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SHEET STEEL HAVING A DETERMINISTIC SURFACE STRUCTURE

Publication No. EP4031302

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App No. EP20771250

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Filed by ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG

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Filed on 2020-09-08

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Issued/Published on 2025-10-29

Official EPO Register

Publication No. EP4031302 A1

Application No. EP20771250 Filed: 2020-09-08

Grant Date 2025-10-29 Mention of grant

Active Oppositions 1 Active EPO Oppositions

Patent Abstract / Summary

Patent abstract is being processed or was not provided in English by the publishing office.

IPC Classifications

B21B1/22, B21B27/00, C21D8/02, C23C2/06, C23C2/26, C23C2/40, C21D8/04

Priority Claims

DE 201910214135 Date: 2019-09-17

Designated Contracting States (38 EPC States)

AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

Parties & Representation

Applicants

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße 100, 47166 Duisburg

Inventors (4)

VOGT, Oliver

Rübenkamp 59, 44319 Dortmund

JUNGE, Fabian

Ostendorfstraße 4, 40239 Düsseldorf

BISCHOFF, Christine

Am Bildstock 24, 48317 Drensteinfurt

CETINKAYA, Burak William

Am Knappenberg 114, 44139 Dortmund

Representatives / Agents

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG

Patente/Patent Department, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße 100

Group Intellectual Property Services

c/o Tata Steel Nederland Technology B.V., P.O. Box 10000 - 3G.37

Key Procedural Dates

Request-For-Examination 2022-02-16

Mention Of Grant Published 2025-10-29

First-Examination-Report-Despatched 2025-04-10

Legal Status & Event History

Official European Patent Office legal and procedural status changes recorded for this file.

37 Events Recorded

Date	Code	Event Description	Auth
2021-03-26	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2020-09-21	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2022-06-24	PUAI	PUBLIC REFERENCE MADE UNDER ARTICLE 153(3) EPC TO A PUBLISHED INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION THAT HAS ENTERED THE EUROPEAN PHASE	EP
2022-06-24	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2022-07-27	17P	REQUEST FOR EXAMINATION FILED	EP
2022-07-27	AK	DESIGNATED CONTRACTING STATES	EP
2022-12-21	DAX	REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT (DELETED)	EP
2022-12-21	DAV	REQUEST FOR VALIDATION OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT (DELETED)	EP
2025-04-09	GRAP	DESPATCH OF COMMUNICATION OF INTENTION TO GRANT A PATENT	EP
2025-04-09	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2025-05-14	INTG	INTENTION TO GRANT ANNOUNCED	EP
2025-08-08	GRAS	GRANT FEE PAID	EP
2025-09-26	GRAA	(EXPECTED) GRANT	EP
2025-09-26	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2025-10-29	AK	DESIGNATED CONTRACTING STATES	EP
2025-10-29	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2025-11-13	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2025-12-24	U01	REQUEST FOR UNITARY EFFECT FILED	EP
2025-12-24	U07	UNITARY EFFECT REGISTERED	EP
2025-11-19	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-02-26	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-04-13	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-14	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-17	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-20	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-24	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-05-27	U79	STATEMENT CONCERNING LICENCES OF RIGHT FILED [UNITARY EFFECT]	EP
2026-07-03	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-21	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-24	PLBI	OPPOSITION FILED	EP
2026-07-25	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-29	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-08-05	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-07-31	PLAB	OPPOSITION DATA, OPPONENT'S DATA OR THAT OF THE OPPONENT'S REPRESENTATIVE MODIFIED	EP
2026-08-10	PLAX	NOTICE OF OPPOSITION AND REQUEST TO FILE OBSERVATION + TIME LIMIT SENT	EP
2026-08-26	26	OPPOSITION FILED	EP
2026-09-02	R26	OPPOSITION FILED (CORRECTED)	EP

Patent & Non-Patent Citations

Cited documents and prior art referenced in search and examination reports.

14 Citations

Cited Patent Documents

US2015209848 2015-07-30

Espacenet

US2011111255 2011-05-12

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US4783378 1988-11-08

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JPH079015 1995-01-13

Espacenet

WO2019042313

Espacenet

EP3677352 2020-07-08

Espacenet

Non-Patent Scientific Literature (NPL)

- MITUTOYO: "QUICK GUIDE TO SURFACE ROUGHNESS MEASUREMENT Reference guide for laboratory and workshop", 1 December 2016 (2016-12-01), XP093288610, Retrieved from the Internet <URL:https://www.mitutoyo.com/webfoo/wp-content/uploads/1984_Surf_Roughness_PG.pdf>

- ANONYMOUS: "Ra changes when the cutoff changes", MICHIGAN METROLOGY, LLC, 1 January 2024 (2024-01-01), XP093276749 * whole document *

