Patent landscapes › Electronics & gadgets
Is a metal detector patented?
Short answer: specific designs of a metal detector have been patented many times, but "a metal detector" as a general idea is not what is protected. What matters is the exact combination of features in your version.
What our index shows
- 405 US and WO patent publications since 2000 have a title matching “metal detect” or a close variant (our index of 9.7 million patent families; one publication per family).
- Among the 293 best keyword matches we examined, 113 were published in 2020 or later, and the earliest was published in 2000.
- Most frequent assignees in those matches: MINELAB ELECTRONICS PTY LTD (49), WHITE S ELECTRONICS (9), METTLER TOLEDO SAFELINE LTD (9), UNIV JOHNS HOPKINS (8).
- Most common patent classes (CPC subclasses): G01V (255), G01N (32), G01R (29), G08B (14).
Counts come from keyword matching on titles and abstracts, so they are indicative, not a legal count. Some matches are different products that share a word.
14 real patent publications related to a metal detector
- Antenna structure for a motion metal detector with non-coplanar induction-balance coils WO-2026099323-A1 2026 · XPLORER
The invention relates to an antenna structure for a motion metal detector comprising an antenna body, at least one receiver coil and a transmitter coil. One of the main aims of this invention is to provide an antenna structure cap…
View on Google Patents - Constant current metal detector with driven transmit coil US-2024329275-A1 2024 · MINELAB ELECTRONICS PTY LTD
A metal detector transmitting, through a transmit coil, a repeating transmit signal cycle, which includes at least one receive period and at least one non-zero transmit coil reactive voltage period; and sensing a current in the tr…
View on Google Patents - Signal processing technique for a metal detector US-10969511-B2 2021 · MINELAB ELECTRONICS PTY LTD
A metal detector, includes a transmitter for transmitting a repeating sequence of transmit magnetic field, each of the sequence includes a period of changing or constant non-zero transmit magnetic field, immediately followed by pe…
View on Google Patents - Search coil for metal detector WO-2017015730-A1 2017 · DETECH LTD
The search coil for metal detector is applied in the archaeology, geology, construction, in the military and police practice. The search coil is distinguished with increased sensitivity, being capable of finding different sized me…
View on Google Patents - Metal detector using coils with multiple detection zones to identify targets while moving US-2017235009-A1 2017 · ARRANT GLENN CURTIS
A metal detector with multiple detection zones of alternating polarity achieved by means of multiple coil windings such that when a target moves across it, a detection signal of alternating polarity is generated with a waveform sh…
View on Google Patents - Multi-frequency coil for various types of metal detectors WO-2016159919-A1 2016 · SCHUROV OLEKSIY OLEKSANDROVICH
A multi-frequency coil for various types of metal detectors includes two or more inductive windings, which are separated into a receive winding and a transmit winding, and which have capacitors connected to the ends thereof. In or…
View on Google Patents - Metal detector having constant reactive transmit voltage applied to a transmit coil US-8614576-B2 2013 · CANDY BRUCE HALCRO
An electronic metal detector having, a transmit coil arranged and adapted to transmit an alternating magnetic field associated with a reactive transmit coil voltage, the transmit coil being connected to transmit electronics arrang…
View on Google Patents - Dual field search coil for pulse induction metal detectors US-7994789-B1 2011 · WHITE S ELECTRONICS
A new dual field search coil for pulse induction metal detectors has multiple coplanar wire coils of different diameters connected in series with the output of a pulse source, overcoming the loss of target size resolution associat…
View on Google Patents - Metal detector with improved receiver coil US-7656153-B2 2010 · WESTERSTEN ALLAN
A pulse-induction-type metal detector in which the receiver coil comprises bifilar windings that are connected in series, opposing during the coil pulse and in series, aiding, following the coil pulse. Pick-up of energy by the rec…
View on Google Patents - Multi-frequency metal detector having constant reactive transmit voltage applied to a transmit coil US-7652477-B2 2010 · MINELAB ELECTRONICS PTY LTD
An electronic metal detector having a transmit coil ( 1 ) adapted to transmit an alternating magnetic field associated with a reactive transmit voltage, wherein the transmit voltage signal is selected such that the reactive transm…
View on Google Patents - Sensor coil for metal detector and metal detector WO-2010079836-A1 2010 · TOK ENGINEERING CO LTD
A sensor coil for a metal detector and a metal detector are used for determining and detecting the shape of the metal object of a magnetic body. The sensor coil is formed by winding a wire around a core by bifilar winding or trif…
View on Google Patents - Oscillator coil geometry for radio frequency metal detectors US-2008055080-A1 2008 · BRITTON ANDREW MICHAEL
A metal detector ( 1 ) used for identifying contaminants ( 35 ) in products ( 35 ). The detector ( 1 ) includes an oscillator coil assembly ( 10 ) that may be formed as a combination of pairs of series wound coils ( 15, 18 ) and p…
View on Google Patents - Interference cancelling metal detector including electronic selection of effective sensing coil arrangement US-6690169-B2 2004 · BHC CONSULTING PTY LTD
Metal detection apparatus containing at least two inductive coils one of which acts as a transmit coil and all of which act as receive coils and processing circuitry wherein a proportion of the first receive electronic signal and …
View on Google Patents - Ground mineralization rejecting metal detector (receive signal weighting) US-6636044-B2 2003 · BHC CONSULTING PTY LTD
Metal detection apparatus wherein a transmit coil will transmit magnetic pulses, and the processing circuitry will weight a receive signal more heavily soon after a transmit pulse transition and less heavily after a longer period …
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What this means for your idea
Because patents cover specific combinations of features, the useful question is not “has a metal detector been patented?” but “has my combination of features been described before?” Consumer electronics are among the most heavily patented areas; the specific circuit, mounting, or interaction is what distinguishes a design.
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Guides that help with this
First-look landscape. Not exhaustive. Not legal advice. This page lists keyword-matched publications from a limited database; it does not say whether any product is or isn't covered by a patent, whether a patent is still in force, or whether your idea is patentable. Consult a registered patent attorney or agent.