Company patents

SMC CORPORATION

SMC CORPORATION's patent strategy reveals a surprising shift, with significant declines in core manufacturing areas like Valves (down 81.8% in 2025) and Manipulators & Robotics (down 87.5% in 2025), despite a rebound in 2026 for both categories. This suggests a potential re-evaluation of R&D focus, especially given the complete cessation of patenting so far in 2026 for Industrial & Autonomous Control and Measurement (Non-specific), which previously saw substantial year-over-year declines.

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.

176 US filings (since 2023) · 8 categories · 16 themes

Advanced Valve Actuation

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.

Valves
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41since 2023
-89.5%YoY
Hydraulic & Pneumatic Control Valves

Valves specifically designed for managing fluid power in hydraulic or pneumatic systems, including components for pressure regulation, flow direction, and system centering.

Valves
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32since 2023
-75.0%YoY
Integrated Valve Sensing & Diagnostics

Incorporating sensors and processing capabilities directly into valve systems to monitor operational state, detect malfunctions, measure flow parameters, or verify proper installation.

Valves
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13since 2023
-66.7%YoY
Specialized End-Effectors & Mechanisms

Design and control of advanced robotic grippers, tools, and mechanical linkages for specific manipulation tasks or operating in challenging environments.

Manipulators & Robotics
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11since 2023
-25.0%YoY
Pressure Relief and Check Valves

Valves engineered to automatically open or close based on pressure differentials, preventing over-pressurization, controlling flow direction, or suppressing backflow in fluid systems.

Valves
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7since 2023
-50.0%YoY
Valves for Sanitary & HVAC Systems

Specialized valve designs for domestic and commercial applications involving water distribution, temperature control, and air conditioning, often focusing on integration, materials, and specific flow characteristics.

Valves
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6since 2023
n/a
Magnetic Position Sensing

Methods and devices that determine the position, angle, or distance of an object by detecting changes in magnetic fields or inductive coupling.

Measurement (Non-specific)
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5since 2023
-66.7%YoY
Advanced Heat Exchanger Architectures

Novel designs and configurations for heat exchangers that improve heat transfer efficiency, compactness, or enable specific phase change or separation processes within refrigeration and heat pump cycles.

Refrigeration
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4since 2023
-66.7%YoY
Quick Connect/Disconnect Couplings

Mechanisms allowing rapid, secure, and often sealed attachment and detachment of pipes, tubes, or hoses, frequently featuring locking, sealing, and release components for efficient assembly and maintenance.

Pipes & Tubing
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3since 2023
+100.0%YoY
Specialized Fluid Handling Connections

Couplings and fittings designed for specific fluid properties (e.g., cryogenic, chemical, medical, high-pressure) or requiring aseptic conditions, low-spill characteristics, or antimicrobial features to ensure safety and integrity.

Pipes & Tubing
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3since 2023
0.0%YoY
Advanced RF & Beam Management

Techniques and hardware architectures for optimizing the radio frequency (RF) front-end, antenna systems, and beamforming strategies in wireless networks to improve signal quality, capacity, and interference mitigation.

Wireless Networks
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3since 2023
-50.0%YoY
Refrigerant Circuit Optimization

Design and control strategies for improving the efficiency, stability, and operational flexibility of refrigerant circuits, including component integration, flow management, phase separation, and pressure regulation.

Refrigeration
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3since 2023
-50.0%YoY
Specialized Fastener Installation/Removal

Tools and systems engineered for the precise installation, removal, or manipulation of specific components or fasteners, often involving specialized gripping, depth control, or extraction mechanisms.

Hand Tools
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2since 2023
+100.0%YoY
Alternative Refrigeration Technologies

Non-traditional refrigeration and heat pump systems that utilize principles other than vapor compression, such as magnetocaloric effects, thermoelectric effects, absorption cycles, or thermochemical reactions.

Refrigeration
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1since 2023
n/a
Integrated Functionality in Tubing

Tubes, hoses, or ducts incorporating additional components or features beyond simple fluid conveyance, such as embedded electronics (sensors, heaters), structural reinforcement, or segregated compartments for cable routing.

Pipes & Tubing
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1since 2023
n/a
Non-Standard Pipe & Duct Geometries

Connectors, seals, and tubing solutions specifically designed for pipes, ducts, or conduits that deviate from standard circular cross-sections, or require flexible/collapsible forms for specific applications or installation challenges.

Pipes & Tubing
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1since 2023
n/a

Patents

Showing 1-10 of 439

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