- SAHAY CHITTARANJAN, GHOSH SUHASH: "Understanding Surface Quality: Beyond Average Roughness (Ra)", 2018 ASEE ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXPOSITION PROCEEDINGS, ASEE CONFERENCES, 1 January 2018 (2018-01-01) - 2018-07-27, pages 1 - 20, XP093201624, DOI: 10.18260/1-2--31176

- ANONYMOUS: "Surface roughness (Ra, Rz); All you need to know", HTTPS://WWW.TIMESAVERSINT.COM, TIMESAVERS INTERNATIONAL, 21 April 2021 (2021-04-21), pages 1 - 4, XP093422092, Retrieved from the Internet <URL:https://www.timesaversint.com/knowledge-base/surface-roughness/> * whole document *

- T. M. KOCHNEVA; T. V. KOLYADA; P. P. POLETSKOV; R. I. ABDULBAROV; V. A. ZHELEZNOV: "Cold rolling on textured rollers to obtain regulated surface roughness", STEEL IN TRANSLATION, vol. 41, no. 8, 27 November 2011 (2011-11-27), DE, pages 677 - 679, XP019984637, ISSN: 1935-0988, DOI: 10.3103/S0967091211080079

- DEUTSCHER O.; PAESOLD, D.; KÖRNER, K.; WEYEN, H.-G.; JUPP, S. P.: "Characterising the surface waviness of hot dip galvanised steel sheets for optical high-quality paintability (Carsteel)", CHARACTERISING THE SURFACE WAVINESS OF HOT DIP GALVANISED STEEL SHEETS FOR OPTICAL HIGH-QUALITY PAINTABILITY (CARSTEEL), 1 January 2009 (2009-01-01), LU , pages 1 - 133, XP002717503, ISBN: 978-92-79-11303-1, DOI: 10.2777/65928

- WANG JIAYU, DO-QUANG MINH, CANNON JAMES J., YUE FENG, SUZUKI YUJI, AMBERG GUSTAV, SHIOMI JUNICHIRO: "Surface structure determines dynamic wetting", SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, vol. 5, no. 1, 16 February 2015 (2015-02-16), US, pages 1 - 7, XP093422094, ISSN: 2045-2322, DOI: 10.1038/srep08474

- VERMEULEN M, SCHEERS J: "Micro-hydrodynamic effects in EBT textured steel sheet", INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MACHINE TOOLS AND MANUFACTURE, vol. 41, no. 13-14, 1 October 2001 (2001-10-01), NL, pages 1941 - 1951, XP093422098, ISSN: 0890-6955, DOI: 10.1016/s0890-6955(01)00059-1

Worldwide Patent Family

Related applications and patents in the same INPADOC worldwide family.

11 Family Members

Country	Publication Number	Kind	Publication Date	Action
EP	EP4031302A1	A1	2022-07-27	Espacenet
EP	EP4031302B1	B1	2025-10-29	Espacenet
EP	EP4031302C0	C0	2025-10-29	Espacenet
CN	CN114929407A	A	2022-08-19	Espacenet
CN	CN114929407B	B	2025-07-01	Espacenet
DE	DE102019214135A1	A1	2021-03-18	Espacenet
ES	ES3057115T3	T3	2026-02-26	Espacenet
JP	JP2022548125A	A	2022-11-16	Espacenet
US	US2022305538A1	A1	2022-09-29	Espacenet
US	US12233442B2	B2	2025-02-25	Espacenet
WO	WO2021052818A1	A1	2021-03-25	Espacenet

Official File Inspection EPC Art. 128 Public Dossier

Complete European Patent Register Dossier (148 Total Documents)

The full inspection file for Application EP20771250 contains 148 total documents, including all notices of opposition, proprietor counter-statements, examination communications, third-party observations, and procedural forms. Below are all major recorded procedural filings and publication specifications.

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Date: 2026-04-24 Procedure: Examination 0009250

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SHEET STEEL HAVING A DETERMINISTIC SURFACE STRUCTURE

Patent Abstract / Summary

IPC Classifications

Priority Claims

Designated Contracting States (38 EPC States)

Parties & Representation

Applicants

Inventors (4)

Representatives / Agents

Key Procedural Dates

Patent Oppositions

Tata Steel Nederland Technology BV

Legal Status & Event History

Patent & Non-Patent Citations

Cited Patent Documents

Non-Patent Scientific Literature (NPL)

Worldwide Patent Family

Complete European Patent Register Dossier (148 Total Documents)

Recorded Filings & Patent Specifications

European Patent Specification - Granted Patent (B1)

Official European Patent Register Full Dossier

European Patent Application with Search Report (A1)

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