USPTO 2015–2025 USPTO PatentsView US Corporation

Illinois TOOL Works Inc.

USPTO PatentsView assignee record - 3,292 granted patents across 350 technology areas, active 2015–2025. Filing-trend and competitive-moat analysis cross-referenced to USPTO Patent Public Search. Primary class: B23K (SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM).

Compiled byPlainPatent Editorial, US Patent Intelligence Editorial Team · May 15, 2026

Explore the portfolio See the ranking

3,292

Total patents granted

350

CPC technology areas

15.6

Avg claims per patent

+53%

5-year filing velocity

The verdict

Illinois holds 3,292 US patents across 350 technology areas, rank #111 of 50,000 tracked assignees.

#111
of 50,000 US assignees by volume: Top 1%
by Innovation Score (69.0/100): 15.6
avg claims per patent: +53%
filing velocity, last 5 yrs

Portfolio overview

Illinois TOOL Works Inc. has been granted 3,292 US utility patents between 2015 and 2025, placing Illinois TOOL Works Inc. at rank #111 across all assignees tracked by PlainPatent. This portfolio spans 350 distinct Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) subclasses, averaging 15.6 claims per patent with primary concentration in B23K (SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM). As a US Corporation, Illinois TOOL Works Inc. is one of the broader-portfolio assignees in the PatentsView dataset. By volume, Illinois sits between Seagate Technology Llc (3,383 patents, rank #107) and Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (3,200 patents, rank #115) - the closest US assignees by grant volume. The composite Innovation Score of 69.0/100 blends portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth into a single comparable measure drawn directly from USPTO PatentsView records.

Filing cadence tells the strategic story. Between 2020 and 2025 the company received 1,993 grants, compared with 1,299 in the 2015–2019 window, a +53% shift in five-year velocity. An acceleration of this magnitude signals aggressive R&D investment and expanding technical ambition. The US Corporation classification further shapes interpretation, since corporate, government, and individual filers pursue patents for materially different reasons.

Claim depth and technology breadth together indicate competitive posture. Illinois TOOL Works Inc.'s 15.6 average claims per patent sits within the typical range for solid legal coverage without excessive prosecution cost, while a diversified footprint across 100+ CPC subclasses spreads risk across many technology fronts. Combined with portfolio volume, these signals let analysts, investors, and licensing professionals benchmark Illinois TOOL Works Inc. against peers pursuing similar technology classes.

Seagate Technology

3,383
Boston Scientific…

3,361
SNAP

3,345
United States of…

3,298
Illinois TOOL Wor… ◀

3,292
Toshiba TEC

3,280
Nippon Telegraph…

3,279
Yazaki

3,264
Toyota Motor Engi…

3,200

What this shows Illinois holds 3,292 patents at rank #111, shown against the 8 assignees closest to it in grant volume rather than the industry's largest filers.

Companies ranked near Illinois

By rank, the assignees closest to #111 in granted patent volume.

Leaders in B23K (Soldering OR Unsoldering)

Other assignees with the most granted patents in Illinois's primary technology class.

Illinois's Innovation Score vs. every tracked assignee

Composite of portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth (0–100)

69 Top 1% higher than 99% of 50,000 US assignees

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US assignees. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source USPTO PatentsView, PlainPatent Innovation Score · 2015–2025

USPTO utility patent grants by year · 2015–2025

Grants by year

Teal-shaded recent years (2020–present) versus the 2015–2019 baseline. Full figures in the table below.

View data table

Illinois TOOL Works Inc. patent grants by year, 2015–2025
Year	Patents Granted	Share of Period
2015	249	7.6%
2016	239	7.3%
2017	269	8.2%
2018	255	7.7%
2019	287	8.7%
2020	373	11.3%
2021	355	10.8%
2022	302	9.2%
2023	340	10.3%
2024	365	11.1%
2025	258	7.8%

Which technologies does Illinois TOOL Works Inc. patent most?

B23K - SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM 976

F16B - DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING 273

Y10T - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION 243

B25C - HAND-HELD NAILING OR STAPLING TOOLS; MANUALLY OPERATED PORTABLE STAPLING TOOLS 133

H05K - PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS 121

B65D - CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES 118

G09B - EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS 104

H05B - ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL 104

G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES 98

B60R - VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR 97

E05B - LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS 97

B29C - SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING 96

A47L - DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING ; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL 93

F16K - VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING 89

G05B - CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS 83

Top 15 of 350 technology areas

Patent Moat Analysis

Portfolio Volume Strong

Tech Breadth Diversified

Claim Depth Standard

Velocity Accelerating

Where it ranks

Overall rank by patents

#111

Across all tracked assignees

Innovation Score

69.0 out of 100

View all rankings →

Data Source

USPTO PatentsView, US granted patents 2015–2025

How is Innovation Score calculated?

Frequently Asked Questions

How many patents does Illinois TOOL Works Inc. hold?

Illinois TOOL Works Inc. holds 3,292 US granted patents filed between 2015 and 2025, spanning 350 technology areas.

What is Illinois TOOL Works Inc.'s Innovation Score?

Illinois TOOL Works Inc. has an Innovation Score of 69.0 out of 100. This composite metric weighs portfolio volume (40%), filing velocity (20%), technology breadth (25%), and claim depth (15%).

What technology areas does Illinois TOOL Works Inc. focus on?

Illinois TOOL Works Inc.'s top technology area is B23K (SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM) with 976 patents. The company has filed patents in 350 CPC subclasses total.

Is Illinois TOOL Works Inc.'s patent filing rate increasing or decreasing?

Illinois TOOL Works Inc.'s recent filing velocity is +53% compared to the prior five-year period. This indicates accelerating innovation.

What does claim depth mean for Illinois TOOL Works Inc.'s patents?

Illinois TOOL Works Inc.'s patents average 15.6 claims each. This falls within the standard range, providing solid legal coverage.

How is the Illinois TOOL Works Inc. patent data sourced?

All patent data comes from USPTO PatentsView, a public research dataset maintained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office covering US granted utility patents from 2015 to 2025.

How to use this portfolio

Illinois's 3,292 grants land it in the top 1% by Innovation Score, but volume alone doesn't tell you where the strength sits.

Read that count against the largest US assignees before treating it as dominance - Illinois ranks #111 of 50,000. Top 50 holders
Most of this portfolio concentrates in B23K - see who else leads that technology area. B23K leaders
Check what the four-part Innovation Score actually rewards before comparing it to another company. How the score works

Patent counts and the Innovation Score measure patenting activity, not commercial success or the legal strength of any patent. Many patents are filed defensively. Verify the status of an individual patent against official USPTO records.

Data sourced from USPTO PatentsView - official U.S. government patent data. See our methodology for computation details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPatent Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the USPTO PatentsView database. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sources used on this page

USPTO PatentsView - the disambiguated bulk patent-grant, assignee, and CPC data this page's figures are derived from. patentsview.org
Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) - the joint USPTO/EPO classification scheme used to group patents by technology area. cooperativepatentclassification.org
USPTO Patent Public Search - the official interface to verify the status of any individual patent. ppubs.uspto.gov

Compiled byPlainPatent Editorial, US Patent Intelligence Editorial Team · May 15, 2026

Every figure on PlainPatent is rendered directly from USPTO source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on USPTO source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.