Plastics Shaping & Molding" and "Capacitors" so far in 2026, suggesting a re-evaluation of these areas despite strong growth in the prior year.
Patent Trend by Technology Area
Yearly patent publications since 2023
Product themes
Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.
81 US filings (since 2023) · 12 categories · 22 themes
Involves the development of novel materials and porous structures for the electrodes of supercapacitors and other electrochemical energy storage devices, aiming for high charge density, improved performance, and flexibility.
Process and equipment for producing solid-state battery cells, including solid electrolyte synthesis (sulfide/oxide/polymer), thin-film deposition, lamination, sintering, dry-electrode fabrication, and stacking under controlled atmosphere.
Innovations in the design and arrangement of piezoelectric or thermal actuators, drive electronics, and fluidic structures within the printhead to achieve precise and efficient liquid ejection.
Slurry compositions and coating processes for battery electrodes, including binder/active-material slurries, surface coating layers, and electrode-to-foil adhesion for cathode and anode.
Techniques for building three-dimensional metal objects layer-by-layer using metal powders, including powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and directed energy deposition. This theme encompasses process mechanics, equipment design, and operational control for AM systems.
Improvements to the internal components and configurations of rolling element bearings, such as cage designs, separator materials, raceway geometry, or adjustable elements, to enhance performance or lifespan.
Mechanisms and methods for preventing or removing clogs, ink residue, or contaminants from printhead nozzles and surfaces to ensure consistent print quality and extend printhead lifespan.
Mechanisms and control systems for precisely moving valve elements, often involving electric motors, cams, solenoids, or pneumatic/hydraulic pilots, to achieve desired flow or position.
Technologies for precisely controlling the timing and volume of liquid droplet ejection, and for real-time or post-ejection monitoring of droplet trajectory, velocity, and nozzle health to maintain print accuracy and quality.
Bearings that utilize a pressurized gas or liquid film to create a non-contact support surface, reducing friction and wear, often incorporating specific flow restriction or airfoil designs.
Design and integration of bearings within larger mechanical systems or devices, focusing on mounting structures, housing, endplay management, and overall assembly for specific applications.
Processes and apparatus for disassembling spent batteries and recovering valuable materials (e.g., metals, electrolytes, plastics) through mechanical, chemical, or electrochemical methods for reuse or sustainable disposal.
Techniques for combining multiple materials or layers, often with specialized surface treatments, coatings, or assembly methods, to create functional or aesthetically enhanced plastic articles, including consumer goods and encapsulated electronics.
Integration of additive manufacturing with subtractive manufacturing (e.g., machining, cutting) or other traditional processes within a single system or workflow to create parts with improved features, surface finish, or material properties, or to enable new manufacturing paradigms.
Innovations in the physical structure, materials, support mechanisms, and operational monitoring of conveyor belts to improve durability, cleanliness, safety, or specific handling capabilities, including specialized drive mechanisms.
Systems and mechanisms designed to safely and efficiently interface transport vehicles (trucks, trailers) with loading docks or automated loading systems, including vehicle restraint, telescopic loading arms, and specialized vehicle-mounted conveyors.
Active anode materials and manufacturing techniques for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, including silicon-carbon composites, graphite, lithium-metal anodes, and electrode coating processes that improve capacity, cycle life, and rate capability.
Production of materials where properties vary continuously or discontinuously through the volume, often achieved by combining different powders or applying specialized coatings like thermal sprays to enhance surface hardness, wear resistance, or thermal properties.
Design aspects of user-replaceable cartridges or containers for printing consumables (e.g., ink, tape, labels) that facilitate easy installation, proper positioning, type identification, and reliable supply to the printer.
Systems and components for storing, delivering, circulating, and managing printing liquids (e.g., ink) to the printhead, often including features for pressure regulation, filtration, degassing, and balancing liquid levels.
Incorporating sensors and processing capabilities directly into valve systems to monitor operational state, detect malfunctions, measure flow parameters, or verify proper installation.
Systems and methods for efficient storage, retrieval, and sorting of items within warehouses, distribution centers, or manufacturing facilities, often involving vertical lifts, high-throughput sorters, or inventory management logic.
Patents
Showing 1-10 of 108