T 0170/87 (Hot-gas cooler) of 05.07.1988
- European Case Law Identifier
- ECLI:EP:BA:1988:T017087.19880705
- Date of decision
- 5 July 1988
- Case number
- T 0170/87
- Petition for review of
- -
- Application number
- 81105938.5
- IPC class
- C10J 3/86
- Language of proceedings
- German
- Distribution
- Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
- Download
- -
- Other decisions for this case
- -
- Abstracts for this decision
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- Application title
- -
- Applicant name
- Sulzer
- Opponent name
- -
- Board
- 3.3.01
- Headnote
1. A figure which serves only to give a schematic explanation of the principle of the subject-matter of the patent and not to represent it in every detail does not allow the sure conclusion that the disclosed teaching purposively excludes a feature not represented. Such a "negative" feature (here: "with no internal fittings") may not subsequently be incorporated into the claim.
2. A disclaimer can be used to make an inventive teaching which overlaps with the state of the art novel but it cannot make an obvious teaching inventive.
- Relevant legal provisions
- European Patent Convention Art 123(2) 1973European Patent Convention Art 56 1973
- Keywords
- Inventive step (no) -
Further solution to a problem already solved without overcoming a prejudice or achieving an unexpected result
Original disclosure (no)
Lack of a feature in schematic drawing/only ground for its exclusion
"Negative" feature
Disclaimer only for substantiation of inventive step - Catchword
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- Cited cases
- -
- Citing cases
- G 0001/03G 0002/03G 0002/10G 0001/16T 0278/88T 0650/88T 0511/89T 0839/90T 0156/91T 0393/91T 0410/91T 0857/91T 0885/91T 0597/92T 0606/92T 0653/92T 0710/92T 0039/93T 0084/93T 0448/93T 0521/93T 0885/93T 0121/94T 0681/94T 0917/94T 0159/95T 0399/95T 0645/95T 0448/96T 0571/96T 0863/96T 0963/96T 0013/97T 0308/97T 0323/97T 0739/97T 1154/97T 1217/97T 0740/98T 0264/99T 0451/99T 0507/99T 0525/99T 0974/99T 0118/00T 0162/00T 0500/00T 0548/00T 0827/00T 0002/01T 0853/02T 1028/02T 1120/05T 0564/08T 0380/09T 2136/10T 0474/15T 0621/15T 0462/19T 0939/21T 0204/22T 0571/22
ORDER
For these reasons, it is decided that:
1. The contested decision is set aside.
2. The appellants' main and first subsidiary requests are dismissed.
3. The case is remitted to the Opposition Division for continuation of the opposition proceedings on the basis of the second subsidiary request.